F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 Y E A R 9 , I S S U E 1

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E

Nim Li Punit—

New Finding

1

13th National

Tourism

Awards

1

The Way East

Indians Lived

Then Part 1

2

Harpy Eagles in

Toledo

3

The Maya

House of

Cacao

4

Map of PG

Town

6

Registered

Tour Operators

7

Transport

Schedule and

Emergency

Numbers

8/

9

Sustainable

Tourism Project

10

BTIA Toledo

Members

2015

11

Calendar of

Events

12

Visitor’s Voice 12

Guifiti - “A Gift

of the Plant

Spirits”

13

Toledo Map 16

Newspaper of the Toledo Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association

13th National Tourism Awards The Belize Tourism Board held its 13th National Tourism Awards on Saturday, August 1st in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

The event had a grand turn out with guest converging from all corners of the country for this gala event. Distin-guished guests included the Prime Minister, Honorable Dean Barrow, Ambassador of Taiwan, H.E. Benjamin Ho, and Minister of Tourism, Culture, & Civil Aviation Honorable Ma-nuel Heredia Jr. among others.

The event began with a cock-tail reception, following seating of guests to com-mence the festivities. Nomi-nees were all well represented and showed up in full force anticipating the results of the

judging process. This year, the list of categories had increased to 11 with a total of 57 nominations. Toledo was

proud to receive Guesthouse of the Year and Tour Guide of the Year. To-ledo also took home 2nd place for

Festival and Events of the Year with the Chocolate Fes-tival of Belize. The winners are as follows:

Hotel of the Year- Gaia River Lodge

Small Hotel of the Year- Ta-ble Rock Lodge

Tour Operator of the Year-Ian Anderson's Cave Branch Jungle Lodge and Adventure Co.

Cruise Tour Operator of the Year (NEW)- Calypso Train Tours

Small Guesthouse of the Year- Hickatee Cottages Continued on pg 3

Nim Li Punit - New Finding! Nim li Punit is a small hilltop site lo-cated in the village of Indian Creek in Toledo. It was established no lat-er than about A.D. 150, and—along with Uxbenka—is one of the oldest sites in southern Belize.

In 2012, Geoffrey E. Braswell of the University of California, San Diego, began excavations of Structure 7 of Nim li Punit. This platform once supported the royal residence of the kings of Nim li Punit. Excavations there have revealed the earliest pottery yet known at the site, dating to the dawn of the Classic period. The palace platform was built in two phases. The first, Structure 7-sub, dates to AD 250-400. An elaborate crypt (called “Tomb 4”) was cut into the rectangular platform along its centerline during a remodeling epi-sode at about AD 400. This crypt contained three slab-footed tripod vases of Teotihuacan-like style, a

plain plate, two large cowrie shells, a chert eccentric, and beads from a shell necklace painted green in imi-tation of jade. The pottery—made in a style native not to the Maya area but to central Mexico—was a big

surprise. The partial remains of an individual were found within the crypt. A remodeling phase occurred sometime around AD 800-850, and at that time Tomb 4 was opened. continued on pg 14

Tour Guide of the Year 2015: Desmond Ramirez

Photo Credit: BTB

Above: The Wind Jewel Pectoral

2

The Way East Indians Lived Then Part 1 Gerald and Deenah Parham of Mafredi Village, spoke to the Howler about life for the East Indians in the 50’s...

Gerald: I was born in Barton Creek in Cayo and moved down here as a child. I was one of four boys and we stayed with my grandmoth-er for a short time before one of my uncles took us in and we moved with him to Mafredi when I was seven and that’s where I grew up all my life and until now I am still there.

Deenah: I was born right in Mafredi. Every-thing happened to me right in Mafredi. I haven’t moved yet. I was born actually in Crique Troso. My father lost that land when he took a loan to plant rice and he couldn’t pay it back.

My grandfather’s name was Charlie Ranguy and my father’s name was Bismarck Ranguy. He wrote a book (“Tales from a Forgotten Place” reviewed in Howler ….) My great-grandfather’s wife died when Charlie was just a baby and after that he would take Charlie everywhere with him and he didn’t marry again because he said he didn’t want anybody to ill treat his son. And my grand-mother told my older cousin that when she married Charlie, that was the first time she wore a pair of shoes. My grandmother was-n’t such a beautiful woman and when my grandfather came to ask for her she said “Well I am dark and he is clear. I don’t know if I want to marry such a good looking man”, because she felt inferior. And she had other sis-ters, but my grandfather said that’s the one I want. So they got married and in those days when they had a wedding it was a cou-ple of days of celebration.

Charlie died in a hunting acci-dent. He went with my uncle who was about five. The boys would take turns to go hunt with their father. While they were hunting my grandfather got in an

accident with a gun and he fell and the gun shot him. This is what the little boy said. When they didn’t return my grandmother went to the neighbors and they formed a search party. My grandfather who lay wound-ed told his son as best he could how to get back home. He knew he was dying because he was holding his guts that were coming out. The search party met the boy close to home and he led them back to where my grandfa-ther was but he was already dead. When I was young I had a favorite hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” I did not know this story then but my uncle said that as he was leaving to get help my grandfather was sing-ing that same song”.

What was life like in Mafredi back in the Fifties and Sixties?

Gerald: In those days… well, for one we did-n’t have money. We mostly lived off the farm. There was not much job around the place. It was a family unit kind of operation and every-body would go and do whatever farm work we had to do on a daily basis. Our machines were the machete and the axe in those days.

We did mainly bush clearing and milpa like the Maya do today. When we started out our parents and grandparents started out with sugar cane in Forest Home and when my un-cle moved to Mafredi that’s what they start-ed on and they had a sugar mill in Mafredi. They would send the sugar up to Belize from Punta Gorda on the Heron H and Maya Prince boats that went between the two. The Heron H was the bigger one and that could take more cargo. They did that for about ten years but then the government and the people up north decided that there was a better place. Down here was a bit wet and the sugar con-tent a bit low and that’s why our family stopped producing sugar and went straight into rice because that was our basic food. For our own use we grew plantains, cassava, coco yam and cabbage and tomatoes and stuff like that. We sold the surplus in the market in Punta Gorda. We went once a week and what we couldn’t sell we traded with the fisher-men. We would bring back fish and leave them with the plantain which they loved. That was their food. In those days Punta Gor-da was almost entirely Garifuna and they

were fishermen.

