Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 226

pyramidal temples, ball courts and glyphs. But the
modern Maya, the descendants of those mighty
jungle civilizations, are for the most part a people
forgotten: in the Toledo district of Belize, for
example, they comprise over half the population
but four-fifths of them lie below the poverty line.
One programme in particular has sought
to encourage tourism to the Mayan villages
of southern Belize, giving them a chance to
bolster their livelihoods. The Toledo Ecotourism
Association (TEA) is managed by the
participating Mayan communities - who elect
their own chairman, treasurer and secretary
every two years - and enables visitors to live in
a purpose-built wooden lodge with eight bunk
beds in the heart of each village. Guests take
each of their meals in a villager's house, usually
squatting around the comal (heated iron plate)
with the kids, while mum cooks up a mix of
tortillas, black beans, okra, avocado or chicken
in caldo (a type of stew). Many of the Maya here
speak English and are often happy to chat about
their lives while you eat.
During the day there are plenty of guided
activities to choose from, all led by villagers:
tours of the village itself, of milpas (crop plots),
of the jungle or of nearby ruins and caves; canoe
trips; horse-riding excursions; birdwatching
trips or craft-making demonstrations. It's a win-
win situation: your guides know the area and
culture intimately and eighty percent of your
fees go direct to the village, with some retained
for admin and to finance a communal fund for
healthcare and education projects.
A five-star experience this is not - facilities
in the villages are basic and you'll probably
encounter a scorpion or spider - but this is
tourism with the tour operator stripped out: you
can spend your time with the Maya how you like.
And as you swing in the hammock while the sun
recedes over the village, and two excited children
scamper up to you to tell you that dinner's ready
for you, jungle life can feel pretty good.

to visit (they host by rotation); all are accessible
by public bus from the town. Accommodation plus
three meals should cost around US$23 per day;
activities are extra. It's a good idea to bring a torch,
toilet roll, mosquito repellent and hiking boots. For
further info and to arrange an itinerary see W www.
southernbelize.com/tea.html or W www.plenty.
org/mayan-ecotours/index.html; E teabelize@yahoo.
com; T [phone].

(Clockwise from top left)
Picking coconuts for an
afternoon thirst-quencher;
Villager cutting sugar cane in
his milpa; Santa Elena village

Need to know The TEA office is in the BTIA
Information Center on Front Street in Punta
Gorda, where you'll be advised on which village