For
the record, current statistics for 2003-04 reflect that the number
one cause of death in Belize was not crime nor HIV/AIDS but instead
road related fatalities. Such deaths occurred not only when people
were behind the wheel and either lost control or collided with
other drivers, but also when persons became too drunk to ride
their bicycles and simply laid down on the paved tarmac to sleep
it off.
That
said, for anyone moving to the tropics, please be advised that
you should always consider the impact upon the body when you mix
alcoholic beverages with extreme tropical heat. I know, how can
anyone say "no" to an ice cold Belikin or a Traveler's
Rum punch cocktail after a hard day of adventure trekking in the
jungles of Belize??
In
moderation, beer or rum should be balanced with an ample intake
of water. That's right, for it is recommended that we should all
drink at least two to three liters of water per day to avoid the
severe dangers of dehydration. And when you add alcohol to your
day, well it's best to drink at least one half liter for every
two drinks of intoxicants over and above the normally required
two to three liters of H20.
Although
you might say that you can easily consume four to six alcoholic
beverages per sitting when you return from a hard days work or
when you are back in the confines of your own home in Europe or
the far frozen north, the reality you'll face here in the tropics
is that when it's all said and done, that hangover the day after
alone will make you think twice about ever again lounging about
poolside all day, slamming Pina Coladas to the musical back drop
of Jerry Jeff Walker, Bob Marley or Super G. In the end, it's
all about the reality that health really does matter. |