“Curse of the Xtabai.” an 80 minute film billed by its producers as a jungle thriller-comedy with “the distinction of being the first major movie fully produced with Belizean talent,” has a Maya theme and makes use of Belize’s rich tradition of folklore and storytelling.

It was late Sunday evening when I noticed missed calls and text messages on my cell phone. I was amazed at the news I received and walked downtown to see it for my own eyes. What was happening? Archaeology in action on what I believe to be the busiest street in San Ignacio! AWESOME was the word that came out of my mouth. As an archaeologist, I never pictured excavations to be carried out in front of one of our regular hanging out spots!!! For years we had been travelling outside of town, not knowing that underneath our feet lay a SURPRISE waiting for us!

Archaeological finds are nothing new at Chaa Creek, but a new discovery this week (21 January 2012) is definitely something out of the ordinary – an ancient Maya household was accidentally unearthed in the middle of town near the eco resort’s downtown offices in San Ignacio, Belize.

Belize is the only country in Central America with English as the official language. The small country, measuring 180 miles long and 68 miles wide, is a popular vacation destination for tourists whose native language is English. But Belize is good for much more than just lounging in white sand while watching the shimmering teal waves roll in and out while drinks, ordered in English, are replenished. Behind the luxurious resorts and relaxing vacation packages, Belize is an adventure destination.

Adventuring in Belize by Amelia Thomas – Lonely Planet Author
Galloping along Central American mountain trails, accompanied only by the thrum of hooves and the occasional flash of a toucan among the trees, might just be one of the world’s top ways to start your morning. But incredibly, in lovely, lush Belize, where eco-slanted adventure travel is king, the day gets even better from here.

The thought of just a seven hour window to wander around Belize was nerve wrecking and at the same time unsettling. Many questions came to mind: What if the ship leaves without us? What are we going to do if we are stuck in traffic or the van breaks down?

We recently spent three weeks in Belize and, recalling a favorite trip from ten years ago, decided to travel inland to the town of San Ignacio, the capital of the Cayo district in Western Belize. As soon as we headed away from the coast the terrain became more rugged, green and mountainous. My excitement increased as we neared this teaming city. San Ignacio is more highly populated than Ambergris Caye – and I was hopeful that its food culture would be equally extensive.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek was given another nod from USA Today by topping the popular publication’s recent list of Belize Rainforest Luxury Vacations. Chaa Creek was previously singled out by USA Today in February as being one of the world’s top family vacation spots for Spring break

By Lorenzo Gonzalez
All and every Saturdays, in western Belize, residents of the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town and villagers from all over the Cayo District come to San Ignacio to sell their local produce.
There you can witness a wide array of different foods, fruits and vegetables and many miscellaneous items. Villagers start setting up their stalls from early morning and at the crack of dawn the market place comes alive with many people buying, trading and conversing amongst …

In addition to outdoor activities (canoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and bird watching), the lodge incorporates green aspects into much of the resort. Crushed aluminum cans are used in the foundations of new buildings, the saltwater pool is chemical free, and the spa features fresh flowers from the resort and eco-friendly products. Produce from the resort’s traditional Mayan farm is used in dishes in the elegant restaurant, which mixes Belizean and international cuisine for dishes like lasagna made with tortillas in lieu of pasta.