What was the trip from Mafredi to Punta Gorda like in those days?

Well it was once a week on Sat-urday that was the main market day and one truck came from San Antonio. It was partly paved from Dump coming up to San Antonio village but the surface quickly deteriorated. It took a little more than an hour. The road from Dump to town was not paved and was single lane with a strip of grass in the mid-dle and grass and branches lean-ing in from each side.

Those trucks were not buses. Going to town was like an ad-venture. They had wooden box-es with boards and you had to continued on pg 15

3

During September, BFREE (Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education) launched a twenty minute documentary about its work studying and researching Har-py Eagles in the Bladen Nature Reserve close to the villages of Trio, Bladen, Medina Bank, Golden Stream and Bella Vista. Aided by funds from both local and international fund-ing agencies, and the expert help of visiting ornithologists, the team learnt and practiced field research techniques over eight years.

They discovered the first Harpy Eagle nest ever recorded in Belize, including a mated pair and a juvenile. Over the course of the

project, they found additional adults and at least one addition-al juvenile and nest. The team observed the nest for months after the young birds are born and while they are still being fed and reared by their parents.

The underlying conservation idea is that long term survival of the Bladen Forest is only possible if done by the local people rather than outside entities. The project trained four-teen young men as “avian techni-cians” (field research-ers) from the sur-

rounding villages, including Punta Gorda and as far away as Belmo-pan. The short twenty minute docu-mentary shows just what a life changing experience this has been for the young men involved.

The close up shots of the nest with the parents feeding the young fledgling are dramatic. During the first month of its launch, the film has been shown at eleven schools and three community centers

around Toledo and Stann Creek Districts. You can find it on You Tube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX5TXeGwMqo

Photo credit: Kai Reed - BFREE

Harpy Eagles in Toledo

Continued from pg 1

Tour Guide of the Year- Desmond Ramirez (Belcampo Lodge)

Cruise Tour Guide of the Year (NEW)- Axel Chavin (Day Light & Dark night Cave Adven-ture)

Frontline Person of the Year Roberto Guerra (La Beliza Belize Island Resort) contin-ued on pg 7

Restaurant of the Year Guava Limb Cafe (The Lodge at Chaa Creek)

Major Festivals and Events San Pedro Lob-ster Fest

Hospitality Award San Ignacio Resort Hotel

Special recognition awards were also present-ed to individuals that have been influential in the tourism industry and have set the bar through dedication and hard work.

Minister's Award Mrs. Mariam Roberson (San Ignacio Hotel)

Mrs. Celi McCorkle Award (Formerly Lifetime Achievement Award)

The late Mr. Gerald Jerry McDermott

A special recognition was also presented to Mrs.Celi McCorkle herself to mark the mile-stone of 50 years of tourism in San Pedro and her role in being one of the pioneers on the island.

The Belize Tourism Board would like to con-gratulate all winners and thank everyone that came out to show their support for this mem-orable event.

cont’d 13th National Tourism Awards

Left: Small Guest

House of the Year:

Hickatee Cottages

And

Right: 2nd Place

Festival and

Events of the Year

2015:

Chocolate

Festival of Belize

Photos Credit: BTB

4

The Maya House of Cacao

Just a few miles west of the junction at Dump on the road to Guatemala lies the newly built Maya House of Cacao. You can find it on the left just before Belize Woodworks and about a mile from the village of Mafredi. The build-ing was one element of a project that also in-cluded the rehabilitation of two hundred acres of old growth cacao and a training pro-gramme for fifty women to make chocolate and develop their own business plans.

Funding was provided by the European Union, the Belize Rural Development Project and the Toledo Cacao Growers’ Association (TCGA).

The official opening attended by representa-tives of all the funding bodies and hundreds of members of the TCGA took place on May 16th 2015 but the public opening is planned for 2 November, the first Monday of the month. The Howler went along to meet Or-

lando Coc from Laguna village who is TCGA’s accountant and manag-er of this new venture.

The aim of the Maya House of Cacao is to in-form and educate and to also make explicit the historical links between Toledo as the centre of cacao cultivation and those hundreds of farm-ers continuing this tradi-tion today.

The Maya House will also serve as a demonstration facility making its own chocolate and TCGA is awaiting the imminent delivery of roasters, grinders and a tempering machine. They plan to produce 80-100% dark chocolate and then to continue to de-velop new product lines for sale.

There is also a plan to build a new fermentation and drying facility behind the Maya House of Ca-cao. TCGA is increasingly buying the wet beans from the farmers and doing the fermentation and drying itself. This approach replaces the former situation where

most farmers did it in small batches but the result did not provide the consistent quality from one batch to the next that buyers in-creasingly demand.

The Maya House also has a gift shop where it will offer for sale local crafts and chocolate products including cacao wine and cacao vin-egar.

Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00, 7 days a week including Christmas and Easter and public and bank holidays.

Telephone: 722-2992

Location: Mile 18 San Antonio Road, Crique Troso (before Mafredi village and junction for Blue Creek)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maya-House-of-Cacao-456049354450033/timeline/

5

Nim Li Punit - New Finding! continued from pg 1

A polychrome plate was moved from within the crypt and placed next to it, and most of the painted shell beads were removed along with many skeletal elements.

Some of these (as well as the painted beads) were re-interred in a series of Terminal Classic offerings placed in the expanded platform). The final stage platform was roughly one me-ter taller and shaped like a T with a broad crosspiece, and was fronted by a stair.

In 2015, Braswell and his students returned to finish excavations and consolidation of Struc-ture 7. Expanding to the east, we discovered a small collapsed Terminal Classic tomb (“Tomb 5”) covered by two capstones. These were visible on the surface of the platform. The tomb measures 2.0m east-west by 1.1m north-south and stood approximately 1m high. A step provided access from the east. Tomb 5 was placed only 6m from the Early Classic crypt at the time the latter was opened and the remodeling of the platform took place, that is, during the early ninth cen-tury.

Tomb 5, despite its small size, was rich with many artifacts. These include: 25 ceramic ves-sels (mostly Terminal Classic polychromes and imported Belize Red vessels); several whole and fragmentary jade beads, ear ornaments, and small pendants; 20 painted limestone bars; animal bones and teeth; a fragmentary carved Strombus shell; two small chert eccen-trics (probably nose ornaments); a jade celt;

and various piece of obsidian including perfo-rators. Human remains were quite scarce and hardly recognizable. Indeed, the context is called “Tomb 5” because of its formal archi-tectural structure rather than the presence of a complete body within it. The remains that were found constitute a partial reburial and we speculate that they may have been re-interred from the opened Early Classic crypt.

