Hickatee Cottages, Punta Gorda, Belize

 

Punta Gorda

Travelling to southern Belize is a whole new experience. The landscape is different and the ethnic groups  differ from other parts of Belize. The Toledo District is home to the Mopan and Ketchi Maya, Garifuna, Kriol, East Indians, and Chinese. Small, traditional, Mopan and Ketchi villages are scattered throughout the region, serviced by several bus lines operating in the area. The region is rich with beautiful rain forest, caves, waterfalls, cenotes, and ancient ruins backed by the Maya Mountains,as well as the coastal port at Punta Gorda. You can take a boat from PG to Guatemala or Honduras.

I arrived by the Pop bus-line to Punta Gorda, after a two night visit with a Ketchi Maya family in Indian Creek, Toledo District.  I left the small village in the pouring rain as I waved to the naked little girl who ran out of her house to bid me farewell.  My experience in Indian Creek was very profound and personal so I won’t write about it here but I feel very blessed to have made new friends there.

When I got off the bus in Punta Gorda, I agreed to accept the help of a local man, who insisted on walking me to find my hotel and then insisted on getting the $6 BZE that the taxi would have charged me, so he could buy milk … hmmm. I gave it to him. The same fellow tried to get money from me later, forgetting he already had. That time I said, no. I checked into the Charlton Inn. It was ok for one night, but not worth the money unless you must have a flat screen TV with a million channels. I desired a different experience, so rather than stay the 4 nights I initially intended, it didn’t take me long to start calling an alternative.

I reserved a stay at Hickatee Cottages, about a mile out of town. Ian and Kate are the owners: an English couple, who have been coming to Belize for almost thirty years and have been at Hickatee, permanently for nine. The place was exactly what my soul needed; a quiet, jungle retreat with howler monkeys “roaring” and “barking” in the distance.

Hickatee guests are invited to record when they hear or see the howler monkeys and at what direction and distance. I heard them several times but the loudest was at 2:30 am.  I left the sanctity of my lovely room and ventured outside in the dark, to get a more accurate recording. The data is part of a study taking place by a university in the States.

The property itself has private walking trails with plant and tree species marked and a reference manual to take with you on your 25 or 45 minute hike. My hike was unfortunately halted by rain and flooded trails, so I didn’t get very far, but far enough to enjoy the sounds and coolness under the jungle canopy. A gentle little stream passes through the property as well. Ian told me there are 40 types of orchids growing on the property. I saw a few in bloom. If the weather would have been warmer and drier, I would have taken advantage of the plunge pool that lies in the middle of the beautiful garden.

 

Varying continental breakfast was served on the main veranda, after complimentary coffee was delivered by Ian, to my veranda, at the precise time I arranged. Perfect!  Dinners were by reservation at breakfast. I had calaloo soup one evening that was the greenest soup I have ever eaten. The meals and rum punch were delicious as were the traditional thin English pancakes served with lime and sugar.

Ian and Kate also maintain a wonderful library of books featuring Belize, and Garifuna music that plays softly in the background. The couple are a wealth of information and they shared it openly with me. They have also been studying the bats on the property and provide an ultrasonic speaker that picks up the bat activity during nightfall. Couldn’t see the bats but I could hear them. Ian is able to identify the type of bat by its unique frequency. There are an abundance of species that live here. Ian can tell you how many as the number escapes me. That was cool!

I am happy I treated myself to this small establishment whose philosophy is minimal impact to the environment and maximum benefit to their adopted community. You can read more about this on their website. www.hickatee.com

I hope to return one day for another stay.  

Additional info:

Cab ride one-way from Punta Gorda – 20 BZE however, Ian will pick you up upon arrival and return you when leaving. While it is only a mile from town, it is a slow, pot hole filled drive. It is the rain forest after all.
 

