There are perks and cons of traveling with someone who refuses to face the camera or be behind it. Solo traveling had helped me get rid of embarrassments, and do things like asking random strangers to take “candid” pictures of me, or set up a tripod in the middle of nowhere to get clicks and check and repeat till I get a satisfactory shot. However, when traveling with someone, you, unwillingly, bend some of these rules to avoid arguments from spoiling your day. Unfortunately for me, my best travel companions are the ones who detest my DSLR and GoPro and iPhone. So I have just learnt to carry the extra baggage in my bagpack instead of carefully stacking them up for later fights.
Naturally you might not see a lot of pictures in this blog post. But I promise the visual imagery through words will compensate for the lack of visual delights. Or so I hope.
For an impulsive person checking flight prices every other day, it’s quite easy to locate a dip, and book tickets impromptu to another country, as long as she gets to have her fresh air outside the morose town of Baltimore. So that’s how Belize happened to me – one fine day, when the heat got to me, and I decided to visit a tropical country to get more stamps on my passport and utilise the most of my time (visa) in the States. As for the partner, it’s pretty easy to fool guys by luring them with your company convince guys.
I am a meticulous researcher when it comes to seeking remote places and offbeat experiences. I am also one who doesn’t do all the bookings in advance, hoping to make puppy eyes and seek shelter in the worst case scenario. I am still not sure which of the two makes people not want to travel with me, but I have only benefitted from that attitude. This time around, however, the 1 USD = 2 BZD conversion rate made me look for other options. So shrewd as I am, I convinced a guy to visit a Mayan village that takes 6+ hours from Belize City, depriving him of all the bikini-clad bodies and abundant alcohol he could have enjoyed at Caye Caulkner or any of the northern parts of Belize.
Welcome to Aguacate
– the hidden village in the forgotten district of Toledo, the place where there’s just 2 buses every week from the nearest town, the place where options of hitchhiking are just as dim as the lightbulbs hanging in the households, the place where the absence of network only helps you connect more with people.
When we got off the chicken bus at the junction, no car was waiting for us as we had expected. But soon enough, some guys on their cycles came to our rescue, and 45 minutes later, we boarded a village bus with Louis, our point of contact, headed to this remote paradise. Now, there’s a secret formula to good food. The number of Granola bars you consume is indirectly proportional to how delicious the next meal will taste. So, when we got greeted with some chicken and rice at Louis’ humble abode, I couldn’t hold back my glee or hunger, and devoured the rice not keeping track of the calories, unlike my very health-conscious friend.
So, what can you do in Aguacate?
Nothing.
Because when you don’t chalk out every footstep, you can free yourself from the burden of expectations and let the unexpected pleasantly surprise you. Just like that, you can find yourself in an utopia – a place so different and cut-off from the outside world that you’d want to protect it even from yourself. This small Qeqchi-Mayan village has not more than 500 simple, humble folks who will reinstate your faith in humanity and try to look after you even if they have a hard time fending for themselves. They smile back at you and laugh out loud, and welcome you into their hearts as easily as they welcome you into their homes. There isn’t a lot to do or see around, but if you look deep enough, you might find that innocent child hidden somewhere, waiting to break free.
Now, what can possibly happen when you do nothing?
- When you do nothing but seat on the plastic chairs hastily put up for you, enjoying the light breeze that is a refreshing relief from the burning afternoon heat, Marcos will come and tell you of his extensive dreams, which made him return to the Baptist Church. He would curiously ask if you are married, and you can humour him by saying you just ran away from home to do that. What might follow is his personal story of meeting his wife, and a loving smile which will make you want to believe in unconditional love all over again.
- When you do nothing but ask Armin about his school and hobbies, he will shyly invite you to go to the river with him for a dip. If you’re not foolish enough to wear slippers, you can avoid getting stuck on the muddy track every other step and match his pace and energy to cool yourself off! You’ll find a sweet spot where you can lie down on the rockbed to see nothing but the bright blue sky and hear nothing but the peaceful sound of water as it gushes down the rocks through your hair and flows out through the gaps of your fingers. You might be joined by the young boys of the village, who will take you on top of rocks to dive right into the water and get rid of your fears. If you’re unlucky, you’ll be asked to play a game and test your swimming skills, in which you’ll miserably fail to chase Armin or Ilahi. If you’re lucky, you’ll be invited to his birthday which I will be unlucky enough to miss (on 28th August).
- When you do nothing but wait for a car to hitchhike, you’ll be invited to a small party at the Village Chairman’s house, where there will be dozens of Belikin beers, a guitar and drum to play some good old country songs and ample jokes to brighten up your night. You wonder if chancing upon this village was a miracle or coincidence, and just then Henry will tell you how his horse, Chancy Ponty brought him accidentally to Aguacate and he never left after that. As you walk back to your homestay down the moonlit village road, tipsy from the night, you can feel a wave of gratefulness for these simple joys of life.
- When you do nothing but casually ask for suggestions, you will be taken to the Sinkhole and asked to return for a tour of other caves. You will teach your adamant friend how to hitchhike to avoid getting burnt under the Sun, and take pride in your petite figure that helps you get through narrow crevaces. It’s amazing how, no matter how many times you have seen something, placing it in a different setting never ceases to wonder you. Same goes for the stalactites and stalagmites you will encounter inside this 60 ft deep sinkhole, also containing some remnants of earthern pottery used by ancient Mayans. If you’re like me, you can stray away from others to enjoy a little peace as the pitter-patter of the rains outside echo inside the cave and you inhale the sweet aroma of freshly soaked earth.
- When you do nothing, you’ll be treated to the BEST beans you can have, and as my friend said, “These beans made me realise I can have emotions. It makes me cry, it’s so good!” If that isn’t enough, you’ll suddenly be brought cacao mixed with (boiled) water (perks of traveling with first world country citizens) in a traditional hard shell (Please someone help me recollect the name of this) as a farewell gift. No matter how many bracelets or souveniors you buy to help them financially, none will be enough to repay this immense kindness. And then, when the morning bus makes its bi-weekly round at 5.30 in the morning, and you look back for the last time at the thatched roofs and sleepy mountains, you can feel a familiar sensation of leaving home all over again.
NOTE: I want to be honest about travel experiences to anybody who is reading this. Although everything I have penned down is true to its last word, later, much to my disappointment, I have come across some disturbing facts. But when you peel off layers, there isn’t any guarantee that it gets better. Things that are simple on the surface may not be so. I want more people to come and help these folks out economically and help themselves emotionally. However, please ensure that your money reaches the right hands – to the ones who need it the most, and who make you love the world a bit more.
Very well written, dear Mom!
Thank you!
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Thanks, Gonzalo Henning for mealsnboons.com