Three items from Terminal Classic Tomb 5 are particularly noteworthy. These are a carved/modeled vase that depicts the bird-beaked wind god, a large eccentric chert, and the Nim li Punit wind jewel.

THE WIND JEWEL PECTORAL

The jade pectoral measures 188mm wide, 104mm high, and 8mm thick. It is the second largest piece of carved jade from Belize and is one of the largest ever legally excavated in the entire Maya area. The T-shape of the pectoral is the hieroglyph Ik’ "wind, breath" and its front has a deeply inscribed ik’ glyph. Thus, the pectoral combined with the Wind God vessel and the T-shape of the final platform all link the context to veneration of the winds that bring the seasonal rains. The back of the jade has a text consisting of 30 hieroglyphs. Twelve holes perforate the back and emerge on the thin sides of the pectoral. Most holes appear in pairs and probably served to suspend jade beads or shell tinklers. Four holes perforate the text indicating that they were added after the text was carved.

Christian Prager, Project Epigrapher working

with Braswell, has tentatively read the text on the Nim li Punit pectoral as:

He was “necklaced” for the scattering on 10 Ajaw 8 Yaxk'in [A.D. 672], Janaab Ohl K'inich Son of the divine Lady Ix Pitz … K'an Hix Balaw She of five …; son of K'inich Bahlam, incense scatterer (in his) first twenty years (of life). On 7 Men 13 K'ayab (9.10.19.4.15) He made his debut as a lord, Janaab' Ohl K'in- Nich Mu-waan Bahlam, Nine-Province (Person), he of Three Stony…

What does this text actually mean? First, it names the owner of the jade pectoral as Ja-naab Ohl K’inich. It states that he put on the wind jewel in order to perform a scattering ritual in A.D. 672. Scattering rituals were per-formed coniby ...

Maya kings on the most important dates of the calendar each five, ten, or—especially—20 years. In these rituals, kings dropped balls of incense or blood into burning braziers. Smoke from these fires was carried up to the heavens and divine ancestors and other be-ings were summoned. At Nim li Punit, four stelae (carved monuments) depict kings of the site performing this ritual and two others discussing scattering events in their hiero-glyphic texts. Two stelae show kings of Nim li Punit wearing the Wind Jewel discovered in 2015.

Who was Janaab Ohl K'inich, the owner of the Nim li Punit wind jewel? His name and those of his parents do not appear in monumental continue to pg 14

6

Sketch map of PG Town

7

Tour Operator Phone Number Location

The Lodge at Big Falls 732-4444 Big Falls

Natural Adventure Tours 533-3028 Monkey River

PG Tours 629-4266 Punta Gorda

TIDE Tours 722-2129 Punta Gorda

Toledo Cave & Adventure 604-2124 Sun Creek

Wild Encounters 636-1028 Punta Gorda

Tour Operator Phone Number Location

Belcampo Lodge 722-0050 Punta Gorda

Big Falls Extreme Adventures 634-6979 Big Falls

Blue Creek Rainforest Lodge 653-6533 Blue Creek

Cotton Tree Lodge 670-0557 San Felipe

The Farm Inn 732-4781 San Antonio

Garbutt’s Marine 722-0070 Punta Gorda

Registered Tour Operators in Toledo District 2015 Always book your trip with a registered tour operator to ensure your guide has been trained & licensed and vehicles are

properly insured

Golden Stream Spice Farm We are unique in South Belize having the biggest Spice farm in Belize. We are 3 1/2 hr away from PG Airport and 1 1/2 hr from Placencia. Spice farm and the Spice Farm Restaurant are on the side of the High way and easily accessi-ble.

Our business hrs are 7 30 am to 3 30 PM. The entrance fee is BZ $ 20 for adult. For Details please call 670 1338/6159462 or 732 4014 (currently not working) or e mail us at goldenstreamspicefarm@gmail.com.

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T O L E D O V I L L A G E B U S E S

Service Depart PG Destination Calling at... Days Return to PG

Kan 11:30 Aguacate Dump, Mafredi, Blue Creek Mon /Wed/Fri/Sat 05:20

J ‘n’ L 12:00 Barranco San Felipe (for Ixcacao), Santa Ana, Midway Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 06:00

Garcia 11:00 Big Falls Dump, Jacintoville, Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 08:00

Chub 11:30 Crique Sarco San Felipe, Santa Ana, Midway, Conejo, Sunday Wood Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 05:15

Ack 12:00 Dolores Dump, Mafredi, Jordon, Santa Teresa, Mabilha, San Lucas,

Corazon Creek, Otoxha Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 03:00

Pop 10:30 Golden Stream Dump, Big Falls, Indian Creek Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 06:45

Pop 13:00 Golden Stream Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee, Indian Creek (for Nim Li Punit) Mon to Sat 07:30

Pop 17:00 Indian Creek Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee Mon to Sat 12:00

Pop 21:00 Indian Creek Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee Mon to Thurs 15:30

Bol 06:00 Jalacte Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, Santa Elena,

Pueblo Viejo Mon to Sun 05:00

Chunny 11:30 Jalacte Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz (for Rio Blanco),

Santa Elena, Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon to Sat 03:00

Bol 16:00 Jalacte Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz (for Rio Blanco),

Santa Elena, Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 15:00

Shol 12:00 Laguna Elridgeville Wed/Fri/Sat

Pop 11:30 Medina Bank Dump, Big Falls, Hicatee, Indian Creek (for Nim Li Punit) Mon to Sat 05:30

Chunny 11:30 San Antonio Dump, Mafredi Mon to Sat 06:00

Coc 12:00 San Antonio Dump, Mafredi Mon to Sat 06:30

Coc 12:00 San Antonio Dump, Mafredi Mon to Sat 13:30

Teck 12:00 San Benito Poite Dump, Mafredi, Blue Creek (for Hokeb Ha), Santa Teresa Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 04:30

Sho 11:30 San Jose Jacintoville, Dump, Mafredi, Crique Jute, Nah Lum Ca Wed/Sat 04:00

Choc 12:00 San Jose Dump, Mafredi, Crique Jute, Nah Lum Cah Mon/Fri 05:00

Chen 11:30 San Vicente Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz (for Rio Blanco),

Santa Elena, Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 02:00

Chen 05:30 San Vicente Dump, Mafredi, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, Santa Elena,

Pueblo Viejo, Jalacte Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 14:00

Bobby 11:00 Santa Ana San Felipe (for Ixcacao) Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 07:15

Cal 04:30 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia, San Miguel Mon to Sat 13:00

Cal 11:00 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia (for Lubaantun), San Miguel Mon to Sat 06:00

Cucul 11:30 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia (for Lubaantun), San Miguel Mon to Sat 07:00

Cucul 16:00 Silver Creek Dump, San Pedro Columbia, San Miguel Mon to Sat 12:30

Cucul 21:00 Silver Creek San Pedro Columbia, San Miguel Mon to Thurs 16:00

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Together we’re stronger!

