Indigenous Experience (see above).

San Pedro Colombia: This small Kekchi and Mestizo village is famous for its Kekchi embroidery. San Pedro must be close to God because there are seven different churches in this village of 150 families. To get there from Punta Gorda, drive west for 1.5 mi. past the Shell station at the junction with the Southern Highway, then turn right down an unmarked road. San Pedro Columbia is 2 miles ahead. If you have no car, you must hitch or take a bus (San Antonio bus) along the Southern Highway and get off at the junction for San Pedro Columbia which will be on your right. You'll know you're entering the village when you cross an iron grating set into the road.

Lubaantun: Translating as 'Place of the Fallen Stones' - which is the modern but not the original name - this is the foremost Maya archaeological site in the nation's south. A major Late Classic ceremonial center, the site sits poised on a tall ridge near San Pedro Columbia which the Mayans leveled offŃbuilding up to form a roughly rectangular shape, about 300 yards long by 160 yards wide, featuring square courts surrounded by pyramids once topped off by thatch buildings. Constructed upon a core of rocks, smaller stones, and layers of earth, the structures were faced with hard crystalline limestone blocks which resembled marble when viewed from a distance. What makes the the site unusual is that there are no stone buildings set on platforms or pyramids, very little stone sculpture, and no stelae. It is thought that decoration was done in wood. From its highest structure you can just barely see the Caribbean more than 19 miles away. The layout includes 11 major structures grouped around five main plazas and three ball courts. The entire site is essentially one temple complex. Unlike other Maya temples, no mortar is used. Rather than leveling off the site, the Maya systematically shaped and added fill to the slopes, and the tallest structure rises to 40 feet. The site is crumbling badly in the aftermath of too many visitors scampering to the top for a view. There isn't much to see here, but the serenity and ambience - augmented by the whir of cicadas and the crisp crackles of birds and the haunting rattle of a boring woodpecker - is wonderful. Keel-billed toucans and brocket deer frequently visit the ruins late in the afternoon.

Getting here: To get here, make the first right after the village church, then proceed down the clay and gravel road, turning left when you see the sign, about 20 minutes from the village in all.

History: Lubaantun apparently was occupied only briefly near the end of the Classic Period between 730-890 A.D. It is believed that cacao was used to trade for the imported objects (jade, obsidian, and lava) found at the siteŃa thesis which the excavation of a ceramic musician wearing a cacao-pod pendant in 1970 supports. The site first came to attention when it was uncovered by members of the Toledo settlement in 1875, and it was first excavated by Thomas Gann in 1903. Harvard University's R. E. Merwin visited the site in 1915. Taking the first photos, he spirited away three carved ball court markers (each depicting two men playing the game) to the Peabody Museum. Another of the men who worked here was the famous archaeologist J. Eric S. Thompson in 1926-27 under the sponsorship of the British Museum. As Pusilha, 30 mile to the southwest, seemed to be more interesting, the British Museum expedition virtually abandoned this site during the late 1920s. In 1970 a group of Cambridge archaeologists and geologists under the leadership of Norman Hammond continued to excavate the site, finding it to be larger than originally thought - a surprising discovery in light of the fact that it was in use only from approximately A.D. 700-889 or possibly as short a time as A.D. 730-750. Although the stone was quarried locally, smaller objects such as blades and axes where imported. Some stone carvings have been found on ball court markers and on walls.

The crystal skull: The site's most controversial find is a crystal skull unearthed by Anna Mitchell-Hedges, daughter of expedition leader and Atlantis researcher F.A. Mitchell-Hedges. Coincidentally or not, she found the skull on her 17th birthday. Its origins are uncertain, but all agree is is a remarkable piece of work. A similar skull is found in the Mus é e de l'Homme in Paris. Today the crystal skull abides with Anna in Ontario, Canada. For a rather zany view of the crystal skull, written by New Age folk in Marin County, CA, read The Message of the Crystal Skull. Note that it has Lubaantun situated incorrectly on its Belize map!

Practicalities: The site is open 8-5. The caretaker may or may not be present. Admission is free. In terms of ambience, the best times to visit are definitely dawn and dusk. There's nowhere to stay directly at the site, but it might be possible to camp. Or you can stay at Fallen Stones Butterfly Ranch and Lodge, which is nearby (see below), or in San Pedro as part of the Indigenous Experience or at the Village Guesthouse which will afford you a bit more privacy (see above).

