S P R I N G / S U M M E R — 2 0 1 5 Y E A R 8 , I S S U E 2

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E

TIDE’s Cultural Trail

in Toledo

1

The Way We Lived

Then PT2

1

This amazing planet

we named “Earth”

2

Toledo Cave and

Adventure Tours

3

Calendar of Events 4

Christmas Bird Count

2014

5

Map fo PG Town 6

Blue Creek Canopy

Course

7

Registered Tour

Operators

7

Transport Schedule

and Emergency

Numbers

8/9

New craft markets in

Toledo

10

9th Chocolate

Festival of Belize

11

Advanced Skills

Training for TTGA

12

BTIA Toledo

Members 2014

13

Wat’s Cookin? 14

Review: How to cook

a Tapir

14

Herbs: Zedoary -

Curcuma Zedoaria

15

Developing local

artisans in Toledo

18

BTIA Welcomes: New

Members

19

Toledo Map 20

Newspaper of the Toledo Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association

The Toledo Institute for Development

and Environment (TIDE), a non-

governmental organization, was found-

ed in 1997 to meet the growing envi-

ronmental and development needs of

Toledo District, the south-

ernmost district of Belize.

In 1999 its subsidiary TIDE

Tours was formed to pro-

mote eco-tourism opportu-

nities and alternative liveli-

hood programs for the Tole-

do District. With such rich

and diverse cultures to

highlight here in Toledo,

TIDE Tours partnered with

the Belize Tourism Board to

develop a Toledo Cultural

Trail which will provide for

more cultural attractions for our visi-

tors to enjoy. This trail program will

allow for the continuation of cultural

preservation for the five main cultural

ethnic groups in Toledo which are the

Mestizo, Maya, East Indian, Creole and

Garifuna. The trail will be marketed as

a one day tour, which tourist will be

able to purchase a package from a

tour operator or just walk into the es-

tablished culture houses at these fam-

ilies’ homes. They would spend one

hour with each family, learning about

the history, food, dances and all other

aspects associate with their culture,

including some interactive traditional

activities. Here is a description of how

what can be done on the trail at the

different cultural stops:

The Creole Experience:

The Creoles of Belize

played an instrumental role

in the colonial days as log-

wood cutter and those that

fought in the battle of St.

George’s Caye. Stopping in

at one of Belize’s most dy-

namic creole artist’s resi-

dence, Ms. Leela Vernon,

visitors will be able to view

several antiques, tradition-

al musical instruments,

learn about the history of Creoles to

Belize, view the traditional clothing

and listen to original creole songs.

Continued on pg 4

The Way We Lived Then: Part 2 In this article we continue the remi-

niscences of Don Owen-Lewis about

life in Toledo half a century ago.

Recreation and Leisure

In those days when people were not

working their farms they would spend

their leisure time hunting and fishing.

They were good at both. They would

paddle a dory down the river to look for

gibnut. Perhaps they had a football

from time to time but they would not

last long. There wasn’t even any radio

much. Perhaps one or two people in the

village would have a little radio on

which they would pick up Radio Belize

and it was very good; far better then

than now.

In the absence of formal education the

young children would learn the prayers

to say at planting and the conventions

attached to it. The first thing we did was

to get schools in every village. (Don Ow-

en-Lewis played a central role in making

this happen). We focused on two

things: health and education. After I left

nine years later in 1962 some of the

things fell apart within six months be-

cause there was no continuity. We had

an airstrip in Crique Sarco and a village

boat that used to go up to Punta Gorda

every two or three weeks but that thing

sank; partly my fault for not delegating

responsibility for it. The airstrip proba-

bly had no more than about twenty

flights come in.

The governor would occasionally visit

me and he would fly in. The pilot Colo-

nel Baker did not like to fly in there at

all because he did not know what he

was going to be putting his foot into. It

was a shaky deal. It was made by hand

with shovels and hoes and grazed by

cattle. Looking back we should have

taken a tractor down there; dismantled

it and put it in a dory and then we could

have maintained and mown it. Looking

back there were many things I would

have done differently.

1959 Moving to Machaca

Eventually the base in Crique Sarco be-

came too remote and in 1959 Don

moved to what he considered then the

centre of Toledo district at Machaca.

What is now the Forest Department

office near the Laguna junction was

Continued on pg17

TIDE’s Cultural Trail in Toledo

2

Imagine a dream where you are walking

through the most beautiful garden full

of colour and wildlife. You are smiling

and feeling happy. Then, with every

step that you take something dies, the

colour starts to fade, the leaves turn

brown, the flowers disappear and the

wildlife is gone. The dream has turned

into a nightmare.

Now imagine a beautiful coral garden,

full of life. Much more life and colour

than that garden. There are colourful

corals and sponges, an abundance of

gorgeous tropical fish, turtles, moray eels, dol-

phins playing and rays gliding past. If we do

not protect our marine environment, this

beautiful coral garden will become our night-

mare. Here in Belize we are lucky to be located

on the second biggest barrier reef in our planet

and the largest in the northern hemisphere.

Our coral seas are a makeup of a fragile ecosys-

tem where different elements and species rely

on each other for survival. Everyone, every-

where depends upon a healthy sea.

71% of our planet is made up of ocean. So

why is it called earth? Of that 71% only .02% is

coral reef. Within that .02%, 25% of marine

species live.50-70% of our oxygen comes from

the sea, which is more than all of the rainfor-

ests combined.

The ocean provides the number one source of

protein for more than one billion people. Thirty

million people totally rely on coral reefs for

income and food. More than 60% of the world

population lives on or near the coast. The

ocean provides a livelihood, recreation, beau-

ty, wonder, and untapped scientific discovery,

leading to new medications, foods, and ad-

vanced technologies. But the ocean is in trou-

ble.

Threats to the coral reefs

Coral reefs are threatened by an increasing

array of impacts, primarily from unsustainable

fishing, global climate change and pollution.

Commercial Overfishing

Bottom trawling is considered the major threat

in most US regions where such fishing is al-

lowed.

Now imagine going to a farm and

wanting to purchase just one sheep.

But, in order to get your one sheep

you need to kill all the lambs, all the

cows, all the chickens, all the hors-

es, the farmer, the farmer’s wife,

their kids. You also need to destroy

the barn, all outbuildings and the

farmer’s house. Bottom trawling

destroys sea grass and its inhabit-

ants and important eco-systems

such as mangroves. It destroys eve-

rything.

Additional threats include: other bottom-

contact fishing gear e.g. traps

and bottom-set gillnets and

long lines. In 2010, Belize was

one of the first countries to ban

all forms of trawling.

