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Belize: Dec 2012 to Jan 2013

My friends and I rented a car for the first part of our trip to Belize and drove about 800 miles around the country. We started in Belize City by the coast, traveled west to San Ignacio, then south to the Mountain Pine Ridge area and the Caracol ruins. Then we headed back to the coast and drove south to Punta Gorda, then north along the coast and down the isthmus to visit Placencia. Then we returned the car to Belize City and boated to the island of Caye Caulker for a week.

Belize, formerly British Honduras, is located on the north eastern coast of Central America. It is the only country in the area where English is the official language, although Kriol and Spanish are commonly spoken. Belize is bordered to the north by Mexico, to the south and west by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. Its mainland is about 180 miles long and 68 miles wide.


http://www.freeworldmaps.net/centralamerica/political.html

San Ignacio is the capital of the Cayo District in the western part of Belize. The population is largely Mestizo and Creole (commonly referred to as Kriols who are descendants of English and Scottish log cutters, as well as Black African slaves brought to Belize). A sizable Mennonite community resides near San Ignacio. In 2009 the combined population was estimated at 20,000 people but a census in 2010 counted only 9,925 inhabitants in San Ignacio proper.

Cahal Pech is a Maya site located near the Town of San Ignacio. The site was a hilltop palacio home for an elite Maya family, and though most major construction dates to the Classic period, evidence of continuous habitation has been dated to as far back as 1200 BCE during the Early Middle Formative period (Early Middle Preclassic), making Cahal Pech one of the oldest recognizably Maya sites in Western Belize. The site rests high near the banks of the Macal River and is strategically located to overlook the confluence of the Macal River and the Mopan River. The site is a collection of 34 structures, with the tallest temple being about 25 meters in height, situated around a central acropolis. The site was abandoned in the 9th century CE for unknown reasons.

The name Cahal Pech, meaning "Place of the Ticks," was given when this site was fallow during the first archaeological studies in the 1950s, led by Linton Satterthwaite from the University of Pennsylvania Museum. It is now an archaeological reserve, and houses a small museum with artifacts from various ongoing excavations.

While we were there, there was an American family doing acrobatics around the ruins.

Xunantunich (pronounced shoo-NAHN-too-nich), or Stone Woman, is one of Belize’s most impressive Maya ceremonial centers, and rests atop a natural limestone ridge with a sweeping view of the entire Cayo District and Guatemala countryside.

It was the first site in Belize to be opened to the public, when the road and a ferry were built in 1954. What you will see today is a Classic period (300-900 AD) ceremonial center, with large plazas ringed with pyramids. The tallest is the 130 foot "El Castillo," (view from atop in large photo to right) which is large by Mayan standards and is only exceeded by the Caana pyramid at Caracol. The site was occupied until around 900 A.D. and was likely abandoned after an earthquake, the evidence of which was discovered by archaeologists in the mid-1900's.

Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre), also known locally as “Xibalba” or ATM, is a cave near San Ignacio, Cayo District, notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several areas of skeletal remains in the main chamber. The best-known is "The Crystal Maiden," the skeleton of a teenage girl (bottom right photo), possibly a sacrifice victim.

The ceramics at the site are significant partly because they are marked with "kill holes", which indicates they were used for ceremonial purposes. Many of the Mayan artifacts and remains are completely calcified to the cave floor. The Mayans also modified cave formations here, in some instances to create altars for the offerings, in others to create silhouettes of faces and animals, or to project a shadow image into the cave. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages.

There are a limited number of guides licensed to take groups through. We had to wear helmets with headlamps and swim into the cave with our shoes on. There were many narrow spots to get through (see top right photo). At the end of the cave where the remains and pottery are located, we left our shoes and went in our socks so as not to slip and fall on the many artifacts.

This was a countdown clock, with one day remaining, to the last day of the Mayan calendar on 12-21-12.

Various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae were proposed as pertaining to this date, all unequivocally rejected by mainstream scholarship. A New Age interpretation held that the date marked the start of a period during which Earth and its inhabitants would undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 21 December 2012 would mark the beginning of a new era. Others suggested that the date marked the end of the world or a similar catastrophe.

On the eve of the last day on the Mayan calendar, we visited the Caracol ruins. They allowed 100 people to come camp out at the ruins in tents to greet either the new start of or the end of the world.