Become a part of BTIA

and make a practical con-

tribution to the econom-

ic development of Toledo

District, and benefit from

our promotional work.

We meet monthly at the

Tourism information Cen-

tre on Front Street.

How Do I Join BTIA? Visit www.btia.org to read about BTIA

and all the membership benefits and to download an applica-

tion form. Complete the form and hand it in at the Tourism

Information Center on Front St.

BTIA Toledo officers

Chair: Rob Hiron Vice-chair: Dennis Garbutt

Secretary: Delonie Forman Treasurer: Lisa Avila

Councilor: Cris Cal

The Howler is written, edited and produced by:

Stephanie Parham: btiatoledo@btl.net, 722-2531

Rob Hirons: rob@thelodgeatbigfalls.com

Flights

Depart Punta Gorda Arrives Belize City Service Provider Depart Belize Intl. Arrive In Punta Gorda Service Provider

06:45 07:55 Maya Island Air 08:10 09:15 Maya Island Air

06:30 07:30 Tropic Air 07:50 09:00 Tropic Air

09:30 10:35 Maya Island Air 10:10 11:15 Maya Island Air

09:20 10:20 Tropic Air 10:20 11:30 Tropic Air

11:30 12:35 Maya Island Air 12:20 13:30 Tropic Air

11:35 12:35 Tropic Air 14:20 15:30 Tropic Air

13:35 14:35 Tropic Air 14:40 15:45 Maya Island Air

16:00 17:05 Maya Island Air 16:40 17:45 Maya Island Air

16:00 17:10 Tropic Air 16:40 17:40 Tropic Air

James Bus Line Schedule Departs P.G. Arrives Belize City Departs Belize City Arrives P.G.

03:50am 10:30am 05:15am Express (except Sun) 10:30am

04:50am 11:30am 06:15am 12:45pm

06:00am (express) 10:45am 07:15am 01:45pm

05:50am 12:30pm 08:15am 02:45pm

07:50am 02:30pm 09:15am 03:45pm

09:50am 04:30pm 10:15am 04:45pm

11:50am 06:30pm 12:15pm 06:45pm

01:50pm 08:00pm 01:45pm 07:45pm

02:50pm 08:30pm 03:15pm 09:45pm

03:50pm 09:30pm 03:45pm Express 08:45pm

Boats To & From Puerto Barrios , Guatemala

Service Provider Dep Punta Gorda Arrive Puerto Barrios Depart Puerto Barrios Arrive Punta Gorda

Requena’s Charter Service 09:30 10:30 14:00 15:00

Tek-Dat 01:00 14:00 03:00 04:00

Pichilingo 14:00 15:00 10:00 11:00

Sharkboy 16:00 17:00 13:00 14:00

*Boats to Livingston depart on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 a.m.

*Memos depart everyday to Livingston @ 1pm. (prices vary depending on quantity)

T R A N S P O R T S C H E D U L E S

Where to get your copy of The Toledo Howler

Distribution points include:

Tourism Information Centres throughout Belize

Tropic Air and Maya Island Air terminals

BTIA Toledo members

Requena’s Charters, Puerto Barrios

Major gas stations As well as a wide online presence in electronic format

Please contact the Toledo Howler team at 722-2531 if you would like to become a distributor for the voice of tourism development in Belize’s deep south!

Toledo Tourism Information Centre

Front Street, Punta Gorda Town

Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm

Tel: 722-2531 Email: BTIAtoledo@btl.net

BTIA Toledo and The Toledo Howler

Emergency Numbers

PG Police station: 722-2022

PG Hospital: 722-2026 / 722-2161 / 722-2145

PG Fire Department: 722-2032

National Emergencies (NEMO): 822-0153

Belize Tourism Board: 227-2420 / 227-2417

BTIA Main Office Belize City: 227-1144

10

There’s been a lot going on in Toledo since the endorsement of Belize’s National Sustain-able Tourism Master Plan (NSTMP) in 2012. Local residents have witnessed significant public and private sector investments in re-cent years. In Punta Gorda Town, there have been street improvements, the reno-vation of the Magistrates Court, and a new Market, Civic Center and Sports Complex are in the works. The much anticipated San Antonio Road to Jalacte is rapidly opening up the Maya villages to the west. In the tourism arena, Punta Gorda sports a new immigration and customs build-ing at the Port, and enhancements to the Municipal Airstrip are completed. There are new visitor facilities at Nim Li Punit and Lubaantun Archaeologi-cal sites; the Maya House of Cacao now showcases the region’s growing chocolate industry, and a rum factory is in the works at Belcampo Resort. Zipline operations breathe adventure in Blue Creek and Big Falls, and a host of authentic culture based tourist attractions, such as the Living Maya Experi-ence and the Punta Negra Restaurant, have been opening as microbusinesses throughout the district. Perhaps the most talked about development in the pipeline is of course the new cruise port at Harvest Caye, Stann Creek, which is poised to bring groups of day visitors to expe-rience Toledo in early 2016. Overall, tourism visitation to the district is growing, rebound-ing since 2010 with an average 7.5% growth

per year which is above the average national growth rate of 7.3%. It is certainly an exciting time for tourism in Toledo, and one that demands proactive plan-ning to ensure the development of high value low impact tourism. The NSTMP speaks to

engaging meaningful local participation in tourism, “whereby tourism planning and management will be based on partnerships and collaboration and all tourism activity will be designed to improve the quality of life en-joyed by Belizeans.” In an effort to promote a participatory approach to tourism planning, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Avi-ation (MTCCA), and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), with the support of the Punta Gorda Town Council, helped to establish a Local

Tourism Committee in Toledo.

