Miss Universe Visits Belize for a Day
The reigning Miss Universe, American-born thirty-year-old R’ Bonney Gabriel and her sister queens from Aruba, Kiara Arends and El Salvador, Alejandra Guajardo were in Belize today as part of a tour of the region onboard the Carnival Vista cruise line. R’ Bonney, who hails from Houston, boarded the cruise ship in Galveston, Texas and traveled to Honduras, then Belize, before moving on to Cozumel, Mexico tomorrow. This is the first time the beauty queens have met since they competed in the seventy-first Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans, Louisiana last year. Miss Belize Universe, Ashley Lightburn, joined her fellow beauty queens on a tour of Altun Ha today. Before they departed on that adventure, the master of ceremonies for last year’s pageant in Belize, Dale McDougal was on hand to meet the beauty queens and to chat with R’ Bonney. She said she was looking forward to her trip to the Maya temple and was hoping to return to do a cave-tubing adventure.
R’Bonney Gabriel
R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe
“It was such a warm welcome from my sister, Ashley. Good to see her because we haven’t seen each other since January. So, it’s been some time. It’s nice to be here. The weather is amazing.”
Ashley Lightburn
Ashley Lightburn, Miss Universe Belize
“I love that you love the weather.”
R’Bonney Gabriel
“I love it. I love the heat. I love the tropical and the wind, everything.”
Ashley Lightburn
“Belize encompasses all of that, so, I’m glad you’re enjoying so far.”
Dale McDougal
“So, R’Bonney , tell us a little bit about your agenda here in Belize today.”
R’Bonney Gabriel
“Well, we have We have just a day here because we’re on a cruise, but as far as I know, we’re going to the ruins, which I have been to Belize before, but I didn’t get to see the ruins and learn more about the history. So I’m looking forward to that and hopefully some Belize food.”
Ashley Lightburn
“Yes, you have to get the Belize food. I always tell people that the best thing about Belize, apart from our culture and our warmth, is our food.”
R’Bonney Gabriel
“Oh, I would love to try.”
Dale McDougal
“And then Ashley, piggyback on that for us. What part – tell me a little bit about your role in R’Bonney’s visit here today.”
Ashley Lightburn
“Well, I am our beauty ambassador, I am her Miss Universe sister, so I will be accompanying her. We’re going to Altun Ha. I will be sharing my Belizean knowledge with her, with the rest of the Miss Universe girls that are here with us, and we will be having a great Belizean time. I’m here to showcase Belize as best as I can.”
Dale McDougal
“What’s the one thing you want to do while you’re here, R’Bonney?”
R’Bonney Gabriel
“I would love to, besides the ruins, which we get to do, I would love to do the cave tubing. I’ve seen photos and videos of that. That looks really fun; maybe next time.”
Ashley Lightburn
“I will definitely teach her some Creole. She can’t come to Belize and not talk a little bit of Creole. So we’ll be working on her Creole so she gets confident in it.”
R’Bonney Gabriel
“Okay, I would love to learn.”
Reporter
“First thing, I nuh want goh back.”
R’Bonney Gabriel
“What is it?”
Reporter
“I nuh want goh back, meaning I don’t want to leave.”
R’Bonney Gabriel
“Oh, I nuh want goh back.”