Fallen Stones Butterfly Ranch: A roller coaster of a road leads up about a mile from the entrance to Lubaantun ruins to Toledo's most remarkable lodge, one notable for its views, wildlife, and overall tasteful ambience. It is the product of one man's vision.

Fauna: Right around the vicinity of the farm you can see magnificent blue morpho butterflies and the lesser-known but nonetheless spectacular white morpho resides some 4 miles away. There are also three species of owl butterfly as well as a number of heliconids. All three of Belize's toucan species are here as are hummingbirds and other flying wonders. You might see an agouti come right up on the property feasting on coconut chunks, and jaguar tracks may be seen on nearby trails. There are also a couple of nests of the stingless Maya bees which each produce about a pound of honey per year. Mozzies can be fierce here.

The butterfly farm: Outside visitors may pay US$1.50 to visit the butterfly farm, one of the best of its type in Central America. Owner Ray Halberd's been interested in butterflies since he was eight, but his employment in tropical agriculture kept him busy over the decades and it is only in recent years that his long-held dream of operating a butterfly farm has come to pass. Ray operated a butterfly farm in the Philippines (on the island of Panai in Iloilo city) until one day when seven gunmen showed up with the intention of kidnapping him for ransom. Luckily, he was not on the farm that day. After that "I wasn't very keen to go back and stay there." The kidnappers were eventually apprehended: "One was shot dead while resisting arrest, and the others are languishing in jail."

There are two rooms filled with eight different species of butterflies. As the butterflies have a tiled roof over their heads while Ray himself lives under a thatched roof, his workers consider him to be 'a bit deranged.' The farm's highlight are its blue morphos which live only about 12 days but spend their days filling the world with color. There will be some 4-5,000 blue morpho caterpillars in total when the farm is fully operational. The eggs resemble little drops of water. As it's difficult to tell the dew drops apart from the eggs in the morning, it's probably a technique used for camouflage purposes. Every butterfly has a different colored pupae; some are jade green. You might see a newly-hatched one hanging on its pupae. You'll note that the resting blue morphos resemble the owl butterflies except that the eye is not so large. In flight it goes from something expertly camouflaged to something frighteningly bright. Each of the passion flowers found inside the enclosures caters to a different species - sort of like jocks choosing their brand of beer.

Eventually, 600 pupae of 35 species will be exported to Europe and the US every week which should bring in a US$1,500 gross. However, the process is extremely labor intensive, and the pupae must be transported by courier, so this cuts down on the profitability. The lodge is intended to help support the butterfly ranch. Ray's intent is to turn the area around the lodge into a breeding ground for butterflies through clearing an area for them and by enriching the natural vegetation with food and nectar plant sources.

Practicalities: The cabins are a combination of Kekchi and European-design elements. You can sit on your porch and view the Columbia and Maya Mountain reserves: only a vast expanse of jungle stands between you and San Ignacio. (The scenery is dramatic: A shot taken from one of the cabins is the center-piece two-page spread in the recently-published Insight Guide to Belize.) There are seven rooms in all; some can accommodate up to four. Solar power provides light and operates a fan, and shower water is heated via individual heaters. Food is imaginative and surprisingly well prepared; vegetarians can be catered to. Meals are loosely based on Maya cooking, but an international dish (such as a West African peanut stew) is served for Sunday lunch. Repasts are served in the cozy restaurant and bar as well as the open-air restaurant which commands a view of the village of Columbia village. Like the driveway to Fallen Stones, rates are fairly steep (but this is a unique spot): US$150 double, including all meals, plus US$5 per person service charge plus government tax of 7%; room only US$110 double plus service and tax. US$50 one-way is charged for transport to or from PG for one to three. For more information write P.O. Box 23, Punta Gorda. In PG itself contact Alistair King (501-7-2126, 501-7-2104) at the Texaco Station at the north edge of town.

Belize Agroforestry Research Center: This remarkable farm is just a short walk from the ruins. Take the path left to the river and then along a path and under a barbed wire fence. Pre- and post- Hispanic Maya agriculture are practiced here. Crops grown include corn, bok choi, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, coffee, and cacao. Fruits include pineapple and carambola. In an attempt to revolutionize permaculture in the area, various techniques are under R&D. For example Lucena trees (the Latin name for a type of legume) are planted on slopes, girded, and allowed to die on top. Wingbean, jicama, and flying potato are planted and harvested; their leaves serve as mulch. Eventually, the tree is cut down, and the girdle is used for firewood or left in place as a natural terrace; meanwhile, new sprouts have started under the girdle. Also on the property are beehives and small Maya ruins on hilltops.