This newly formed committee was modelled from Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town Coun-cil’s initiative in Cayo, who established their own local tourism committee, and developed

an action plan, promotional materi-al, town tour, and tourism invest-ment portfolio in 2013. The Com-mittee is envisioned to “champion” local tourism development in Tole-do. Sector participation within the committee includes provision for tour operators, the Toledo Tour Guide Association, BTIA Toledo Chapter, the PG Town Council, rep-resentation of culture, transporta-tion, restaurants, and civil society as well as Government bodies such as the BTB, MTCCA and the local emer-gency management agency, DEMO. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, and the Belize Tourism Board are committed to providing technical support to the Toledo Local Tourism Committee,

and to pursue funding mechanisms for priority tourism projects, actions and in-vestments. To this aim, the Government of Belize with financial and technical support from the Inter-American Development Bank is engaged in the planning stage for the Sustain-able Tourism Program II in four emerging des-tinations including Toledo. The proposed pro-ject is focusing on tourism enhancement that supports the increase of tourism employ-ment, income and revenues for local continued on pg 14

Sustainable Tourism Project in Toledo

Yashin Dujon leading a TLTC workshop for the STP 11

11

B T I A T O L E D O M E M B E R S 2 0 1 5

CLASSIFIED: Distillery in PG hiring qualified In-

dustrial Electrician and Maintenance Mechanic for

mid-October start. Email re-

sume dd@belcampo.com for more information.

Business Contact Person Phone Email Belcampo Shirelymae Parham 722-0050 info@belcampobz.com

Beya Suites Lisa Avila 722-2188 info@beyasuites.com

Big Falls Cottages Fransisca Bardalez 605-9985 fbardalez@btl.net

Blue Belize Esme Duncan 722-2678 manager@bluebelize.com

Canopy Course and Jungle Tours Tim Sise/ Cesar Godinez 653-6533 bluecreekcanopytour@gmail.com

Catarina Choco Catarina Choco 634-6772 catarinachoco@gmail.com

Coleman's Café Thomas & Pearleen Coleman 630-4069 / 630-4432

belizetom@yahoo.com

Coral House Inn Rick Mallory 722-2878 coralhousebelize@yahoo.com

CPC Real Estate Dan Dunbar 607-8250 dan@belizeproperty.com

Cuxlin Ha Resort Dona Scafe 732-4747 cuxlinha@gmail.com

Eladio's Chocolate Adventure Eladio Pop 624-0166 eladiopop@gmail.com

Garbutt's Fishing Lodge Dennis Garbutt 722-0070 / 604-3548

garbuttsmarineandfish-inglodge@gmail.com

Golden Stream Plantation Thomas & Tessy Mathew 670-1338 goldenstreamspicefarm@gmail.com

Grace Hotel and Restaurant Pallavi Mahhung 702-2414 gracemcp@hotmail.com

Hickatee Cottages Ian & Kate Morton 662-4475 www.hickatee.com

Ixcacao Maya Belizean Chocolates Juan Cho 742-4050/ 660-2840

ixcacaochocolate@gmail.com

Ixchel Women's Group Tecla Acal 626-2338/ 632-7938

Indian Creek Village

Jerry Shaver Jerry Shaver

Living Maya Experience Anita Cal & Marta Chiac 627-7408/ 632-4585

livingmayaexperience@gmail.com

Marigold Womens Group Sarah Shol 620-6084 marigoldwomen@gmail.com

Maroon Creole Drum School Emmeth & Jill Young 668-7733/ 632-7841

methosdrums@hotmail.com pricklypeartat2@hotmail.com

Maya Bags Belize Crafts Ltd. Desiree Arnold 722-2175 belizeexecutivedirector@mayabags.org

Mountain Spirit Wellness Communi-ty

Dr. Ana Arzu 600-3873 arzu@arzumountainspirit.com

Prudencio Cucul Prudencio Cucul 602-3906

ReefCI Polly Alford 626-1429 info@reefci.com

Remax David Kafka 631-9622 david@1stchoicebelize.com

Requena's Charter Service Julio Requena 722-2070 watertaxi@btl.net

Robert Pennell Robert Pennell rpennell@travelbelize.org

The Farm Inn Renee Brown 732-4781 info@thefarminbelize.com

The Lodge at Big Falls Rob Hirons 732-4444 / 671-6677

info@thelodgeatbigfalls.com

Tide Tours Delonie Forman 722-2129 info@tidetours.org Toledo Cave & Adventure Tours Bruno Kuppinger 604-2124 ibtm@gmx.net

Toledo Tour Guide Association Keren Recinos 637-2000 ttgabze@gmail.com

Warasa Garifuna Drumming School Ruth & Ronald McDonald 632-7701 warasadrumschool@gmail.com

Yum Kax Women's Group Concepciona Coc 662-8539 cocconcepciona@yahoo.com

12

SP: Tell me about your-self.

BF: My name is Brian Falk from Santa Barbara, California.

SP: Why did you choose Toledo?

BF: I wanted to see a different part of Belize that was less touristy and crowded and heard that PG was a good place to start and ex-plore the surrounding areas. I’ve been here for three days and I’ve got to do many things and I explored the surround-ing villages. I went to Indian Creek and went to Nim Li Punit that was

very nice in the afternoon. There was nobody there so I had the whole place to myself.

SP: Almost like a private tour?

BF: Yes! When I returned from the hill I met a bus driver who told me that I just missed the last bus into town and I would have to wait an-other hour. He offered to take me to his house and he took me in his bus to his house and gave me some homemade tortilla and chicken soup and we got to talking and he showed me his house, his family and I felt so welcome. It was a unique experience and I was not expecting that. It was just a day to the ruins and then I got to meet a very nice man named Thomas.

SP: What else did you do?

BF: I also went kayaking out on the water here, along the sea and up Joe Taylor Creek and that was exciting and wonderful to be out on the water and the ocean was very nice. I had fun at Backa Jammas bar and restaurant, I was treated very nice there, drank some beers and played some pool. I also received a massage from Sharane. I definitely recom-mend that, she was very good.

SP: What did you like the most or what is the most memorable?

