(Photo © John Geary)
"It's these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same ..."
- Jimmy Buffet, American singer/songwriter
You're easily forgiven, if, when you step into Belize for the first time, you pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming that you are walking into an Ernest Hemingway or Ian Fleming adventure novel, or onto the set of a movie being filmed for a 1930's Saturday afternoon matinee serial.
At
least, that's the way
the country was not that long ago. That may change as more and more people flock
to the former British Honduras, however.
Since I first went to Belize in 1991, the small Caribbean country has started to become a "destination" spot for travellers. In many ways, that's unfortunate. When I travelled there more than a decade ago, the world was just learning about Belize, then celebrating the 10th anniversary of its independence. About that same time, articles began to appear in magazines, lauding the country's unspoiled natural beauty, encouraging people to visit Belize and experience the wide variety of adventure-sport and ecotourism activities available there. Like every other writer who has travelled there and written about it, I have to take some responsibility for making it a little less of an exotic adventure and a little more of a vacation.
While
additional tourist dollars are great for the country's economy, too many
tourists can result in over-development to meet the demand of people who perhaps
do not want to "rough it" as much as their predecessors. While some
basic amenities are always nice, for me, too much luxury means the trip loses
some of its appeal. Waking up to find a scorpion in my shirt does not bother me;
rather, it adds to the experience. But there are those who might feel a little
squeamish at that prospect. If you fit in that group, you might be more
comfortable going to Disneyland and avoiding Belize.
Fortunately
for those of us who like our vacations a little on the wild side, Belize has not
turned into another Miami Beach, yet. Recent articles still praise its
relatively pristine beaches and jungles, so it has not climbed too far up the
ladder of civilization. In Belize, "less" is still seen as
"better."
On
our trip to Belize, we were part of a tour with Ecosummer,
a Vancouver-based adventure travel company. The package was called "Reef
and Jungle" as we spent a week sea kayaking and cay-hopping out to the
barrier reef and back, followed by a week of hiking, spelunking, visiting ruins
and horseback riding in the interior.
Initially, I looked forward with more eagerness to the inland portion of our tour. The "reef" portion was something to put up with before I could get to the real fun stuff, such as tramping through the jungle and checking out ancient Mayan ruins. As it turned out, I enjoyed the first week just as much, if not more, than the second portion of our trip.
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Part I: Cay Hopping Along the Coast |
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Part II: Into the Land of the Maya |
Conservation Corner
Want to save any of the endangered species found in Belize? Visit these sites:
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Probe International Help save macaw habitat in Belize! |
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Protected Areas Conservation Trust |
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Programme for Belize |
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The Belize Zoo |
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Belize Audubon Society |
Travel Tips
Planning a trip to Belize? Visit some of these sites for a start:
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Other Journeys ...
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