Other impacts

Climate change impacts have

been identified as one of the

greatest global threats to coral

reef ecosystems. As tempera-

tures rise, mass bleaching and

infectious disease outbreaks

are likely to become more fre-

quent.

Additional impacts on coral reef ecosystems

are from land-based sources of pollution e.g.

agriculture, deforestation, storm water, imper-

vious surfaces, coastal de-

velopment, road construc-

tion, and oil and chemical

spills. Also, increased sedi-

mentation, nutrient en-

richment, toxins, and path-

ogen introduction. These

pollutants and related syn-

ergistic effects can cause

disease and mortality in

sensitive species and dis-

rupt critical ecological functions and

impede growth, reproduction, and lar-

val settlement.

Other threats to corals that have been

deemed important and relevant in-

clude: coral disease; tropical storms;

tourism and recreation; vessel damage;

marine debris and pollution; and

aquatic invasive species such as the

invasive Lionfish in the Caribbean and

Atlantic belt.

What if we do nothing and

what can you do to help?

The ocean is at a tipping point. Oceanographer

Sylvia Earle says our actions over the next ten

years will determine the state of the ocean for

the next 10,000 years. Many popular seafood

species will likely be wiped out within forty

years with current commercial fishing practic-

es.

Unless we change our rate of consumption,

we’re within a century — possibly even less —

of a world where jellyfish are the only wild sea-

food option left.

Find out what seafood is sustainable and in

season where you live. Do not support com-

mercial unsustainable fishing practices. Sup-

port local, sustainable fishing practises. Book a

trip where you can help remove Lionfish. Order

Lionfish at local restaurants that serve it. If

they do not show it on the menu, help create a

demand and ask them if they have it.

By Polly Alford – Founder & Director, ReefCI

This amazing planet we named “Earth”

3

The Howler spoke to Bruno Kuppinger

about Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours, his

tour company. Here he gives an overview of

the business and his passion for developing

tours to excite visitors and give them an

insight in to the Mayan culture and way of

life.

“We changed the name in 2011 from IBTM

to Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours. IBTM

had been established in 1999. Since that

time we have done a lot more product de-

velopment. We run tours for guests staying

in Punta Gorda and elsewhere in Toledo and

work with regional tour companies in Anti-

gua Guatemala and Playa del Carmen in

Mexico. These companies bring in a significant

number of visitors from Europe especially. We are

included in a number of established itineraries run

by European tour operators and do countrywide

tours with fixed dates of departure each month

usually lasting for a week each. We take them all

over; to Lamanai and Altun Ha as well as down

here in Toledo.

“I think we were also the first company to develop

the cacao trail tours around 2007 when the Tole-

do Cacao Festival was being run for the first time.

“We are happy to work with the cruise lines that

are beginning to operate down here although not

without a good deal of controversy. We made a

good contact with Hapag a German company last

year and I have just come back from taking a

cruise director on a ten-day tour. He is someone

who comes to Belize already with smaller cruise

ships. And the good news is that they will contin-

ue bringing these small cruise ships down here

and they will guarantee an overnight stay for their

passengers in small properties around Toledo.

They have five or six ships

including the Ms Deutsch-

land. They are concerned

about protecting the envi-

ronment. We went togeth-

er to Lamanai and they

wanted to be sure there

were not five or six hundred

in front of us and so we

would always schedule our

arrivals around that.

“So in short we are reaching

local, regional and interna-

tional markets.

“We are a small operation

but have English speaking guides in

Cayo who we contract out work to for

our countrywide tours but we have

more and more requests for German

speaking guides for our German and

Swiss clients. I hope that the Belize

Tourism Board will start to offer more

language training for guides. Visitors to

Tikal can choose a French, Spanish,

English or German speaking guide and

we need to foster those same language

skills as the European market develops.

Here in Belize we could do more busi-

ness but we cannot provide the lan-

guage services required.

“Locally, the cacao trail tour offered by

Eladio Pop at Agouti Farm is one of our

most popular tours and often com-

bined with other visits to Lubaantun

Nim Li Punit and elsewhere. Eladio just

loves what he does, is willing to share

and always has a smile on his face even

though he has done the tour five hun-

dred times before. I think guides ac-

companying their guests at Eladio’s

farm can all learn a great deal from

him. I have taken guests there many

times and I learn something new on

each visit. I think all guides should realize that

they will learn from these experiences in the field

much more than from reading. And that is what I

love to do and love to share with others.

“As well as the soft adventure we also offer tours

to Yok Balum cave where the visitors definitely

have to be physically fit. We also visit Tiger Cave

upstream from San Miguel village. We swim inside

Hokeb Ha cave and hike the trail from Blue Creek

to Santa Cruz stopping to see the point where the

Rio Blanco disappears into a sinkhole in the moun-

tainside. Whenever the archaeologists are here in

the spring we are able to offer visitors the oppor-

tunity to be part of the excavation at Uxbenka or

pay a visit if the team makes a find at the site.

continued on pg 12

Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours

4

Calendar of Events Date Event Venue/Time Other Info

April 3rd Good Friday More information on activities in Town closer to date

April 4th Holy Saturday More information on activities in Town closer to date

April 6th Easter Monday More information on activities in Town closer to date

May 1st Labour Day Public and Bank Holiday

May 22nd Friday Night Gala - 1st day of Chocolate Festival of Belize

Garbutts Marine from 6pm to 11pm More info contact btiat-oledo@btl.net or 722-2531

May 23rd Taste of Toledo - 2nd day of Chocolate Festival of Belize

Front Street, Punta Gorda town - Cultural food and entertainment from 9am to 6pm

More info contact btiatoledo@btl.net or call 722-2531

May 24th Grand Finale - 3rd day of the Chocolate Festival of Belize

More info contact btiatoledo@btl.net or call 722-2531

May 25th Sovereign’s Day/Commonwealth Day (in lieu of 24th May)

Public and Bank Holiday

September 10th St. George’s Caye Day Celebrated within the country of Belize!

September 21st Independence Day Celebrated within the country of Belize!

October 9th Seafood Gala - 1st day of TIDE Fish Fest Venue to be mentioned later Tide Tours - info@tidetours.org or call 722-2129

October 10th Youth Conservation Competition - 2nd day of TIDE Fish Fest

Venue to be mentioned later Tide Tours - info@tidetours.org or call 722-2129

October 11th Fish Fest - 3rd day of TIDE Fish Fest TIDE Headquarters, Cattle Landing Village Tide Tours - info@tidetours.org or call 722-2129

October 12th Pan American Day Public and Bank Holiday

Continued from pg1

The Mestizo Experience:

The Mestizos of Belize have significantly contrib-

uted to our economy with their skills in agricul-

ture and clothing and textile among others. Visi-

tors will be able to try their hand at embroidery,

weaving bags, making earrings and other crafts

by “upcycling” plastics and tires. Ms. Mendez

will enlighten you about other aspects of the

Mestizo culture including its history, food, cloth-

ing and traditional beliefs.