BF: I chose to come to Toledo because of the town and the surround-ings areas. There’s a lot to do in a day. PG is a good home base to ex-plore the surrounding areas. What I liked most was meeting the people and I was treated very nicely here, friendly people long conversations. That’s the most memorable, all the people I met here.

SP: Did you visit other places in Belize? What would you tell others who

want to visit?

BF: I visited other places in Belize, Dangriga, Tobacco Caye, Maya Cen-tre but PG is unique there’s a lot of schools and universities and it’s a little bit cleaner here too and just a different feel and energy and I felt very safe and comfortable in PG. My best moment ....that’s difficult be-cause I don’t have one. They are all very special. I like the eco aware-ness that they have in PG and Toledo. It’s very attractive to me. I would say to travellers who want to come here it’s a friendly place, good home base, food is great and the people are nice, pretty safe!

Visitors Voice

Calendar of Events Date Event Venue/Time Other Info

November 6th High Schools Battle of the Drums 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Julian Cho Technical

High School, Dump Area Beya Suites - 722-2188

November 7th Ms. Yurumein Contest 7:00 p.m. Fr. Francis Ring Parish Hall, Punta

Gorda Beya Suites - 722-2188

November 12th Children’s Garifuna Talent Show 7:00 p.m. Fr. Francis Ring Parish Hall, Punta Beya Suites - 722-2188

November 13th Primary Schools Garifuna Translation Con-

test

9:00 a.m. Fr. Francis Ring Parish Hall, Punta

Gorda Town

Beya Suites - 722-2188

November 13th Battle of the Drums Food and Fete 8:00 p.m. – 1:a.m. at the Social Security

Building

Beya Suites - 722-2188

November 14th BATTLE OF THE DRUMS 2015 Beya Suites - 722-2188

November 19th Public and Bank Holiday—Garifuna Settle-

ment Day Various activities around PG Town

December

25th/26th

Public and Bank Holidays - Christmas and

Boxing day Various activities around PG Town

January 1st Public and Bank Holiday—New Years Day Various activities around PG Town

February 12th BTIA 3rd Annual “Keys to the Heart” event Garbutts Marine, PG Town BTIA—722 2531

13

Guifiti - “A Gift of the Plant Spirits” The origin of Guifiti is a mysterious secret in-

digenous tradition. The word “Guifiti” in Gari-

funa means “a gift of the plant spirits.” It be-

longs to a group of drinks known as “bitters”

made from an arrangement of plants known to

be beneficial for the health and wellbeing of

humans. The drink is made by infusing a pro-

prietary mixture of various roots and herbs in

alcohol and water, and allowed to cure over

time. Even though it’s a rum based drink, it can

also be made with boiling water. The final con-

coction is meant to be a medicinal vitality and

total wellness tonic, to be taken daily and in

minute quantities.

The Garifuna Guifiti stands alone in that it was

originally made to be a medicine. It is used

across the Nation as a preventative and cure

for many ailments specific to the cultural life-

style such as stress, digestive disorders, weak

blood, malnutrition, and low vitality. The herbs

contained in the brew are mostly anti-

parasitical, antibiotic, fertility enhancers, blood

builders, and nerve tonics. Guifiti is prescribed

by traditional healers for total health mainte-

nance, convalescing, and to enhance fertility

and sexual performance.

It is used sort of like a love potion for both gen-

ders. The inclusion of one particular herb des-

ignates the main brew as gender specific, to be

either “fi de man” or “fi de woman”. Wild yam

is added to slant the brew in the female direc-

tion and Gein Weyu is added to slant the brew

in the male direction. Men and women have to

be careful to not mix up their bottles or things

could get complicated.

Within Garifuna settlements, individual recipes

are kept secret and transmitted only from gen-

eration to generation and life to life. The recipe

for genuine Guifiti is much coveted and one

must abandon any thoughts of ever having it if

was not “handed down” to you. The basic reci-

pe never varies, but certain herbs do vary from

one region to another, resulting in every area

having their own flavor and secret recipe. The

recipe I use was handed down by my grand-

mother to my older sister, who handed it down

to me quite ceremoniously once I became an

adult. A genuine Guifiti bottle made in Gari-

funa tradition can keep the healing herb spirits

for an incredibly long period of time and even

years. The bottle can be refilled with a mixture

of water and rum to allow the herbs inside to

continue to “give” their gift of medicine. Real

Guifiti will have all the herbs inside the bottle

and will not be just liquor.

So what’s in it? Without letting the cat out of

the bag, I can tell you that one of the main in-

gredients in Guifiti is Lemuru, a hailed and

highly regarded plant in Garifuna ethnobotany.

If you want genuine Guifiti, it has to contain

this plant. People have learned to use garlic in

its place because they smell the same but

there is really no substitute. Lemuru is a seri-

ous medicinal plant used traditionally against

autoimmune diseases, urinary problems, and

balancing blood sugar levels. Its presence in

the Guifiti serves to stimulate the immune sys-

tem and protect against infections. Another

known contributor to Guifiti is Gein Weyu, a

root herb used traditionally to make overall

tonics that build strength and restore vitality

during convalescence. In the Guifiti mix how-

ever, Gein Weyu offers aphrodisiac properties

that enhance sexual drive, and other benefits

to the male reproductive organs. It is this root

along with miniscule amounts of Contribo that

make the Guifiti man tonic a “MAN TONIC” fi di

man!

Slanting a Guifiti formula “fi di woman” in-

volves the inclusion of Wild Yam in the bottle.

Wild Yam has a sweet bitter flavor with very

warming energy. The biochemical constituents

of Wild Yam are comprised of precursors to

the female hormone progesterone. When tak-

en in a tonic, these hormone precursors trigger

“inner healing” of the ovaries, uterus, and fal-

lopian tubes; which explains

why traditional healers rely on

this plant for healing the entire

female reproductive system.

Wild Yam tinctures and extracts

are currently being utilized in

natural hormone replacement

therapy as an alternative for

progesterone. This medicinal

plant is known to balance fe-

male hormones as it stimulates

the production of natural pro-

gesterone; making it the per-

fect modern day herb for allevi-

ating menopausal symptoms,

uterine pains, cramps, PMS, and regulating the

female menstrual cycle.

