Seven more villages enjoy electricity flow

An inauguration ceremony for the provision of electricity to seven villages in the banana belt was held yesterday at the Santa Cruz village football field in the Stann Creek District.

Area Representative for the Stann Creek West and Minister of Public Utilities, NEMO, Transport and Communications, Hon. Melvin Hulse welcomed the electrification to the community in his constituency. He thanked the President and Chief Executive Officer of Belize Electricity Limited, Mr. Lynn Young who also gave remarks at the event. Minister Hulse made it a point to request the residents to be sure to get a professional electrician to assist in the completion of the direct electricity connection to their homes.

Keynote Speaker at the event was Minister of Economic Development, Commerce, Industry and Consumer Protection, Hon, Erwin Contreras. He expressed his pleasure in the celebration of the electrification of Santa Cruz and also in the additional villages of Cowpen, Monkey River, San Isidro, Bladen, Trio and San Pablo soon to be connected to the grid expansion. He also mentioned that Government is committed to ensure that electricity reaches every household in the country.

Guest Speaker, H.E. Marco Mazzochi-Alemanni, Ambassador of the Head of the European Union Commission in Jamaica mentioned the many projects that are being undertaken by the Programme and expressed his hope that this will improve the lives of many in the communities.

The project has a total cost of BZ.7 Million through a grant fund from the European Union. The Government of Belize contributed approximately BZ.2 Million.

A symbolic “switching-on” of the lights was done by the Ambassador of the European Union Commission, the President of BEL, and the Minister of Public Utilities and Area Representative for Stann Creek West.

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Day trips in Belize

Belize is a very popular destination among those traveling in the Caribbean and Central America. Many cruise lines often make this stop part of their itinerary.

Belize was previously British Honduras, is located in Central America and is the only Central American country with English as the official anguage. Spanish of course is widely understood as well as Kriol, which is a language (some argue this is a dialect rather than a language) deriving of mainly English, Native American and West African languages. Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the south and west. The Caribbean Sea lies to the East. Belize considers itself to be both Caribbean and Central American. Belize boasts as having the Belize Barrier Reef, which is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and second largest in the world only after the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. Three of the four coral atolls in the Western Hemisphere are also located off the coast of Belize. Belize has a tropical climate of wet and dry seasons.

Mayan site at Altun Ha-

Famous ruins located about 34 miles North of Belize City. The area was first settled somewhere between 250-200 BC. The complete area consists of more than 1500 acres, but the main attractions are two plazas surrounded by temples. The larger plaza is the site of a mysterious tomb discovered under a temple called Temple of the Green Tomb. There are many treasures such as jade, jewelry, flints and other artifacts that were discovered here. The Temple of the Masonry Altars is Altun Ha’s largest temple is believed to have been where religious ceremonies took place. There is a stairway ascending the temple to an altar located at the highest point. Inside the temple are tombs that were found where researchers have speculated that housed bodies of Altun Ha’s high priests. Archeologists discovered during a dig a priceless piece of jewelry of a jade head of the Maya Sun God, Kinich Ahau. This piece is now on display in a local museum. jz85vcyanw

Cave Tubing-

I’ll never forget the Cave Tubing excursion that I took when I was here. It was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had. I recommend going to the Sibun Caves Branch Archaeological Park. There are many tourist agencies to choose from when booking this tour. From the city you will take a one hour bus ride through the countryside. Then it is an approximate thirty minute hike through a trail which will lead you to the caves. Step into the river and get in your tube at the cave’s entrance. As you float down the cool, refreshing unpolluted water you will see some great cave stalactite formations. Some parts of the cave have openings for light, but other parts are pitch black so the tour guides will most likely give you a flashlight so you can steer yourself through the passage way easier. Near the end of your journey you will float out into the open river and ride until you reach your starting point by the bus.

Belize Zoo-

The Belize Zoo is a very unique zoo, which only has native Belize animals including, but not limited to: the black jaguar, spotted jaguar, puma, margay, ocelot, and jaguarondi. Many of these are endangered species. Another unique feature is that the animals at the Belize Zoo are not kept in cages or restricted by bars or barred concrete bunkers, but instead are kept in large vegetated enclosures of mesh and wood to keep their surroundings as natural as possible.

Travel Tip: Belize is a great place to visit, but there are some high crime areas and it is advised to not wander too far alone. It is important to stay in groups and keep close to the tour areas to minimize risk of danger.

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Belize Mission Project brings smiles to patients

Dave Dorman knew he wanted to put his chosen profession as a dental lab technician to good use, but he didn’t quite know when or how until he was on his honeymoon in Belize with his new wife, Barbara, in the spring of 2008. While in Belize, Dorman met Dr. Will Lala, the coordinator and cofounder of the Belize Mission Project, which provides free medical care to residents of the country.

Each year BMP sends teams of medical and dental professionals to Belize. Portable dental units and medical stations are set up as clinics at a San Pedro Lions Club breezeway, at a school or church facility and at a bike shop. People crowd the clinics for treatment as news of BMP’s arrival quickly spreads.

A local diving company provides dive tanks, which are used to operate the dental equipment. The professionals supply their own medications, syringes and drills.

In fall 2008 Dorman, who focuses on restorative dentistry for BMP, joined the mission project.

“I went to help people, and I was the one helped,” he said. He was amazed by the patience of the Belizean people, who walked for miles to seek treatment and who sometimes waited for hours just to be seen. Belizeans offered sincere gratitude and warm welcomes to BMP volunteers.

