Before I left for Belize I took a stab at my packing list based on past experience, but since coming back I wanted to follow-up with a couple of updates. So, here is my updated Tropical Packing List.
You might want to know what I had with me that I absolutely couldn’t have lived without.
- First, Benadryl cream. I would have had to track down a pharmacy or doctor had I not taken the Benadryl (and my allergy meds) with me. I have never had trouble with bug bites until this trip. The mosquitoes got me first, but they were not too bad. Once we hit the coast (Hopkins) and the cayes (Caye Caulker), I was attacked by sand fleas. At times it looked like I had the hives. I slathered Benadryl on like some people slather sunscreen.
- Second, my cardigan sweater. It was thin and just perfect for the cool evenings and even during some of the cloudy, misty days. I think I wore it nearly every single day…sometimes all day and sometimes just for a few minutes. I would not have been comfortable without it.
A couple of things that I brought were invaluable and I had left them off my original packing list. I added a dress and a rain poncho. I sure am glad I had them. Dresses are handy for a nice evening out or are very comfortable for a day of walking around town. The rain poncho was more for my camera than me since tropical rain is completely bearable.
And, what was on my list that I forgot (actually I think I lost them)…TWEEZERS! You are probably thinking ‘how hard can it be to find tweezers’…well, very hard. I eventually found out that you can only get them at beauty supply shops in Belize and we were not exactly in areas that had beauty supply stores. Ugh!
A final thanks to Allan Baxter, at picturebelize.blogspot.com, for reminding me to make sure I had a small first aid kit, utility knife, and waterproof bag with me. My list has been updated with these items as well.
So what does the Featured Photo for this post have to do with my packing list? Not a lot, really. I bought the pants I’m wearing in this picture right before I left and this was the first and last time I wore them. I think they must have got lost in our laundry <insert sad face here>. I really miss them.
