TRAVELOGS | Introduction

2 Spotlight 6|11

BritishCentral America

nizes Elizabeth II of Britain as queen andsees its wild tropical beauty as its wealth.

In Belize, you will find the world’s largestjaguar reserve and one of the most extensiveconcentrations of ancient Mayan ruins.ere are mysterious caves and tropicalforests, and near the coast is the world’s second-largest barrier reef — home to theGreat Blue Hole, an underwater cave madefamous by Jacques Cousteau. Sandy islandscalled “cays” (from the Spanish cayo for is-land, and pronounced “keys”) are irresistibleto divers who come to swim with sea turtlesand dolphins while trying to avoid Croco -dylus acutus, the American crocodile.

It is the popular Ambergris Cay that Ichose for my first visit to this country.Known as “the beautiful island”, it was thisbit of land, some say, that Madonna sangabout so lovingly in her 1980s’ holiday-themed hit “La Isla Bonita”. I look forwardto finding out whether the name is justified.

Until recent years, Belize was a well-kept secret, a small, underdevelopedland between Mexico and Guate-

mala. Known as British Honduras when itbecame a British colony in the 1850s, ittook the name Belize in 1973. In 1981,Central America’s only English-speakingcountry gained independence. Since then,with its long, sunny coast on the CaribbeanSea, Belize has become one of the world’sleading ecotourism destinations.

Its population of 320,000 includes agreat variety of people. You may find your-self in the company of Creoles of African-English heritage, Garinagu of African-Caribbackground, or Mestizos, who reflect themarriage of Spanish and Native Americancultures. ere are also the Maya, the Eng-lish and some German Mennonites, as wellas Lebanese, Chinese, East Indians and a fewNorth Americans — all coexisting as Be-lizeans — citizens of a country that recog-

ambergris [(ÄmbEgri:s] grauer Amberancient [(eInSEnt] (ur)alt, antik

barrier reef [)bÄriE (ri:f] Wallriffcave [keIv] Höhle

destination [)destI(neIS&n] (Reise)Zielheritage [(herItIdZ] Erbe, Abstammung

Mennonite [(menEnaIt] Angehörige(r) einer aus den Täuferbewegungen der Re-formationszeit hervorgegan-genen Glaubensgemeinschaft

reserve [ri(z§:v] Reservat, Schutzgebietsea turtle [(si: )t§:t&l] Meeresschildkröte

Fotos: Creatas; iStockphoto (3)

The view from Ambergris Cay, the largest of

Belize’s beautiful islands

Die ehemalige britische Kolonie Belize ist der einzige mittelamerikanischeStaat mit englischer Landessprache. LORI TOBIAS ließ sich von der tropischen Schönheit des Landes sowie seiner exotischen Tier- undPflanzenwelt ober- und unterhalb des Meeres in den Bann ziehen.

cloth [klQT] Tuchconch shell [(kQNk Sel] Muschelhorn

doll [dQl] Puppefloat [flEUt] treiben (→ p. 8)

golf cart [(gQlf kA:t] Golfmobilhead for [hed] Kurs nehmen auf, gehen zuoff to [(Qf tE] ab inschool [sku:l] Schwarm (→ p. 8)

seagull [(si:gVl] Möweshallow [(SÄlEU] seicht, niedrig (→ p. 8)

shark [SA:k] Haishore [SO:] Küste, Ufer (→ p. 8)

splash [splÄS] Planscherwaxy [(wÄksi] wachsartig

9 a.m.Almost everyone gets around Amber-

gris Cay by bike or golf cart. When we stepout into the bright morning sun, though, wekick off our shoes and head for the beach.Our first destination is San Pedro, the townat the heart of the island about two kilome-tres from our hotel, Mata Rocks.

We immediately discover that this is theperfect way to get to know the people andplaces of Ambergris Cay. Our beach walktakes us past colourful diving shops and littlegrass huts offering to rent sailing boats andkayaks. e island takes its name from awaxy substance produced by whales that isvaluable to the cosmetics industry. We do notsee any ambergris on the beaches, but we do

Belizean treasure: the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich, close to the Guatemalan border, and deep tropical rainforests Day one

meet locals who spread their wares on tablesunder palm trees: jewellery made of conchshell and shark bone, as well as beautifulcloths and dolls. Here, you are never far fromthe next palapa hut — an open-air bar witha roof made from palm leaves — where therum punch is always close at hand.

11.30 a.m. We rent a kayak from a man with a

British accent, and off to sea we go. e wa-ters off the cay are protected by the barrierreef, a white line marking the start of the seaa kilometre away. In places, the water is soshallow that you can see the bottom.

We paddle out beyond the docks and intothe open water. Schools of little silver fish passbeneath us. Occasionally we hear a splash andlook just in time to see a fish jump and crashback into the water. Cormorants watch usfrom a pier, while pelicans dive for their din-ner and seagulls race through the sky.

After paddling along the north shore, weturn and head south. Soon, MataRocks comes intoview. We floatto the beachand joinsome of theother guests atthe hotel’s palapa bar, where we orderthe perfect drink for a hot, sunny day— that’s right: rum punch.

Tropical bird:a keel-billed toucan