Last day in Belize. Before heading to the next destination, I walked through downtown Belize City one more time.
The Swing Bridge
The Swing Bridge, crossing Haulover Creek through the heart of Belize City, is a city symbol. Built in 1923, it's a manually operated movable bridge that originally rotated 90 degrees to let large ships pass. Globally rare in design, it's been broken for some time now and no longer rotates.
Looking out from the bridge, both sides of the creek show daily life: small fishing boats, water taxis, and buildings lining the waterway. A historic bridge living alongside everyday city life — that's very Belize City.
Looking Back on Belize
Belize is a peculiar place in Latin America. English is the official language, and Caribbean resort culture mixes with the unpolished daily life of Central America. There's an air all its own that's neither quite the Spanish-speaking countries nor quite the Caribbean island states.
The Great Blue Hole flight is worth seeing once in your life. From a small plane, the deep blue circle is a shape the planet built over very long time. Even for travelers who didn't know about Belize before, that view alone makes the country worth visiting.