- SHOW INFO
- Home
- TV Schedule
- About the Show
- Meet Andrew Zimmern
- Travel Guides
- FEATURES
- Recipes
- Ringtones
- Bizarre Favorites
- Favorite Markets
- PHOTOS
- Bizarre Slideshows
- VIDEO
- Bizarre Bites
- In the Kitchen
- Video Central
- INTERACT
- Message Board
- Mobile Alerts Club
- Andrew's Website
- YouTube
- MySpace
- RELATED
- Bizarre World
- Bite Me With Dr. Mike
- SHOP
- Bizarre Foods Gear
- Travel Channel
Belize: On the Fringe
By Andrew Zimmern on September 8, 2009 9:00 PM | Permalink | 20 Comments
Belize sits on the fringe of modern life at the edges of a vast wilderness of ancient rituals and traditions, forests and villages where people today live comfortably with ghosts from a distant past ... a Mayan past, since Belize is one of the few South and Central American cultures to have never been colonized by the Spaniards. Our most insane experience came in the caves of Actun Tunichil Muknal located near San Ignacio Cayo where you go underwater and come up on the inside of a cave mouth to navigate through a series of passages to reach the crystallized skeleton of a Mayan woman dating back from a thousand years ago. The spirit of ancient Mayans predominate in much of this country --only a tiny fraction of those vast cities have been recovered, the rest are covered in jungle, sometimes surfacing in people's backyards.
The place where you draw closest to those ancient people -- and the mystery of why they vanished -- is not in those giant pyramids rising out of the jungle, it's underground, in the places Mayans believed were entryways to the Land of the Dead. But the experience we had with Dr Jaime Awe was just the appetizer.
Gales Point is a village on a narrow peninsula in the lagoon of a mangrove swamp; you only get here by boat. Founded by runaway slaves, this remote town of 400 people drums and dances and eats at a celebration of the full moon, with the added uproar of a Creole Easter celebration. It's called the Sambaii and features a unique style of music and dance, and we got to eat the famous Royal Ray of Belize, the gibnut. Because of its isolation, the West African styles and rhythms are stronger here than most Creole communities. By all account the Sambaii, is a sexualized style of dance -- the word "orgy" is sometimes used -- and the Christian elements of Easter do nothing to tone that down. In fact, the Easter holiday makes things even wilder and crazier. Game on.
We dined on Easter Sunday with a Mayan family in the mountains of the central massif of the country where we shared an ancient tradition and a pile of hogs head tamales, we dined at Rojo Lounge on grub butter poached lobster and conch eye ceviche, we got a lesson in jungle pharmacology followed by a cleansing ceremony where once again, yes, I was spat upon, and of course we ate stink-toe bakut, a fruit that everyone needs to try. At least once in their life.
Belize is a wonderful example of a culture that is massive in scope, but most Americans only see a small part of it when they visit. Like other countries, if you only sit on the beach eating burgers and drinking pina coladas at the hotel you might as well be in Florida.
20 Comments
- Bizarre World (9)
- Bizarre Foods (28)
Bizarre Foods Social
Follow Andrew Zimmern on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
- rolex: hi
- nathalie : Your show ROCKS!! i watch reruns over and over and it still amazes me every time :) More power...
- Alma : Andrew I am a huge fan of Bizzare Foods and Bizzare World. I watch your show every chance I...
- Endang: Thanks Andrew for visiting and let people in America especially to see beautifulness of Bali....
- Charlie: Chalk me up as one of those who was instantly made ill by watching this episode. The...
Hi Andrew. just sitting here viewing your program and thought of you at the DockSide eating hirring. We were there on Sat. We have a place at Grand Marais, You are always welcome to come salmon fishing with us. I didn't say getting fish, I said fishing for some.... thanks for a great show. Terry & Karla Chlebecek
Hi Andrew, Love the show. Nothing is better then watching a "Bizarre Foods Marathan" on a Sunday. How did you end up in Minnesota?
Hi Andrew, just watched your episode on Belize, please get your facts straight, those people who are now living in Gales Point might have some Kriol in them but those are Garifunas. Belizeans are made up of several culture but those people are not Kriols.
Dear Mr. Zimmern,
Just finished watching your episode on Belize. Excellent! I am a belizean temporarily living in St. Louis and I must say that I learned even more about my country. I know most of the places you were but some of the characters you met are new to me.
