Day 4: Belize City – off the ship via tender for 15 minute ride across the turquoise waters where the ubiquitous diamond and jewelry shops awaited us. With Sid and June, we went through the gauntlet of hustlers and ended up taking an hour long horse and buggy ride through the streets of the city. For $20 we spent an hour with Ryan, our driver and guide, riding around the fairly shabby little town, but encountering people with big smiles and waves. He fed us lots of information about the town: it’s below sea level and they are reclaiming land; there is no public school system – all schools are parochial; independence was gained from the British on 9/10/1981 (formerly named British Honduras) while remaining a member of the commonwealth.