The Caracol area was occupied as early as 1200 B.C., yet occupation in the epicentral area was no earlier than 650 B.C. and lasted no later than A.D. 950. Caracol boasts 53 carved stone monuments (25 stelae and 28 altars), and more than 250 burials and 200 caches. Its ancient name is Uxwitza which translates as "Three Hill Water" from which the Early Classic title Ux Witz Ajaw, or “Three Hills Lord” was derived. This place name may also reference the Three Stone Place of creation.

By the Early Classic (between A.D. 250-550) Caracol was tied into extensive trade networks and pan-lowland ideological systems, leading to a unified regional economy. The Caracol was officially founded in A.D. 331 by Te’ K’ab Chaak.

After visiting Caracol, we visited the Thousand Foot Falls, which is actually measured at 1600 feet, in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Preserve. This is the tallest waterfall in Belize and Central America.

In the Mountain Pine Ridge area we stayed in a jungle lodge.

Punta Gorda, known locally as P.G., is the main town inf the Toledo District in southern Belize. Punta Gorda is the southernmost sizable town in the nation, with a population of about 6,000 people. Although the town bears a Spanish name, its inhabitants are mostly Kriol/English-speaking, primarily of Garifuna, East Indian, and Kriol descent.

We arrived in Punta Gorda on 12-21-12 and watched the sunset on what luckily proved to not be the last day of the end of the world.

We had sampled the main chocolate brand that is locally grown and made in Belize called Cotton Tree, and in Punta Gorda we got to see the small place where they made all of it. In the middle picture you can see how they take the beans they have taken from the cacao pods, which are then fermented for a week, and then they lay them out on that blue tarp to dry. Then they roast them and separate the beans from the husk (you can do this by hand but they mill them using the yellow hand drill to turn the mill). The leftover nibs are pulverized and pressed and then rolled in a conch 1-3 days (far right picture). Finally the chocolate is poured into molds and tempered by heating and cooling it.

In Punta Gorda both nights we were there we ate at an amazing vegetarian restaurant called Gormier’s. After dinner, Gormier, who is the owner, the chef and a Rastafarian, posed with us with his dreadlocks down which he has been growing for about 30 years.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Preserve

This unique sanctuary in southern Belize covers an area of about 150 square miles of tropical forest, and is the world's only Jaguar Preserve. Declared a Forest Preserve in 1984 and finally a Jaguar Preserve in 1986.

The Jaguar is the third largest member of the cat family and endangered but protected in this preserve. The guidebook creepily said we wouldn’t see any jaguars in the day but that they would see us: “These wonderful animals are masters of stealth and their very existence is based on their seeing, but not being seen.” All we found was this jaguar paw print (bottom right).

We also saw trails and trails of leafcutter ants.
Leafcutter ants are a species of ants that are fungus farmers -- they grow their own food, a type of fungus, in underground gardens (bottom left).

Leafcutter ants travel in long lines far into the forest, in search of leaves; they leave a scent along the trail so they can find their way back home. They use their sharp mandibles (jaws) to cut leaves from plants, and then carry the large pieces of leaves over their back. A leafcutter ant can carry almost ten times its own weight - that is like a 200-pound adult weightlifter carrying a 2,000-pound car up in the air. The leafcutter ants carry the leaf pieces back to their underground nests where the leaves are chewed into a pulp. The decaying pulp is stored with ant feces and fungus spores, and strands of fungus eventually grow on the decomposing pulp. This fungus is the crop that these ants eat; the ants do not eat the leaves.

Placencia: In the 17th century, Placencia was settled by the English Puritans, originally from Nova Scotia and latterly from the island of Providencia. This settlement died out during the Central American wars of independence in the 1820s.

The Placencia Peninsula was resettled in the late 1800s by several families. Placencia prospered and soon became a fishing village, earning its livelihood from the sea.

The Spaniards that traveled the southern coast of Belize gave Placencia its name. At that time Placencia was called Placentia, with the point being called Punta Placentia, or Pleasant Point.

On October 8th, 2001, Hurricane Iris hit southern Belize with 145mph winds causing major damage to nearly 95% of buildings in Placencia. Many developers took advantage of plummeted real estate value and an increased development of the peninsula and Placencia proper is consistently on the rise, as well as property value.

In the late 20th century it became a significant tourism destination, and is now referred to as Placencia Village, or simply Placencia.

