Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

"Go Slow." This message was etched into the concrete under our feet as we walked off the dock in Caye Caulker, Belize. What a wonderful welcome! Those two words set the tone for our stay on this sweet little island. Here everyone goes slow since transportation is confined to foot, bicycle, or golf cart.

The vibe in Caulker was one of slowmo relaxation as shown by another sign, "No Shirt, No Shoes ... No Problem." We would have stayed longer but my visitor's permit was running out. Reluctantly we headed to Belmopan for an extension. As our water taxi zoomed away from the dock and Caye Caulker disappeared from sight, another American we'd met called, "Goodbye, Caye Caulker. We love you."

Our next destination, Placencia, Belize, also had a laid-back vibe. "Solve half the problems of the world. Keep your religion and your sex life in the bedroom." This sign stood along the main sidewalk skirting the beach in Placencia. What simple, yet wise, words. Really, what more can you say?

And, of course, there were indoor signs as well. Our first lodging in Placencia posted a creative, playful sign in our hotel room: "No Smoking Inside the Room. If we catch you smoking in the room, we will assume you're on FIRE and take appropriate action."

While staying in Placencia we responded to another sign and stopped at Mrs. Beulah's for homemade bread. A bunch of kids and young people hung out downstairs and told us the bread was gone unless we wanted whole wheat. "Yes," I said with a fist in the air, "We want whole wheat!"

Upstairs Mrs. Beulah told us that the whole wheat bread was still in the oven so I paid her $4BZ (about $2US) and promised to return at 4:00 pm for pick up. Later, as we walked downstairs with the bread, the crew hanging out was playing reggae music. Several men moved to the beat. I automatically joined them, swaying my body and waving my arms.

Later I realized that it was a throwback to my days working for a whole foods bakery in Minneapolis. Our weekly baking sessions were accompanied by the music of Bob Marley. The men seemed to enjoy my spontaneous dancing as well as my willingness to join in. We smiled and laughed with each other.

In another hotel in La Ceiba, Honduras, management posted a sign on the drinking water bottle in the lobby: "What's good for the tourist is good for everyone." (My translation from Spanish.) The subtext here, of course, was that not everyone who lives in Honduras can afford good, pure drinking water.

Signs communicated much about culture, habits, and mores of the countries we visited. By the end of our travels I automatically looked in each bathroom to see whether they posted a sign asking users to place their toilet paper in the wastebasket rather than flush it down the toilet. That sign was common throughout the Yucatan in an effort to keep septic systems flowing freely.... Everywhere a sign.