If you’ve seen the classic Audrey Hepburn/Rex Harrison movie “My Fair Lady,” you know that “the rain in Spain stayed mainly on the plain…” Fortunately, the rain in Belize spreads it’s glory across the land during the summer and while it’s easy to get cranky if you come for a vacation, it’s time you learned the truth: The rain explains why Belize has become such a successful ecotourism destination.
Without that rainy season, can you imagine what would become of the exotic animals making their homes in Belize —what would become of the verdant jungles, rivers, lagoons and waterfalls that shape this paradise each summer? Besides, can anybody prove that the millions of Mayans who built a thriving society in Belize and then vanished without a trace didn’t do so because the rain dried up and they had to leave or perish?
Fact, is you might want to do your own happy rain dance once you acknowledge the fact that everything splendid that you find in Belize comes courtesy of rains that renew the earth and nurture every living thing. Our topography depends upon healthy downpours, so it’s sad when people complain, thus we'd like to set the record straight about Belize's rainy season.
For starters, powerful rains habitually fall at night when visitors are dreaming, so by the time the sun peeks over the horizon in the morning, every plant, tree and animal has been bathed in the previous night’s gift from the heavens. The sea is calm. The clouds are whisper-thin puffs of white.
And if you’re getting your fill of enjoyment in Belize, you must acknowledge that just about everything you love to do requires plenty of downpours if lagoons, rivers, waterfalls, lakes and other bodies of water are to replenish themselves for your enjoyment. So instead of mourning the rains of summer in Belize, add to this list of things you can do while you wait out a shower:
-Use those rain showers as an excuse to indulge in the book you’ve been eager to read,
-Make a new friend by gathering at a place like The Ixtabai, the gourmet restaurant at Cahal Pech Village Resort where everyone ducks when the rain comes--or introduce yourself at Cahal Pech Bar and Lounge,
-Grab an umbrella--if you must—or skip it and simply walk in the rain to San Ignacio Town and shop for souvenirs while recalling being the kid who loved getting saturated on the way home from school,
-Jump a few puddles to remind yourself that you’re not as old as you thought you were when you left home, exhausted and weary, for your getaway,
-Celebrate the rain as your ticket to an affordable vacation—after all, low season means low rates in Belize, so you can thank the rain for a first class vacation on a third class budget,
--or just snuggle up to your travel companion as you listen to the rain beat on the roof of your Cahal Pech veranda, and take the time to whisper about your hopes and dreams.
The rain in Belize makes the perfect antidote to the gloomy people you left behind, because while they may never stop complaining, every rain shower is guaranteed to end! Think of Belize rain as life-affirming--as inevitable as the sun and moon--and cause for celebration, which is why so many people love to visit Belize in the summer, even when they know a rain shower or two are sure to be on every day’s menu of delights.
