5 Things A Tourist May Find Odd:

·         Fish Head Trade. If you go out fishing, come back with fish, and don’t want to clean them, you may ask the fisherman at the dock if they would clean them for the fish head. The fish head is used to make fish tea (aka fish head soup.) Belizeans believe the fish head is the best part and is an aphrodisiac. If there aren’t any fisherman around, typically, you can take your catch to a local restaurant and ask them to cook your fish. They charge for preparations, which would be less than if you purchased a fish meal from them.  Fish in Belize means the whole fish. The idea is you get to “see it” so you know what kind it is. However, if you don’t want to “see your fish” you may ask them to remove it ahead of time.

Paying to Use the Bathroom. It’s common in Belize to pay $1BZ (.50US) to go to the bathroom. Upon paying, the attendant will hand you a supply of toilet paper. The attendant is responsible for the upkeep of the bathroom and many times, the attendant is working for tips. In areas were bathroom and businesses are scarce, locals will spray paint on their outdoor toilets $1 to let one know they “open up” their bathroom to tourists. The “farmers markets” have public toilets and attendants as well as gas stations.

·         Tamales have bones. Be careful if you are not used to eating tamales with the bones. Belizeans love their bones as they believe it’s the most flavorful part and chew on them. The saying goes “you never know what you’re gonna get.” Chicken foot is the tamale most Belizeans hope for. If you prefer not to have bones in your tamales, ask if they have any “gringo-style.” The Maya many times make their tamales without bones. Just ask. Tamales sale for $1US/$2BZ and are a common street side food. It’s common for salesmen and women to go around with a 5-gallon bucket, called a pig tale bucket, and sale them for breakfast or snacks.

·         Coffee is instant. In Belize, coffee means instant, so be sure to order “ground coffee” if that’s what you want.

·        ·         Walking With Traffic. Belizeans walk with traffic as opposed to walking against it. It doesn’t appear to be working as traffic accidents, many times involving pedestrians, are the number one cause of death in Belize. When driving, be prepared as the pedestrians do not see you coming. Sometimes, they are not even looking, but you don’t have to do that!