We went snorkeling a few hours boat ride from Placencia and had lunch on the tiny island of Silk Caye where a lemon shark circled nearby as we ate. We also got to swim with huge turtles that had sucker fish attached to their bellies.

The island of Caye Caulker:
Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island 20 miles off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea measuring about 5 miles (north to south) by less than 1 mile (east to west).

The island was uninhabited as late as the 1830s. It wasn’t until the outbreak of the Yucatán Caste War in 1848, when refugees fled Mexico by the thousands, that people permanently settled on Ambergris Caye, a few finding their way south to Caye Caulker. Many of today’s residents can trace their family histories back to the Caste War and even know from which region in Mexico their ancestors originated.

Exact dates of settlement on Caye Caulker are uncertain. The Reyes family tells of their great-grandfather, Luciano, who arrived in Mexico from Spain and worked as a logwood cutter along the coast. He fled with the rest and, after settling in San Pedro, eventually purchased Caye Caulker for BZE$300. Over the years, land was sold to various people; many descendants of the original landholders are still prominent families on Caye Caulker.

Accessible by high-speed water taxi or small plane. In recent years the island has become a popular destination for backpackers and other tourists. There are over 30 tiny hotels, and a number of restaurants and shops.

We went on an all day snorkeling trip near Caye Caulker and our guide had an underwater camera so we got some amazing pictures.

San Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye about a half an hour boat ride from Caye Caulker. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. San Pedro was granted the status of a town in 1848. Its inhabitants are known as San Pedranos. English is the main language spoken, however many people speak Spanish.

One of the primary industries in the town is tourism, most notably scuba diving.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley:

Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a marine reserve close to Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, off the coast of Belize. It covers approximately 18 km² (4,448 acres) of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forest. Hol Chan is Mayan for "little channel."

In 1999 the adjoining area of Shark Ray Alley was added as zone D of the reserve. This is a second charged snorkeling area, but commercial and sport fishing are permitted in some parts of this zone on obtaining a license.

When we arrived at Shark Ray Alley, our guide Carlos, put chum in the water to draw the sharks around the boat. Then we all jumped in the water and watched them feed right next to us. They were all nurse sharks so harmless but it was still scary.

The Split on Caye Caulker:
A narrow waterway known as the Split divides the island in two. There are different stories as to how the Split came into existence, but most have to do with the 1961 Hurricane Hattie that hit Caye Caulker, killing 13 people, destroying all but 8 houses, and splitting the island in two. Although it wasn't originally as large as it is now, the Split was gradually made bigger by hand as people realized it would make for a very convenient waterway.

Over the years, it has also become a very popular spot with both the tourists and locals for the beach, the swimming, the snorkeling and the bar called the Lazy Lizard (bottom right). The Lazy Lizard is where we spent New Year’s eve as we rang in 2013.

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits over 150 animals, representing over 45 species, all native to Belize. The zoo keeps animals which were orphaned, rescued, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as donations from other zoological institutions. None of these animals would survive if they were released back into the wild.

In the large picture is a jaguar relaxing in the heat of the day. We lucked out and were able to follow one of the zoo keepers as he went around and fed the animals so we got a lot of up close pictures of them.

Row 1 left: me touching the jaguar’s paw.
Row 1 middle and right: Belize’s national animal, the tapir, who is related not to the anteater but the horse and rhino.







Row 2 left: Jambiru stork
Row 2 middle: Jaguaroundi
Row 2 right: Toucan







Row 3 left: Black jaguar
Row 3 middle: Ocelot aka “tiger cat”
Row 3 left: Neotropical river otter aka “water dog”






Row 4 left: Howler monkey
Row 4 middle: Crocodile
Row 4 right: Macaw parrot

Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 80,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and industrial hub. Several cruise ships drop anchor outside the port and are tended by local citizens. The city was almost entirely destroyed in 1961 when Hurricane Hattie swept ashore on October 31st. It was the capital of British Honduras (as Belize was then named) until the government was moved to the new capital of Belmopan in 1970.

Top left is the swing bridge: The bridge requires a minimum of four men to crank it by hand until it is parallel with the river. After river traffic has passed, it is hand-cranked again until it has been returned to its perpendicular position across the river. Traffic is halted for well over an hour before the process is completed. Top right: the Baron Bliss lighthouse established in 1885. Bottom pictures are street shots as we walked to the bus terminal to head out to the zoo.