Yesterday I posted some thoughts and pics from my recent adventures in Belize… Here’s round 2!
In yesterday’s post I mentioned going on a photo shoot of the twin cities with NICH (the National institute of Culture and History). One of the stops on our tour of San Ignacio was the old hospital. This hospital was closed about 7 or 8 years ago, with a new hospital now operating on the outskirts of town. The old hospital now sits in disrepair, slowly disintegrating. Being a medically-minded person, I found this stop on the tour very interesting.
The abandoned walk in clinic.
A sign of the times. This explains how you register the birth of a baby delivered at home.
![I didn’t take any chemoprophylaxis for malaria (I’ll admit I didn’t even think about it, though I have had Hep A vaccines- something generally recommended for travel in this part of the world). Interestingly (disturbingly?) the CDC [http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2014/chapter-3-infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/travel-vaccines-and-malaria-information-by-country/belize#seldyfm533] and NHS [http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/central-america/belize/belize-malaria-map.aspx] disagree about malaria risks in Belize. The CDC says Cayo, where I spent most of my time, is an area where chemoprophylaxis is advised, while the NHS says it is a low risk area with no need for prophylaxis. Hmmm….](https://principleintopractice.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/malaria.jpg)
I didn’t take any chemoprophylaxis for malaria (I’ll admit I didn’t even think about it, though I have had Hep A vaccines- something generally recommended for travel in this part of the world). Interestingly (disturbingly?) the CDC and NHS disagree about malaria risks in Belize. The CDC says Cayo, where I spent most of my time, is an area where chemoprophylaxis is advised, while the NHS says it is a low risk area with no need for prophylaxis. Hmmm….
I spotted this cot in the abandoned hospital, and immediately recognized it as a Cholera Cot. These are one of the things doctors learn about in med school but will never see in the US. Cholera causes MASSIVE fluid loss by diarrhea. Cholera cots are designed with a hole in them so a bucket can be placed under the patient to measure fluid loss. Replacement of fluid and electrolytes with Oral Rehydration Therapy is amazingly effective for this otherwise very deadly disease.
Confirming my suspicion, I saw this plaque on the wall in another room.
![There’s definitely a push to teach kids about healthy living. I thought this mural on a school wall was much better than the USDA food pyramid, but maybe that’s just me… Unfortunately, I saw kids eating a lot of junk food in Belize- candy, chips, and Coca-cola are ubiquitous in Belize (note- there is no Pepsi in Belize- they were run out years ago. Bowen and Bowen [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Bowen] dominate the beverage industry in Belize).](https://principleintopractice.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/schoolwall.jpg)
There’s definitely a push to teach kids about healthy living. I thought this mural on a school wall was much better than the USDA food pyramid, but maybe that’s just me… Unfortunately, I saw kids eating a lot of junk food in Belize- candy, chips, and Coca-cola are ubiquitous in Belize (note- there is no Pepsi in Belize- they were run out years ago. Bowen and Bowen dominate the beverage industry in Belize).
Despite the abundance of junk food, the children in Belize are very active and generally appear to be thriving. I joke that Belize is very much a country of free-range chickens (they’re everywhere) and free-range children (they’re everywhere too). You frequently see young children out playing on their own, babies and small children being cared for by siblings, and small kids walking home alone from school in their uniforms. They’re an active bunch (perhaps because few, if any, have home computers or smart phones?), and find opportunities to play everywhere. School yards are generally rather bare, but you’d often see kids playing with old tires and barrels. I’ll admit that I found their love of play mesmerizing and inspiring.
These kids were on break outside their school in San Ignacio. I watched at another school where kids sprinted outside to take advantage of a ten-minute break between classes. They spent the time sprinting up a construction embankment (not a “Caution” tape in sight).
More “free-range” kids. These girls kept running up to this painting of Jesus and giving him hugs. There have been a lot of missionaries in Belize over the years. Pentecostals, Nazarenes, and Mormons have all tried to make inroads into this culture. I went through customs behind a group of young Mormon missionaries.
Dogs are also generally left to be “free-range”, often with tragic results. It’s rather heartbreaking to see the starving, mangy dogs all over the streets.
And now for something completely different…
Xunantunich- There are a number of Mayan Sites in Belize. Xunantunich (sounds like zoo-nan-tune-itch) is just across the river from my friends’ house. Not only did I visit to see the archeology, but the 1-mile trek up the hill to the entrance became a favorite walk when I had spare time.
You have to take a ferry across the river to get to the site. The ferry is hand-cranked, and carries pedestrians, cars, and horses!
Xunantunich grounds are about 1 square mile, and contain a number of structures.
El Castillo (The Castle) is the tallest structure on the site and the second tallest structure in Belize.
It’s a great climb to the top of El Castillo.
You get beautiful views of Guatemala and Belize on the climb up.
From the top of El Castillo you can see how the structures line up. Many Mayan sites are lined up with a north-south and east-west axis. At Xunantunich, El Castillo is at the center of these two axes.