The Living Maya Experience:

A scenic twenty minutes’ drive will take you to

Big Falls Village where the Cal Family warmly

welcomes visitors to immerse themselves in the

authenticity of the Maya Culture. Here you will

view the different tools which the Maya used for

daily survival, their musical instruments, learn

about the history and traditional beliefs of the

Mayas and tour short medicinal trail. You also

get a once in a lifetime experience to prepare a

tasty Maya lunch from corn and other vegeta-

bles. The Living Maya Experience is also part of

the Toledo Adventure Trail.

The East Indian Experience:

The East Indian Experience- A

fifteen minute drive from Big

Falls will take you to a small his-

toric community of Forest Home,

home to a vast majority of East

Indians who first came to Belize

as indentured workers to work on

the sugar plantations in the

1800’s. A replica of a traditional

East Indian home has been well

preserved by one family who has

many tools

and antiques from genera-

tions ago. Learn about the

history, traditional beliefs

and how the East Indians

have contributed to the

growth of Belize’s economy.

The Garifuna Experience:

Punta Gorda is home to a

large and vibrant population

of Garinagu people. Ronald

McDonald is well versed

with playing the

Garifuna drums and will have you

dancing ‘Punta’ by the end of your

session at the Warasa Garifuna

Drum School. Well identified with the

upbeat music from the Garifuna

drums, you will learn how the

Garinagus settled in Belize, their tra-

ditions, language and also spend

quality time learning to play these

drums in all forms of musical

rhythms within its culture. View tradi-

tional gift items for sale at the Wara-

sa Drum School.

Contacts:

Creole — France Vernon 665-5024

Mestizo — Mirta Mendez 666-3229

Maya — Anita Cal 627-7408

East Indian — Elenor Tillet 664-4068

Garifuna — Ronald McDonald 632-7701

TIDE Tours—722-2129

TIDE’s Cultural Trail in Toledo

5

Christmas Bird Count 2014

The Punta Gorda Christmas Bird Count this year

tallied its lowest total (212 species) and lowest

turnout (12 participants in four groups) in its four-

teen-year history. This compares with an average

of 245 species

and twenty to

twenty five

people in the

previous thir-

teen years.

But we made

up for the lack

of species

with four nev-

er before rec-

orded on

the count:

Broad-

winged

Hawk, Wil-

let, For-

ster's Tern,

and Great

Potoo

(pictures

attached). The turnout was low for two reasons,

one good, and one not so good. The good news is

that many of our past participants are now fully

employed tour guides who have other respon-

sibilities -- like catering to the ever increasing

number of tourists who are visiting Toledo at

this time of year. The not-so-good news is ve-

hicle trouble. Philip Balderamos, who has never

before missed a count, and each year brings down

a contingent of top-notch birders from Belmopan,

had his vehicle in the shop this year for repairs.

But the weather cooperated, the birding was ex-

cellent, and

everyone

who partici-

pated had a

great day!

“Forster's Tern” Photo by Alex

Lamoreaux

“Broad-winged Hawk”

Photo by Victor Bonilla

“Great Potoo”

Photo by

Mario Muschamp

6

Sketch map of PG Town

7

Tour Operator Local Phone Number Location Belcampo Lodge 722-0050 Punta Gorda Big Falls Extreme Adventures 634-6979 Big Falls Blue Creek Rainforest Lodge 653-6533 Blue Creek Cotton Tree Lodge 670-0557 San Felipe The Farm Inn 732-4781 San Antonio Garbutt’s Marine Investment Co. 722-0070 Punta Gorda The Lodge at Big Falls 732-4444 Big Falls Natural Adventure Tours 533-3028 Monkey River PG Tours 629-4266 Punta Gorda Reef Conservation International 702-0229 Punta Gorda TIDE Tours 722-2129 Punta Gorda Toledo Cave & Adventure Tours 604-2124 Sun Creek Wild Encounters 636-1028 Punta Gorda

In the heart of the jungle of Toledo, in the beauti-

ful village of Blue Creek, sit nine zip lines, fifteen

decks and a ninety-five foot suspended bridge

owned and operated by Blue Creek Canopy

Course (BCCC). The construction started January

18, 2014 with the course completed by the 1st of

June. All the construction work, surveys, and

building on the property were done by a Belize

team of seven led by the manager Cesar Godinez

from Valley of Peace, Stann Creek district.

Titanic Explorer, Bob Ballard and the Jason Pro-

ject built a canopy walk on the same site in 1994

which was enjoyed by thousands until it was de-

stroyed by Hurricane Iris in 2001. The course is

built on a property owned by International Zoo-

logical Expedition (IZE) and is being used as a re-

search centre for universities across the USA.

30,000 board feet of lumber and 14,000 feet of

cable were used to construct the lines, decks and

the ninety-five foot suspended bridge which

brings you over two miles into the rainforest

treetops. They also offer tours to the Hokeb Ha

Cave, birding, medicinal trails and kayaking to

guests.

All of these tours are being guided by fully li-

censed and experienced tour guides and profes-

sionals who have been in the industry for over

ten years. They make you feel very comfortable

and by the time you get to the third line you feel

like a professional.

They have trained eleven villagers including

three females that were selected by village

leaders for ropes and harness training

which also included Site Specific Guide

Training in September and October of

2014. They also did some apprentice train-

ing in December with selected candidates.

Blue Creek Canopy Cours has been very

active with the Blue Creek R.C School , one

of which is putting lights in the school,

working towards getting school supplies for

them and they continue to provide as much

help where they could to the community.

The managers and owners of BCCC are very

protective of the natural beauty of the rain-

forest and have built around and through

it. Old fallen trees have been used around

the property and it allows access to the

highest points of the rainforest while mini-

mizing the impact on the ecology. Nothing

has been damaged in the process of building the

canopy course.

When you arrive at the entrance of the BCCC, you

will then hike in for three minutes to the office,

where you will sign up and prepare for the lines.

You will then take a little hike up the side of the

hill to the first line and from there the adventure

continues. After which you could take a swim in

the refreshing blue chilled pool of water. It is a

family experience and one that you will not re-

gret.

