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