|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 8,868
|
|
What a fine paper! Well done!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
Here is the latest edition of The Toledo Howler that is now beginning its fifth year of telling stories and giving people more reasons to visit Toledo and southern Belize. http://BelizeNews.com/howler/Howler5-1.pdf Shark Conservation Award for Dr. Rachel Graham Lee Jones on The Unappreciated Grackle Tourism Awards 2011 Calendar of Events Restaurant Guide Wat's Cookin?: Chicken Satay with Peanut Butter Sauce Toledo Maps Toledo contact information Archaeology: Nim Li Punit Yum Kax Women's Group at Indian Creek Organic Gardening in Toledo Dem Dat's Doin Transport Schedules Arzu on Genipa Southern Voices: Leonie Requena Punta Gorda Library Lecture Series: A unique way to get to know Belize
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
This edition of The Howler has details of forthcoming events during the November celebrations including The Battle of the Drums this coming weekend beginning on Friday evening with live music at the UB complex in Punta Gorda. http://BelizeNews.com/howler/Howler5-2.pdf The Battle of the Drums returns to Punta Gorda in November. Calendar of Events Lee Jones: Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary Restaurant Guide Wat's Cookin? CORAL HOUSE INN SCONES Southern Voices: Dennis Garbutt A Newcomer to Punta Gorda, by Gary Matthews Caving in Toledo: Yok Balum Cave Toledo's Musicians: Paul Nabor Arzu on Medicinal Plants: Peperomia pellucidaEmergency Numbers Transport Schedule BTIA Toledo Members 2011
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
Marta and I have enjoyed putting together The Toledo Howler for the past four and half years. During that time we have written, edited, and distributed sixteen issues and have ourselves learnt an enormous amount about Toledo in the process. As an emerging tourism destination we wanted to tell stories about Toledo and give people lots of reasons to come and visit. We hope that we have had some success in that although Toledo remains a largely undiscovered corner of Belize that still excites the imagination of those who like to take the road less travelled. Many stories remain to be told. We have, however, found it increasingly difficult balancing work on the Howler and meeting its deadlines with our "day job", managing and developing The Lodge at Big Falls. So we have reluctantly decided to discontinue our efforts. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed over the years and especially Lee Jones, author of The Birds of Belize and Ana Arzu, "Mountain Spirit", who has shared her deep knowledge of herbal medicine and the Garifuna healing traditions. We would also like to thank the many readers who have shown their appreciation of the publication and given such positive feedback. The Toledo Howler was written on behalf of the local Toledo Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association and the Chapter may decide to continue it in some form. Archived copies of the Howler are still available on line at http://www.thelodgeatbigfalls.com/the_howler.php In the meantime we will not stop writing altogether. We have started a blog at http://belizeexpertise.wordpress.com and will be posting articles on a regular basis containing "Opinion & stories about authentic travel, culture, nature and adventure experiences in the geographically and ethnically diverse Toledo district of southern Belize" So visit the blog and if you would like to continue to receive our meanderings and musings you can sign up and get an e-mail notification when new posts are added. With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Rob & Marta Marta & Rob Hirons The Lodge at Big Falls
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 3,281
|
|
Thanks Rob & Marta....always enjoyed reading it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
We are pleased to attach the new edition of the Toledo Howler. The paper will now be published twice a year in October and February. It has been expanded to twenty pages and is in tabloid format for those of you who are able to get hold of a hard copy.
This issue features new accommodation and new cultural tourism experiences (The Living Maya and Warasa Drum School). We also have regular features on herbal medicine by Arzu Mountain Spirit and Lee Jones contributes his regular birding article focusing this time on backyard birding in Belize.
The October 2012 issue of The TOLEDO HOWLER is online HERE
This Issue's Stories:
- Boost to Cultural Tourism
- Toledo wins Whitley Award again!
- Coleman's Caf� in Big Falls
- Welcome to� Bienvenido a... TOLEDO!
- The Farm Inn, at San Antonio
- Bug corner - orchid bees
- Southern Voices: Wil Maheia
- Warasa Drum School - paint, plywood, and vision!
- Battle of the Drums
- Slow travel - how to get around by bus
- Backyard Birding for Science and Recreation
- Wat dat smell? Wat's Cookin? I hungry... : Lionfish Ceviche
- The Living Maya Experience
- Big Falls Extreme Adventures
- Arzu Mountain Spirit on Medicinal Plants: [#%!]-a-Bed
- BTIA Toledo, and the Toledo Howler
- Port Honduras Marine Reserve
- Paynes Creek National Park and the ancient Maya
- Restaurant Guide
- Calendar of Events
- Toledo District map
- BTIA member directory
- Transportation schedules, including new village bus schedule
- PG Town map
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
The Spring 2013 issue of The TOLEDO HOWLER is online HERE
The new issue of the Toledo Howler has news and information about the Chocolate Festival of Belize in May as well as regular features by Lee Jones on birding in Toledo and Arzu Mountain Spirit who turns her attention to the health benefits of cacao.
Use our BTIA member lists to find accommodation or make meal reservations for the Chcoclate Festival weekend 24-26 May.
Happy reading.
This Issue's Stories:
- Chocolate Festival of Belize:
Cacao is native to the Americas and the
seeds, or "beans", are used to make cocoa
products and, of course, chocolate.
Cacao is a major export crop in Toledo ‐
prized for its quality and distinctive flavour
‐ and Belize produces some notable
chocolate products of its own.
