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M A Y
 2 0 0 9Issue 28
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COROZAL, BELIZE…AT “TWILIGHT TIME”
Heavenly shades of night are falling It’s twilight time Out of the mist your voice is calling It's twilight time When purple colored curtains Mark the end of the day I hear you my dear at twilight time The Platters -- 1958 Maybe it was “the deepening shadows gathering splendor, as day was done.” Or, the “fingers of night that soon would surrender the setting sun.” But whatever it was, for one enchanting evening nearly a decade ago, the still, starlit central park of Corozal, Belize, was for this writer, the most romantic spot on the face of the earth. And, perhaps, for you, it could be too. But, first, let’s pull back for the long view. For Latin Americaphiles, the tiny country of Belize (population 320,000) is something akin to Mark Twain’s weather: “Everybody talks about it, but nobody does anything about it.” In the case of Belize, everybody talks about it, but relatively few visit for any length of time, and even fewer actually make the move to set up house-keeping. For Clews’ Views readers – we of pioneer stock – that’s too bad. Because Belize, with its English-speaking population, U.S. dollar currency, and very laid-back lifestyle, may be one of the average American’s best bets for transitioning from explorer to expat in the vast Down Under. But, before you make your move – and before I take us back to Corozal – let me offer what I believe is a well-warranted caveat emptor. It won’t win any plaudits from the current government’s ministry of tourism. And those who have already immersed themselves in the “UnBelizeable” beauty of the country’s rain forests, beaches, and Mayan icons, may feel a trifle besmirched. But, you count on me to call them as I see them. So, here goes. For simplicity’s sake, I have come up with the Clews’ Views Five P’s for rating the stage of North American-style modernization for a country, region, or specific locale in Latin America. The categories are coterminous, so it is not entirely precise, but here at the Five P’s, in descending order of development: 1. Precocial – In essence, this denotes an area that most in the U.S. would consider mature before its time. It has all of the amenities of modern Western society, though by elitist reckoning, it’s supposed to be “Emerging” at best, or “Third World” at worst. Think Panama City, Buenos Aires, and – unbeknownst to most – Uruguay en toto.Okay, so there you have it – and I’m sure I’ll soon get it from my dear Belizean expat friends Phil Hahn over at beautiful Orchid Bay and Dave Peterson at equally breathtaking Sapphire Beach. But, keep in mind: Orchid Bay is a world-class New Urbanism beach community meticulously carved out of the plush wilderness. And Sapphire Beach is, well, it’s cozily ensconced on that sun-kissed piece of paradise Madonna enshrined as “La Isla Bonita.” Need I say more?  All of which brings us back to that singularly romantic village on the Caribbean coastline where “purple-colored curtains mark the end of day”: Corozal, Belize. To many, Corozal is little more than a pass-through portal on the sojourn from the interior of Belize to the Rio Hondo, the river separating Belize from Mexico. In fact, Frommer’s Guide describes it thusly: “Corozal is the last town on the Northern Highway before you reach the Mexican border.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the tourist trade. |
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But, as is so often the case, with locales as well as life in general, it is only when you stop to smell the roses that you get the full fragrance of the flowers. And when you stop in Corozal, you realize that if, indeed, the best things in life aren’t free … they can certainly come at a bargain price. And sometimes, the good life, to quote Sinatra, is all a matter of “tell[ing] the whole darn world, if you don’t happen to like it, deal me out, thank you kindly pass me by.”
Corozal, Belize, defines the simple life lived well. As Fodor’s Guide says, “This friendly town is great for easy living by the turquoise waters of the Corozal Bay.” Were you to join the 10,000 contented residents of Corozal, you might while away the hours of a typical day relaxing on the town’s white sand beach, or swimming in its warm Caribbean waters. If you’re an angler, you’ll quickly find that the Corozal Bay offers endless opportunities for “bringing the lunkers to the end of the line.” Barracuda, crevalle, bonefish, and permit are just a few of the gamefish awaiting pursuit. And the largest tarpon in Belize swim through the northern lagoons, rivers, and estuaries. For those who prefer lore to lures, and enjoy exploring antiquity, much of Corozal is built over the ancient Maya trading city of Santa Rita. And, in fact, the remains of that legendary metropolis can be seen by walking only a few minutes from the town’s center. Inhabited by the Mayans from 2000 B.C. to approximately the 16th Century A.D., Santa Rita once controlled the vital trade routes to and from the Yucatan cities within present-day Mexico and Guatemala. And visitors descend daily to the ceremonial center and burial chambers. So, life in and around Corozal is good – and remarkably inexpensive. You can still get lots in gated communities for well under $20,000. Random lots in area are listed for a quarter of that. You can buy a good-sized home for under $150,000. And in the nearby retirement community of Consejo, a water view home with more than 2,400 square feet of living space sells for under $200,000.  But, if you decide to take in the big city and bright lights, my advice is: don’t stay too long. Because if you do, you might miss out on what to this writer is the most enticing – and yes, romantic – of all the draws of Corozal. It’s the central park. And it is there, when “heavenly shades of night are falling,” that Corozal, Belize, becomes one of the most romantic spots on the face of the earth. Snuggled between the quaint boundaries of Fourth and Fifth Avenues to the east and west, the dual First Streets to the north and south, Corozal’s palm-lined park defies its visitors to give the worries of the world a second thought. Here, the verdant carpet of plush green beckons star-crossed lovers to lie back in its soft embrace and luxuriate in the lilting breeze. And with the distant sound of the lapping waves “lighting the spark … of dreams untold,” it’s hard not to wish those dreams untold would last a lifetime. So, here’s hoping that, for you and that someone special, they one day will ... “together, at last, at Twilight Time,” in enchanting Corozal. See you next month.
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