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.