Culture - Bountiful Belize

Exploring the rich culture, ancient temples, toucans and tasty traditional cuisine of this Central American country with so much to offer

By Vanessa Dewson

At first, I thought it was a monkey stealing chunks of fruit left out for the birds at the crack of dawn, but as I got closer, I saw it was a coati – a relative of the raccoon with reddish-brown fur and a much longer tail and pointier snout than its cousin. As soon as it sensed my presence, it jumped onto the closest palm tree and scurried down the trunk. The fruit left out every morning at 6 am next to the openair restaurant of my hotel in western Belize attracted not just coati but also toucans, motmots and other beautiful tropical birds.

COATI, AN OMNIVORE RELATED TO RACCOONS

Later, when my group finally gathered for breakfast, the coati returned and we quickly realized it was quite the picky eater, digging around and eating only bits of watermelon. On the other hand, my travel companions and I quickly fell in love with all the Belizean cuisine we tried wherever we went. We were never disappointed.

TYPICAL BELIZEAN BREAKFAST

© SWEET SONGS JUNGLE LODGE

It all started with Belizean breakfast, which can have some variety but typically includes eggs, stewed chicken, fried beans and fry jacks (circles of dough cut into quarters and fried until they puff up to golden perfection). If you have a sweet tooth, the latter can be ordered sprinkled with sugar. After such a hearty breakfast, climbing the steps of the tallest temple in Xunantunich, a Mayan site near the Guatemala border, was a great way to burn off the extra calories.

XUNANTUNICH MAYAN SITE

© BELIZE TOURISM BOARD

INFINITY POOL OVERLOOKING THE MACAL RIVER AND JUNGLE

© SWEET SONGS JUNGLE LODGE

This ancient village was first established sometime between 600 and 300 BC and was lost to the encroaching jungle when it was abandoned around 1000 AD. We reached the top when the overcast sky started to break up, and the hot sun quickly made the temperature rise. I was glad we went early to explore and could head back to the hotel to swim in the infinity pool and grab an inner tube to float on the river.

THE BEACH AT JAGUAR REEF LODGE, HOPKINS

© JAGUAR REEF LODGE

HUMMINGBIRD HIGHWAY

From the lush hills in the interior of the country, we made our way to the coast on one of the most scenic drives in Central America – the Hummingbird Highway, which runs from the capital of Belmopan in the centre to Dangriga on the eastern coast. We were staying in Hopkins, just a little further south on the coast and home to the largest population of Garifuna people in Belize. This distinct Afro-Indigenous culture has its own language and traditions. Exiled from the British colony of Saint Vincent in the early 19th century, today there are pockets of Garifuna in several countries, including Belize. To learn more about them, we visited the Palmento Grove Garifuna Eco-Cultural Institute on Kalipuna Island.

GARIFUNA PEOPLE, AN AFRO-INDIGENOUS CULTURE

© GROVE GARIFUNA ECO-CULTURAL INSTITUTE

After a short boat ride to get there, owner/operator Eugene Martinez and his daughter Uwahnie greeted us. First, we needed to choose traditional dresses and shirts to wear. I slipped one on with the colours of the Garifuna flag – yellow, white and black. Already, I noticed how breezy and light the dress was compared to my T-shirt and capris. We then sat and listened to Eugene as he talked about the history and traditions of his people, passionate about preserving and sharing their culture.

GARIFUNA PEOPLE, AN AFRO-INDIGENOUS CULTURE

© GROVE GARIFUNA ECO-CULTURAL INSTITUTE

“We believe that it is in giving that you will receive,” he said. The giving of knowledge continued as we moved to another thatched-roof building. The kitchen with a typical Belizean fire hearth is where we were taught to prepare hudut, a traditional meal of coconut fish stew, and fufu, made from mashed plantains. We all pitched in to help – husking coconuts, grating them to make fresh coconut milk, pounding plantains and readying the fish for frying. To eat something so fresh and flavourful was worth the effort. A meal like this is not an everyday occurrence. It’s more like a Sunday meal where the whole family gathers and everyone has their role in making it.

A WOMAN PERFORMING TRADITIONAL ACTIVITIES AT THE GROVE GARIFUNA ECO-CULTURAL INSTITUTE

© PALMENTO GROVE GARIFUNA ECO-CULTURAL INSTITUTE

Once our bellies were full, we headed over to the drumming centre to learn some Garifuna rhythms. To be so fully immersed in a new culture in just a few hours was magical.

I continued to fall under Belize’s spell when, a few days later, our small plane rose up and over the turquoise blue water hugging the edges of atolls along the secondlargest reef in the world. We landed in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, a laidback town where there are more golf carts than cars. While it may be tempting to lounge in a hammock on the beach, venturing out to explore the town, eat out, shop or catch a sunset cruise is well worth it, as is a snorkelling trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve. This protected area, with its shallow waters, colourful coral and sea grass, attracts countless fish, sea turtles, rays and nurse sharks. I was in heaven swimming alongside these beautiful creatures.

Belize surprised me and surpassed my expectations, from how friendly people were to how amazing the local cuisine was and just how much this small Central American country has to offer from north to south – and everywhere in between.