History: The brainchild of environmental activist/attorney Don Wirtshafter and horticulturalist Mark Cohen, this innovative project began in the 1980s. Surveying the area in 1980, Wirtshafter brought back enthusiastic reports which piqued Cohen's enthusiasm. Seeing the potential for a tropical field station in the area, Cohen began to look for a site. The current property was originally leased from former Peace Corps volunteer Russell Turner who had lived on the parcel before returning to the States. He agreed to lease the land to them in 1988 along with an option to purchase for US$10,000. The Tropical Conservation Foundation was created in order to fund the purchase, and the Belize Agroforestry Research Center was formed as a separate Belizean entity to supervise the property. After finally securing the needed funds in February 1990, the Tropical Conservation Foundation became the official titleholder of 147 acres. Despite the name, there is no official government involvement in the project, and there is still little to no involvement of Belizean farmers in the area. Anyone with a serious interest in tropical agriculture is welcome to come for a visit or stay for a day or two. A US$10 donation per night is requested along with an additional donation for food. If no one else is around see Doles, the Belizean caretaker. For more information write the Tropical Conservation Foundation, 14 N. Court St., Athens, OH 45701

San Antonio: There are a few shops and not much else here. You might see some women, members of an obscure Christian sect, wearing head shawls. An unusual feature of the town is the stone church and mission house. When the original San Antonians arrived in 1886 they brought with them their patron saint San Luis and bells along with images of the saints from their original village. Locals from San Luis Petˇ n arrived to claim their goods but were rebuffed. Shortly thereafter, the church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground; only the bells survived the fire. Both the school and church were built of hand- quarried stone. Its stained glass windows were a last minute thoughtŃprocured when a member of the Order, walking down a street in St. Louis Missouri, had come upon a church being demolished. He persuaded the demolition company to donate them, collected donations for shipping, and they have been in place ever since.

History: San Antonio's residents emigrated from the Petˇ n. One of the more amusing incidents in the history of Guatemala's claim of Belize took place in January 1962 when Francisco Sagastume, a political opponent of President Yd’ goras (who had staged a similarly unsuccessful 'liberation mission' to Benque Viejo in 1958), arrived in town. Having already announced in the border village of Pueblo Viejo that liberation was at hand, and having burnt photographs of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh along with a Union Jack to dramatize the declaration, he encountered hostility from the locals whose ancestors had fled from Guatemala three generations before. Proceeding to PG, the band was arrested and sentenced at Stann Creek to 10 years of hard labor. This was the last Guatemalan attempt at "liberation."

Practicalities: Stay at low-budget Bol's Hilltop Hotel which has basic but clean rooms with fans. The village pay telephone is at the Bee Cooperative behind Bol's. There's no nightlife to speak of except for a bar or two. The village now has 24-hour electricity.

Festivals and events: At Easter, sporting a brown masked-face and smoking a pipe a scarecrow-like Judas is hung in back of the church on Holy Thursday at around 10 a.m. and executed by a firing squad on Holy Saturday evening after mass. Costumed young men perform dances at fiestas, such as the one which takes place around June 13. A recently revived deer dance takes place each September 25. The festival commences with an all night vigil nine days before during which the masks and costumes are wreathed in incense and offered food. The story of a hunter-and-deer told to the accompaniment of marimba music, the deer dance is high melodrama. As part of the celebrations, a pole is greased and a prize (usually money) is set atop it. Three men compete to climb it.

Getting there: Chun's buses run from Punta Gorda's Civic Center daily at 4 p.m. and return at 5 a.m. To get here from Lubaantun, drive to the road leading from Punta Gorda, turn west for about 2 miles, and then turn right at the junction for 2 miles. The village's founders came from the Guatemalan village of San Luis which is just across the border.

Uxbenka: A small ceremonial center 'discovered' in 1984, Uxbenka is situated just 9 miles east of the Guatemalan border in the foothills of the Toledo District located beyond San Antonio near Santa Cruz. Reposited here are over 20 stelae, one of which dates back to the Early Classic Period. As is typical in the area, the hills have been terraced and faced so that they resemble large buildings. Its name (Ancient Place) was given to the site by residents of Santa Cruz. On site, you'll find two terraces with erosion- erased stelae sheltered underneath thatched pavilions. All in all, there's not much to see, but the refreshing breeze and views are great.

Getting there: Although some trucks do pass on Saturday, the only assured way of getting here - unless you have your own vehicle or charter - is to make the long, hot 4-mile hike along the rock-strewn dirt road. (Watch out for ticks if you sit down!) Turn to the right just before the village to find the entrance road to the site. The site's caretaker lives at the edge of Santa Cruz and may or may not be at the scene to dispense tickets.

