Sunrises, sunsets, and Little Pink Houses
As I write, I’m watching the sunrise IN BELIZE! Revisiting places that inspired my novel, recreating character moments, handing out bookmarks and postcards as if I’m part of a salvation mission, posing for pictures like a twenty-year-old wannabe influencer, and generally driving two of my oldest, dearest friends crazy tying everything we see, hear, eat and do to something in my book. The image above, in fact, is the view my protagonist, Cole, would have had the first morning from her Grand Caribe condo.
If you enjoy travel blogs and dreaming of your next beach escape, here is my top-ten list of favorite things to do on Ambergris Caye, as advised by Cole, who shares my squeamishness at getting in the ocean.
- Order the Belizean breakfast. Eggs scrambled with onions and peppers served with creamy beans and a mound of hot, puffy fry jacks. (And a choice of breakfast meat which I give to my husband.)
- Walk the beach. Because now you have to burn off those fry jacks. Cole’s route, mimicking mine, begins at Caribeville, goes past the Essene Way property (the abandoned pink-painted resort that inspired the book) to where the shoreline narrows and curves. If you’re a middle-aged woman with a tiny bladder, like me, you’ll need a bathroom on the way back. Happily, there are multiple beachfront bars where you can stop. Of course, you’ll need to buy a beer or a rum drink for the privilege. Enjoy the view and remind yourself vacation calories don’t count.
- Watch the sunset at Coconut Cafe. In the book, this property on the lagoon is referred to as a wine bar—which it was until it changed management spring of 2025. Now it’s operated by a chef/guitarist. How he manages to run the kitchen and provide live entertainment is beyond me. Somehow it works. The food, the vibe, and the views are guaranteed to put you in a Jimmy Buffet state of mind.
- Catch a performance by Brent Butcher. Another acoustic guitarist and longtime expat, a highly fictionalized version of Brent is referenced in Chapter Eight of the novel. He plays an impressively deep, country-heavy set list at multiple venues, accompanied by Emma “Dawg”, his aging, one-eyed chihuahua. Find his schedule on Facebook.
- Have dinner at El Patio. Ask for Pancho (whose help has been invaluable to writing and promoting Little Pink Houses) and tell him I sent you. If you’re lucky, maybe you can catch Brent Butcher there, as we did on this trip.
- Befriend a cat. This is the one thing on this list Cole did not do, that after this visit I would add if the book was still in edit stage. The little sweetie pictured below found us on our first night here–more specifically, she found my friend Amy, who never met an animal she didn’t want to take home, to provide plenty of kitty cuddle time and three square meals a day for the duration of our trip. Cats, stray or homed, are everywhere. The friendliest cats I’ve encountered, just like the people.
- Fuel up with a protein smoothie from The Farmhouse. This is the “combination market/café” where Cole buys her fresh greens. To be honest, I had never stopped before this trip. But my rendering, made up from what I glimpsed from the street, turned out to be surprisingly accurate. Though I highly doubt the place is run by a Croatian-by-way-of-Canada named Marta.
- Check out stores where the locals shop. For me, one of the pleasures of traveling is imagining what it would be like to actually live there. Chances are, you will not be buying home goods during your Belizean vacation. But because we own our condo, occasionally we arrive to discover we need to replace or acquire certain things. It was the quest for a pitcher and funnel (we hate buying disposable water bottles) that led us to Caye Supplies. Oddly charming, like a stroll back in time. I’ve recreated it, with some liberties, in Chapter Eighteen.
- Get up early at least one day to watch the sunrise. Justification above.
- Drink rum. It worked for Hemingway. On my first trip to Belize, I fought this. I bought—and dumped, as Cole did—multiple bottles of badly-stored wine. Now, I buy one bottle of Los Riscos sauvignon blanc to last the week. But mostly I drink rum and soda. Or the Grand Caribe’s orgasmic piña coladas (cue Rupert Holmes).
Of course, if you do like to get in the ocean, you’ll want to broaden your list. The snorkeling, I’ve been told, is some of the best anywhere. And of course there’s the Great Blue Hole. If you dive, you’ll want to check out Ramon’s Village. If you fish, multiple places can set you up, and several resorts offer a “you catch, we cook” deal. Other day trips that I recommend for beach lovers include Secret Beach and Caye Caulker. But because this is not a travel blog, and because there are many other sources for this same information, I will end here with one final recommendation: Check out the San Pedro Scoop. This news/blog site offers the latest on Ambergris Caye and Belize in general, along with a fascinating glimpse into expat life. (And on this trip, I finally got to meet Rebecca, its author!)
And now to answer the question, When can I finally read this damn book?
The official date is March 17, though it feels like I still have a million and one things to do. Which I’m trying NOT to think about while I’m here in Belize. Thanks to those of you who joined my ARC reader team. Best case, I can launch amidst a flurry of good reviews. So all I can say for now is, if you’re reading this you’ll be among the first to know. (UPDATE since this post first appeared on Substack… preorder is now live on Amazon–ebook only–but if you are reading this you will be notified as soon as the paperback goes on sale.)
What I’m reading: This month, two recommendations. The first, by my newest indie author acquaintance, Kirsten Pursell: The Unabridged Life of Missy Kinkaid. This snapshot into the life of a recently divorced woman grappling with the complications of midlife is humorous, touching, and brutally honest. If you love a good character study, check it out. My other pick is Heart the Lover by Lily King, one of my favorite authors. I’m only partway through and completely sucked in. If you read Writers & Lovers (and if you haven’t, I recommend reading that first) this is both a prequel and a sequel.
Pair with: A piña colada! Or, if you’re trapped in a wintry climate instead of sitting on a tropical beach, might I suggest a cozy red. One of my winter faves is Chateau Tumbleweed’s Cousin Idd, a blend of cab franc, cab sauv, merlot, and malbec. For a more mainstream pick, you can rarely go wrong with a French bordeaux.
Cheers!
Lisa
Lisa Binsfeld author 