No. This is as far as it goes. I cannot give you

the entire recipe, but I can share some guide-

lines on determining whether the Guifiti you

are drinking is genuine or not. First of all, you

will never find Garifuna Guifiti in a Chinese

store so don’t look there. Guifiti is traditionally

purchased from bars in Garifuna communities

in Belize and along the Caribbean coast, where

they will serve it to you by the shot (the rec-

ommended dose). If you are lucky, the best

thing is to purchase a bottle from the one who

prepared it and ask them all the questions

about dosage, longevity, and refills. But please

do not ask them for the recipe, for the hard

won Garifuna Guifiti heritage will forever re-

main closely held and highly guarded.

It is not unusual to see someone proudly sell-

ing the unlabeled dry herbal Guifiti mix in a

glass bottle, to which you can add the alcohol

of your choice. Though white rum is the popu-

larly preferred liquid for concocting Guifiti, it

can just as well be made with water and vodka

or gin or rum or ouzo or grappa or aniseed,

and the like. The choice is yours, for it is the

balanced medicinal herbal mix that makes

Guifiti, and NOT the alcohol. Those who are

fortunate enough to be holders of traditional

indigenous Guifiti formulas understand how

plastic adulterates the spiritual balance of me-

dicinal plants. For this reason, you will never

find traditional Guifiti in a plastic bottle. I sug-

gest you buy it only if it is in a glass bottle.

How do you take it? For best results, one to

two tablespoons taken daily is the recom-

mended dosage. Your herbalist may suggest a

different dosage depending on what you are

taking it for, and if you have a special condition

or complaint. When taken in large quantities,

Guifiti ceases to be medicinal and becomes just

another alcoholic drink for drunks. It is border-

line sacrilege to consume Guifiti for the mere

sake of getting drunk. There are other alcoholic

drinks to serve that purpose, and such is not

the mission of this closely held ancestral con-

coction. Recognized as a reverent gift gracious-

ly given us by the plant spirits, we drink Guifiti

tonically by the shot, in celebration of life; to

commune with the ancestors; to relax the

body; to enjoy each other’s company; to en-

hance lovemaking; to be happy; and enable us

to appreciate the gifts we temporarily have on

this Earth.

Written by Arzu Mountain Spirit

Master Herbalist, Teacher, and Traditional Ga-

rifuna Healer

http://www.wagiyafoundationbelize.org/

services-and-products

Liquor License Notice

Notice is hereby given under the intoxicated

Liquor License ordinance chapter 150 of the

Laws of Belize, revised edition 2000, that

Rob Hirons is applying for the renewal of

Restaurant and Bar Liquor License. To be

operated at The Lodge at Big Falls, Big Falls

Village, Toledo District.

14

continued from pg 4

texts from Nim li Punit, proba-bly because the date it was carved (A.D. 672) falls roughly 50 years before the first known stela was carved at the site. Janaab Ohl K'inich’s mother was a very important lady with many titles. Part of her name appears at Cahal Pech, so it is possible that she was from that site in western Cayo Dis-trict. Janaab Ohl K’inich’s fa-ther died very young, at less than 20 years of age. His name, K’inich Bahlam, is known from various sites in Peten, Guatemala, including Waka-El Peru.

Because both Janaab Ohl K’inich and his father are said to have performed scattering rituals, we know that they were kings. But from where did they come? Janaab Ohl K’inich is said to be from the “Ninth Province” of the Maya, which is generally thought to corre-spond to northern Belize. On the other hand, he is also said to be from a “Three Stony…” place, which possibly is Caracol. Finally, it could be that this “Three Stony…” place is an ancient name for Nim li Punit itself, a name that was previously unknown to us. Sadly, there is not a single use of the Nim li Punit emblem glyph on the jade pectoral. This is probably because it was carved and used at a time before the polity became important enough to warrant a standard dynastic title. On balance, we suspect that Janaab Ohl K’inich was the king of Nim li Punit, but that his parents (or at least his mother) came from

a different part of Belize or the Maya world.

How did the wind jewel get to Nim li Punit? There are several possibilities. The first is that it was created for Janaab Ohl K'inich and used by him at the site during his kingly duties. Per-haps it was a gift from a powerful relative from a larger kingdom.

A second possibility is that Janaab Ohl K'inich was not a local king, but instead brought it to Nim li Punit and gave it to an unnamed ruler as a gift and a sign of over-lordship. Two scenes of scattering events at the site show a ruler accompanied by a standing lord—perhaps a visiting dignitary—behind him and on the left side of the monument. Janaab Ohl K'inich could have been such a visitor. A third possibility is that the pectoral was traded to Nim li Punit somewhat later in time or ended up at the site as a spoil of war. In that case, it could represent a battle between Nim li Punit and a site whose location is still not known.

The fact that the Nim li Punit wind jewel hints at interaction with regions to the north is intri-guing. There are no clear ceramic connections between Nim li Punit and the Belize Valley (the location of Cahal Pech) or Caracol before about A.D. 800. Connections with north-central Belize or El Peru are even harder to demonstrate from the material record. The text of the wind jewel therefore implies politi-cal and familial ties with regions for which we had little to no evidence of economic interac-tion before its discovery. What is important to stress is the significance of context and prove-nience. Had the pectoral been illegally exca-vated, we would have no reason at all to con-nect it to Nim li Punit. We would not be able to identify where it was used or even the modern country in which it was found.

Because the jade pectoral is shown worn by kings on two carved monuments at the site, collective memory of important scattering events involving the Nim li Punit wind jewel persisted long after it was inscribed and first used. Indeed, the final remodeling of the pal-ace and the construction of Tomb 5 seem ded-icated to the wind jewel, the royal rituals sur-rounding it, and the memory of the kings who conducted scattering rituals at Nim li Punit.

The wind jewel itself—approximately 150-years old when it was buried about A.D. 830 was placed within Tomb 5 along with frag-mentary remains that may have come from an elaborate crypt burial encountered during the

renovation, which itself was already more than 400-years old. We suspect it is no coinci-dence that the burial of the wind jewel took place during a time of great climatic instabil-ity. That such a precious relic of the past was given a dedica-tory burial at a time when the rains brought by the wind god—and by his representative on earth, the divine king of Nim li Punit were scarce and unpre-dictable seems to be no coinci-dence.

The Nim li Punit jade pectoral is now safely in the hands of the Institute of Archaeology

and the Government of Belize, and is being held in the vault of the Belize Bank. It is hoped that some day soon, it may come to a final resting place in a national museum where all Belizeans may see it.

