The Chicken Drop in San Pedro, Belize…

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Have you ever heard of a chicken drop? I’ve heard of chicken fights. I’ve heard of chicken drums but I never heard of a chicken drop until I came to San Pedro, Belize.

At about 5:30 pm, we walked over to the Spin Drift Hotel. We stood on line to buy some numbers. By the time we got to the beginning of the line, round 1 was closed out. We were in round 2.

It was so funny, all day I kept thinking the number 14 and lucky for us, 14 was available.

Once we purchased our tickets, we stood outside around a checkerboard filled with number. Everyone was shouting for the chicken. The MC told the crowd that the chicken was in the “green room” getting ready. At around 7 pm, the first chicken, which was dark brown, arrived in a wicker basket.

“Any volunteers,” the older man with the eye patch asked the crowd. My son frantically raised his hand. “Ok young man, you’re up,” the man said. He continued by explaining how to pick up a chicken and how the game worked. When the chicken makes a “poop,” the number that the poop lands on wins the pot of $100 Belizian dollars or $50 US bucks!

When my son gently dropped the chicken, the chicken wobbled along and his poop landed on two numbers. The two winners split the pot.

Round 2 was about 10 minutes later. A woman from Minneapolis dropped the chicken this time. It was a different chicken. This time, the chicken was all white. The chicken stood on both 14 and 44. (I had both numbers.) He moved ever so slightly and pooped on 14. I won!

My son ran over to me. “If I pick up the poop would you give me a US buck?” he asked. He knew from round 1 that the winner had to pick up the poop. “Go for it,” I said and generously gave him $10 Belize.

My husband ended the day eating Fried Chicken!