Every Commonwealth Day holiday weekend
the Toledo District of southern Belize
holds a festival to celebrate this marvellous
food, and many devoted followers
return each year to find out what's new in
the world of chocolate making. This will
be the seventh Festival, and the first in its
new guise as the Chocolate Festival of
Belize. The name change from Toledo CacaoFest
is a reflection of growing awareness
of the exceptional quality of Belizean
chocolate and designed to capture a bigger
international audience. Once again
the festival will be organized jointly by
the Toledo Cacao Growers' Association
and the Toledo Chapter of the Belize
Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) with
support and sponsorship from the Belize
Tourism Board and NICH.
- Nim Li Punit Archaeological Site:
Nim li Punit was the second major site to be
settled in Toledo District. Like Uxbenka, it
was first occupied during the Early Classic period.
At present we have dated the early occupation
of Nim li Punit only from the stylistic
analysis of pottery. This demonstrates that
the first inhabitants settled at the site sometime
in the early fifth century A.D., about 400
years after Uxbenka was settled and about
150 years before Pusilha-the largest city in
southern Belize by far-was founded about
A.D. 570.
Like Uxbenka, Nim li Punit is a small place. It
is better to think of it not as a city, but as a
rural manor site founded by one or more elite
families. From its founding ca. AD 400‐450,
however, Nim li Punit did serve as a regional
administrative center. Structure 8, a long
platform located along the western edge of
the "Plaza of the Tombs," was built around
this time and served as a popol nah or council
house. Over the course of 400 years, the
building was enlarged and rebuilt four times,
but it always kept the same form and function.
Maya council houses are not common in
Belize or Guatemala, but are much more typical
of sites in Yucatan. They suggest decentralized
rule, where different lineages, families,
or factions made joint decisions under a
king with relatively
weak authority.
- Asha's Culture Kitchen:
The Howler recently visited Asha's Culture
Kitchen in Punta Gorda. This seaside restaurant
is located on Front Street south of
the market and specializes in fresh Creole
seafood, vegetarian and BBQ. They are
also one of Toledo BTIA's newest members.
Owner Ashton Martin opened Asha's Culture
Kitchen in July 2011. The restaurant
was originally located on Middle Main
Street before moving to its present seaside
location. Asha's Culture Kitchen is actually
built out over the water so there is a delightful
sense of being surrounded by the
sea. This place arguably has the best views
in PG, looking out across the Gulf of Honduras
towards Guatemala and points
south. The owner says the stars at night
are equally impressive from the verandah.
Ashton's wife, Stacy, is in charge of marketing
and decorating. Ashton, originally
from Punta Negra in northern Toledo, is in
charge of the mouth watering menu. He
has a passion for cooking and says his main
ingredient is love ‐ although he also uses
coconut, cilantro, fresh vegetables and
herbs. The seafood is fresh daily so the
menu changes according to availability and
season but usually includes
a variety of fish, wild shrimp
and lobster dishes.
One of the most surprising
items on Asha's menu is
lionfish. Most of us know
that lionfish have become a
problem in the Caribbean in
recent years. They were
probably introduced by
aquarium owners who released
them into the wild
and didn't realize that the
invasive lionfish reproduce
at a much higher rate than
the local species.
- Dreamlight Internet Caf�:
Dreamlight internet caf� is something of an
Aladdin's cave! Located on Main Street the
modern white cement building beckons tourists
and locals alike to make use of their internet
facilities, but, walking through the doorway
reveals a much wider array of goods and
service than you might at first expect!
Dreamlight was opened by Timothy Dami in
May 2007, when he saw a need for additional
internet facilities in town, primarily through
his work as a teacher and running computer
classes at the local leducation centre. One of
his students was Kenrick Coleman (of Coeman's
Caf� fame in Big Falls village) and, having
successfully completed the course and
seeing his affinity with computers, he was offered
a job by Mr Tim. Kenrick is one of seven
local employees at Dreamlight, and between
them they have over 35
years' professional experience.
We spoke to
Kenrick about Dreamlight's
many and varied
services.
- The Road to the Border:
Everyone living in the Toledo District knows the government
is in the process of paving the highway to
the Guatemalan border. There have been mixed feelings
about this development but we at the Toledo
Howler believe it will be a good thing all around.
Once the road is paved, getting into PG will be faster
and easier for those living in remote villages. A
smooth, all‐weather surface will reduce wear and
tear on village buses and vehicles generally as well as
reducing fuel consumption.
For tourism, the new road will mean easier access to
some of the most beautiful destinations in the district, such as
Blue Creek and Rio Blanco National Park and falls. Travelling
times to these beauty spots have already been greatly reduced.
The project also includes improved signage along the road which
will help visitors with their own vehicles to find their way around
more easily.
We are told the present phase of the project is due to be completed
in April 2014-weather permitting of course! Completion
of this phase will mean 20 miles of paved highway from the junction
known as Dump to Treetops, the BDF's outpost near the
border. There will eventually be a formal border crossing point
although we understand the exact location has not yet been confirmed.
- Map of Front Street, Punta Gorda,
Chocolate Festival Weekend 24th-26th May:
- Bug Corner:
The strange habits of the Sapho (heliconius sapho)
So, as well as the "wettest district" (read "most lush") the bug question
often occurs when talking about Toledo. The reality is that we do have
some mosquitoes (although fewer than some other areas in Belize), but
also a whole host of weird and wonderful
creatures.
The Sapho butterfly is often seen flitting
around the Toledo District. Nim Li Punit,
with its plethora of favoured butterfly
plants, is a great place to see butterflies on
the wing. The Sapho is one of the heliconius
species, and is very similar in appearance
to the Cydno. Sometimes called
the "Holstein" butterfly for its black and
white markings it will actually appear a
beautiful dark metallic blue under the right
lighting conditions.
The heliconius butterflies have two unique,
derived ecological traits - feeding and mating
behaviour!
- Wine, Chocolate and Belikin: Where can I get my tickets?:
Tickets available from the Toledo Tourism Information
Centre on Front Street in PG, BTIA office on North Park Street in Belize City and the BTB office on Regent Street,
Kakaw Chocolate in San Pedro, Goss Chocolate in Seine Bight and .the BTIA Office in Placencia.
Wine, Chocolate, and Belikin - Friday 24th May (tickets BZ$50 in advance, BZ$60 at the door)
Lubaantun finale ‐ Sunday 26th May (adults BZ$10, high school students BZ$5, primary school students BZ$2) Tickets at
the entrance; no advanced ticket sales
- Southern Voices: Kamela Palma:
Kamela Palma is a resident of Punta Gorda in Toledo. She
has had a varied career, at one time having been Principal
of St Peter Claver College in Punta Gorda Town and Lecturer
at the Belize Teachers' Training College, CEO in the Ministry
of Human Development, then Deputy Ambassador at the
Belize Mission in Guatemala City and most recently she has
returned from a posting as Belize's High Commissioner in
London.
Have you always lived in Toledo, Kamela? My grandfather,
Guillermo Palma, came to Belize with his family from Santa
Rosa de Copan in Honduras where the famous Mayan site of
Copan is located just a mile across the border from Guatemala.
He came to work as a manual labourer on a farm
known as El Dorado close to Forest Home and the present
day dolomite quarry. Though uneducated he was obviously
someone with a vision, for after a few years he was able to
acquire property in the area of what is now Big Falls village.
He called his place, a mile square, Missouri and it is located
east of the bridge downstream from the present day village.
He was the first 'local' to plant sugar cane and to produce
brown sugar for commercial purposes. Eventually all his
brothers arrived to work with him. He married Angelina Pattico
and their only daughter was Isabel Palma, my mother.
This is the same Isabel Palma whom the new clinic in San Antonio
is named after. She worked throughout the country as
a Rural Health Nurse and she was posted for many years in
San Antonio village to serve all the villages of Toledo West.
My Father was Carlton Fairweather, a distinguished gentleman
who had served the Motherland by travelling to the
United Kingdom to join the World War 2 effort and who returned
to serve in the Government Service of his beloved Belize.
- Restaurant Guide:
Wat's Cookin?:
Twisted Creole Lobster
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 7 minutes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
� cup chopped cilantro
� cup chopped onion
� cup grated carrot
1 medium green pepper finely chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
� tsp salt
� tsp Complete Seasoning
� tsp butter
1 lb lobster diced into 1" cubes
- Golden Stream Spice Farm:
The Howler staff had passed by the farm in
Golden Stream dozens of times, idly wondering
who might live there and what they were
up to. About a year ago signs went up along
the highway advertising the Golden Stream
Spice Farm and Botanical Gardens. Then the
Spice Farm became one of BTIA's newest
members and the Howler decided it was time
to go and take a look.
The farm belongs to Dr Thomas and Mrs Tessie
Matthew who have been here in southern
Belize since 1989‐90 dividing their time between
Washington DC, where Dr Matthew practises as an anesthesiologist. They own an
area of 500 acres that includes a wellestablished
citrus plantation but their true
love lies in all the other things that they are
growing there. They include both indigenous
species like vanilla and exotics like cinnamon
and nutmeg.
The first species on our tour of the
spice farm was cardamom, another
exotic, native to the Indian subcontinent.
I love using it in making
curries in particular but have always
bought it on trips outside Belize.
Now I can find it nine miles up
the road! And I was very surprised
to discover it growing at the base
of a plant that looked similar to a
ginger. The plants grow in semishade
in rows. The intention is to develop
this as a commercial crop. The
cardamom pods are harvested and dried
between February and May.
- 13th Annual Christmas Bird Count:
The 13th annual Punta Gorda Christmas Bird
Count was held on 5 January. We had an excellent
turnout with 33 participants organized
into 7 teams. We recorded 5221 birds representing
240 species. Despite the large turnout,
we fell short of our yearly average of 248 species
and 5958 individuals, but the results may
have been affected by the weather. The day
started out bright and sunny start, but it began
to rain around mid‐morning and did not
let up until mid‐afternoon. The lower‐thanaverage
total was also affected by our inability
to get into Aguacaliente Lagoon this year. This
cost us at least half a dozen species. The
boardwalk is now in such disrepair that it can
no longer be used. The water was
also higher than it has been in several
years, and much of the trail was
under water. It is a pity that all the
hard work that went into constructing
the boardwalk has come to
naught for lack of maintenance,
leaving one of the country's birdiest
wildlife sanctuaries essentially inaccessible
to the public.
Count highlights were Crested Caracara,
Aplomado Falcon, and Rufousbrowed
Peppershrike, all of which
were new for the count, and Common
Gallinule and Olive‐sided Flycatcher,
which were seen for only
the second time in thirteen years.
- The Belize Bird Records Committee:
Segueing to another aspect of birding, Belize now
has a bird records committee. Formed in December
2011 and now in its second year, the Belize
Bird Records Committee, or BBRC, is comprised of
eight members. Chaired by Punta Gorda resident
Lee Jones, the committee also has one other
member from Toledo, Steven Choco, the bird
guide at The Lodge at Big Falls. The BBRC maintains
the official list of birds recorded in Belize. It
resolves the problem of what to do with reports of
birds rarely seen in Belize, including those being
reported for the first time. Since birding, unlike
scientific collecting, relies heavily on sight records,
the seven BBRC voting members (the secretary
does not vote) decide which reported species to
accept as valid records and which to reject as unsupported.
The BBRC still has a number of older records
to vote on before it can come up with a
sanctioned list of Belize birds, but it is likely
to be close to 590 species. With one or two
species being added each year, it will not be
long before Belize reaches the 600 species
milestone. The latest species new to Belize
have mostly been ducks: Redhead, Gadwall,
and Ruddy Duck, plus a few other odds and
ends such as Hermit Thrush and Black Swift.
- Arzu on Medicinal Plants: Theobroma Cacao:
Theobroma Cacao - The cacao is a true botanical
team player by design, and insistently
dependent on the rain forest for its odd environmental
requirements. It is one of the easiest
rain forest dwellers to identify. Native
cacao varieties are mostly found growing in
association with taller shade trees like the
aptly named "madre cacao" in order to protect
young saplings from direct sunlight. The
cacao is not among the taller trees of the
rainforest, and only grows from 10 to 20m at
the most. The tree's bark and branches are
covered with grayish brown mossy patches
of colored lichen and fungi. Young cacao
trees seldom drop their leaves. They are not
deciduous and you can see large old glossy
green leaves and new limp red leaves growing
on the tree at the same time, and on the
same stems. But after the trees are well established,
they form a forest canopy of their
own, and the forest floor beneath them becomes
thick with a mat of fallen leaves that
return nutrients to the soil. Those leaves,
together with the shade from the canopy,
inhibit the growth of weeds under the trees,
something that we cacao farmers obviously
welcome!
The pollen of the cacao is another oddity, it
is too thick and heavy for the wind to
carry. The plant is incapable of pollinating
itself, and requires the help and cooperation
of other species and microscopic insects of the rain
forest to produce and reproduce.
- Restaurant Guide
- Calendar of Events
- Toledo District map
- BTIA member directory
- Transportation schedules, including new village bus schedule
- PG Town map
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
The Autumn / Winter 2013 issue of The TOLEDO HOWLER is online HERE
We are pleased to release the new issue of The Toledo Howler. Lee Jones writes about his record breaking day birdwatching in Toledo and Arzu talks about remedies for low libido. We also feature some of BTIS' newer members including ProWorld and The Maroon Creole Drum School in Punta Gorda.
This Issue's Stories:
- Coastal Water Taxi Planned:
As Toledo Tourism continues to grow so
does the number of registered tour
guides in the District and the Toledo
Tour Guide Association now has over 50
members. The Association undertakes
training and registration of tour guides
and conducts workshops to allow for
continuous professional development
and further specialist training. The Association
also seeks and develops new opportunities
for their guides and for the
expansion of the Toledo Tourism product.
One project currently in the pipeline
is the introduction of a weekly boat
service to Punta Negra and Monkey
River village and a second weekly
service to Barranco - three villages
which are currently more difficult to
access.
Punta Negra is a small coastal community
with beautiful beaches and cool Caribbean
breezes, nestled between two
protected areas ‐ the Port of Honduras
Marine Reserve to the front and Payne's
Creek National Park to the rear. It's a
perfect destination to enjoy a day on the
beach, combined with a little handfishing
and preparing one of the freshest
lunches you could hope to taste.
- Reef CI Celebrating 10 Years of Operation with Recognition:
As we go to press, we have just learned
that Reef CI has been shortlisted for the
World Responsible Tourism Awards for
the "Best Responsible Wildlife
Experiences" category.
The Awards were founded in 2004 to
recognise the "best of the best in
responsible tourism - tourism that
creates better places to live in and visit"
and they are designed to recognise
those ventures around the world that
make positive contributions to nature
and heritage conservation and to the
economies of local communities.
The awards are unique in that
organisations are initially nominated by
their guests and then a rigorous judging
process is undertaken by a panel formed
by some of the leading experts on
responsible tourism and from the
tourism industry.
- Maroon Creole Drum School:
We welcome the Maroon Creole Drum School as a
new member of the Toledo BTIA. Based in Punta
Gorda, the school is owned and run by Emmeth
Young. Emmeth comes from Gales Point Manatee,
a narrow peninsula in the Southern Lagoon between
Dangriga and Belize City. Emmeth says this
is the only community of Maroon Creole in Belize,
a group who trace their origins back to the Ebo
tribe in Nigeria. The Maroon Creole started as an
isolated group of runaway slaves, 'marooned' in
various parts of the Caribbean.
The Maroon Creole share some drumming
rhythms with other Caribbean and African cultures
but also have unique sounds and drums designs.
The different types of drums have names like junjun,
kinkinni, sangba, sambai and djembe. The
sambai drum is unique to the Gales Point community.
On the other hand, the djembe is one of the
most popular styles of hand drum played around
the world because of its versatility and powerful
sound. Emmeth makes and sells all types of traditional
drums, both to interested beginners and
professional musicians. He uses a variety of tropical
hardwoods for the bases.
- TIDE Fish Festival - 11th to 13th October 2013:
Belize is developing a reputation for its range of vibrant festivals and celebrations, and the TIDE
Fish Festival was one of the first festivals to be established in Belize. While other districts may
have their lobsterfest and fishing competitions, TIDE's fish fest is a celebration of all things
marine, and is the only festival to be staged by a conservation NGO. Events kick‐off on Friday 11th October with the Seafood Gala, offering a selection of seafood
canap�s and finger food, specially themed cocktails, and live music from some of Toledo's finest
talent. TIDE believes investment in education is key to fostering a sense of appreciation and
understanding of our natural resources, and their Youth Conservation Competition on Saturday
12th October sees talented students competing for a number of tertiary level scholarships. The
Sunday finale is held in the TIDE grounds where the winners of the early morning fishing
competition will be announced, and a whole range of fun‐filled activities will be on offer, from
traditional coconut husking and cast net throwing, to volleyball and kayak competitions and
cultural entertainment.
