Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Crap I've bought for Belize

So, despite its location in Central America, Belize is considered a fairly expensive country.  Groceries tend to  vary in their availability (you see something you want, you buy it then as it might not be there the next time.  Moreover, paper products and cleaning supplies are either expensive or in short supply.  Plus, as you may recall, Belmopan is a bit on the small side, so I needed to bring entertainment supplies.  Finally, I am still furnishing my apartment, so I needed to buy things like dish towels and baking dishes.  So, I have decided to catalog for you the pile of crap I have bought to take to Belize.


  1. Cereal (I am a cereal fiend, so I have bought well over 20 boxes of cereal and most of those are double size boxes.  I love my cereal.)
  2. Listerine - a whole bunch of it because I can't order liquids online and have them shipped to Belize
  3. Lysol disinfectant wipes
  4. Laundry detergent - I think it adds up to over 300 loads worth of detergent
  5. printer paper
  6. Board games - Risk, Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble (accidentally bought that twice), poker chips, Phase 10
  7. Bike and bike helmet
  8. Tennis racket and tennis balls.  (Even though I literally have not played tennis since 6th grade, I will have a court near my house and I hear it is a very diplomat game to play, so I thought I'd better at least have a racket.)
  9. Guitar (I want to learn how to play)
  10. Dryer sheets
  11. Mac & Cheese
  12. Cooking spray
  13. peanut butter crackers
  14. a grill
  15. charcoal
  16. A set of knives
  17. animal crackers
  18. toilet paper
  19. paper towels
  20. paper plates
  21. Ketchup
  22. Jelly
  23. Peanut Butter
  24. Peanuts
  25. Deodorant - lots of it
  26. Tootsie Pops
  27. Pasta
  28. Pasta sauce
  29. Diced tomatoes
  30. Tea
  31. Apple Juice
  32. Cake mix and frosting
  33. Jello and pudding
  34. instant mash potatoes
  35. Pop tarts
  36. Pancake mix and syrup
  37. Spices and marinades (specifically for chicken, since chicken is more common than other proteins)
  38. A dog kennel, plus food, medicine, flea and tick stuff, shampoo
  39. Hamburger helper
  40. Cascade
  41. dish soap
  42. hand soap
  43. toothpaste
  44. tooth brushes
  45. floss
  46. sunscreen
  47. first-aid kit
  48. razor blades
  49. shaving cream
  50. cold medicine
  51. cough syrup
  52. advil
  53. advil PM
  54. Socks
  55. Shoes
  56. Underwear
  57. shorts
  58. short-sleeve shirts
  59. polo shirts
  60. Xbox 360 and games
  61. Video camera
  62. DVDs galore (seriously, I bought way too many DVDs.  My favorite purchase may be Adventures in Babysitting for $5.  That was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid).
  63. Pop
  64. A duffel bag
  65. vitamins
  66. a new car (yet to be purchased), plus tires, other spare parts and insurance to go with the new car
  67. sealed containers (for my food, for dog food, etc).
  68. a football
  69. camping chairs
  70. Sunscreen
  71. Bugspray
Seriously, there is actually quite a bit more, but I am tired of writing it all out.  I know I am taking too much and I could definitely live with less and end up more Belize like, but these creature comforts may make me feel more like I am at home.

7 comments:

  1. You should continue to add "sunscreen" and "bugspray" until your list reaches 100, at least.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lots of this stuff _is_ available in Belize, even in Belmopan, but usually not your preferred brand/color/size/flavor or when you want/need it.

    One thing that's sometimes recommended by old FS hands is holiday decorations & supplies. If, for instance, you're one of those people whose lives revolve around St. Patrick's Day parties, perhaps you'll want to lay in a supply of appropriate decorations and whatnot. The same goes for Christmas decorations, Halloween costumes, &tc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, impressive. I have no idea how we'll summon up these sort of organizational skills to deal with our own consumables. By the way, I keep reading in the Benin post reports that chocolate chips are a must. Maybe that's your #72?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good luck with Customs!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. you can really get most of these things in Belize/Belmopan and if need be, u could always cross the border to mexico (chetumal) and get everything there

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's Friday, and it’s the Weekly State Department Blog Roundup’s Three Month Blogiversary - and you're on it!

    Here is the link:

    http://bit.ly/azzT3n

    (If I quoted your text or used your photo(s) and you would rather I had not, please let me know. Please also be sure to check the link(s) that I put up to you, in order to verify that they work properly. If you would rather that I had not referenced you, and/or do not want me to reference you in the future, please also contact me.)

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. After spending 2 years in a consumables post - the more you buy the merrier! And your second go around will be even heavier and better than the first!

    Best of luck!!

    ReplyDelete