![Like most of the archeological sites I visited in the Yucatan, Xunantunich has a Ball Court. It’s interesting to think what games these courts may have been used for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_ballgame]…](https://principleintopractice.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/ballcourt.jpg)
Like most of the archeological sites I visited in the Yucatan, Xunantunich has a Ball Court. It’s interesting to think what games these courts may have been used for…
There are a number of beautiful restored friezes on El Castillo.
There is a significant Belizian Defense Force (BDF) presence at Xunantunich. It is very close to the Guatemala border, and there have been problems with people illegally coming across, mugging tourists, and then running into the jungles. On one of my morning walks one of the guards used my scent to practice with his German Shepherd trained for tracking(!!), and you frequently saw soldiers with big guns patrolling the roads and ruins (though initially a bit intimidating with their big guns, a number of them were very chatty when they realized I was a frequent flier on their territory).
Belize’s wildlife and wonder.
My friends took me on a few cool road-trips while I was visiting.
I snapped this on our trek from Succotz to Placencia, as we travelled on the Hummingbird Highway- yes, this is a highway!
The roads in Belize often leave a lot to be desired. A good 4X4 vehicle is frequently needed!
I snapped this as we took a walk in the Guanacaste National Park in Belmopan. Here we saw (and more notably heard!) Howler Monkeys, which I think should more accurately be called Roaring Monkeys!
I spotted Toucans a couple times in my travels around Belize. I saw this pair on a walk down from Xunantunich.
I also spotted leaf-cutter ants a few times. I particularly like the little fellow toting a flower. It’s impressive that these teeny little ants actually beat a path into the grass as they work.
On my first day in Belize we headed into the jungle to walk around the grounds of a herbalist. We saw a number of medicinal and edible plants there, including this Cassava.
And this Ginger… (I also was excited about the lemon grass, Kaffir lime leaves, and the promise of Galangal)
Bananas grow with abundance in Belize (this pic was taken in someone’s yard, but we also drove through miles of a banana plantation on our way to the coast).
Life is abundant in Belize. It almost seems as though this Orange Tree has more epiphyte biomass than Orange Tree!
Speaking of Oranges… Talk about something you probably wouldn’t see in the states. These workers were catching a ride as this tractor sped down the highway laden with oranges. This sight was by no means unusual.
Traffic rules (well, rules in general) are pretty lax in Belize. There’s no such thing as vehicle inspection, and most of the vehicles would not be deemed road-worthy in the US. I saw more cars without brake lights than I saw with. It’s not abnormal to see cars with a paucity of lug nuts. Shocks are a luxury, and carrying capacity is only limited by your imagination.
A pretty typical Belizean vehicle (check out those rear tires!)… It would be fun if the vehicles came with biographies (I think many make it to Belize after being written off in other countries).
The per capita GDP of Belize is 1/5 of the US, and the standard of living is very low. People live in very crude houses- often just one or two rooms for a rather large family. While touring San Ignacio with Hector Silva (check out my last post for more on this interesting fellow) we stopped to chat with this woman… Check out the family’s living situation- you can see their feet from the outside (I suppose it makes sweeping easier), and their sink is outside their window, draining directly onto the ground below (warm running water is a rare luxury in Belize).
Chatting to us over the kitchen sink.
Despite the very basic way of life in Belize, people there seem genuinely happy. There certainly are hardships, but families seem strong and supportive, children well adjusted and happy, and life is generally good. Animals don’t get the care or attention that most of us have come to expect (I mentioned the dogs above, and horses are frequently very malnourished and scrawny), and I hope that with time and tourism there is greater respect for the environment.
I do hope to return to Belize again in the future. It is a nice treat to visit a warm and sunny place during the depths of winter, and there is a lot to learn and appreciate in Belize.
NB- playing in the jungle isn’t without risk. When I visited the Yucatan as a college student I discovered that I am acutely sensitive to Black Poisonwood, also known as Chechem. In Mexico I developed blisters on my legs when I unwittingly came in contact with the plant, and despite being very aware of the tree when I visited Belize 8 years ago I still somehow came in contact with some and again got blisters. On one of my morning walks up to Xunantunich I went off the beaten path and down an overgrown 4X4 trail. It seems that I again got in contact with Chechem, and developed a chemical burn on my neck (no, it’s not a hickey, I promise!). The traditional remedy for this is topical application of sap or tea made from the bark of the Gumbo Limbo tree. While I was in Belize I used this remedy, and it did seem to help, especially on my arms where I got a rash (I believe) from walking under a poisonwood tree while it was raining (as I said, I appear to be acutely sensitive).
A Chechem induced chemical burn on my neck.
There are other notable risks of visiting Belize. I saw a number of public notices touting that Belize has the highest rate of HIV in central America. I also saw public notices warning about the prevalence of Chagas disease. In some areas of Belize, the risk of Leishmaniasis is significant, and a friend of the friends I was staying with recently had a cutaneous lesion.
I was sorry to leave Belize (especially because a storm hitting the east coast delayed me in Houston overnight!), but I am excited to be getting ready for my next adventure. Tomorrow morning I head to Ecuador, and on Saturday I head to the Galapagos! For a Darwin enthusiast, this trip is an opportunity of a lifetime, and I will endeavor, while aboard the National Geographic Endeavor to experience the Galapagos to the fullest (and hopefully share my experience here).
principleintopractice 