Reservations contact: bluecreekcanopytour@gmail.com Ticket Agent:: PGTours 629-4266 Front St. Punta Gorda Town

Registered Tour Operators in Toledo District 2015 Always book your trip with a registered tour operator to ensure your guide has been

trained & licensed and vehicles are properly insured

Welcome to BTIA: Blue Creek Canopy Course

8

T O L E D O V I L L A G E B U S E S

Service Depart PG Destination Calling at... Days Return to PG

Kan 11:30 Aguacate Dump, Mafredi, Blue Creek Mon /Wed/Fri/Sat 05:20

J ‘n’ L 12:00 Barranco San Felipe (for Ixcacao), Santa Ana, Midway Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 06:00

Garcia 11:00 Big Falls Dump, Jacintoville, Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 08:00

Chub 11:30 Crique Sarco San Felipe, Santa Ana, Midway, Conejo, Sunday Wood Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 05:15

Ack 12:00 Dolores Dump, Mafredi, Jordon, Santa Teresa, Mabilha, San Lucas,

Corazon Creek, Otoxha Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 03:00

Pop 10:30 Golden Stream Dump, Big Falls, Indian Creek Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 06:45

Pop 13:00 Golden Stream Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee, Indian Creek (for Nim Li Punit) Mon to Sat 07:30

Pop 17:00 Indian Creek Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee Mon to Sat 12:00

Pop 21:00 Indian Creek Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee Mon to Thurs 15:30

Bol 06:00 Jalacte Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, Santa Elena,

Pueblo Viejo Mon to Sun 05:00

Chunny 11:30 Jalacte Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz (for Rio Blanco),

Santa Elena, Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon to Sat 03:00

Bol 16:00 Jalacte Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz (for Rio Blanco),

Santa Elena, Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 15:00

Shol 12:00 Laguna Elridgeville Wed/Fri/Sat

Pop 11:30 Medina Bank Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee, Indian Creek (for Nim Li Punit) Mon to Sat 05:30

Chunny 11:30 San Antonio Dump, Mafredi Mon to Sat 06:00

Coc 12:00 San Antonio Dump, Mafredi Mon to Sat 06:30

Coc 12:00 San Antonio Dump, Mafredi Mon to Sat 13:30

Teck 12:00 San Benito Poite Dump, Mafredi, Blue Creek (for Hokeb Ha), Santa Teresa Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 04:30

Sho 11:30 San Jose Jacintoville, Dump, Mafredi, Crique Jute, Nah Lum Ca Wed/Sat 04:00

Choc 12:00 San Jose Dump, Mafredi, Crique Jute, Nah Lum Cah Mon/Fri 05:00

Chen 11:30 San Vicente Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz (for Rio Blanco),

Santa Elena, Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 02:00

Chen 05:30 San Vicente Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, Santa Elena,

Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 14:00

Bobby 11:00 Santa Ana San Felipe (for Ixcacao) Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 07:15

Cal 04:30 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia, San Miguel Mon to Sat 13:00

Cal 11:00 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia (for Lubaantun), San Miguel Mon to Sat 06:00

Cucul 11:30 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia (for Lubaantun), San Miguel Mon to Sat 07:00

Cucul 16:00 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia, San Miguel Mon to Sat 12:30

Cucul 21:00 Silver Creek San Pedro Columbia, San Miguel Mon to Thurs 16:00

Emergency Numbers

PG Police station: 722-2022

PG Hospital: 722-2026 / 722-2161 / 722-2145

PG Fire Department: 722-2032

National Emergencies (NEMO): 822-0153

Belize Tourism Board: 227-2420 / 227-2417

BTIA Main Office Belize City: 227-1144

9

Together we’re stronger!

Become a part of BTIA

and make a practical con-

tribution to the economic

development of Toledo

District, and benefit from

our promotional work.

We meet monthly at the

Tourism information Cen-

tre on Front Street.

How Do I Join BTIA?

Visit www.btia.org to read about BTIA and all the member-

ship benefits and to download an application form. Com-

plete the form and hand it in at the Tourism Information Cen-

ter on Front St.

Flights

Depart Punta Gorda Arrives Belize City Service Provider Depart Belize Intl. Arrive In Punta Gorda Service Provider

06:45 07:55 Maya Island Air 08:10 09:15 Maya Island Air

06:30 07:30 Tropic Air 07:50 09:00 Tropic Air

09:30 10:35 Maya Island Air 10:10 11:15 Maya Island Air

09:20 10:20 Tropic Air 10:20 11:30 Tropic Air

11:30 12:35 Maya Island Air 12:20 13:30 Tropic Air

11:35 12:35 Tropic Air 14:20 15:30 Tropic Air

13:35 14:35 Tropic Air 14:40 15:45 Maya Island Air

16:00 17:05 Maya Island Air 16:40 17:45 Maya Island Air

16:00 17:10 Tropic Air 16:40 17:40 Tropic Air

James Bus Line Schedule Departs P.G. Arrives Belize City Departs Belize City Arrives P.G.

03:50am 10:30am 05:15am Express (except Sun) 10:30am

04:50am 11:30am 06:15am 12:45pm

06:00am (express) 10:45am 07:15am 01:45pm

05:50am 12:30pm 08:15am 02:45pm

07:50am 02:30pm 09:15am 03:45pm

09:50am 04:30pm 10:15am 04:45pm

11:50am 06:30pm 12:15pm 06:45pm

01:50pm 08:00pm 01:45pm 07:45pm

02:50pm 08:30pm 03:15pm 09:45pm

03:50pm 09:30pm 03:45pm Express 08:45pm

Boats To & From Puerto Barrios , Guatemala

Service Provider Dep Punta Gorda Arrive Puerto Barrios Depart Puerto Barrios Arrive Punta Gorda

Requena’s Charter Service 09:30 10:30 14:00 15:00

Tek-Dat 01:00 14:00 03:00 04:00

Pichilingo 14:00 15:00 10:00 11:00

Sharkboy 16:00 17:00 13:00 14:00

*Boats to Livingston depart on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 a.m.

*Memos depart everyday to Livingston @ 1pm. (prices vary depending on quantity)

T R A N S P O R T S C H E D U L E S

Where to get your copy of The Toledo Howler

Distribution points include:

Tourism Information Centres throughout Belize

Tropic Air and Maya Island Air terminals

BTIA Toledo members

Requena’s Charters, Puerto Barrios

Major gas stations As well as a wide online presence in electronic format

Please contact the Toledo Howler team at 722-2531 if you would like to become a distributor for the voice of tourism development in Belize’s deep south!

Toledo Tourism Information Centre

Front Street, Punta Gorda Town

Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm

Tel: 722-2531

BTIA Toledo and The Toledo Howler

10

On January 21st 2015, A ceremony was held at

Nim Li Punit to inaugurate new pathways and ven-

dor stalls that have been built at the three archae-

ological sites of Nim Li Punit, Lubaantun and Blue

Creek.