Acknowledgements. Excavations at Nim li Pu-nit in 2012 were supported by the University of California, San Diego Faculty Senate and by the National Geographic Society (#9027-11). All excavations conducted in 2015 were fund-ed by the University of California, San Diego Faculty Senate. We thank the many men and one woman of Indian Creek, Belize, who have worked on our project, as well as the staff and scholars at the Institute of Archaeology of Be-lize. We especially thank the three graduate students who participated in the excavations of Structure 7: Chelsea Fisher, Maya Azarova, and Mario Borrero. We also thank Mr. Rob Hirons of the Lodge at Big Falls for providing security when the wind jewel was first exca-vated.

Nim Li Punit - New Finding!

continued from pg 10

Belizeans, and builds climate and disaster resilient “green” destinations to support tourism development. A working session held in September 2015, with the Toledo Local Tourism Committee touched on some of the recent investments in the district, reviewed the industry stats and identified the destination’s assets and challenges in a drive to develop a Tourism Development Plan for the area.

Ultimately, Toledo’s Tourism Destination Development Plan will promote a common tourism vision for southern Belize. It will support partnerships, identify opportuni-ties, and address local priorities to guide the development of tourism in Toledo over the next five years. All stakeholders in the in-dustry and community members are en-couraged to get to know their “Champions”, to provide input and actively participate. Bringing the plan to life will, without a doubt, require the dedicated and coordinat-ed efforts of all.

Sustainable

Tourism Project in Toledo

Geoff Braswell and his team standing over the findings at Nim Li Punit

Above: large eccentric chert, and the Nim li

Punit wind jewel

15

The Way East Indians Lived Then Part 1

Participants of Toledo Youth Empowerment Project,

Kyra Jones (Finance Officer), Mark Miller (Executive

Director), Tasha Petillo (Project Manager), Adelina

Betancourt (Business Monitor), Kera Polonio (DYS

Representative)

On October 2013 Plenty Belize began working with

60 youth from in and around Punta Gorda Town to

help empower them. The Toledo Youth Empowerment

Project was funded by US Embassy Belmopan

through the CARSI grant and Plenty Belize.

It was a two year project that included assisting

young people with finishing their secondary educa-

tion, skills trainings, and small enterprises develop-

ment. Three students graduated from Claver College Extensions in June 2015, one is attending Julian Cho Technical

High school and 24 have started small enterprises. Small enterprises developed by the participants include catering,

piggery, snack shops, lawn maintenance, souvenirs making, sewing, chicken rearing and hair salon.

Partners of this project included Department of Youth Services,

Toledo Association of Businesses, Institute of Technical Voca-

tional Education & Training, Punta Gorda Town Council and Tole-

do Teachers Credit Union.

For more information on this project kindly contact Plenty Belize

at 501-702-2198 or visit our office at Jose Maria Nunez Street.

Plenty Belize continues to work with the community of Toledo

District.

continued from pg 2

step over them to find a seat. And some peo-ple had the habit when you get up to let them pass they take your seat. You had to wake up at three thirty or four o’clock to get ready. And when the truck is coming you stay by the road-side and if it is not loaded then you are lucky and you get a ride. When we finally get to town our bottoms was bruised because the road was very rough.

Then we have some people who like to drink and that was the excitement of the trip coming back. Before you reach halfway the men were fighting. The poor women are screaming and hollering. And all that rum was made right down here from the sugar cane. It was called Rocky Run Rum. (The distillery was located at what is now Sirmoor Hill Farm near Fairweath-er Camp Ed.) But in those days they socialized much more than now. They would fight and tomorrow they are friends again.

At the weekends they would have dances in different people’s houses. But when it comes to Christmas that was big thing. Everybody goes from house to house. From Christmas Eve the cooking starts and decoration and all of that. And what we used to use for decoration; we used to use the newspapers. We would paste it with flour and water. And we used to have string bags for our partitions framed with sticks and then we would paste the newspaper on. Everybody’s house was the same and every Christmas time we would have new newspa-

pers. That was the main decoration and then crepe paper came in afterwards. And if you did not put new papers then you were out. And everybody chose the best pictures. And then the baking of cake and the cooking started. And on Christmas day the house to house visits would start and go on all day long from one end of the community to the next.

The food was mainly rice and beans with chick-en and salad. My mother had a big pot and would take a leg of pork and boil it and bake it and I always remember how it was so deli-cious. She would cook it all day on a slow fire with coal. We ate as much as we wanted - rice and beans, pork and lemonade. It was also cus-tomary that every house you went in you had to eat something – it was just a little bit but you had to taste whatever they had to offer. It was such a good feeling – everybody was to-gether in those days.

During the year my mother would make potato puddings and banana puddings but the only time of year we had light cake was at Christ-mas. And when I tell my children that they don’t believe me! And we were very poor but I always remember no matter how poor we were at Christmas we were happy.

We didn’t have much music. There was the ra-dio and then our own music with guitar and accordion and violin. Well the village had its own little silent distillery too. They made their rum out of corn and rice and potatoes. We called it “spuddy” and the corn drink was

“cheecha” but we really enjoyed it.

It was fresh kind of life. Everything was so nat-ural. You could feel it. You walk in your back yard and chickens were running all over the place. It was mostly though on Sundays when we would have a special dish with chicken, rice and beans and stuff like that. During the week we would go fishing and get fish from the creeks and make Takari with yellow ginger and we had calaloo and string beans, plantain and cassava but we always had rice on our table every day. Well the East Indians, we used corn mainly to feed our chickens and pigs. But we eat everything off our farm and bought very little from the shop; salt, sugar and lard. And everything was so cheap. We paid two cents for a pound of salt and two cents for a box of matches.

I remember my uncle used to take three dol-lars earnings for the week to sustain the gro-cery bill at the shop and sometimes he still had change from that. The daily wage was 25 cents in those days. I didn’t go to high school. When I started my uncle got sick and I was the only one left so I didn’t go to high school but stayed with him and my first job was chipping rose-wood.

In those days there was an export market for rosewood but we had to clean the wood by chipping off all the bark. It was quite a job. I camped out at Deep River and got 50 cents a day. That was in the Sixties already.

To be continued in Issue 10.1 in February 2016

16