Robin’s Retirement in Belize
Robin and Amy emigrated to Belize 2 years ago and now find themselves helping to run an Eco-Village Hotel. Retirement for them has brought new labours but many more rewards with it. Robin was the headteacher of a High School in East London for 15 years, and a teacher of English for a lot of years besides, during which he had three books of stories for children published. So when he arrived in Belize, he wasn’t expecting to find himself on a new career path.
On their very first day in Belize they met Jason and Christine Liao, the owners of the Orchid Garden Eco-Village Hotel, and discovered their need for an expert in English to help them develop their business. Since then, the OGEVH has become the Top B&B in and around Belize City (see the reviews on Trip Advisor), the business has expanded exponentially and Jason has also become the marketplace operator in Belize for the global travel company WHL.Travel.
They have now bought a house at the Orchid Garden and have expanded their role in the running of the hotel: meeting and greeting guests, staying in touch with them for the duration of their stay, ensuring quality provision of services and delivering the Orchid Garden’s signature “Belize Familiarisation and Eco-Sustainability Tour”. Robin is also a local advisor on Tripbod.com, a company that connects travellers with people in the destination: those who can provide you with the best information and advice for your trip.
In what little spare time they can find, Robin and Amy sing with the Belize Choral Society (now in its 37th year) and have 3 concerts coming up in the next 2 weeks. They are very much part of the local community and feel extremely relaxed and safe in their new surroundings. They say: “It’s just wonderful being warm the whole time. Neither of us has had a day's illness or an arthritic twinge since we got here. Stopping our previous world and getting off here is certainly turning out to be one of our better decisions!”
Tripbod puts you in touch with a trusted person in the destination via the website. Speak to someone on the ground and get direct access to the most specialized, local and up-to-date knowledge, so that you can feel confident and well prepared for your trip. If you’re going to Belize and you’d like to speak to Robin before you go, you can contact him on www.tripbod.com.