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JOAN AND TED'S EXCELLEMNT ADVENTURE
 Last December we spent several weeks in Belize helping to build a
canoe for La Ruta Maya - a four day race following the ancient Mayan
trading route from the mountains near the Guatemalan border to the
Caribbean coast.
Now in its fourth year, the race is sponsored by local businesses to
promote awareness of the river environment. And it is working!
Interest in paddling and canoe building is growing with over four
times as many entrants this year. The winning boats were all built in
Belize and there were even some dug out canoes (dories as they are
known locally) which did well despite their weight.
 Building a canoe at the award winning eco
lodge 'Chaa Creek' was
great fun. We learned many new skills and felt privilged to be part
of this unique community for a short while. The spanish cedarwood
canoe was christened Young Ting and launched Dec. 17/00 in the Macal
River.
Canoe building team: Ted Moores co-owner of Bear Mountain Boat Shop,
Mick Fleming co-owner of Chaa Creek Lodge, Luis Cambranes, owner of
Lea's Furniture in nearby San Ignacio, Rupert Harris head wrangler at
Chaa Creek, and Efrian Cu carpenter at Chaa Creek, Steve Killing
canoe designer, Don Curtis video cameraman. Daisy Moores paddling
instructor and Jen Moores photographer.
 Paddling Team: Rupert Harris. Roach (Terry)Vasquez and Efrian Cu
AND on March 11 2001 after 180 miles of hard paddling 'Young Ting'
arrived first in Belize City amidst wildly cheering crowds lining the
shore. Young Ting placed third overall out of 70 canoes.
Congratulations to Rupert, Efrian, Roach and Mick for all the hard
work and especially for making Ted's wish come true.
Joan was there to film the
race with Eric Harris and Brenda Beck of Soft Science Associates at the
invitation of the Belizian Tourism Board. She reports: Although paddling
like mad from dawn to dusk is not the best way to see this beautiful river
we had a great trip following the canoes and filming. The river banks are
lined with bamboo, giant mangrove and many species of massive trees. We
saw howler monkeys, large iguanas, and with the help of Chaa Creek guide
Miguel Choco identified dozens of species of birds. Some paddlers reported
seeing crocodiles and the elusive jaguar. The people in the villages along
the river bank were hospitable and enthusiastic entertaining us with local
cuisine and music.
Check out the race site at www.bighjuices.com
We have another project in the works in Belize and if you are
interested in participating please let us know.
Most Important Foot Note:
Much
to our embarassment while we were in Belize we learned that Fortis
Corporation, a Newfoundland company which owns major shares in Belize
Electric Corporation is trying to build dams in Belize! Fortis is
proposing to build the Chalillo Dam on the Macal River. The scarlet
macaw is only one of the endangered species threatened by this
short sighted solution to Belize's growing electricity requirements.
The area is also home to the jaguar, tapir, morlet's crocodile
and numerous species of iguanas and birds. Since much of Belize's
Mayan past lies buried beneath the jungle and in limestone caves,
these artifacts would be lost forever if the area is flooded,
not to mention the peaceful way of life enjoyed by those
who live along the river banks.
To learn more about how Canadian tax dollars are
contributing to this destruction and add your voice to the international
campaign to stop the dam consider contacting Fortis yourself.
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