We’ve come a long way in the US as far as racism goes, but hate groups still exist. 9-11 has created a huge outlash against Muslims, both Americans and visitors. Here is a great YouTube clip that depicts some of the harsh images, and some that give us hope.

How does this apply to sustainable tourism or authentic marketing? We need to realize what we truly are in order to embrace the present. For destinations, consider drawing attention to monuments and the rich history of a region, both good and bad. For companies, reflect on what it is that makes you special, and also how you might improve, become more sustainable, or take better care of employees and customers. We can all reflect and improve in some way.

Next time you’re in Memphis or Montgomery, visit some sites and museums and learn a little bit more about the legacy of Dr. King. Aloha, Pedro

My first destination in Belize was the International Conference on Responsible Tourism (ICRBelize.org) in Belmopan, Belize, a mere 5 day drive from Lake Tahoe, which I’ll cover in a different post. From there, I set off to the “wild south.” In Belize, a nation about the size of Massachusetts with a population of only around 300,000, the further south you go means the landscape becomes more rugged, the towns more rural and the opportunities to see pristine nature and culture more abundant.

Punta Gorda is pretty much “the end of the road” as far as Belize is concerned. Those heading to Guatemala, Honduras and destinations to the south will need to hope a once-a-day boat, and there are no (legal) ways to drive south from there. Not surprisingly, it’s also one of the best places in Central America to experience nature (jungles, islands or the World’s 2nd largest barrier reef) and culture (Garifuna, Creole or Mayan).

After a quick stop to meet up with Karel Kuran in the TIDES Tours office (Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, a non-profit based in Punta Gorda), we loaded into the Subaru and headed into the Mayan Mountains with our guide Agapito for an amazing adventure: waterfalls, traditional Mayan villages, a cacao tour and the ruins of Lubaantun, controversial discovery site of the famed “crystal scull”.

Family shows off handmade baskets after dinner, Toledo Belize

After about a 40 minute drive into the hills and through San Antonio, the largest of the Mayan Villages in Toledo District, we arrived at San Antonio waterfalls. A beautiful swimming area filled with grinding stones and evidence of large scale Mayan occupation, you could feel the energy in the area. It was a great place to cool off and relax, or to jump off of rocks into the refreshing water. (Careful though – very slippery!)

From San Antonio, we made quick tracks further into the mountains of Southern Belize, reaching San Jose village just before sunset. We were greeted with lots of smiling children and some of the men who would arrange activities for later in the evening. We then headed out for a quick tour of the village with one of the elder women and her granddaughter. The houses were made of wood and traditional palm thatched roofs and the villagers smiled and waved – or simply stared – as we circled through the ½ mile loop dirt road. We weren’t the first visitors, but you could tell it wasn’t an everyday thing.

This was my breakfast in San Jose, Belize

[Historic side note: This area of Belize is experiencing a rebirth of traditional Maya culture. Although these lands were inhabited by Mayan Empire for thousands of years, many areas of Belize were deserted after the collapse of some Mayan city-states and the arrival of the Spanish and European explorers. Most fled deep into the mountains and jungles of Guatemala, where they were able to live in isolation or fight off the Spanish for many years. During the many Central American conflicts of recent decades, an abundance of indigenous people, many persecuted war refugees from Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador, returned to the safety of Belize, a colony of England until 1980.]

Returning to the guest lodge, a rustic building very similar to the other houses in San Jose Village, the participants were split and went with a different families to eat with them in their homes. Talk about cultural immersion! I ate with a family of 5; mom and dad, 2 girls and a little boy. Only the father, Juan, spoke a little English (most people spoke only Mopan Maya and some English – being Belize – the only English speaking country of Central America). We ate rice and beans with corn tortillas and warm tea. Then the mother and daughter brought out some beautiful hand-woven baskets with brightly colored thread designs. The food was delicious , warm and rich like the hospitality. Juan (age 42 but looking 25) and I sat and chatted for a bit about work, play and the way of life in the village. The men typically worked the fields (corn, beans or cacao), sometimes a one or two hour walk or mountain bike ride down rough roads or paths, while the women would prepare meals, grind maize for tortillas – the main food staple, take care of the home and animals and keep the family clothed, clean and well-fed. I purchased a few of the handmade baskets and headed back the guest lodge for the eventing activity: storytelling. Other options also including singing and dancing, Mayan lessons, and specially arranged meals and ceremonies for larger groups.

In a room adjacent to the sleeping quarters, a few of the men gathered with the visitors and our guide Agapito for the storytelling session. We were told a traditional Mayan tale which had been passed on verbally for many generations, and then had some time to ask questions. The story was then repeated in Mopan Mayan. Hearing the Mayan language spoken fluently is a beautiful thing, to me sounding much more like an Asian or Siberian dialect than the more common European languages. Truly a magical experience!