There were around fifty people in attendance

from surrounding villages of Indian Creek, San

Pedro Columbia and Blue Creek. The ceremony

was addressed by Melissa Badillo, Archaeologist

Institute of Archaeology/NICH, Kevin Gonzalez,

Director, Destination Planning Belize

Tourism Board and Ambassador Paula

Amadei, European Union.

The inauguration of the stalls at the ar-

chaeological sites were part of a project

funded by the European Union in con-

junction with Belize Tourism Belize. The

Project’s name was Making Tourism Ben-

efit Communities Adjacent to Archaeolog-

ical Sites (MTBCAAS).

At Nim Li Punit, a 250 foot gravel trail and

steps were installed and also a vendors’

stall. At Lubaantun, a vendors’ stall and a

concrete and gravel stairway with safety

rails leading to the visitor centre was built.

Blue Creek now has a vendors’ stall as

well. Other improvements at all three

sites were the installation of directional,

interpretative, warning signs and benches

in designated rest areas. The new gravel

pathways has made access to all three

sites easier and safer.

The newly constructed vendor’s stall and the new

walking trail at the archaeological sites will allow

visitors to enjoy their time and will give the locals

a weather proof area to showcase and sell their

products.

Craft Market Nim Li Punit, Indian Creek village

Villagers and Paula Amadei, EU

Craft Market Lubaantun, San Pedro Columbia Village

Craft Market Blue Creek Village

New craft markets in Toledo

11

12

The Toledo Tour Guide Association (TTGA) through

Community Management of Protected Areas for

Conservation (COMPACT) funding, has joined

efforts to demonstrate how community based pro-

jects can help alleviate stressors on the Belize Bar-

rier Reef System (BBRS)— World Heritage Sight

(WHS), through educational programs that will

prove beneficial to the system’s long term survival.

Development and conservation can coexist in har-

mony.

We should use the environment in ways that en-

sure we have resources for the future ,so that gen-

erations can continue to enjoy them the same way

we do today. There are many different resources

we need to conserve in order to live sustainably.

As part of the project the participants were taught

the importance of the BBRS-WHS.

The workshops on the Belize Barrier Reef World

Heritage Site was done on two separate days with

a total attendance of 65 members. The first work-

shop was held on October 31st and was given by

Ms. Denise Garcia of the Belize Fisheries Depart-

ment. The second was held on November 26th and

was given by Ms. Patricia Nightingale. Both work-

shops stressed the importance of the Belize Barrier

Reef and its major role in Marine and Terrestrial

Tourism. Ways to prevent more pollution of the

BBR and how to protect it. Both workshops were

successful and members of the TTGA were very

satisfied with the outcome.

A navigation course was designed for one day for

tour guides on the basics of Coastwise Navigation.

Each topic was covered by instructor in a class

room setting using audio visual tools, basic naviga-

tion equipment traditional and modern. The class

was held in two sessions, first with only five partic-

ipants and the second session had nineteen par-

ticipants. Each session participants were given a

short overview of materials to be covered in class.

The information was presented in 6 sec-

tions highlighting each topic of out-

line .Audio visual materials were used,

maps, books, and hand outs. Examples

of navigation tools were presented and

talked about the importance of a good

navigator having tools.

Compass basics and how to use it were

taught and an introduction to using a

GPS was Presented along with other

modern methods of navigation. Most

Participants had knowledge of reading

maps so the concepts of chart reading

navigation was unknown. Emphasis was

placed on the importance of local

knowledge and safety when guiding

with people. Overall the course was a

success and the guides were eager to

know more and felt they had learned a lot. The

instructor for this course was Mr. Christopher L

Crowell.

As a part of the project the staff and executive

body of the Toledo Tour Guide Association did a

workshop on Marketing and Communications . The

workshop was to equip the TTGA with some of the

necessary information to better market them-

selves to tour operators and stakeholder partners.

The marketing and communications workshop

covered various aspects such as educating tourists

on their ecological footprint, appropriate codes of

conduct, cultural sensitivity, importance of conser-

vation and protection of critical marine habitats

(Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Sapodilla Caye

Marine Reserve), supporting local conservation

groups such as Toledo Institute for Development

and Environment (TIDE) and the Fisheries Depart-

ment in park management, surveillance and com-

municating with tourists effectively.

Advanced Skills Training for Toledo Tour Guides Association

continued from pg3

“Culture is also part of our offering and we have recently added the Living Maya Experience

in Big Falls and the feedback from guests is very positive.

“I think we probably have the greatest variety of tours down here with about thirty different

tour offerings but we could still be more imaginative in creating new tour options. For exam-

ple, what about a tropical fruit adventure? We have so many fruit and Europeans especially

want to see them and harvest them and taste them and see how they can be incorporated

into recipes. A visit to the spice farm in Golden Stream followed by a tour of Eladio Pop’s

farm already offers a wide

variety of fruits and food. But

long term the prospects for

tourism in Toledo are excel-

lent”

Contact

www.tcatours.com

Tel: +501-604-2124

Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours

13

B T I A T O L E D O M E M B E R S 2 0 1 4

Business Contact Person Phone Email

Belcampo Shirleymae Parham 722-0050 info@belcampobz.com

Beya Suites Lisa Avila 722-2188 info@beyasuites.com

Big Falls Cottages Fransisca Bardalez 605-9985 fbardalez@btl.net

Canopy Course & Jungle Tours Cesar Godinez 653-6533 bluecreekcanopytour@gmail.com

Catarina Choco Catarina Choco 601-6514 catarinachoco@gmail.com

Coleman's Café Thomas & Pearleen Coleman 630-4069 /630-4432 belizetom@yahoo.com

Coral House Inn Darla & Rick Mallory 722-2878 coralhousebelize@yahoo.com

Cuxlin Ha Resort Dona Scafe 732-4747 cuxlinha@gmail.com

Eladio's Chocolate Adventure Eladio Pop 624-0166 eladiopop@gmail.com

Garbutt's Fishing Lodge Dennis Garbutt 722-0070 /604-3548 garbuttsmarineandfishinglodge@gmail.com

Golden Stream Plantation Thomas & Tessy Mathew 732-4014 goldenstreamspicefarm@gmail.com

Grace Restaurant and Hotel Pallavi Mahung 702-2414 gracemcp@hotmail.com

Hickatee Cottages Ian & Kate Morton 662-4475 www.hickatee.com

Ixcacao Maya Belizean Chocolates Juan Cho 742-4050/660-2840 ixcacaochocolate@gmail.com

Ixchel Women's Group Tecla Acal 626-2338/632-7938 Indian Creek Village

Living Maya Experience Anita Cal & Marta Chiac 627-7408/632-4585 livingmayaexperience@gmail.com

