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Cuddling Puppies and Climbing Temples
“You are from Holland? We are from Holland as well!” Klaas, the Mennonite farmer whose farm we are visiting today, smiles at me after finding out about our common ancestry. We exchange some Dutch words and I am really surprised to find my mother language so far from home. However, we hadn’t come all the way to Spanish Lookout just to exchange some words, we were there to learn more about the Mennonite community in Belize and the way their agricultural industry, which is an integral part of Belize’s economy, works. Klaas had welcomed us to his farm and his family seemed very glad to have us. His daughters immediately took us around the corner of the house to show us their little puppies and of course everyone immediately melted at the sight of those little balls of fluff. Fifteen minutes later, we all gathered around Klaas, some with puppies in their laps, but most with notebooks and pens, to hear his story. Klaas was among the first Mennonites who settled the area of Spanish lookout in 1958, so he has seen the transformation from tropical rainforest to cultivated farmland.
After our interview with Klaas and his family, his daughters wanted to sing the Belizean, Canadian, and American national anthem for us to show what they had learned in school. Everyone sang along and to represent the other nationalities in the conversation we also sang the Dutch national anthem. When John, our TEP coordinator, looked at his watch he was surprised to see that it was already time to leave for San Ignacio again. We thanked Klaas, his wife, and his daughters for their hospitality and before we left I walked around for a little bit to admire the stunning sunset. I love how sunsets look so different in every part of the world, but tonight’s sunset is exceptionally colourful. Looking through the lens of my camera, I think about how photogenic Belize is.
Less than twenty four hours later, I have exactly the same thought as I look through the lens of my camera again, although this time I am not trying to frame the bright orange sunset with the peaceful croplands below, but the mighty Maya city of Xunantonich. Standing on the top of El Castillo, one of the tallest buildings in Belize, we have a panoramic view of San Ignacio and the rainforest surrounding the city. Our guide tells us about the rich cultural history of Belize and I am really glad that we learn about the cultural history as well as the rich contemporary culture in Belize.
With each step I am taking down the stairs of the enormous Maya temple, with each new location we visit in Belize, I fall more in love with the country and I become more certain that I will come back in the future.
Post By: Claudia Rot
Quest University Canada
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