The next morning, I woke with the sun, around 5am, and hopped on my mountain bike. I had heard the road, impassable without a jeep, continued straight all the way to Guatemala, and the villages became smaller and more remote – just my thing. The 30 minute stretch before the next village – Santa Cruz – was majestic….miles of thick forest and rugged mountains, as the sun shone over the peaks and through the morning clouds for the first light of the day. I passed farmworkers already beginning their days, lunches and tools packed over their shoulders. The green jungle was only interrupted by small patches of maize, the Mayan lifeblood.

Upon reaching Santa Cruz, children stood on doorsteps and moms prepared breakfast tortillas. Everyone stared at the crazy gringo on the silver Jamis mountain bike with big tires and shocks – a perfect tool for these parts of the world. I chatted with one family, who offered to have me over for breakfast. I politely declined and offered a couple of dollars to go towards the kids’ schoolbooks. I was going to be late for my breakfast back in San Jose!

I pedaled hard back up the hills I had bombed on the way to Santa Cruz, making my way back to the village just in time to greet 2 beautiful little girls – 7 and 3, and followed them to their home for a delicious breakfast of fried jacks (like fried dough but less greasy), beans and hot sweet tea. Yum! I took a few pictures with the family (always ask because some villagers prefer to not be photographed) and strolled back the guest lodge to prepare for our final activities of the tour: Lubaantun and the Cacao.

I ate breakfast with this Mayan family in San Jose Village, Toledo, Belize

Lubaantun is a smaller Maya site in comparison to other ruins in Belize, such as Caracol and Lamanai, but is still very much worth the effort. The small but fascinating museum contains many original artifacts from the site, which was likely a major trading area for different parts of the Mayan empire – like Copan (Honduras), Tikal (Guatemala), and other coastal settlements of Belize and Mexico. This may help explain why the famous crystal scull was discovered there. The scull is no longer in Belize, taken to Europe years ago, but there are many photos and replicas in the area of the amazing artifact said to have taken about 300 man years to sculpt from a perfectly clear piece of quartz crystal. However, the artifacts that are there are worth the visit, as is strolling through the ancient hilltop city, surrounded by verdant jungles and filled with temples, trading areas and places of worship and sacrifice. Outside the entrance, handmade clothing and gifts are sold by women from the nearby villages.

In my opinion, this tour saved the best for last. From Lubaantun, we headed down the bumpy road to Eladio Pop’s organic cacao farm, the final stop of the tour and Agapito’s uncle’s place. Eladio greeted us with a smile and a giant machete – the norm for these parts. A small Mayan ball of energy, we were immediately immersed in the tour of his organic farm, which grows cacao, bananas, rice, beens and all sorts of fruits and vegetables – wild harvested and cultivated.

Organic Cacao pods can vary greatly in color

We learned about several varieties of cacao, traditional Mayan rainforest vegetables (and when to harvest them – according to moon cycles) and even learned how to prune and nurture cacao. (Eladio likes to plant a banana tree adjacent to cacao to provide shade, carefully removing weeds, which attempt to choke off the young trees, during his daily walks through the farm.) He showed us his favorite spots to hang out, techniques for sustainably cultivating corn and even how to make tortillas, all before the main event: making chocolate.

More-so than just the amazing knowledge passed on during the tour, Eladio’s passion came across. “Jah [“God”, in Caribbean tongue] provides for me and has blessed me with this amazing productive land, so I want to share it!” he exclaimed. With a big gleam in his eyes, he pulled me close to a very productive cacao tree and whispered his life philosophy, “I take care of my plants, and my plants teach me about life. You see all of the little babies it has?” he asked, motioning to the tiny sprouting pods growing off of the trunk of the young tree. “The cacao plant has many babies, and so do I!” Eladio has a wopping 12 children, aged 30 to one year old, all living at home on the cacao farm, some helping with the tour, some in school, and one in diapers, just learning to walk and talk.

Some of Eladio Pop's "babies": organic cacao pods in Belize

After winding through a mile of perfectly manicured (and loved) trail, we scaled a short but steep hill to a simple shade structure surrounded by mango trees (planted by Eladio over 30 years ago!). This was the site of the fermentation process. Ripe pods are harvested, their seeds removed, and placed into wooden boxes. Each day, the seeds are lovingly turned by hand to ensure equal fermentation, a necessary part of the chocolate-making process. The fruit, which ranges from pale green to red to orange-brown, can also be eaten, raw, but the beans are bitter at this stage. One large wild cacao pod we opened tasted like slightly fermented mango – delicious.

Eladio turns the cacao beans for even fermentation

After several days of fermentation, the seeds are ready to be removed and placed in the sun to dry. Once dried to satisfaction and roasted on hot iron (or a skillet), the seeds are crushed by hand using traditional stone tools. The thin seed husks are removed by tossing the seeds by hand on a large platter, the wind doing its work to naturally carry the unwanted pieces away from the finished, fermented seeds.

Pedro (author) grinds the cacao beans into a chocolate paste

Tossing the crushed and roasted cacao beans removes the husks

Ecomentum hopes to work again with TIES to package this tour, along with other cultural and adventure experiences in Belize and Central America, for responsible tourists worldwide. Contact Peter@ecomentum.com for more information or visit the TIES website for more tour options in Toledo, Belize. Have fun and tread lightly