Warasa Garifuna Drum School

One more thing to check off the bucket list; I finally took a drumming lesson. I have wanted to take hand drumming lessons for years however, never thought it would be in the jungle. My visit to Punta Gorda, in southern Belize, led me to Warasa Garifuna Drum School, where I booked a lesson with Ray McDonald, one of the finest drummers in the country. He has recently moved to a new location where he is putting the finishing touches on his classroom. It is a beautiful outdoor thatch palapa that, once completed, will be able to accommodate groups and individuals for lessons in drumming, dancing and drum making. His family is currently finishing the landscaping around the house, planting flowers, making  walkways, and hauling in sand for the floor of the classroom.  I had the distinct privilege to be the first student under the new thatch!

My lesson started with learning the paranda beat, playing the Segunda (bass drum); it is the larger drum usually made from mahogany with the drumhead made from deer skin. My instructor, Ray McDonald, played the Primero (tenor drum),and within minutes I was playing with him as he played and sang a  garifuna song.

Ray was a very good teacher, with a smile a mile wide. He taught me 4 more rhythms: chumba, hungu-hungu, gunjei, and punta. I think he was surprised that I picked it up fairly quickly but I have a new appreciation for the focus one has to have to drum for any length of time. Good Garifuna drummers can drum for hours straight . It will take some practise before I will be one with the drum.

If going to Punta Gorda look him up. Ray’s website is www.warasadrumschool.com . I bought the T-shirt and the CD of his family group that performs for special occasions. I hope to play along when I get back home. I  was so  busy drumming I didn’t get any pictures...next time!

My time in Orange Walk Town

Black Orchids

Since my last blog, I have had some amazing experiences.  Some of you may know of my current fundraising efforts  for the grassroots, NGO, Tikkun Olam Belize. One of my goals for my trip to Belize was to learn firsthand, the needs, challenges, and successes of the organization.

My visit to Orange Walk Town became extremely personal as I developed a very special friendship with an amazing woman. Because my experiences were so personal and some of the challenges the organization faces are so political and social in nature, I do not believe it would be appropriate to comment on them in this type of forum. I do however feel very blessed to have stayed with a wonderful family in Orange Walk Town, who opened their home to me and welcomed me like family.

My friend, Elisa Castellanos, President of Tikkun Olam Belize, helped me to see things I would never have seen and to understand the issues of HIV/AIDS and other STD’s, as it relates to the Belizean population. I was also enlightened to the current crisis of human trafficking in the country and some of the obstacles to addressing the adversities of the women involved.

A white orchid

In addition to the heavy stuff, we spent many an evening swapping stories of our countries, and cultures, drinking coca cola,and generally contemplating life, as we sat on the flat roof of her parent's house, to cool off in the breeze. We came to a brilliant conclusion that life is a lot like the sport of curling...but that’s for another story.

Munda Maya – Lamanai, Belize

My travel in Belize has taken me 53 miles north of Belize City, to the town of Orange Walk.  Orange Walk Town has a population in the vicinity of 13,400.  The people are a mix of Mestizo, Kriol, Mennonite, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian and people from other Central American countries.
 

The economy here is fueled by the sugar cane industry.  This is evident this time of year (January), as the cane fields are burned and the cane is cut following the burn. The raw cane is loaded into wagons and hauled by  tractors to the Tower Hill Sugar Factory, that processes all the sugar cane in the country. Orange Walk Town comes by it’ s nickname “Sugar City` honestly.

 

The District of Orange Walk is home to the Pre-classic culture of the Maya and the site of the submerged crocodile, properly named Lamanai. Lamanai was inhabited as early as 1500 BC through Post-classic times of 950 – 1544 AD, and continuing through the Spanish Colonial times of AD 1544-1700.

 

My trek to Lamanai started from Orange Walk Town, with a boat ride up the New River. The voyage was 26 miles via a forty foot launch, pushed by two, 200 h.p. motors on the back. The jaunt was like an amusement park ride, gliding at what seem like high speeds around the frequent twists and turns of the river. It was sooo smooth, and I was at the back so I could get my hands wet from the spray. I could also watch the 34 year old driver, who was very skilled at seeing wildlife and not bad to look at.  The ride was frequently interrupted by sightings of varieties of egrets, herons, kingfishers, vultures and more.  Photo-ops abounded of crocodiles patiently waiting with their mouths open for hours, for the moment a bird would come to pick his teeth.  The highlight for some was the sighting of a large spider monkey, who is lured down to the boat by offering it a banana. That monkey has a steady food source.

The Mayan guide told us the history of present day Orange Walk District as we passed by the  Sugar Cane Factory and the large Mennonite community of Shipyard.   Continuing on,  we entered New River Lagoon   and sped across it to the site of Lamanai.
 

First things first..lunch is served:  stewed chicken, coconut rice and beans, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon, ice cold Coca-Cola and hot peppers, if you dare. I saw more than one tourist sweating upon consumption.  Following lunch we were invited to visit the on-site museum explaining the history of the site and to view ancient artifacts housed there. 

Our guide led us to three of the major structures at Lamanai: Mask Temple, Jaguar Temple and High Temple. Visitors can climb the temples and at 33 metres, High Temple provides panoramic views of the surrounding savanna, lagoon and far beyond.  The steps are especially steep, however a rope is provided for support. The site also includes a small ball court.

  Our tour ended with some browsing through on-site gift shops, a glass of rum punch and a speedy 26 mile ride back to Orange Walk Town.

 

Eating Purple!

Over  the past month I have been discovering fruits and vegetables I have never seen, heard of or tasted before. A trip to the local markets prompts all kinds of questions. …What’s that? What does it taste like? How do you prepare it?

The other day I met a Mayan man, along the Placencia sidewalk, selling fruits and vegetables out of a 5 gallon pail.  He had peppers, potatoes and something called yampi. The Mayan man told me that yampi  is like a potato and is very good. It cost a little more than the potatoes I wanted but I thought I would give it a try. The man told me to prepare it just like potatoes.

As I began preparing the yampi for my dinner one night I thought I would look it up on the internet to learn a bit more. I had already peeled the yampi, which was purple inside and somewhat slimy, when I read to wear gloves or cover your hands in oil before peeling. …Too late. Yampi contains a toxic compound that causes irritation to the skin and cannot be eaten raw.  So I washed my hands and hoped for the best.  

I boiled the yampi well and then mashed it up with butter. It is one of the most colourful vegetables I have ever eaten.  While it is considered a yam, it was not sweet like the orange flesh yams I am accustomed. It tasted like a white potato but even better, if that makes sense.

As for my hands, they did get a little red and tingly but no lasting effects.

What I learned today!

Make sure you know a little bit about a new food you are preparing before you cut into it or ingest it. Accessing WiFi and Google is a great opportunity to learn more and understand the new experiences one encounters when travelling.

Encountering "Firsts"

One of the great things about travelling to new destinations is that every day contains "firsts".  It is like being a kid again, especially if one can break out of their adult fears, expectations and judgments.  The trick is to open up to the world and approach it like a child: curious, fearless and nonjudgmental. If one can do this when encountering all the "firsts" while travelling, it leads to greater acceptance of the world around us, filling one with excitement, joy and wonderful surprises at every turn.

Trying the local food and cuisine is an experience of many “firsts”.  One of the delightful little surprises I discovered on my last trip to Belize was stewed coco plums. Coco plums, or Chrysobalanus icaco, grows near the sea along beaches of the Caribbean. It grows either as a shrub or a tree, up to 20 feet. The fruit of the coastal coco plum forms in clusters, bearing round, 5 cm diameter, yellow to dark purple fruit.

Belizeans stew the fruits with sugar and spices and serve them cold out of the refrigerator. When you put the coco plum in your mouth, you suck the sweet jelly-like fruit off the seed inside. Then when the seed is clean, you crack the seed and inside you find an exquisite little nut. Eating the nut after the sweet fruit makes a wonderful combination that keeps you coming back for more. Bet you can’t eat just one.