Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Benque Viejo del Carmen
The last town on the George Price Highway before the Guatemalan border is
BENQUE
VIEJO DEL CARMEN
, eight miles southwest of San Ignacio. Culturally, Belize and
Guatemala merge here with almost equal potency, and Spanish is the dominant
language, despite English street names such as Elizabeth and Victoria. Benque, as it's
usually known, is a pleasant, quiet town, home to many artists, musicians and writers,
that's recently undergone a fascinating cultural revival. Several villagers produce
excellent
wood and slate carvings
which are on sale at Xunantunich.
The actual frontier between Belize and Guatemala lies another 1.5 miles southwest
of central Benque.
Benque House of Culture
64 St Joseph St • Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • Free •
T
823 2697,
W
nichbelize.org
For anyone interested in mestizo
tradition, the
Benque House of Culture
in the old
police station is well worth a visit. Inside are displays of old photos and documents on
the town, as well as logging and
chicle
-gathering equipment, paintings and musical
instruments. Visiting exhibitions, films and local performances take place, and the
managers, the Ruiz brothers, also organize the lively biennial
Festival of Mestizo and
Maya Culture
, held in November. Ask here about another manifestation of local artistic
spirit: the
Poustinia
sculpture park (see below).
Arenal/Mollejon Hydro Road
he unpaved
Arenal/Mollejon Hydro Road
, running south from the middle of Benque,
reaches the Maya-mestizo village of
Arenal
after three miles. This community of
stick-and-thatch houses is neatly bisected by the international boundary, which cuts
right through the middle; there's a football pitch with a goal in each country. Although
the
Mopan River
begins in the Maya Mountains to the south, it enters Arenal from
Guatemala, having started its course by flowing west across the border. Arenal itself is
home to the intriguing
Poustinia Land Art Park
, and also lies en route to the
Chechem
Ha Cave
five miles south.
4
Poustinia Land Art Park
Arenal, 3 miles south of Benque Viejo • Visit by appointment only, through the Benque House of Culture • Bz$20 •
T
823 2697,
W
nichbelize.org
It's hard to imagine a more atmospheric venue for artwork than the extraordinary
Poustinia Land Art Park
. Set in thirty acres of rainforest, and the brainchild of local
architect Luis Ruiz, it holds thirty sculptures by both Belizean and foreign artists, all
exploring and portraying contemporary Belize. It seeks to build awareness of the
natural environment
, reforestation and land beautification following human abuse, and
many sculptures are themselves organic, in time disappearing to be replaced by new
works.
Returned Parquet
, by Tim Davies, is a fine example: reclaimed mahogany
parquet flooring, laid as a path through a forest glade, which will eventually biodegrade
and return to whence it came. Other stimulating works include installations by David
and Luis Ruiz and the schoolchildren of Benque Viejo, and a glass “apparition” door;
even its hinges are glass.
Given its thought-provoking mission, it's hard to see why Poustinia is not better
known. You're likely to have the park to yourself, an opportunity for peaceful reflection
a million miles from a city art gallery. Walking the park is best enjoyed in sunny
weather and at leisure; allow three daylight hours to complete the route, and bring
water. Taxis ply the route from Benque Viejo to Arenal, so transport shouldn't be a
problem unless you're returning late in the day - even then, the one-hour walk back to
town is enjoyable.