R’ o Blanco Santa Elena Nature Reserve: Set 3 miles west of Santa Elena, this 500-acre expanse was declared a reserve in 1993. It is known as as ŅSanta Elena Falls' after its waterfall. A proposal to increase the reserve's size to 25,000 acres is under consideration.

Blue Creek Caves: Infrequently visited, this cave and stream combination is out of the way but worth it. To get here return to the junction (marked by Roy's Cool Spot Grocery), and then follow the sign to Aguacate. Blue Creek is 5 miles farther, past Blue Creek Village; its entrance is marked by a narrow concrete bridge. Sign the register and follow the trail upstream to an open sided structure where there's a swimming spot. From there take the path along the water which continues along a creek. The creek dries up during the dry season. The trail crosses the smaller creek and then wends through an area with a lot of boulders. After 15 minutes, you must climb up to a canyon which leads to the Hokeb Ha cave entrance. An entrepreneur has leased the land from the government, built some caba– as, and declared the area to be the 'Blue Creek Wildlife Sanctuary,' a designation which has no legal status. He is requesting a US$1 donation which is given to the village towards trail maintenance. In 1994, the controversial 'Jason Project' was based here and on South Water Caye. Using grants from the U.S. Department of Education and large corporations (including at least one defense contractor) wishing to clean up their image, it brought a number of 'argonauts,' U.S. schoolchildren, to Belize to participate in research. Broadcasts were beamed to the U.S. Although the enterprise did help to put Belize on the map, there was little Belizean involvement, and it seemed at times as though Belize was a convenient exotic background with a catchy name instead of a real place with real people and real problems. One lasting legacy of the project is the canopy observation system which is accessed via a 100- foot tower.

Pusilh‡ : About 1 mile east of the Guatemalan border, these low-lying ruins, built on a hilltop along the river, can be reached only by boat. There are more than 20 carved monuments in the plaza. Some are zoomorphs similar to those found at Quirigu‡ . They date from the 6th to 8th C. A.D. There's also a ball court which is surrounded by walls.

Barranco: Belize's southernmost settlement, this small Garinagu village (tel. 501-7-22138) of around 200 can be reached by boat (ask near the market) and by a bad road during the dry season. Its name ('Red Cliffs' in Garifuna) refers to the cliffs it sits atop. Founded in 1862, today the village has a decreasing population. There's no formal accommodation, but it's possible to stay with locals. Arrangements can either be made on your own or through the TEA. While here be sure to meet Carlson Tuttle who is working to revitalize Garinagu culture; he has an excellent library. Howler monkeys are found near the village as are mangroves. The uninhabited Moho River is set between here and PG.

Sarstoon-Temash Nature Reserve: This 80,000-acre tract covers the area surrounding the mouth of the Temash River. It is a haven for waterfowl and may be reached by boat from PG. The Kekch’ Maya village of Dolores may be reached by taking a boat upriver to Crique Sarco and then proceeding on foot.

Offshore Cayes: Located near the mouth of the Deep River, Wild Cane Caye has mounds and artifacts belonging to the Mayas. Earthwatch has conducted research expeditions here under the direction of Dr. Heather McKillop of Louisiana State University. The Sapodilla Cayes, a set of cayes running down to Honduras, is one of your best bets for snorkeling. Nicholas Caye has been developed for tourism. Its vegetation has been trimmed and caba– as constructed. It will become the Toucan Island Resort. Set to the southwest of Nicholas Cay, Hunting Caye has a base for the Belizean Defence Force. It has the remains of a ship (as well as an enormous ancient anchor, overgrown by coral) in the depths off of a nearby reef lying to the southeast. It has both a lighthouse and a good harbor as well as Crescent Moon, a lovely beach. If you visit here be cautious: It is a nesting ground for hawksbill turtles and too much activity could prove disruptive. Lime Caye (Low Caye) is another beautiful island. It receives tour groups from Livingston. Also known as Sapodilla Caye and South Caye, Ragged Caye is the southernmost link in the chain. Although largely denuded by tropical storms, it is an excellent snorkeling spot. There is good diving around all of these cayes.

Harry Pariser, who lives in San Francisco, is a world traveler. He is author of Adventure Guide to Belize (from which this article is adapted and excerpted), Adventure Guide to Costa Rica, and several guides to the Caribbean, all published by Hunter.

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