- Reef Conservation International:
Reef Conservation International was founded by
Polly Wood ten years ago when she left her corporate
life in Britain to pursue her passion for
diving and marine conservation.
A diving trip to Roatan in 1999 first sparked
Polly's interest in marine conservation but she
quickly found that there were few short‐term
opportunities. Most conservation projects and
placements were for gap‐year students or other
longer‐term commitments.
Realising that there were others who felt as she
did and who could help contribute meaningful
data to scientists, she started to explore the
idea of a marine conservation organisation
which could offer opportunities to a much wider
group of people. Polly told us, "I wanted to create
something unique, where anyone of any age
could come and help contribute towards data
collection, whether it was for one week or three
months and for any level of diving experience,
from beginners to experts." She attended numerous
seminars on citizen science and marine
conservation, explored various locations, talked
to scientists and developed her business plan.
- ReefCI's Lionfish programme:
Lionfish are indigenous in the Indio pacific
oceans and the Red sea. In their natural
habitat they are not considered a threat, but
in the Atlantic Caribbean belt they have no
natural predators and can consume huge
quantities of fish and crustaceans that are
key to our marine environment. One lionfish
was observed eating more than twenty fish
in half an hour.
Lionfish were first seen in southern Belize in
2009 and are potentially the most
destructive threat to the Sapodillas. They are
now seen on almost every dive at every
depth. Lionfish reach sexual maturity at just
one year old and females release up to
20,000 eggs every four days and they can
live up to fifteen years. On top of that, they have
developed strong survival techniques, able to go
without food for three months and yet only lose
10% of body mass. ReefCI has observed their
ability to camouflage themselves according to
their environment. It is easy to see why some
describe them as the cockroach of the ocean.
Polly is the Belize record holder for spearing the
largest lionfish, a whopping 44 cm - only 3 cm
short of the largest recorded lionfish speared in
Florida.
- Toledo "Big Day Birding": Lee Jones:
Victor Bonilla, Emmanuel Chan, Wilfred Mutrie
and I were perched atop an old fire lookout tower
deep within the rainforest at BFREE (Belize Foundation
for Research and Environmental Education).
It was 4:30 a.m. What had brought us to this
remote perch a hundred feet above the forest
floor at such an ungodly hour was our quest for a
record. And money.
The record: to tally the largest number of birds
recorded by one team of birders in one calendar
day. This quest is known as a Big Day. The money:
pledged donations to the Belize Raptor Research
Institute, or BRRI. A Big Day that is also a fundraising
event is called a Birdathon.
Here's how it works. People pledge money, say $1,
in this case, to BRRI for each bird we are able to
correctly identify by sight or sound during a 24‐
hour period. Our goal is 205 species, one more
than the record set back in 1999 by the late Sam
Tillett, Marcus England and myself. It is a fun way
to raise money for a worthy cause.
- Punta Gorda Christmas Bird Count - 4th
January 2014:
Everyone is welcome regardless of experience. The objective of the CBC is
to count (by sight or sound) as many birds as possible in one calendar day within an area encompassed by a
circle 15 miles in diameter. The results of this and more than 2,000 other CBCs are published annually by the
National Audubon Society. The P.G. count circle includes all of Punta Gorda and extends north to Big Falls,
east to the Rio Grande, west to Santa Anna and south to the Moho River. Each year anywhere from six to ten
groups, depending on the turnout, are assigned specific areas to cover within this circle. Every team is led by
at least one expert, so this is a great opportunity for those of you who are a little rusty, or perhaps just
getting started in the world of birding, to learn from the experts. We meet every year at 7:00 p.m. the
evening before the count at Nature's Way Guest House to get acquainted, assign teams and figure out the
transportation and other logistics.
- BTIA Toledo and the Toledo Howler:
What is BTIA?
Vision
As the leading national private sector tourism
association, BTIA represents a unified voice
which advocates for issues that benefit its
members, influences tourism policy, legislation
and marketing for the sustainable development
of the industry and improved quality
of the visitor experience.
Mission
To develop a robust and professional membership
association which promotes, advocates
and represents the interests of its members
for the benefit and sustainable development
of the tourism Industry.
Together we're stronger! Become a part of
BTIA and make a practical contribution to the
economic development of Toledo District and
benefit from our promotional work. We meet
monthly at the Tourism information Centre on
Front Street.
- Barranco - the D�g� Capital:
There probably has not been as much public
attention in Belize on the d�g� ceremony as within
the past two weeks, thanks to the statement said
by a high level manager within the Norwegian
Cruise Line (NCL) about the "d�g� dance". What
was said at a joint press conference between the
Government of Belize and NCL about the
Memorandum of Understanding on the proposed
investment at Harvest Caye opened the floodgates
for opinions on the d�g� ceremony and its
potential insertion into large scale cruise tourism.
This certainly was not the scenario in southern
Belize when the Cayetano twins - Sebastian and
Fabian - and their siblings decided to build a
dabuyaba, which they called the Marcelo
Cayetano Complex a short distance from the cliff
in the village of Barranco in 1996. Most of the
materials came from the surrounding bush.
- The Battle of the Drums! 15th and 16th November:
This drumming competition and show allows
groups to compete and display their musical artistry
in playing five different categories of Garifuna
drumming. The first Battle of the Drums was held
in Punta Gorda Town on November 17, 2006 and
was well received by spectators from home and
abroad. In 2007, there was an even larger audience
and greater enthusiasm. In 2008 the event
evolved into an international drumming competition
and show involving drumming groups from
various parts of Belize as well as from neighbouring
Guatemala and Honduras. This competition
and show has become a major local and international
tourist attraction and a catalyst for significant
economic activity in the Punta Gorda Area
during the period when it is hosted.