Marigold Womens Group Sarah Shol 620-6084 marigoldwomen@gmail.com

Maroon Creole Drum School Emmeth & Jill Young 668-7733/632-7841 pricklypeartat2@hotmail.com

Maya Bags Belize Crafts Ltd. Desiree Arnold 722-2175 belizeexecutivedirector@mayabags.org

Mountain Spirit Wellness Community Dr. Ana Arzu 600-3873 arzu@arzumountainspirit.com

ProWorld Belize Nicole Andrewin 610-1063 nicole@proworldvolunteers.org

Prudencio Cucul Prudencio Cucul 602-3906

ReefCI Polly Alford 629-4266 info@reefci.com

Requena's Charter Service Julio Requena 722-2070 watertaxi@btl.net

Robert Pennell

The Farm Inn Renee Brown 732-4781 info@thefarminbelize.com

The Lodge at Big Falls Rob Hirons 732-4444 /610-0126 info@thelodgeatbigfalls.com

Tide Tours Delonie Forman 722-2129 info@tidetours.org

Toledo Cave & Adventure Tours Bruno Kuppinger 604-2124 ibtm@gmx.net

Toledo Tour Guide Association BTIA Office 637-2000 ttgabze@gmail.com

Warasa Garifuna Drumming School Ruth & Ronald McDonald 632-7701 warasadrumschool@gmail.com

Yum Kax Women's Group Concepciona Coc 662-8539/636-9586 cocconcepciona@yahoo.com

14

Wat’s Cookin? Dat smell gud! Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

5 tbsp. flour

¾ cup Brown Sugar

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp. butter

2 – 3 sliced bananas

Courtesy Of: Mrs. Barbara Nightingale

Crust

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup chilled shortening

5 tblsp cold water

**Optional: you could use Gram Cracker Crust

Directions:

1. Mix flour and sugar together, then add milk slowly, making a paste (no lumps), then add remaining milk.

2. Separate yolks and beat until lemony color. Set aside.

3. Cook #1 ingredients in sauce pan, place over a pot of boiling water, until slightly thickened.

4. Add small amount of mixtures to yolks, stirring constantly, then add yolks to rest of mixture. Cook another 3 – 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from

heat and add butter and vanilla.

5. (Pour small amount into baked pie shell) then arrange banana slices over it, alternating banana slices with mixture, ending with mixture covering bananas.

Top with whipped cream and chill.

While The Howler itself is not known for publishing

“breaking news” we are particularly late with this

review for a book that appeared five years ago.

Having said that, the author herself allowed the

subject matter to mature for about forty years be-

fore committing her story to paper.

The book chronicles the year she spent in Santa

Elena village (referred to as Rio Blanco throughout

the book) in 1962. She was newly married to a

post-graduate student of anthropology. During the

year in Santa Elena her husband was off visiting

and interviewing people in almost every Mopan

and Kek’chi Mayan community in the district while

the author stayed home, became an entirely un-

trained primary school teacher and slowly forged

friendships and became part of the village commu-

nity. By the end of the year she had probably

learnt far more than her anthropologist husband

despite his copious note-taking.

As the anthropologist, her husband was allowed to

set the rules of behavior and he was anxious not to

stand out in the community. So he imposed a no

smoking rule on his wife, which she flaunted regu-

larly when frustrated, and no hand holding or pub-

lic expressions of affection. He might have over-

looked the fact that they might stand out for other

more obvious reasons.

Each chapter of the book ends with a recipe from

her time there and these get increasingly sophisti-

cated as she learns to cook herself. Her first offer-

ing is described as “Convict Soup”. This consisted

of one pack of Knorr dried soup mix with the ad-

vice to check that the cockroaches have not got to

the soup before you and to make sure to boil it

hard for twenty minutes to kill anything in the wa-

ter. At the end of the book she is making a Chile

Verde pork caldo for feast days. And yes, on one

occasion she is offered tapir meat and cooks a

little of it having been starved of red meat for

months but the critical reader should remember

that this is more than fifty years ago. The recipes

have been put together in more recent years with

the assistance of Francisca Bardalez, Don Owen-

Lewis’s daughter who runs Big Falls Cottages (see

Howler 8.1) and include escabeche, calaloo, pump-

kin soup and sesame coconut crunch among many

others.

For a book without too much drama, apart from

almost being swept away in a flood, it is a compel-

ling read populated by a cast of dozens of villagers

who pass through her house to sit and stare or talk

and listen while she slowly gets used to their

ways, practices some recipes and learns that

privacy is an unknown concept in Santa

Elena. Another familiar presence throughout

the narrative is Don Owen-Lewis (see Part II

of The Howler’s Interview with Don on page

1) who becomes a mentor and friend to

them both and who she visits to celebrate

her twenty-first birthday during her husband

absence to register for PhD studies in Guate-

mala City in order to defer the prospect of

being drafted to fight in Vietnam.

She is a perceptive observer and fairly non-

judgmental except where it comes to her

husband, and the imminent demise of their

new marriage is telegraphed by her wry

asides and accounts of their clashes.

She explains at the end the impact her time

there had on her and why it took her so long

to commit it to paper. “…Yes, it changed me,

but I wrestled with the question for almost

fifty years before I could answer it. I brought my

idealism to the Maya - my willingness to fall in

love, and my desire to help - and they repaid me

with their friendship. A fair trade all things consid-

ered.

“But then I think about Cirila and Lucia and

Maxiana and all the other women who accepted a

white stranger into their lives and taught her how

to cook, and I have to confess I got the best of the

bargain.”

Ref: ISBN 978-0-8032-1903-8

University of Nebraska Press 2009

Review “How To Cook A Tapir”

15

Zedoary - Curcuma Zedoaria Zedoary, also known as white turmeric, is a

member of the Ginger Family (Zingiberaceae).

Other common names include Aruru, Zedoary

Root, and Angustura. It is a ginger-like root

with a thin brown skin and a hard, yellowish

interior. The aroma is similar to that of yellow

ginger, warm-spicy-woody-camphoraceous.

Known publically as merely Turmeric. It is a

perennial herb. The large green oval leaves can

be 1 to 2 feet long and have a purple-colored

streak down their center.

Zedoary grows naturally in wet forest areas

with tropical or sub-tropical climate conditions

like Belize. Being similar to ginger and turmer-

ic, Zedoary is also a rhizome (underground

stem). The rhizome of Zedoary is large as well

as tuberous having numerous branches. The

leaves of this herb are long and aromatic, while the

seeds are oval or spear shaped. Zedoary produces

yellow hued blooms having green and red bracts.

