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La Ruta Maya, Burrel Boom Stop 2011
In Belize, there is no shortage of local events and if any traveller desires to fit in perfectly, they must pass the Eat like a Belize local test. Do you think you can pass it?
Every year, La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge takes place for four days and this year, the canoes left San Ignacio early Friday morning on March 4th and arrived in Belize City on Monday March 7th to commemorate Baron Bliss Day which is on March 9th.
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| No Lita Di Riva Banner by S.H.J.C. Environmental Club – Joris Groenendaal, Henrik Palmelund & Tressy Castellanos |
From La Ruta Maya’s inception in 1998, myself along with several friends would usually follow the entire race and have a blast since at every destination stop, there would be many people gathered having fun with a variety of available entertainment. In recent years, for several issues, I had quit following the race but I’m glad this year was different. On Sunday, I along with some friends decided to visit Burrel Boom for an unplanned trip off the beaten path and we weren’t let down.
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| Burrel Boom, Riverbank |
Burrel Boom is La Ruta Maya’s last stop before Belize City and the entertainment there didn’t disappoint. As we arrived near the location, the road leading to the river bank had tons of vehicles parked on both sides and we saw people from all over interacting with each other. This awesome social environment is in fact one of the main reasons why many people gather every year for La Ruta Maya. The Eat like a local 3 step rule follows.
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Eat like a Belize local – 3 step rule.
Have you ever had trouble when lunch time comes around at local events? Whilst in Belize, try the Eat like a local 3 step rule.
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| Pizza for lunch |
Belize Food Rule #1 – Avoid eating tourist food. ( A prime example = Pizza )
Are you actually that addicted to fast food? Try something different, you can have items such as Pizza and McDonalds all year round but who knows when you’ll get to experience another similar local Belize event.
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| Local Restaurateur ( Jenny ) |
Belize Food Rule #2 – To find the most delicious food, look for a restaurant that is crowded with locals.
Who knows best than the people who dine at a particular place the most? Similar to how you know which one of your aunts cooks the best, it is common sense that the locals will gather around the restaurant they love the most.
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| Jenny herself serving up some Rice & Beans, dukunu & venison(whilst in season) |
Belize Food Rule #3 – For a lunch that will make the most memorable experience, be adventurous, choose local!
How will you figure out if you like something if you’re not willing to try it? To use history as a motivator, let’s recall how tomatoes aren’t native to Europe and thanks to culinary explorers, many extraordinary dishes were cultivated. Moral of the story, be spontaneous and who knows, you might discover your next favourite dish.
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What about Entertainment?
If watching the canoes race in isn’t fun enough, you can always find other things to do such as going for a swim, play games, choose your favorite poison or get your grove on dancing to the music beats.
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| Dance to the DJ music jams or try your luck at the gambling table? AND/ OR |
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| Sit back and enjoy the local wines or Belizean beer |
Lorenzo Gonzalez is a recent graduate from Galen University and currently works at the eco-friendly resort – The Lodge at Chaa Creek. He is a Cayo native who has interest in tourism, sustainable development, internet and social media marketing. He maintains an active Twitter and Facebook presence and writes regularly on his blog http://bzpost.blogspot.com on Belize tourism aspects whilst touching base on political and cultural issues.