“I knew before leaving that I wanted to go back,” Dorman said.

‘Extra hands’

True to his word, Dorman will return to Belize the week of October 16 – 25. The trip is nonprofit, and volunteers pay their own travel expenses, lodging and some meals.

Belize lies on the Caribbean coast of Central America.Members of Dorman’s church, Highland Baptist Church, have been very generous with financial support. The Lions Club of Apex, which donated money to pay Dorman’s expenses last year, has given money again for his 2009 trip. Family members and business associates have also contributed.

This year Dorman’s wife will be joining him. She is a social worker and will be available to help in that capacity.

“I will be assisting and providing extra hands to do whatever,” Barbara Dorman said.

For the 2009 trip, BMP is looking for occupational therapists to assist stroke and accident victims, optometrists, nurses, physicians and other support persons. The Dormans are accepting contributions to offset the costs of the trip and the loss of income they will incur while in Belize. Cash donations are also used to purchase food and to provide school lunch programs for Belizean families in need.

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Top Historical Places To Visit in Belize

As well as the great barrier reefs that Belize is famous for, its history as a country is well documented.
Belize has a Cathedral dating back to the early 1800s, building began 1812 and completed 1820, the oldest surviving colonial period building as well as the oldest Anglican Church in Central America, is also the only Anglican cathedral in the world outside England. St John’s Cathedralwas built by slaves with bricks brought to Belize as ballast in the hulls of ships from Europe. It took eight years to build and inside visitors can still see many original architectural features including its intricate stained glass windows, the ornate mahogany pews and its antique organ. Between 1815 and 1845 four kings of the Mosquito Coast were crowned with ceremonial splendour. Members of the Royal family have been educated in Belize, their children baptised there. Today the cathedral still offers regular services to those practising Anglican residents.

Visitors will find in Belize the House of Culture, this building formerly being the residence of the British Governor of Belize. In 1814 this building was a symbol of British Colonial rule as the Government Housethe seat of colonial government until 1981 when Belize got its independence from the British Commonwealth. The Belizean flag was raised for the first time September 21 1981. It acquired its current name in 1996 after receiving extensive renovations while retaining its architectural integrity while converting it for public use. Visitors can tour daily, viewing its original furnishings and the silverware from the days of the colonial governors, alongside exhibitions from Belizean artists. Today the House of Culture is home to the Institute of Social and Cultural Research and is often used for social events and open air concerts.

The Museum of Belize is a two storey brick fortress in Belize City that was once Her Majesty’s Prison. It was constructed as a prison in 1857 but opened in its current role in 2002. It housed criminals from the colonial period to soon after Independence, and today visitors are able to see a historical roadmap into Belize’s past. On entering the first floor visitors will see the exposed original brickwork and the bars on the windows, all adding to the solitary death row cell feel. The remaining space is used in a historical tour using photographs and artefacts to document 350 years of the city’s history. On the second floor visitors will find an exhibition of ancient Maya artefacts such as pottery, ornate stelae and elegant pieces of Maya jade and stone jewellery. There is a replica of the largest carved jade to be found on display in this museum, the original living in a bank vault, having been found in 1968 in Altun Ha. Other rooms contain the official Belize stamp collection, a display of photographs of old bottles, and a display of insects. In 2007 a 3D model of the reef, cayes, atolls, shells, corals and fish was opened and meant to be an impressive piece de resistance.

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Belize To Be Represented in the 2009 Geographic Geo Tourism Challenge

Two Belizean organizations have been accepted to participate in the International National Geographic Geo Tourism Challenge 2009.

 “Ecotourism, according to the National Geographic Society, refers to tourism that sustains or enhances the graphical characteristics of a place. This includes its environment, culture aesthetics, culture, heritage and the well being of its residents. Geo-tourism incorporates the concept of sustainable tourism in the sense that destinations should remain un-spoilt for future generations, while allowing for enhancement that protects the characteristics of the place. And this is exactly what John Brown wants to make out of undeveloped Marcus Gonzales Mayan Sight located on South Ambergris Caye and Chris Crowell wants to make out of Cotton Tree Lodge located in the San Felipe Village in the Toledo District. While Brown wants to transfer the undeveloped Marcus Gonzales Site into a visitor’s center on the island the project needs as much financial assistance as possible to get off the ground. For this reason Brown had entered the Marcus Gonzales Site into the National Geographic Geo-tourism Challenge 2009. On the other hand Crowell wants to show the world that Cotton Tree Lodge offers volunteerism opportunity to Sustainable Harvest International a non-profit organization which teaches Belizean farmers sustainable agriculture techniques. An important part of the entry is input from the general public, the more visits and comments posted the more opportunities the site has to be considered. After a group of panelists review the entries and commence on July 15 the list will be narrowed down to about 10 to 15. Voting will then commence voting on August 12 and there is a grand prize of US$5,000 for the top three winners which are expected to be used to implement their project. There are 111 entries from 81 countries; two of those entries are from Belize. There is more than just the Geo-tourism challenge, if a project falls within Latin America and the Caribbean it may qualify for co-financing opportunities offered by Multilateral Investment Funds. MIF has an agreement with National Geographic aiming to promote and sustain Geographic geo-tourism. They will select and co-finance 20 projects from Latin America and the Caribbean and the winners can get between US$300 to US$500 thousand. To visit and leave comments for the Belizean organizations that have been entered you can visit their website at www.changemakers.com.”

The Geo-tourism Challenge 2009 is being celebrated under theme, Power of Places sustaining the future of destinations.

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