I didn’t really know what to expect from this little corner of Central America however, I found much to fall in love with.
The Belizean population is composed of a number of different people groups – Indigenous, Caribbean, Creole, Central American refugees, and others – which results in a very accepting tolerant perspective and a society full of niches. Their culture caters to so many preferences and for this reason I found travelers are easily persuades to stay longer than anticipated, myself being one of them.
I entered Belize from the Mexican border and after a bus, plane (there was a 50% off seat sale!) and boat I arrive in Caye Caulker the same day. My plan was to wing it in terms of accommodations and it turned out better than expected.
I happened upon Yuma’s Place (http://www.yumashousebelize.com) , an adorable hostel right on the beach, and in no time I was part of that family. I really do mean family in the truest sense of the word. The hub of travelers that came, went and stayed during my week at Yuma’s were some of the warmest, accepting, friendly and hilarious foreigners I’ve experienced. Absolute shenanigans and absolutely rich. It was exactly what I needed at the outset of my journey to get me in the flow of meeting people and to realize the necessity of these nomad communities. Even though I left Canada solo, in no way do I have to be alone as I travel.
Belize’s biggest downfall in the eyes of backpackers is that it is not cheap. I was spending nearly as much as I would in a week in Edmonton. That said, I couldn’t stay long. A Belgian man, Koen, who was also staying at Yuma’s, was leaving for San Ignacio so I took this opportunity and ventured with him to Belize’s interior. We had heard raving reviews about the ATM caves near San Ignacio so I figured it was the perfect place to stop over and explore before heading to Guatemala. The caves were not cheap but it was worth every penny. For the Mayans these caves were the site of human sacrifice so along with amazing rock structures, stalactites, and stalagmites, there were numerous artifacts and skeletal remains. It was discovered only a few decades ago so everything is very preliminary and authentic. I feel like 15 years from now it will all be very different.
Also at Yuma’s I met an American woman, Paradise, who was doing an internship at the botanical gardens near San Ignacio. While we were there we met up with her one afternoon at a Rasta bar for a drink. As we were drinking our beers she introduced us to a friend of hers that happened to stop in. I never really got an official name so all I know him as is ‘The True Rastafari’ and believe me he looks the part! It turns out he is a herbal man, trained by his aunt in Jamaica and does various treatments using traditional Mayan herbs – enough said I wanted a part of this. In Belize I was feasted on by sandflies one morning so my skin was ripe with bites and in need of respite. Also, Paradise mentioned he gave her a hair treatment and showed me all the new growth on her scalp – again, enough said, I was in! The Rastafari took Koen and I to his cultural center (basically a backyard with a small herb garden and a bench) and proceeded to mash-up the leaves of a plant whose name escapes me at the moment. He patted all my bites down with this leave paste then started with the aloe: fresh-cut aloe everywhere on my body. It was kind of glorious, it felt like I was swimming in a layer of silk and surprisingly, being rubbed down by a skinny old Rasta stranger was not really that creepy. His herb treatment was pretty basic so my conclusion is that he is more of a Rastafari than a herbal man. None the less it was a gem of an experience. To top this off, it turns out he is a recorded musician too so obviously I had to by one of his albums.
Thank you Belize, it was truly a pleasure.
by
