MADAME XHALES IN CAYO DISTRICT, BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA

in Cayo District, Belize, Central America

By Regina Lynch-Hudson Photography by Courtland Bivens III

Paradise unfolds in Western Belize with its lush rainforest, rushing waterfalls, captivating caves and medicinal lands dotted with oranges, ponderosa lemons, bananas and an array of healing plants. Cayo District is Belize's largest district, bordering Guatemala, and hails as the country’s premier territory for unparalleled adventure. The rustic settlement of San Ignacio is the nearby stopover for vacationers, commonly accessible by canoe─if you choose to move about like the locals. And we did! Culturally, Cayo is comprised of a colorful melting pot of ethnicities─ Mestizos people of mixed Mayan and Spanish descent, along with Mennonite, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian, Chinese, Lebanese─and expats from around the globe.

No sabbatical compares to being secluded in a thatched roof jungle hideaway— nestled on a private 400-acre nature reserve set along the banks of the Macal River in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. Chaa Creek, rated one of the world’s top eco-lodges, offers an exclusive rainforest experience ─ thick with wild, tropical scents of exotic vegetation and the sounds of a diversity of animals and birds—Mother Nature at her finest.

AND Belize’s population density of only about 45.4 humans per square mile—one of the lowest population densities in the world, guarantees solitude! Belize is the most sparsely populated country in Central America. www.chaacreek.com network— leading us to different areas of Chaa Creek’s magnificent nature reserve. Our binoculars spied howler monkeys, colorful toucans, red-eyed tree frogs, iguanas and other rainforest critters.

Belizean herbalist and naturalist guide, Meshack (a native of Tanzania, named from the Biblical book of Daniel) accompanied me throughout medicinal trails, to identify healing flora on the grounds of the sprawling rainforest property. Meshack took particular interest in a custom designed pendant that I wore, depicting my great-greatgrandmother, Mary Louisa Stepp Burnette Hayden, an early herbalist-healer in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Her spirit was present as Belize’s rainforest unfurled, showcasing trees, shrubs and vines, traditionally used for medicinal purposes. Belize’s “Bush medicine” dates back to the era of ancient Maya, who relied

The drive into dense rainforest on backwoods nature safari in a rugged four-wheel drive jeep is an off-the-beaten path journey best conquered by thrill-seeking explorers. Guided treks unfolded a picturesque trail

on the rainforest for life sustaining cures and survival.

On other days, I soared like an acrobatic butterfly owning the sky, in the company of knowledgeable Meshack, who also turned out to be a proficient Butterfly Whisperer.

I have maneuvered countless waterways—from canoeing Vietnam’s famed Mekong Delta to touring Tokyo Bay in Japan, to cruising on a motorboat in the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey and floating along the Grand Canal in a gondola in Venice, Italy. Nothing tops Belize’s mesmerizing Barton Creek Cave, which was recently included on a list of nine of the world’s most beautiful and unusual cave destinations. The cave remains an important site for archaeologists. Another archeological marvel was my trek to Xunantunich or “Maiden of the Rock,” a major ceremonial site in Belize. One of Xunantunich's better known structures is the breathtaking pyramid known as "El Castillo," one of the tallest structures in Belize.

Veteran publicist and luxury lifestyle experience-aholic, Regina Lynch-Hudson, pens MadameXhales, slated towards the vintage woman who enjoys more time to travel, indulges in longer trips, and selects more extravagant travel accommodations. The exacting taste of MadameXhales finds her exploring destinations, cruises, resorts, spas, and extracurricular activities—where like-minded Xhalers have experienced inner-exhilaration! © Contact MadameXhales: thewritepublicist@earthlink.net