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Did you know that there are buried treasures on Ambergris Caye? Do you know that if you find it, you would be a millionaire? It is claimed that part of it has been dug and found, but chances are there is still some more, and it won't spoil for it is in gold coins and precious stones. The treasure was probably brought here by pirates, and some smarter pirate eventually pirated this treasure and had it all for himself at his home. My grandfather, Cruz Nuņez, recounted to several persons that one day as a young man he and his friend Gaitas, who had escaped from the Maya Indians' camp, were playing around and happened to run into this person's house. There they found this man sitting around a pile of gold coins and precious stones. It was a big pile, and they were sure it was worth a lot of money. Curious about this discovery, Cruz and Gaitas went back to check out the place, only to discover that it was no longer there. One day they followed the same person down the coast, down south to an area known as "Boca Ciega". (Blind Mouth) There they saw this certain man digging a big hole, possibly to bury the treasure he had in this house. Cruz and Gaitas soon forgot about this incident. They were more interested in the moons and the rains to determine when fishing would be good and when the snapper would start "running". (come to the shallow to spawn) It is claimed that some pine trees were planted where this treasure was buried to serve as a mark. But you know how piracy works. A more astute pirate will take advantage once greed overtakes him. The man who buried it died and never used his treasure. Several years ago a real estate man in San Pedro heard about this, did some investigating, and did a lot of digging in the area of the pine trees at Boca Ciega down south. Yes, he found it, or so they say, and after becoming a millionaire, he left the island to settle in Honduras. The many holes that were dug remained there for many years, but would you know it, Hurricane Keith has finally killed those pine trees. What a pity? If you are familiar with the island, the pine trees used to be at the present location of Carib Island Resort. It is a pity because those trees marked the spot where perhaps more treasures are buried. It is a pity because boats coming from outside the reef used these trees as a landmark to locate the cut on the reef and sail straight to San Pedro Town. And skiffs coming from Chetumal in the Bay of Chetumal also used these trees to locate the channel at Cayo Romero. But hurry up; you might still be able to locate the trees, that is, if the owners of that place will allow you. These are only some of the many treasures on Ambergris Caye. Twenty Five Years Ago will tell you of other treasures in upcoming articles. Buried Treasures In The Village of San PedroI have written about buried treasures along the shores of Ambergris Caye that the pirates hid in the 18th and 19th century. However this time I will reveal about buried treasures right in the town proper, in the very yards of the villagers about 150 years ago. My father lived during an era when regular currency was in use in San Pedro. However, his grandfather lived here during a time when currency was not in use and some villagers accumulated gold and silver coins. Bear in mind that there were no banks in operation back then, so the villagers had to do something to prevent their coins from being stolen. To secure their gold coins those few wealthy villagers would put their coins in a clay vase or jar and bury it underground at some spot in their yards. So here goes this true story of buried treasures. If in the darkness of the night you happen to see a small burning flame at some corner of your backyard that is a sign that there is a buried treasure at that spot. My father saw this flame one very dark night at the right corner of his lot right on the back street, now Pescador Drive. He marked the spot and told his dad about it. My grandfather instructed him that he would have to dig at that spot in the middle of the night when no one would see nor interrupt him. Local Sanpedrano villagers placed their gold and silver in a clay vase or jar and buried it in their yards One night not too long afterwards, my dad woke up in the middle of the night and proceeded with his shovel to dig where he had seen the burning flame. He had dug about three feet deep when my mom woke up and noticed his absence. Thinking that something weird was happening she went out to look for my dad and spotted him busy digging the hole. Just when she touched him on his shoulders and called him by his name, my dad had hit something rocky with his shovel. A little disappointed he proceeded to take out a clay base broken in two spots but it was full of ashes and sand. When my dad narrated the incident to my grandfather, they both lamented that someone had interrupted him, because it was common knowledge that many people had had this similar experience and had actually dug a jar with a lot of gold coins. According to my dad, he did get up on other occasions to try to see the burning flame but never did. Now when I was growing up electricity had come to the island and the village was not dark; in fact it was quite bright so I never got a chance to see such a burning flame. Today the chances of seeing it is even less, except when there is a total blackout in electric power and the night is very dark around midnight; those people who live in the town core only can be on the lookout for this burning flame that could be an indication a buried treasure right in their yard. If you happen to be lucky, remember to share a small commission of your wealth with Mr. Twenty Five Years Ago.
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