The Maya Complex at Nohmul is not a tourist attraction as it has not been developed. We have several thousand pyramids here and only a few are developed and open for tourists. There is not enough money to develop all of them and some people do not want tourists trampling all over the countryside. Everyone in Belize knows that a hill can be a Maya pyramid. It is only a thin layer of top soil that covers a pyramid. In the north where this event took place it is even easier to determine as the region is flatland, thus any hill more than likely is a pyramid or ceremonial center. Take a look at the picture in this post as Nohmul is being destroyed. http://www.belize.com/no-more-noh-mul-road-contractor-bulldozes-maya-temple.html You will see anyone would immediately know from the first dig the excavator takes, it is a pyramid by the distinctive stones that were hand fitted by the ancient Mayas. Pyramids are destroyed for two main reasons. 1. They provide cheap high-grade road fill. 2. Gold, jade and precious antiquities are million-dollar items eagerly sought by traffickers in the developed world. By destroying the pyramid you destroy any evidence of burial chambers that contain the items - after the items are removed of course.

Yes. Tiny Belize stands in solidarity with the U.S. against the rest of the world. Despite being a former British colony, and currently a member of the British Commonwealth, we are officially imperial units. Everything is in inches, miles, pounds and gallons. The government did cheat us by switching to U.S. gallons some years ago to give us less fuel and water.

Yes, a little overblown. John McAfee is not accused of anything. http://belizeblog.com/law/belize-police-john-mcafee-not-a-suspect-in-death-of-u-s-national-in-belize.html

Good for you guys. For perspective in Belize we pay in excess of U.S. $400. (I am not making this up) a month for lousy 4 Mbit/s service from the government monopoly telephone company. http://www.belize.com/satellite-dsl-internet

Belize like any tropical paradise can be a mixed bag. But there are risks living in paradise. The country's main attraction for expats is that it is the only English-speaking country in Central America. It offers excellent benefits for retirees see: Belize How To Live Or Retire In Belize: http://www.belize.com/articles/residency-and-retirement-in-belize.html But Belize has been gripped by escalating crime over the past five years and the government has ramped up anti-crime measures. Unfortunately this has brought along draconian laws, heavy handed and brutal law enforcement - and some believe even extra judicial killings. The Belize GSU is feared by expats and locals alike. This unit is financed and trained by the FBI. See Belize Steps Up Security Against Gangs: http://belizean.com/belize-steps-up-security-against-gangs-1135/ Many well known persons and celebrities have second homes and investments in Belize or visit frequently, from Bill Gates to Elton John, to Leonardo Di Carpio and Francis Ford Coppola who owns two beautiful resorts in Belize. But this latest incident may give pause to tourists and investors alike.

The terrain is actual beautiful, rolling green pastures and farmland adjacent to a national park in western Belize. The Boeing YMQ-18A crash was first reported from Belize in a local news blog:

I know that using two spaces between sentences is correct and leads the eye better especially in speed reading. Unfortunately broken technology has forced me to struggle to unlearn this. The software I use to pull the Word Press posts that I write and then display on my static htm website breaks the text display if I do it the "proper" way, thus I am compelled to use one space.