|
Toledo - Belize's Adventure Travel Destination
ABOVE: For an adventure traveller, there is nothing like coming upon a virtually unexplored Mayan Ruin in the middle of the jungle. Lubaantun above is Mayan for "Fallen Stones". The Toledo District is approximately 200 miles from Belize City. With the new Southern Highway, traveling south by car or bus is a scenic ride through the rolling hills of the Hummingbird Highway, then onto the Southern Highway. Local air travel is also available, with both Tropic Air and Maya Island Air having offices near the airstrip in Punta Gorda, the main town in the Toledo district, with about 4300 residents. From Belize City to Punta Gorda is a comfortable and scenic four-hour car ride, or five and a half hours by bus. Toledo is an agricultural and fishing district and most of its people live in small villages. Hotel accommodations here are in the budget category. With a population of just under twenty-three thousand people, it is Belize's least populated district and the headquarters for adventure travel in Belize. Yet the diversity of the various ethnic backgrounds of its people makes Toledo a microcosm of Belizean culture. Hurricane Iris in October 2001 swept through many of the small Mayan villages, flattening many of these villages; today, many of the guest house programs are operating again, and the orchards and fields are back up. Still, one year after Iris swept through, the odd piece of roofing zinc could still be seen hugging a tall tree. Mayan Guesthouse Program If you are planning a trip to this part of Belize, you are probably looking for a rich cultural experience combined with adventure travel. The Toledo District is the essence of cultural tourism and eco tours usually head this direction. The Mayan Guesthouse Program, run by the Toledo Eco-Tourism Association, is attracting increasing numbers of travelers who want to experience the beauty of unspoiled rainforests and the rich cultural heritage of the Mopan and Ketchi Mayan people of the region. A growing number of villages have cooperative programs that offer you a unique 24-hour experience. Your experience begins at the Toledo District Maya Guest House office, where you will receive a short orientation about Mayan culture and the village where you will be staying. You'll also get the eating utensils (plate, bowl, cup, fork and spoon that you'll be using during your visit. You'll be assigned to the village and a guide will escort you there. You'll sleep at a small guesthouse built in the local thatched-roof style. Guesthouses can accommodate up to eight people. Accommodations are basic (outhouses and showers for men and women, no electricity) but clean. You will have each meal in a different home. Meals are simple but good. A typical lunch might consist of home made tortillas, potatoes, vegetables and a tasty chicken stew. Participating villagers are required to attend a food provider's workshop. Local guides will escort you along jungle trails and explain how the villagers grow and harvest food and medicinal herbs, and create arts and crafts in traditional Mayan style. You can purchase handmade baskets and other crafts from the village cooperative. You will visit the small local zoo, and may have the opportunity to observe local religious and cultural celebrations and enjoy traditional Mayan music and dance. You can opt for a two-hour hike through the hills which leads to caves covered with ancient Mayan paintings. Garifuna Guest House Program Kriol Museum Project Popular Belizean cultural singer Lila Vernon of the National Kriol Council of Belize has donated the front portion of her homestead for a Kriol museum. (Note: "Kriol" is that language's spelling of the English word "Creole") Located at #6 Front Street in Punta Gorda, it currently houses day-to-day cultural and household items representative of the traditional Creole family as well as educational information about Creole history, and its music. Next page: Nature Reserves, Jungles, Rivers and more. |
Offshore Banking
