Cayo Scoop! The Ecology of Cayo Culture

The National Championship for the 2024 Belize Tiki League will be held next Tuesday at Recinos Wine House at 10am. The winner will go to the Latin America Cocktail Championship in Guatemala.

The Belize Rugby Union is having a BBQ sale fundraiser this Saturday at the Santa Elena Basketball Court, which is right next to Saritas. Plates will have chicken and sausage. Proceeds will go towards getting the teams to Guatemala for the Grand Rugby Tournament. Call 639-9333 to order.

Belize's Pok ta Pok team, Ek' Balam, won the Pok ta Pok World Cup again.  Congratulations!  They traveled to Merida, and retained their crown with this threepeat.

'Mérida has kicked off an international Pok ta Pok tournament, also known as the "Mayan ball game" World Cup...

Belize’s team took a strong early lead, winning four matches in a row against two Guatemalan teams, as well Panamá and Mexico. Their victory was a three-peat. Previously Ek’ Balam Belize won the 2017 and 2019 Maya ball game championships.'

There's a new podcast: La Zona.  Youths from Benque and Melchor come together to discuss culture, life, the universe, and everything else. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2lpIjlqBx/

"ATTENTION Youth from Melchor de Mencos and Benque Viejo del Carmen has a new way to connect through #TheZone #ThePodcastOftheAdjacencyZone between Belize and Guatemala.

Don’t miss any episode‼️ and discover traditions, people, projects and much more of Melchor and Benque in this podcast by the Organization of American States and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Available now at http://oas.org/la-zona/

And in your favorite podcast app:
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/lazonathezone
GooglePodcast: https://rb.gy/mnnfxr
Spotify: https://rb.gy/e0yd1q
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/la-zona-the-zone-podcast"

The Directorate General for Foreign Trade, Belize has released an economic publication entitled: Belize's Pulse in Latin America.  It focuses on the PSA's between the countries, and while it covers all of Central America, it goes in depth about the trade between Belize and Guatemala.  

"Take a deeper look at Belize's trade with Latin America and the opportunities presented by Belize's trade agreements with countries in this region."

https://issuu.com/dgftbz/docs/belize_s_pulse_in_latin_america-_april_2020

Video of the day.  Mr. Bigalke has 23 decent tips about Belize, and he nails some of them.  Many of them apply to Cayo, which is where all the eco-touirsm is anyways.  

"Planning a trip to Belize? Don't miss these important tips before you go. My fiancé and I spent 12 days in Belize at the end of 2018. We visited San Ignacio, Placencia, Caye Caulker, and even crossed the border to Guatemala. If it's your first time heading to Belize, these 23 travel tips cover some of the top things I wish I knew before we went."

Congratulations Ascenthium!  They'll be heading to Panama next year to represent Belize at the Wacken Open Air Central America.

"Belice ingresa nuevamente a la batalla por la plaza en Centroamerica al Wacken, Ascenthium.

La banda de Belice ASCENTHIUM ha sido ingresada y calficada como participante de la competencia Centroamericana en miras a una plaza en el W:O:A en Alemania.

El pequeño caribeño país ya aportó el año ante pasado su primer banda, la cual no solo dio pelea, sio que logró llevarse la fina de la batalla en Guatemala con VERGE OF UMBRA, los que se presentaron exitosamente en el festival teutón logrando en dicha ocasión un sexto lugar entre las 30 bandas de todo el mundo que compiten en la final.  Ahora ASCENTHIUM queda en espera a fin de mes, de no presentarse ninguna otra banda concursante, estarían automáticamente en la final en Panamá en el mes de Abril, compitiendo contra los demás países del area."

The Friends for Conservation and Development Youth Group and the Todos por Un Mundo Verde Youth Group from Guatemala had their 1st annual team building last week.  Looks like they had a lot of fun sharing their ideas for keeping the region green.

"FCD Environmental Youth Group and Todos Por Un Mundo Verde Environmental Youth Group from Guatemala held their first Bi-National Exchange Supported by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives Canada Fund and FCD. The purpose of this two day exchange which took place on October 14 and 15 was to look at issues that affect us and the environment and consolidate their action plans. It was an honor for me to be one of the Facilitators who’s responsible was to make sure that participants learn to be better leaders, collaborate with their colleagues, regardless of their role. Participants got lots of tangible takeaways on all levels; from mind-set, mental models and new ways of working as a group. Through the various team building activities they experienced twelve essentials of teamwork, valuing diversity, comfortable atmosphere active participation of all members, shared goals and objectives, balanced approach to process and content effective communication, shared leadership, constructive conflict management, action accountability responsibility, mutual trust, critical analysis and problem-solving, a preference for consensus."