Food and Fete is the opening night of the
Battle of the Drums weekend festivities, held on
Friday, November 15, 2013 from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00
a.m.
- BTIA Welcomes More New Members:
The Ixchel Women's Group in Indian Creek village is one of the longest established
women's groups in Toledo having been in operation for the past fifteen
years. Its ten members from the community of Indian Creek make and
sell crafts and show guests how they grind and make corn tortillas, extract
raw sugar from the cane and other traditions of the Maya. We wrote about
the Ixchel group in a previous issue of The Toledo Howler and now welcome
them as one of the newest member of BTIA, working together to promote
the rich cultural
diversity
we offer visitors
to the
south.
- Maya Bags:
BTIA welcomes back Maya Bags. They produce high quality
products sold in New York department stores and Belize
hotel gift shops.
- Chocolate Festival of Belize
Chocolate Cooking Competition:
The following two recipes were entered into the chocolate cooking competition as part of the Taste of Toledo celebrations on Front Street in Punta
Gorda on the Saturday of this year's Chocolate Festival. We are pleased to reproduce them below for our readers with thanks to Katarina Polonio and Jill
Burgess Young. Dark Temptation Cake by Katarina Polonio, Chocolate Chili by Jill Burgess Young
- ProWorld Belize:
of ProWorld started to ferment
in Richard Webb's mind, a born
Peruvian. He met Nick
Bryngelson while working at an
NGO in the Sacred Valley, Peru.
Both shared the same philosophy
and ideas and started making
plans to start ProPeru.
ProPeru's goals were to help
Peru with capacity building, cocreate
projects within the
community and help the local
economy, by having these interns
stay and eat at local
establishments. In 2000 ProPeru
had their first group of students
visit Cusco.
In 2003, Nick visited Belize and
fell in love with the country.
ProPeru was now called
ProWorld and Belize was the second country
where ProWorld visitors could come and learn
about the Belizean people and its different
cultures and at the same help with workshops
and projects within the community.
- Word on the Street: The Visitor's Perspective:
Kim and her husband Bob are from Missouri and
first came to Belize in 1999 when they wanted to
visit a country that was "warm, but not too
developed or touristy". Kim recalls that they got
hooked on Belize and they've made several return
visits since then, bringing with them a number of
family members and friends on their various trips.
We tracked Kim down on her travels around the
District to get a visitors' perspective on Toledo.
What attracted you to Toledo?
My first visit south was in 2003 when I wanted to
get "off the beaten path" and was interested in
learning more about the various cultures. It
seemed Toledo was the perfect place to do this
and I love the cultural diversity that you find here.
How does Toledo compare with other places in
Belize?
Geographically, it's similar to Cayo in terms of
waterfalls, rivers and ruins but without the crowds
and with the added bonus of the cayes. Toledo's
various cultures are much more intact than
elsewhere and you often get the feeling of
witnessing something for the very first time.
- Arzu Mountain Spirit: Natural Solutions for Low Libido:
Many healing traditions interpret a low libido as a sign
of declining health and not necessarily a sign of old
age. The "loss of passion" condition is not exclusive to
men, as it affects both men and women. It is called
frigidity in women and impotence in men; both labels
refer to the same low libido condition. Frigidity in
women is a sexual unresponsiveness and inability to
achieve orgasm during intercourse. Impotence in men
is where you can perform sexually some of the time�,
but not always, even when you have the best of intentions.
Impotence is also recognized as a symptom of a
medical condition called Erectile Dysfunction, or ED.
We hear mostly about the male side because low sexual
vitality and loss of libido is more noticeable in men.
Men don't have the benefit of being able to fake sexual
performance; and when they can't perform, they
need help.
Traditional medicine balances the libido in the same
manner regardless of gender. Nature does not discriminate.
There are a variety of treatments for impotence
available today; both natured and denatured.
There are different non‐invasive, drug free things people
can do to enhance their libido. But few are exercising
that option. Most people (mostly men) are using
denatured pharmaceuticals such as Viagra, Cialis and
Levitra to enhance their libido regardless of the risks
involved.
- Southern Voices: Dr Joseph Palacio:
Dr Joseph Palacio has a doctorate in anthropology
and is a well‐known and respected figure throughout
Belize. He was born in Barranco but moved
within a year to live and grow up elsewhere. He
was educated at the University of Toronto, The
University of Manitoba at Winnipeg and the University
of California at Berkeley. He was the first
Belizean Archaeological Commissioner. He has
recently moved home to his birthplace and was
elected Chair of the Barranco Village Council in
May.
Have you always lived in Toledo? I was born here
in Barranco but left before I was year old. I lived in
San Antonio, Toledo where my brother was a
teacher and other places around Belize. I think it
was this movement, introducing me to the Maya
and Creole cultures and growing up in them, that
sparked my interest in anthropology. It was what I
might call a "patchwork" growing up that is not at
all unusual for the Garifuna. I did not return to
Barranco until I came back to conduct my doctoral
fieldwork and it was this that really marked my full
‐time entry into the community.
- Toledo Online:
There is an increasing number of sites with information about Toledo from web sites for hotels, guest houses and tour operators , non‐governmental
organizations and blogs. This issue we feature three.
Find out about cacao growing by visiting www.tcgabelize.com the home of the Toledo Cacao Growers' Association that has done great work encouraging
the development of cacao organic cacao farming in Toledo and representing the interests of the local cacao farmers who make up the membership
of the association.
www.yaaxche.org Ya'axch� Conservation Trust is a Belizean organization which aims to maintain healthy forests, rivers and reefs for the benefit of all.