The herb is propagated by planting small pieces of

its rhizome. It takes about two years for the plant

to be ready for harvesting. Though it grows abun-

dantly in Toledo Belize, it is native to India and In-

donesia, where it is used as anti-venom for the In-

dian Cobra. Commercially, Zedoary is used in the

manufacturing of liquors, stomach essences,

bitters, perfumes and cosmetics. But it is primarily

an aromatic intestinal stimulant used to treat flatu-

lence, colic, and for strengthening the digestive

system. Traditional healers prescribe a bitter tinc-

ture of Zedoary to prevent ulcers, as a gastro-

intestinal stimulant to calm flatulence, colic, and

vomiting. The bitter tincture can be taken daily

(used prophylactically) to build the immune system

and prevent digestive disease recurrence; as it

tones the digestive track and all its organs.

Zedoary has many properties that warrant men-

tion. It is known by natural healers as an anti-

inflammatory. A paste can be made from the

shredded root and used in a poultice to re-

lieve inflammation, skin rashes, muscle

pain, and to dress wounds. The freshly

shredded root can also be applied directly

to the scalp to get rid of head lice.

A tea made from the roots serves as a body

stimulant and purifies blood. The tea can

also be used to improve digestion, improve

liver condition and normalize body temper-

ature in cases of cold and fever. The tea is

very effective in treating respiratory disor-

ders. Capsules made from Zedoary root

powder are used to

help regulate men-

struation, alleviate

amenorrhea, ab-

dominal pain, and

rheumatic pain. The

juice expressed

from the root is tak-

en to treat urine-

related disorders,

bladder stones, and

urinary tract infec-

tions.

Zedoary does not

only heal the human

body but it also

heals the earth in

more or less the

same ways. A Zedo-

ary plant in the

ground provides

good medicine for

the land, especially

for food gardens and farmland. It is considered a

good “dynamic accumulator”: plants that accumu-

late nutrients necessary for plant growth and fruit

development. They provide a friendly environment

for microbes that nourish the soil. Not to mention

the fact that the blooming flowers are extremely

decorative, pleasing to the eye, and lift the human

spirit. No farm or garden should be without a dy-

namic accumulator like Zedoary or White Turmeric

or Aruru or Zedoary Root or Angustura or …it

matters not what you call it as long as you plant it.

Contributed by Arzu Mountain Spirit.

www.arzumountainspirit.com

arzu@arzumountainspirit.com

600-3873

16

17

The Way We Lived Then: Part 2

Continued from pg 1

built in four months as headquarters for Don as

the Maya Liaison Office.

“It was when I was still down in Crique Sarco

that the governor Sir Colin Thornley flew in to

visit and he stayed the night in my little bush

house. That evening I was swinging in my ham-

mock and he was marching up and down and

suddenly exclaimed, “This is not good enough! I

have nowhere to sit.”

I said, “Sir, take my hammock.”

“No, no, no. I’ll get you some furniture.”

“But sir, there is nowhere to put it.”

“Oh, you want a better house do you?”

“Well it might be a good idea.”

“I’ll get you one.” He replied. So next time he

flew in with an architectural drawing rolled up

under his arm and told me he had the money.

But it wasn’t just a house it was a compound

with five buildings and my own house that was

forty foot wide and sixty foot long; two storeys

and made of concrete, an office building and

separate clerk’s and visitors’ quarters. I just

needed to find a location more central in the

district and I saw Tony Thriff who was the head

of forestry and said, “Tony I need to build a

house. Give me a piece of land.” And

he told me to get lost and go and

bug someone else. I said, “Tony, lis-

ten. I only have three years of my

contract to go and when I leave you

will inherit it.” “Oh,” he paused.

“Build it wherever you want.”

I looked at the map of Toledo. There

was no Southern Highway but

Machaca was half way along the San

Antonio Road and seemed quite cen-

tral so that was where we built it. It

was probably the best building in

Toledo at the time and was designat-

ed a hurricane shelter.

I went on leave to the UK for five

months and when I came back the building was

up. We did not build all the other buildings in

the original plan but I was allowed to use the

money saved to push a road from San Pedro

Columbia to San Miguel. We opened it, cam-

bered it, put up a hog fence and built the con-

crete bridge over the Columbia branch. We also

used a bulldozer from the Phillips oil company

close by to open a road all the way down to La-

guna. The village did not exist then but was

founded a short while later by families who

moved from San Miguel. San Felipe was found-

ed by other families from the same village.

During my time at Machaca we also put in a

telephone line from PG to Machaca and on-

wards to San Antonio.

1963 Moving to Big Falls

After working for the government for ten years I

thought it would be difficult to go back to civili-

zation again. I bought myself a piece of land up

in Big Falls; the road of course wasn’t built then.

The only people living in Big Falls were four

Spanish families who had come from Honduras.

No Maya at all. I bought the piece of land from

the Palmas a little bit further downstream from

where Big Falls is now. It was all high bush; full

of animals but no people and I invited three or

four families from Crique Sarco who I got on

well with to come and keep me company.

They came, they prospered and half of Crique

Sarco followed. Many of the Maya families here

in Big Falls were originally from Crique Sarco. I

used to take whatever I grew down to Punta

Gorda to sell on a trailer pulled by my Massey

Ferguson tractor. It would take three hours

each way at no more than ten miles an hour.

I met a man named Jackie Vasquez who had a

somewhat controversial history and mothers

with small children who misbehaved would tell

them that Jackie Vasquez would get them. Any-

way he had a jaguar caller that he showed me

and I was able to copy. It was a long calabash

with a three inch diameter hole at each end and

across one end was pinned a piece of deerskin

with a small hole in the centre through which

he had threaded some long horse hairs he had

plaited together

Medicinal Healing

These days there is a lot of competition for a

bush doctor with antibiotics and malaria drugs

and things like that. There was once an old lady

lying in a hammock in Santa Teresa.

I said “How are you feeling?” And she replied

“Oh, I want to die, I want to die.”

I said “We can take you to PG. We’ll get a ham-

mock to carry you”.

“Oh, no. I want to die in my village”

The local bush doctor said he could not do any-

thing more so I went to Punta Gorda and spoke

to the doctor who was a friend of mine and de-

scribed the symptoms. He gave me half a dozen

medicines for hook worm and malaria and I

bought a bottle of a patent medicine called Par-

rishes Food that was an iron supplement for

anaemia. I gave all this to the bush doctor in the

village with instructions and told the old lady

that she would be dancing when he next saw

her.

And the next time I called by the village she had

indeed been dancing and she was in fact just

thirty-five although she had looked like an old

lady. And the other women in the village

mobbed me and demanded the same medicine.