A clothing drive is being orchestrated by the Cayo Rotaract club to help the victims of the volcano eruption.  You can drop off at Neyelli's, Carillo Puerto, and this Saturday at the market.  

"The Rotoract Club of San Ignacio is asking for your kind support as we try to aid our neighboring country Guatemala. As you may know the Volcanic eruption has left many in dire need of support.

Clothing donations would be appreciated in this time of need. We are asking that you help us, help them."

Congratulations to the Belize Pok Ta Pok team!  They won the Pok Ta Pok World Cup today.  The event was held in Guatemala, and the Belize team had some high scores all through the match.   

"Yo Creek Poktapok team Name Ek Balam representing Belize are Champions .Congrates and we feel proud of you guys. Let's continue making this Yucatec Maya(Masewal) Movement grow in Northern Belize with Sports(Poktapok),Preserving Our Maya language ,cultural Dances,herbal healings,teaching our history and traditions. 
Today the Yucatec Maya of Northern Belize also known as "Maya Masewal or Maya Mestizo" are working hard in the preservation of our Maya identity . Wayano'one , kux'ano'on, to'one Masehualoon(we are here ,we are alive ,we are Maya )."

Great article from a duo of bikers, as they bike all around Belize, and to Caracol and back.  There are some really nice pictures that add to the story of their journey.

They also wrote about their trek from the Peten to Cayo: http://www.highlux.co.nz/2017/06/east-to-belize-el-remate-san-ignacio/

"Plan B was Caracol, probably Belize’s remotest (and most impressive) Maya city which was to the south, deep in the jungle and accessed via Mountain Pine Ridge. An unusual name for this mostly jungle and rainforest covered region, but pine actually grows naturally and prolifically even to low elevations in parts of Central America. A generally good quality dirt road heads into the hills from San Ignacio, but a couple of days of consistent and heavy rain had left it soggy.

Video of the day.  Planeta Vagabundo's journey to the pre-Metal Haven Bash last Saturday, from leaving Guatemala, to the Old House Hostel, to the concert at The Bluff.  Ascenthium is in there too.

Belize is listed on National Geographic's 25 Amazing Journey's for 2022.  As it should be, with so much nature to see and experience here in Cayo.  

"The race to preserve one of the largest remaining tropical rainforests in the Americas got a big boost recently. In April 2021, a coalition of conservation partners, led by the Nature Conservancy, purchased 236,000 acres of tropical forest in northwestern Belize to create the Belize Maya Forest Reserve. Along with saving some of the most biodiverse forests in the world from denuding and development, the new protected area—which is contiguous with the neighboring Rio Bravo Conservation Management Area (RBCMA)—closes a huge gap in a vital wildlife corridor that runs from southeast Mexico through Guatemala and into Belize.

The combined reserve, which protects nearly a tenth of Belize’s land area, safeguards and connects essential habitats for an amazing variety of endemic and endangered wild things. These include the tapir, Belize’s national animal; black howler monkeys; more than 400 species of birds; and some of Central America’s largest surviving populations of jaguar."

The Belize Gold Book was released digitally today.  Cayo's section starts at page 58.  While they list all the major Maya sites and caves, they focus on Mountain Cow Cave(page 62 and 63).

"Home to the capital, the City of Belmopan, Cayo District’s picturesque small towns, lush tropical forest, and winding rivers are sure to charm you. As the smallest capital in the Americas, Belmopan’s central location makes it a perfect day-stop base for your adventures – whether hiking or exploring limestone cave systems at nearby National Parks. Further west takes you to Belize’s “breadbasket”, the colorful twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, connected by the iconic 1949 Hawksworth Bridge over the pristine Macal River. As the district that borders Guatemala, Cayo inspires irresistible Latin and Maya flavors go on full-display every Saturday morning at the local farmer’s market in San Ignacio with stalls from diverse ethnic backgrounds."

Travel Awaits has a nice article about many of the adventurous excursions found around Belize, and of course, Cayo sights make up the majority of the list.  They highlight Caracol and Actun Tunichil Muknal, along with Mountain Pine Ridge and the Garcia Sisters.  Definitely worth a read.  

