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Belize 2001; Chaa Creek Resort

By Al Campbell

After leaving El Pescador, the media tour took a trip to the mainland and the jungles. First stop was the Belize Zoo where we got a look at the birds and animals native to Belize. The purpose of the inland tour was to expose us to some of the other attractions available in Belize. Since many of us have spouses who don't fish, or at least don't enjoy fishing as much as we do, I'll grudgingly admit that this exposure is a good thing.

Although it isn't big, the Belize Zoo is home to specimens of nearly all the land animals native to the country. Mostly jungle species, some of the most colorful birds I have ever seen are on display in the zoo.
Rare Dove Several types of toucans and storks along with many rare and colorful parrots and macaws can be observed and photographed in their native habitat. Other animals include peccaries, tapirs, jaguars, ocelots, crocodiles and monkeys. It was an interesting and informative tour.

Our next stop was the Mayan ruin Xunantunich (Maiden of the Rock), just two miles from the Guatemala border. Towering above the local landscape, this ruin sits on top of a limestone hill that gave the former residents a view of the valleys below. Modern access to the site is via a hand drawn ferry that provides transport to the only road leading to the ruin.

El Castillo (the tallest pyramid at Xunantunich) is a limestone structure that rises 130 feet above the main plaza of the ancient city and 250 feet above the valley below.

A beautiful stucco frieze, supposedly dedicated to a sun god, is visible on both the east and west sides of this pyramid. Excavation and restoration of this site is only partially finished and new mysteries are uncovered on a regular basis.

So far archeologists have discovered at least 12 layers of building on this tallest pyramid. It seems that as new generations of royalty took power, they often had the pyramid rebuilt over the earlier versions. We may never know what secrets are buried in those rock walls.

Front terrace El Castillo

Much of the Mayan civilization is a mystery. Their society seems to have been held together by a variety of factors that include social, economic and religious influences. It is also known they occasionally went to war with each other. Each of the many ruins was a place where people lived, shopped, held religious rituals (including human sacrifice according to archeological discoveries) and enjoyed the security of walled cities.

Xunatunich is important because it was one of the last inhabited cities of the Mayan civilization. No one really knows why the civilization crumbled when it did. It may have been disease or economic factors. Maybe a drought or earthquakes or some other factor of nature was at fault. It may even have been a situation where their religion fell apart or maybe an uprising of the lower class brought the civilization to an end. There are a lot of mysteries awaiting answers.

One thing we do know, people lived in or on each of the pyramids. Most of the time, they lived in wood or wood and stone structures. Commoners lived on the ground, but the royalty lived in elevated status on the pyramids. In the case of the Mayans, the royalty may have been the religious leaders since the pyramids had religious significance as well as social significance. At Xunantunich, El Castillo was the pyramid that housed the people at the top of the social structure. It was one of the last strongholds of a unique civilization that spanned 2500 years and ended mysteriously around 1540AD.

Not far from Xunantunich is a pleasant place called Chaa Creek Resort. That's where we spent the night during our jungle tour. The resort offers tours of local Mayan ruins, bird watching expeditions, canoeing and kayaking on the Macal River or just a pleasant place to relax. It's a wild bird sanctuary on the banks of the Macal River with a resident population of more than 240 species of exotic and rare birds. It also has a large population of rare blue butterflies.

The tropical rainforest surrounding the resort is alive with monkeys, birds, bats and other things that make strange noises. Flowering trees and tropical plants line the paths of the meticulously groomed resort grounds. Strangely, I didn't see any biting insects.

After sundown, the cicadas started a chorus of haunting intensity. The song rose in volume, then fell, then rose again. They sang for several hours; joined only by the whisper of a breeze blowing through the trees. I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like that sound.

If you're looking for a place to relax, need a break from the great fishing (not a chance), or are planning a honeymoon escape, Chaa Creek Resort would be a good choice. Whether it's river kayaking, nature walks, bird watching or just relaxing on your own hammock on your own personal deck, this place has everything (except fishing). The atmosphere is colonial British, the buildings are thatch roof design, but extremely nice, the food is excellent and the rooms don't have phones to interrupt your nap.

Exotic! Belize has two paved major highways. One travels east to west, the other north to south through the country. Other roads are gravel and sometimes a rough ride. After a comfortable night at Chaa Creek, we traveled by van across these highways on the scenic route through the jungles of the Mayan Mountains. I witnessed more different types of trees on the hillsides of the Mayan Mountains than anywhere else I've traveled.

A major factor in the economy of Belize is agriculture. They grow and export large quantities of citrus fruit, watermelons and other types of fruit and vegetables. They are also a major source of mahogany and other exotic hardwoods. Except for the miles of citrus orchards, a few mountaintop homes and a few villages, the countryside appears relatively uninhabited. I'd guess that's a fair assumption since Belize has a population of about 250 thousand, and nearly half of those people live in Belize City.

Another factor in the economy of Belize is tourism. Or, maybe I should say crafts and tourism. We stopped at a small gift shop during our tour of the mainland and discovered some treasures of a craftsmanship nature. Granted, these crafts are designed for the tourist trade; but many of the hand-carved items they sell are also available as exported goods. The influence of the Mayan heritage is evident in all sorts of crafts from carved slate paperweights to hand carved mahogany coffee tables to exotic carved canes.

The road we traveled took us to Dangriga on the southern coast of Belize where we caught a flight to Placencia and the final leg of our tour, the Inn at Robert's Grove. We'll take that tour next time. For now, visit www.chaacreek.com if you want to learn more about this unique lodge in the middle of the rainforest of Belize. ~ Al Campbell

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