But the lesson was that in this instance the bush

medicine had no cure. In those days anaemia,

hookworm and, malaria were three big killers.

Infant mortality was horrendous.

I was once on leave in England in the late fifties

just after San Miguel village had been founded

by a migration of the whole village of Santa Te-

resa with the exception of the bush doctor. The

rains began and the villagers were drinking wa-

ter from the river and the children got sick with

diarrhoea and dehydration and forty-two chil-

dren of pre-school age died in that

one village: all totally preventable

these days with the right medi-

cines.

What Has Been Lost?

Honesty seems to have been lost

with creeping civilization. One did

not need a padlock in those days.

To me it was golden age.

The other thing that has been lost

is the soil fertility because the soil

was not over-cultivated and the

bush wasn’t cut too often. When

you did cut the bush you got a

crop: now because the bush is de-

pleted you can’t. I farmed my land for forty

years. It was high bush, big trees, some of them

mahogany. I cut it and made pasture and initial-

ly the soil was strong and fertile but little by

little it lost it and the cattle lost condition and I

had to give up on cattle after about fifteen

years.

I was just lucky that that was the time they had

cold weather in Florida and citrus became

profitable. But you can’t even grow citrus now

because the fertility has gone and you can’t re-

place it except by letting the trees come back.

That’s what I see as the future. The future of

Toledo is trees.

18

Handmade products represent the earth, the

natural materials and the mind of a country´s

people. They connect the visitors with a place

and allow them to take a tangible remem-

brance of their experience. Handicrafts are life

expressions and belonging, geographic spaces

and history.

In today´s global world, the need to make these

appealing enough to visitors from all over the

world while retaining their cultural values and

interest is a challenge that needs to be ad-

dressed through professional design and prod-

uct development.

During 2013 to 2014 “Making Tourism Benefit

Communities Adjacent to Archaeological Sites

(MTBCAAS)” project (co-financed by the Euro-

pean Union, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB)

and the National Institute of Culture and Histo-

ry (NICH)) worked with thirty artisans from all

over Belize to develop their handmade prod-

ucts.

The challenge was to keep their cultural identi-

ty and at the same time make them current

and appealing for a global market. This was

done through product development with pro-

fessional design guidance provided by a Crafts

Specialist, Daniela Viscarra from Bolivia and a

Local Coordinator, artisan Sharondale Humes.

In Toledo the work was developed with three

women’s groups Ixchel, Yum Kax and Fajina

who produce basketry, embroidery and cala-

bash works, the Chiac family from the Living

Maya Experience and also with individual lime-

stone carvers. The final products were the first

step for the Belizean artisans to raise the quali-

ty and perceived value of their work.

The training also provided some tools for them

to be innovative always bearing in mind the

target market interests and to inspire them-

selves in their culture and use of natural re-

sources. The training also offered important

concepts for costing and pricing business devel-

opment and sales. The Brand “Unique Belize”

was created during the project to further sup-

port the artisans’ sales.Due to the talent and

enthusiasm of the artisans the project exceed-

ed expectations. The launch event and exhibi-

tion presented 227 new handmade authentic

Belizean products from four districts.

Developing Local Artisans in Toledo

Association of Tour Guides In Toledo New Members 2015

Name Address

Ananstacio Sho Blue Creek

Anselmo Cholom Indian Creek

Dolores Ack San Miguel

Evarlina Coy San Pedro Columbia

Edwin Sho Blue Creek

Francisco Chub Jr. Blue Creek

Francisco Sho Blue Creek

Harry Lee Jones Punta Gorda

Jose Vellos Forest Home

Maria Ack San Miguel

Marlon Cal San Pedro Columbia

Petrona Chiac Blue Creek

Rousana Romero San Pedro Columbia

Vicente Ack San Miguel

The Association of Tour Guides in Toledo would like to inform its members that we will be having our next meeting

on May 29, 2015 and every two months after being August 28, 2015 and November 27, 2015.

19

Robert Pennell

Robert Pennell is a

born Belizean and he is

the seventh of twelve

kids. His dad was an

agent for Maya Air-

ways and his mom was

a full time mother.

Robert grew up in Pun-

ta Gorda and has built

his life here. After fin-

ishing school he start-

ed working as an agent

for Maya Airways and

later on transferred to

Tropic Air where he has been the manager of the

Punta Gorda station for fourteen years. While do-

ing his regular duties Robert became involved in

BTIA as a member and treasurer for three years.

He served on the board of BTB as the southern

representative and sat on the finance committee

for two years.

While on the board for BTIA, he is one of the

founding members of the Chocolate Festival of

Belize. He worked along with BTB to get the lease

on a property that now brings income to the BTIA

Toledo Chapter. After his position as treasurer for

BTIA he focused on other things in life and has

now decided that he would again like to be a part

of BTIA Toledo and help to improve the growth of

tourism within Southern Belize.

When asked what he would like to see

happen for Toledo, he said “Tourism is

growing in the country but not as fast

in Toledo, so I would like to see more

investments in restaurants, hotels,

tours and properties etc. which will

help the growth of tourism in the

south. We also need more investment

in marketing and more training of the

sector's human resources. We should

also become more cognizant of the

National Sustainable Tourism Master

Plan and develop our own strategic

plans off it.” Welcome Mr. Robert

Pennell!

Marigold Women’s Co-operative

The Marigold Women’s Co-operative is one of

several similar groups in Indian Creek village on

the Southern Highway. The group was established

in 2011 by Ms Mariana Shol who with six other

neighbors began selling home-made bread

and cakes around Indian Creek village itself.

The group is housed in nice new building

painted green and yellow and set back but

visible from the main southern highway that

passes through Indian Creek. This building was

made possible by a grant from a north Ameri-

can Presbyterian Mission “Self Development

of People” While Indian Creek village still lacks

electricity the house is powered by an array of

solar panels.

Following this the group has also received assis-

tance from the Belize Rural Development Fund

administered by the YWCA and with this have

bought two delivery bicycles and other kitchen

equipment. The group can also do catering upon

request and make tamales, caldo, bollos, shoot,

cacao drinks and other items.

They have entertained groups from local NGOs,

demonstrating their craft making skills and Mayan

cultural dances to the accompaniment of the ma-

rimba and Mayan harp. Their cultural presenta-

tions include demonstrations of making corn tor-

tillas on a comal (cast iron hot plate) on their open

fire hearth, using the metate (grinding stone) for

grinding corn or cocoa beans and demonstrations

of basket and cuxtal making (woven shoulder

bags).

To arrange a visit call 620-6084 and speak to Sa-

rah Shol or e-mail marigoldwomen@gmail.com.

Welcome to BTIA New Members!

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