Everyone in today’s world is worried about the environment. There are so many differences in opinion about what to save, what to bulldoze and what animals are becoming endangered. So how can we save ourselves from the fiery feuds and uprisings regarding this subject? Well, for starters, if there’s no environment to live in, people won’t have too much to complain about or attempt to save. .
Calling all applicants! The Lodge at Chaa Creek is pleased to announce the opening for our 2012 Summer Camp application process.
I want to be an eco kid because I love nature and would like to help protect the rainforest. When I visit the rainforest, the shade from the canopy of trees refreshes me, the smell of green trees relaxes me and the songs of the birds inspire me. I hope and pray that I might find and follow a jaguar’s paw prints on a trail or I may look up high above and see an owl staring back at me. I am lucky to have seen soldier ants carrying leaves to build their homes, pigs grunting by and howler monkeys hanging on tree branches, sounding like thunder. It’s amazing how the rainforest makes such a positive impact on little me.
One of the interesting oddities of nature is undoubtedly the sheep frog’s ability to confuse those in its surroundings into thinking there is a different animal in its surroundings by making an unusual sound (a sheep like bleat) not particular to its own species (as croaking is the norm for its amphibious cousins). So when you are walking through the tropical rainforests of Belize and hear what sounds like a sheep in the middle of the forest watch your step because you do not want to step on this wonderful oddity of nature.
The 2012 summer holidays present a rare opportunity to learn about ancient Maya culture and history in the Heartland of the Maya, a noted Belizean anthropologist said. The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s resident Mayanist, anthropologist Joe Awe, said 2012 is an exciting time not only for the Maya people of Belize, but for archaeologists, anthropologists, Maya healers, academics and professionals from around the world, and this created rare opportunities for tourists interested in Maya culture.
The Cycad (Cycas siamensis) is a short plant that looks like a palm with a swollen base, short trunk and an attractive large crown with hard, stiff evergreen leaves. The Cycad is originally from Thailand, formerly the Kingdom of Siam, from where its name is derived.
Friday afternoon was jittering with excitement at our Reservations Office because Lloyd Alvarez, Chaa Creek’s Reservations Administrator was honored with the 2012 “Magnum Belize” Outstanding Service Award.
The article highlighted eco lodges from ten countries: USA, Costa Rica, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Kenya, Czech Republic and of course Belize.
CNN International has named the Great Blue Hole of Belize a top diving site in the world. According to the Belize Tourism Board, the famous Blue Hole is being recognized as the seventh best spot among fifty locations in a story written by Jade Bremmer.
In Belize, Easter is celebrated with family and friends over an extended weekend as everyone looks forward to one of the year’s favorite sporting events, the Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic!
One can only truly enjoy the plumeria’s full splendor in person within its native habitat. In Belize one is delightfully surprised by these beautiful flowers as your senses become aware and heightened by the plumeria’s unique aroma lingering through the air within the lush green rainforest.
Marriage is an adventure, and your honeymoon should be, too. If the idea of a honeymoon filled with romantic dinners and couples massages sounds like an unwelcome prospect, then planning a honeymoon in the Caribbean country of Belize may just be for you. Sure, there is plenty of opportunity to take advantage of romance in Belize, but what the country is really known for is its abundance of eco-centered attractions and adventurous activities. Start your marriage off on the right foot by filling your first days as a married couple with activities that will keep you busy, inspired, and excited.
The Kinkajou can be found in the Americas with its habitat spanning from northern Mexico to the south of Brazil, nearly half the continent. It is also commonly referred to as the Honey Bear, night walker or Potto.
Peter Lourie, in his book “The Mystery of the Maya: Uncovering the lost city of Palenque” mentions these creatures as well. “Hearing the roar of howlers and the whine of cicadas in the long, hot jungle afternoons in Chiapas, Mexico, is an important part of my research into the ancient Maya civilization,” he says.
A team of scientists from Belize have succesfully harvested electricity from squid. The invertebrates have been discharging enough bioelectricity to run the lighting and air-conditioning units at the research centre on Glover’s Reef Caye on the Caribbean coast.