Through protected area management, advocacy, and working hand in hand with communities Ya'axch� strives to develop capacity for the wise use of
land and natural resources in and around the Maya Golden Landscape in Toledo.
http://blog.warasadrumschool.com/ Living Life to my Own Drumbeat is the personal blog of Ruth McDonald the Scottish wife of Ray McDonald a local
Garifuna drummer. Her latest post begins "Some visitors to Belize may leave with the illusion that many of its residents are, shall we say, underworked.
- Restaurant Guide
- Calendar of Events
- Toledo District map
- BTIA member directory
- Transportation schedules, including new village bus schedule
- PG Town map
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
The Spring/Summer 2014 issue of The TOLEDO HOWLER is online HERE
This Issue's Stories:
- Heart of Toledo Adventure Trail:
The Heart of Toledo adventure Trail is a collaboration between the Destination Planning department at the Belize Tourism Board and BTIA members and other small businesses owners in central Toledo. Rob Hirons
from the Lodge at Big Falls who has been involved with the project from its inception said, "It is a great example of collaboration between the Tourism Board and small business owners in the area. BTB has the resources and the locals have the knowledge and this project brings the two together in a way that could be a model for future tourism trail developments." Kevin Gonzalez, Director of Destination Planning along with his colleagues Clive Myers and Arlo Cansino worked on bringing the project to fruition at the Belize Tourism Board.
The trail comprises a range of cultural, adventure and natural history experiences located around the loop that runs north from Big Falls village, west through the villages of Silver Creek, San Miguel and San Pedro Columbia around to the Dump junction at mile fourteen and back to Big Falls.
- Chocolate Festival of Belize 2014:
Toledo is gearing up once again to celebrate the eighth Chocolate Festival of Belize that will take place on the Commonwealth Day weekend from Friday 23‐Sunday 25 May. The overall format remains similar but each day will be enhanced with new attractions and activities.
The festival opens with its gala evening of Wine and Chocolate, sponsored once again by Bowen and Bowen who will be offering their signature chocolate stout. This year the event moves back into Punta Gorda town and will be held at Garbutt's Marine and Fishing Lodge on
the waterside by Joe Taylor Creek.
On Saturday all the action takes place in Punta Gorda town on Front Street where local ethnic groups will display their cultural food and music and Belizean chocolatiers will have samples of their wares available for purchase.
The festival moves into the heart of Toledo on Sunday to Lubaantun Mayan site. This year the dancers of the Baktun 13 group from Maya Centre will return to perform and there will be performances by Jose Chun and family from San Marcos village who form a string ensemble playing the Mayan harp, violin and guitar. The marimba will be performed by another group from Blue Creek village.
- 4TH Annual Punta Gorda Christmas Bird Count:
Although the weather cooperated this year, we ended up with our lowest totals in the 14‐year history of the count: 224 species and 3295 individual birds counted. But there was no shortage of good birds. After some‐ how failing to log Spot‐breasted Oriole on count day every year since its discovery in Belize in 2007 at Cattle Landing, we finally nailed it down this year thanks to a pair that had been visiting my feeder on a daily basis since last October (see associated article in this issue). We also recorded Orange‐breasted Falcon, Northern Harrier, and Wedge‐tailed Sabrewing the first time, and Brown Booby, Double‐crested Cormorant, Lovely Cotinga, and Black‐throated Blue Warbler for only the second time since the first count was conducted back in 2000.
Low turnout and car trouble were the main contributors to the low numbers. With ever rising gas prices, it is becoming more and more difficult for people from northern Belize to participate in the count, and we still do not have enough local birders to sustain the count. Additionally, some of the local stalwarts of previous counts are finding it harder and harder each year to juggle work commitments with an entire day afield. But, for me, the most frustrating aspect of this year's count was my vehicle breaking down outside of Laguna Village late in the morning and having to be towed into town. That relegated me to an afternoon of counting birds at my feeder-but, hey, I did get the Spot‐breasted Orioles!
- Lee Jones: Attracting Birds to Your Yard:
I have always been the only birder in my family. My wife, despite her uncanny ability to spot birds along the highway and point them out to me as we zip past at 50 mph, had no interest whatso‐ ever in learning their names or how they fit into the overall scheme of things. My son thought birding was dumb. My daughter was still too young to fully comprehend the incredible magic of birds and birding. Or so I thought.
Recently, that all changed‐ not gradually, not through constant ''coaxing" on my part, not through increased exposure to the world of birds. Their conversion was instantaneous. One day: "Duh"; "Blah"; "What's the big deal?" Next day: "Oh my God!" Awesome!" "What's that bird called, again? That one over there. The one with the orange breast and black hood." Oh, and that beautiful blue one over there? And that bright red one?"
The magic wand? Bananas. Yes, bananas. Lots of bananas. Add an occasional papaya, a few sliced oranges, and Voila! Instant conversion. Oh, and sugar water. Can't forget the sugar water.
- BTIA welcomes new Information Officer:
Stephanie Parham is BTIA's new Tourism Information Officer appointed in the autumn of 2013. She is Toledo born and bred. She grew up in Mafredi attending the Methodist Primary School in the village before going on to Toledo Community College where she graduated in 2005.
At that time she did not have any clear career path ahead of her and spent the next few years in Belmopan, Belize City and Placencia. In Belmopan she ran a small internet caf� and stationery store; in Placencia she ran the Pirate's Grill before moving on to the French Connection restaurant. After that she became office administrator for Remax real estate agents in Placencia where she worked for eighteen months.
So after all this, she still had no chosen career pathway until returning to Punta Gorda and join‐ ing the front desk staff at Belcampo Lodge. She worked there for three years before joining BTIA as Tourism Information Officer. It was at Belcampo she discovered her passion for service in tourism
and promoting the attractions of the Toledo that she knows and loves so well.
- Eladio's Chocolate Adventure:
Eladio Pop was born into a family of fifteen chil‐ dren in San Pedro Columbia Village in the Toledo District. His father was a farmer and his mother was a housewife who also helped with the farm‐ ing. At the age of seventeen he met and fell in love with his wife, Virginia, a resident of San Pedro Columbia. Not long after they had their first child, Adalia. Eladio continues to farm and has a great love for planting and embracing the natural riches of the earth. He is an organic farmer who does not use any machinery or pesticides to farm and reap his products. His machete is his best friend.
Eight years ago, after growing and reaping cacao, Eladio decided he would bring back the value of cacao from his ancestors, not only in his home but for the public as well. Slowly but surely, lots of people started hearing about and visiting the ca‐ cao farm, the roasting of cacao beans, grinding it and making it into a paste to drink as hot choco‐ late. It is prepared in the same way the Mayans, many years ago, use to do it. He is proud of his accomplishment in introducing and sharing this wonderful part of his heri‐ tage with his family and the world.
- The Sapodilla Cayes at a Glance:
om Owens Caye is leased by Gayle and Dona Scafe of Cuxlin Ha Re‐ sort in Eldridgeville, Toledo. It is used by Reef CI for diving groups from Monday to Friday each week apart from the month of October and two weeks in Febru‐ ary. At the weekends guests can make arrangements with Cuxlin Ha to go out for a weekend staying on the tiny 1‐acre caye on Saturday night.
Reef CI +501‐629‐4266 [email protected] Cuxlin HA +501‐732‐4747 [email protected]
Right Sunrise on Tom Owen's Caye
North East Sapodilla Caye is uninhabited and unused. It is the
northern most point of the "No Catch Zone" that extends down to Lime Caye at the southern end of the Sapodillas.
Frank's Caye is for sale. It is not open to the public. The buildings on it are dilapidated.
Nicholas Caye is privately owned by Belcampo Lodge.
Hunting Caye is home to various branches of the Belize govern‐
ment. The Belize Coastguard has a base there as well as the Belize Port Authority that is responsible for the lighthouse. The Immigration Depart‐ ment has a unit there and sailing boats and other craft can do their entry and exit procedures at Hunting Caye. The Fisheries Department is re‐ sponsible for the enforcement of the marine park laws and marine re‐ search. This includes monitoring water quality and the health of the reef monitoring Nassau grouper, lion fish and the sea turtles.
- Word on the Street: A Visitor's Perspective:
Anneke from Pennsylvania visited Toledo and Hopkins with her parents and two brothers dur‐ ing Christmas 2013. We thought it would be in‐ teresting to get a teenage visitor's perspective on a family holiday to Belize, and tracked her down during her travels.
What attracted you to Toledo?
My parents wanted us to visit somewhere new in Central America, and thought Belize would be a great trip. So after some research, especially from the Lonely Planet, they thought Toledo would be a great first spot to visit in Belize, and then move to Hopkins for the beach.
How does Toledo compare with other places in Belize?
We stayed only in Punta Gorda and Hopkins so I didn't get to visit too much of the country, but Hopkins definitely gave us more of the beach as‐ pect of Belize and we had an amazing snorkel trip while we were there. I thought the Toledo area was very beautiful, especially the caves and water‐ falls, and going kayaking in the mangroves was one of the most amazing things I've ever experi‐ enced.
- BTIA presents "From Your Valentine":
BTIA held its first St Valentine's Day Party at Garbutt's Fishing Lodge on Joe Taylor Creek on Friday 14th February. BTIA was pleased to welcome its members and guests from the community in‐ cluding Ms Celia Ma‐ hung, Director of TIDE and Ms Christina Garcia of the Ya'axche Conserva‐ tion Trust. Wil Maheia, well known Belizean activ‐ ist, was there as well as Love FM's southern corre‐ spondent Mr Paul Ma‐ hung. Music was provided by DJ Fresh.
- Wat's Cookin?
Blue Crab:
A few months from now should see the start of the rainy season, bringing welcome respite from the hot and humid weather leading up to it, but also giving rise to a wonderful natural phenomenon - the run‐ ning of the crabs!
The large blue land crabs emerge from the under‐ growth in their thousands for the start of their mating season, and you'll likely come across family groups with sticks and bags looking to catch the crab and cook up a tasty stew.
Each family has their favourite seasonings, but many versions of the stew include coconut milk and plantain, along with "matilda foot" - plantain dumplings!
- BTIA Welcomes New Members:
Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours: Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours formerly known as IBTM Tours, started more than 10 years ago by Bruno Kuppinger. He moved to Belize more than 15 years ago and got involved rather quickly as a tour operator named IBTM Tours.
In October 2010 the name was then changed to TCAT (Toledo Cave and Adventure Tours). Bruno has been a licensed Tour Operator and a licensed Tour Guide for more than 12 years. Eladio's Chocolate Ad- venture: Eladio's Chocolate Adventure is a family business operated in the Ma‐ yan village of San Pedro Columbia. They offer daily farm tours, tradi‐ tional chocolate making, and camp‐ ing on a 30 acre farm situated just a "sights view" from historical Lubaantun Maya Ruin.
- Restaurant Guide
- Registered Tour Operators in Toledo District
- Calendar of Events
- Toledo District map
- BTIA member directory
- Transportation schedules, including Toledo Village bus schedule
- PG Town map
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
|
OP
|
The Fall/Winter 2014 issue of The TOLEDO HOWLER is online HERE
|
|
|
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 members (),
297
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
|
Most Online7,413 Nov 7th, 2021
|
|
|
|