Our
ship docked on Harvest Caye (pronounced 'key') - a private island
that belongs to our cruise line, Norwegian. We walked the long pier
to the island, in a melty hot early morning. The sea was calm, and
the mangrove forest was unperturbed, hovering over the Caribbean Sea
as if afraid to touch it. Only the tippy toes of the roots were
barely scratching the crystal blue waters. Pelicans floated lazily in
the cove and there was no wind, really. Just a calm, warm air, and
quiet. The promise of a hot day.
Pelican along mangrove forest, on the Caribbean Sea
We
walked around the small island, while we waited for our (smaller)
boat to take us to the Belize mainland. Everything around us was
pristinely green and tellingly tropical. The smell in the air was of
blooms and perfume. Palm trees of all sorts of species and banana
trees lined the narrow alleys in the park of Harvest Caye. The
vegetation was robust and lush green. It was like a tropical or a
rain forest – just green and exuding steam.
The
thatch roofed bars and souvenir stores were elegant and clean. No
sign of 'cheese' really, in Belize. All the touristy stuff is subdued
and elegant. Never too much of anything, never anything too loud. The
land and the forest rein supreme. Everything else is built within it,
where it fits. There is a sense of peace and non-intrusion of the man
made construction because of this layout.
Our
boat took a while to come, so we waited patiently while listening to
island music and rock and roll. We boarded and chose to be on the
upper deck. Little did we know that we had the craziest toothless
captain there is. He drove that thing, with 100+ tourists on board
like a maniac, jumping waves 10 feet in the air, or so it seemed,
with us rolling from one end of the benches to another trying to stay
on the deck and not be flinged into the ocean. I was afraid for my
life on that thing and how I did not throw up, with all the
seasickness I usually feel, I have no clue. I think only sheer fear
kept me surviving and wishing for another day on land. The only thing
that rested my fears were all the other staff: they were laughing and
were calm and composed, enjoying the ride as they were bouncing left
and right and up and down on the boat. I figured, they knew the
captain knew what he was doing and this was “business as usual.”
Once
we reached the land, more thatched roof cabins and gazebos welcomed
us. And more flowers. Flowers like I have never seen before – just
growing everything like weeds.
We
boarded a bus next, which was going to take us to a spice farm which
is also a botanical garden. Our guide, Raf (short for Rafael), was a
funny and intense man, who told us that there is no “yes” in
Belize. The proper way to agree with someone was “Ya, mon.”
Sounded a little Jamaican to me, but I could not argue with the guy
who told us he is Mayan, and still believes in human sacrifice. So,
'Ya, mon!' it was.
Belize
is an English speaking country, a former colony, so everything you
see is in English. Belizean English sounds similar to Jamaican
English. Just like the staff on the boat, all people we met were calm
and always smiling. They have a laissez-faire attitude about
everything. Nothing is ever a rush, nothing is ever a panic. It's a
lull of a life, seemingly, all under an understanding smile.
Our
bus trip took us through a rural area, very small villages, and lots
of banana plantations. Raf told us it's mango season, so some people
were selling mangoes on the side of the road, from thatch-covered
tables transformed into ad-hoc booths. The roads were surprisingly
great, nothing like the potholes we muddled through in Honduras.
There are road signs, too, in Belize, and speed limits, too, unlike
Honduras, as well.
Banana plantation
The
homes we passed looked very poor. Just simple abodes, and very
rundown and old. The houses were made of brick and most of them were
covered in stucco. Some were made of wood and the roofs were made of
straw or palm leaves. Although it was a week day, there were lots of
people just sitting around, looking at traffic and talking to each
other. Mostly women and kids, and some older men, too.
Through the villages of Belize
The banana plantations were interesting – they cover the bananas in bags, to make them grow faster, Raf said.
We
arrived at the spice farm at around 11 AM or so. The heat wave was
just about to hit. We felt like we were dropped in the rain forest –
the vegetation was thick and sweating, wrapping us up in a blanket of
warmth and dew. And the smell … oh, my word! I have never been in
any place on the planet where the air smells just like when you bury
your face in a bouquet of lilies or freesia, or any other flowers
with a strong aroma. You did not have to look for a bloom to smell
this. It was out there, in the open. With every breath, you inhaled
perfume.
The
Visitors' Center was a wooden construction – think log home meets
mahogany island architecture. They had a few things for sale, but
again, not overwhelming and not 'in your face' touristy kind of
sales. People were quiet, subdued, welcoming and very happy looking.
Beautiful Belizean wood carving in Harvest Caye park
They
boarded us again, this time on an open air tram, to take us through
the spice farm. Our guide explained all the vegetation that we were
seeing and how most of the farm was especially laid out, and how some
of the plants and trees were not native of Belize. The American
owners of the farm (from West Virginia) brought all sorts of spices
and fruit trees from the Pacific islands, and India, and they planted
them alongside local tropical fare. The tour through the farm was not
only incredibly picturesque because of the beautiful vegetation, but
it was educational, too, as the guide explained to us how certain
plants grow and how they pollinate and how much work is really
involved in extracting the spices from these plants.
We
learned, for instance that the vanilla blooms are hermaphroditic –
they contain both male and female parts – but they are incapable of
self-pollinating. So, the farm hands have to uncover the female parts
of the flowers with a toothpick and touch the male parts to the
female parts, in order for the pollination to happen. This must
happen within the first 24 hours of when the flower blooms, because
after 24 hours, the flower dies. This ensures that a vanilla pod is
created and the pod is the only part of the plant from which the
vanilla extract is produced. No wonder that vanilla is the second
most expensive spice (second to saffron).
Vanilla bloom and pods
He
picked a cocoa fruit for us and I was surprised to see that it looks
much like a coconut. My husband tasted the pulp inside it (which is
white) and he said it's a bit bitter but it does not taste like
cocoa. It always amazes me how things we know and love today came to
be: what made people think for the first time that which part of what
fruit or plant is consumable? Just amazing.
Cocoa fruit
There
were tons of trees that didn't produce but after so many years.
Others that produced for 4-5 years and they were done after that. So
much patience, so much effort, so much know-how to extract such
coveted goodness. This is why it's doubly important that we do not
destroy what is left of our green planet! It takes a long time to
regenerate!
We
learned that the pepper plant is much like kudzu: it's a vine, and
the pepper grows in bunches, like grapes, on this vine. The white and
black pepper come from the same plant – the difference in color
comes from the different ways of handling the peppercorn: one leaves
the ripe, outer layer on (the black) and one removes it (the white).
Belize's many blooms
We
also found the black orchid, which is the national flower of Belize.
This is by far the smallest and most delicate orchid I have ever seen
in my life. I never knew before, but orchids grow on trees, much like
a lichen, or a parasite plant. My brain still has trouble using the
word “parasite” and the word “orchid” in the same sentence,
but there you go. The black orchid is easily the most delicate bloom
I have ever seen. The color is a deep purple, or … black.
In
the rows where they didn't have fruit or spice trees and plants, they
planted bushes and flowers “just for beautification”, they said.
Just to make it “pleasant”: hundreds of rows of bougainvillea,
azaleas, wisterias, lilacs, water lilies and lotuses. There was no
corner without a bloom! The place was called “spice farm and
botanical garden”, but being in the middle of many other forests,
it seemed like part of the country and the natural landscape. It did
not feel like something designed by man. It was a true garden of
Eden, just wild and gorgeous.
One of the many rows of bougainvillea
My
only complaint about the spice farm was that we did not get to spend
a whole day there. After a couple of hours and right after our tram
tour, we had to board the bus again for our return trip to our
smaller boat which would take us to our ship. I could have gotten
lost in the rows and rows of trees and plants and taken pictures till
my camera card would have run out of space. It was a sad 'good bye'
for sure.
The sacred lotus flower
On
the way back, Raf thanked us for visiting his country. He spoke about
the history of the country, about what makes them unique in Central
America, about how they are a 'free country and free to do whatever
they want'. He encouraged us to come retire there, where the
retirement age is 55, taxes are low and everything is beautiful. He
also told us that only Americans come and buy land in Belize. His
family, who is Mayan, they don't believe in buying land, because we
don't 'own' the land. It belongs to the earth, and we're just
'renting' from it. So they live on it, borrowing it, but they don't
sell it, they share it with their families for generations. He
pointed to the Mayan mountains in the horizon, and he said “the
land between here and the mountains is all Mayan land, it belongs to
the people.” There was an air of confidentiality in his tone, as if
we were just let in a big secret.
We
had very little time when we came back to the boat to do much of
anything else. We were so exhausted from hopping so many means of
transportation that day. But it was all worth it. To experience
another land, so different than ours, and so mysterious and painfully
beautiful and raw was humbling. To be so privileged to do it in peace
and to be welcomed with respect by another nation is something we
always take for granted when we travel abroad but something that we
should always be grateful for. If we had gone to Belize 500 years ago
today, I am sure things would have been significantly different.
The national flower of Belize: the black orchid.
Click the picture for the whole album of this trip
Click the picture for the whole album of this trip
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