The deer dance is a Maya custom that depicts a scene from around the time of the Spanish conquest. Participants wear masks and costumes that resemble two Europeans and several animals. The dance begins as one of the Europeans sees an animal in the forest…
The Stemadenia donnel smithi, has a magnetic draw. Not only does the sweet nectar of its large yellow flowers attract butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and bees but its fruits also draw over 22 species of birds (including toucans and woodpeckers) and small mammals such as kinkajous, squirrels, and even monkeys.
Probably the most interesting species to note is the homo sapiens sapiens…
Are you looking for a unique vacation spot this year – a place that offers you plenty of opportunities for R&R while also giving you the chance to appreciate Mother Earth? You’re not alone. Ecotourism is becoming more popular, as it allows travelers to enjoy a pristine area of the world while fostering a respect for other cultures and for the environment. For many of these travelers, the country of Belize tops the list of places to visit.
This year’s Maya Spring Equinox celebrations at Chaa Creek included a riveting presentation by Dr. Rosita Arvigo on her thirteen year apprenticeship with Don Elijio Panti. Don Elijio Panti was a wise and humorous Maya healer who left an extraordinary legacy in his small village of San Antonio, the country of Belize, the Americas and even across the globe.
This year’s Maya Spring Equinox celebrations atCaracol, Belize’s premier Maya archaeological site were a fitting kick-off to the 2012 equinox and solstice calendar, Chaa Creek’s Larry Waight said.
On Wednesday March 21st was the spring equinox in the final year of the current cycle of the Maya long count calendar, which ends on December 21, 2012. To commemorate the ending of the 13th Baktun, as it is called, the Institute of Archaeology hosted a night of camping, cultural presentations and history at the ancient Mayan city-state of Caracol in the Cayo District.
In January of this year, the BTB was proud to share with you that Trip Advisor, the world’s largest internet travel website, had ranked various hotels in Belize as some of the top 25 hotels in the world.
“The Spring Equinox has always been a tremendously important event for the Maya of Belize, and with March 20 heralding the last Spring Equinox before the completion of one of humankind’s longest recorded cycles, the 13th Bak’tun of the Maya Long Count, the celebrations take on even greater significance,” Chaa Creek owner Lucy Fleming said as she announced the eco resort’s Spring Equinox 2012 activities today.
A recent Fox News television broadcast highlighting Belize as one of a few selected international tourism hotspots shows that North Americans needn’t travel far to visit one of the world’s best vacation destinations, according to The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s Larry Waight.
The 15th annual La Ruta Maya River Challenge, held between the 9th and 12th of March and one of the world’s longest canoe races, replicates an ancient Maya river trade network through the rainforests of Belize to the Caribbean seacoast and is capturing a larger audience this year due to global interest in the 2012 Maya “prophecies”, according to one long time participant.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek, which has been promoting environmental sustainability in Belize for over 30 years, has been a long-time supporter and enthusiastic participant in La Ruta Maya. So passionate, in fact, that owners Mick and Lucy Fleming sent a staff member to Canada to learn canoe building from Ted Moores, a master canoe builder of Bear Mountain Workshop in Ontario, and now produce their own handmade timber canoes.
Queen Elizabeth II christened the QE2 in 1967 with a bottle of champagne. When Prince Harry christened the Jubilee last week, named in honour of his grandmother’s Diamond Jubilee, or 60th anniversary of occupying the throne, he used a bottle of beer, according to the canoe’s builder, Chaa Creek owner Mick Fleming.
Prince Harry enjoyed both his stay at The Lodge at Chaa Creek and the real life rags-to-riches story about how his fellow countrymen turned an overgrown little farm on the banks of a then remote part of Belize into a 365 acre luxury eco-resort fit for, well…
Prince Harry was as comfortable climbing Xuntunantich as he was participating in some of the indigenous cultural dance. Certainly one of the highlights of his tour of Belize, His Royal Highness also sampled fine Belizean cuisine and even their prized libations.
The following letter was written to the Governor General and the People of Belize by Prince Harry while en route to The Bahamas: