The Sandbar

Dooley Bear drops in on Holy Cross Anglican School students and a pizza party breaks out

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Lisa Cyrier reads from one of the Dooley Bear books to students at Holy Cross Anglican School on Wednesday during a holiday party for literacy program students and volunteers.
Lisa Cyrier reads from one of the Dooley Bear books to students at Holy Cross Anglican School on Wednesday during a holiday party for literacy program students and volunteers. That’s the big Dooley, unfazed by celebrity,  sacked out on the floor behind Lisa! 

Dooley Bear, a gregarious chocolate Labrador with a penchant for travel and the subject of more than a few books, dropped into Holy Cross Anglican School in the San Mateo neighborhood on Wednesday for some petting and pizza.

Dooley brought along his literary partners, Ronnie and Lisa Cyrier, so that they could read some of the books about his adventures to a special gathering of students.

The occasion was the first Christmas Party of the newly resurrected volunteer literacy program which is designed to help students of all grade levels to enhance their reading, pronunciation and comprehension skills. The program is operated by a dedicated group of volunteers from the San Pedro community under the leadership of Susan Barkhouse and Brittney O’Daniel. Read the rest of this entry »

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San Pedro Sunday morning: Covering ground for a good cause

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Some of the runners and walkers begin to mingle around the starting line for Sunday morning's Autism Awareness 5K in San Pedro, Belize.
Some of the runners and walkers begin to mingle around the starting line for Sunday morning’s Autism Awareness 5K in San Pedro, Belize. That is Miss Rose in a yellow top, already pumped from the 7K run she did earlier to warm up for the 5K walk with me.

This morning was the second annual Autism Awareness 5K Walk/Run in San Pedro.

Rose and I chose the walk option off the menu, out of deference for me being completely out of shape thanks to back-to-back surgeries in the past year or so. So Rose prepared for the 5K by rising early and running a 7K. I prepared by looking for my ancient running shoes, which I searched thoroughly for scorpions, lizards, spiders and other creatures who seek shelter in musty, dark places in the back of closets.

The good news is, I found none of the above.

But the shoes. Oh, the shoes! Read the rest of this entry »

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Of sand bars, secret beaches and soccer — life in Belize gets no better than this

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Have a seat: The Sanbar offers a variety of seating, from semi-dry sand to 5 inches of warm and soothing saltwater. Beverages are optional.
Have a seat: The Sandbar offers a variety of seating, from semi-dry sand to 5 inches of warm and soothing saltwater. Beverages are optional.

Sometimes all it takes is a boat full of friends, a spit of sand and a glorious day in Belize to make you feel all is right in the universe.

Adam and Jackie Feldman of Casa Picasso restaurant wanted to have a special welcome for their longtime friend and fellow restaurateur Hasni Ghazali. What better way to offer up a taste of the island than a daytrip with good friends to the backside and our favorite spot in all of Ambergris Caye — The Sandbar?

The Sandbar is just that: a spit of sand on the south side of a very small island just off the “back side” of Ambergris Caye. Read the rest of this entry »

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