"Atop a plateau near the Guatemalan border rest the ruins of a city that was once the political powerhouse of the ancient Maya civilization. Dubbed Caracol, the nearly 25,000-acre archaeological site is known for its vast agricultural field system and sophisticated city planning. But despite how remarkable it is, Caracol offers visitors lots of freedom to wander around the site on their own. You can even climb the Sky Palace -- the tallest man-made structure in Belize. The site only receives about 10,000 visitors a year, so you won’t have to worry about running into crowds at this curious place. To get to Caracol, rent a car and make your way to the Chiquibul Forest Reserve in the Cayo District. Or, take the easy route and set up a guided tour with your hotel."

Video of the day.  Great video about the meeting of the FCD Youth Group and their counterparts in Guatemala. 

Cooperation between youths of Belize and Guatemala with the aim of protecting the environment. Thanks to Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

National Geographic has Belize on its list of places to visit in 2019.  They highlight the move to protect the reef, and eliminate single use plastic, and of course, mention Caracol. 

"Why go now: Support bold moves to save the oceans...

Back on land, head to Belize’s largest Maya site, Caracol, which is bigger than its famous neighbor, Tikal, in Guatemala—but with a fraction of its visitors. The Belizean government plans to pave the road to Caracol in 2019, making the archaeological site more accessible."

Lucy Fleming sat down with Meg Peir and answered some questions about life in Belize.  She talks about everything from the diversity of the Belizean people to what makes Belize special, and how one can find themselves here.  Worth a read. 

"Thinking of traveling to Belize? The Cayo District in the western part of the country borders Guatemala and was once the heart of the Belizean Maya world and is still rich with pre-Columbian archaeological sites. Cayo encompassses two thousand square miles of jungle and is one of the most vivid environments on the planet. It is hard to imagine anyone who has a better grasp on the attitude that is needed to adapt to and be in harmony with this kind of full-on, in-your-face life force than Lucy Fleming, one of the world’s eco tourism pioneers, who settled in Belize in 1977 and, with her husband Mick, founded Chaa Creek Lodge, today one of the best-known sustainable tourism enterprises on the planet. In this riveting interview, Lucy reveals the Belize she has called home for more than forty years, and shares some powerful personal experiences she's had that are sure to inspire you. . Buckle your seat belt and get ready for an adventure!"

Video of the day.  Check out this cool tourist-made video of San Ignacio.  It starts at Cahal Pech, and shows many of the main sites of downtown Cayo.   In fact, most every street in downtown Cayo is featured, along with the Haswkesworth and wooden bridges, and the murals too. 

"San Ignacio is the second biggest city in Belize, after Belize City. The town is located near the guatemalan border and is surrounded by the Macal river, mountains and jungle.. we can find there two mayan ruins: Cahal Pech and Xunantunich.. It's the perfect place to discover Belize, its landscape and population."

It's official.  Daniel Guiterrez is the new Ambassador of Belize to the U.S.  Congratulations, Danny!  Best of luck!

"H.E. Francisco Daniel Gutierrez Presents Letters of Credence to the President of the United States of America

Washington, D.C. July 21st, 2017. H.E. Francisco Daniel Gutierrez presented his Letters of Credence to the President of the United States of America at the White House, thus making him the tenth Ambassador of Belize to the United States of America.

In his remarks to President Trump, Ambassador Gutierrez expressed heartfelt greetings from the Prime Minister the Right Honorable Dean Oliver Barrow and the Belizean people. He underscored the friendly, and long-standing bilateral relations existing between both countries.

Ambassador Gutierrez applauded the role of the United States in the preservation of peace and the respect for Belize’s borders given the unfounded Guatemalan claim, and President Trump in his remarks underscored that a secure and stable Central America contributes to the safety and prosperity of the United States. Ambassador Gutierrez also mentioned the loss of correspondent banking and dangers posed therein.

The Ambassador reiterated that one of the centrepieces of the U.S.-Belize relationship is economic prosperity for both our nations. He placed emphasis on our common goal in the fight against the threat of transnational organized crime, and Belize’s commitment to do its part to prevent the spread of this scourge.

Ambassador Gutierrez accentuated Belize’s desire for a continued and broad ranging partnership with the United States - a partnership based on a common foundation of democracy, the free market and the aspiration of all our citizens for a better way of life.

Ambassador Gutierrez takes over from H.E. Patrick Andrews, who is now the new Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belize."