Thanks
By the way the people living in Gales Point Manatee are Kriols and not Garifunas. However, some Garifunas live among them as well. I confirmed this with my wife who is a Kriol as well.
Yes Kriol live in Gales Point, but I have never known any Kriol to be doing those drumming and ritual dances. Those are Garifunas
Thank you for a positive program on Belize. Was disappointed that San Pedro was not mentioned, just Ambergris Caye. It is always a great joy watching those discovering Belize.
I loved the show in Belize. I learned quite a few things about traditional food that I never heard before and saw some places I had never heard of, too. (Been in Bz. 25 years.) Thanks for an entertaining show.
There is actually a road into Gales Point these days. Off the coastal road a few miles in from the Hummingbird Highway.
I loved your show on Belize. I'm a Belizean living in NY for way too long; but seeing how well you and your crew documented the diversity of Belize was heart warming. You made me proud to see "little Belize". Thank you!!!
well that was a great show last night. im a Belizean, well when it comes to the "caldo" i dont think that was blood they put in there its a spice which is of course red called "recado", but it was a great show
Good afternoon,
Hello! It was a pleasure meeting you while you visited our country. I watched your show when it aired last night and I have to tell you that, to me, it was the perfect gift for all Belizeans. Belize has not been seen in that beautiful light in such a long time. Watching Bizarre World made me absolutely proud to be a Belizean and to have the privilege of living in this country. This month we celebrate the 211th Battle of St. George's Caye, as well as celebrating our 28th year of Independence and this show was the perfect gift. It made us all proud as we glued ourselves to the TV set for the hour. Seeing our country in this gorgeous light made me want to visit Belize and I have lived here my entire life.
We prepared a mini-video of your visit to Ambergris Caye along with the interview you granted to us at The San Pedro Sun. (http://sanpedrosun.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/check-out-my-skinflix/).
Thank you.
Kainie
I loved the show. I was proud to share it with my friends. Now 2 of them are planning to go with me on vacation in April. We will definitely visit the cave you visited and I can't wait to climb those ruins. Thanks for visiting my beautiful country.
cool show you made on belize. you are 100% correct when you say the way to get to truly know a culture is by sharing food with the people there. i'm swedish and married to a belizean girl. we live in california. so i totally understand and concur with that. belize is a culturally well preserved country. it's interesting that even the young people care about the culture even when living over here. thanks again for a cool show.
we enjoyed ed the one on minnesota too
Gales Point is a Creole (Kriol) community, and the Kriol culture certainly has a rich and long history of drumming.
Try this Website for more information:
http://www.maroondrumschool.com/credits.htm
Hi Andrew,
Linn from Blue Crab Beach & Goss Chocolate in Seine Bight Village on the Placencia Peninsula. Come visit us someday--we will show some great parts of Belize that you missed! Like the chocolate, grown & made right here in Belize! Also, the Peninsula, with its great mix of cultures, Garifuna, Creole, Europeans, Asians, Americans, Canadians included, and more! loved your show--the peninsula punta is the best in Belize by the way.
Andrew,
Again well done on yet another adventure! It is true that most of us that visit exotic locales tend to seek out the comforts of home e.g. cold miller draft on a beach. We tend not to open ourselves to discovering other cultures and experiencing the vibrant life outside our comfort zone. Your travel philosophy is closely related to mine - "When in Rome...do what the Romans do".
PS: Love the dancing MAN!
Hi Andrew,
I watched your show on Belize. I must say it was breath-taking and wonderful that my country has been viewed on the travel channel. Thanks for making my country part of your list. I have visited Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, it was fantastic and quite a thrill entering and being in the cathedral. I am sure there were other Bizarre foods and fruits that you could have tried here in Belize. We are a country filled with many cultures, rituals, traditions and beliefs that combine into one and make it a unique country blended with strong culture. I was expecting to see you eating armadillo, cow-foot soup, pitajaya and many other foods and fruits but I guess your time was limited.
Hopefully you come back and see the real beauty of "Mother Natures Best Kept Secret" - Belize. I am a Belizean and I loved your show. I have visited Altun Ha and Shark Ray Alley, it was amazing to see the nursing sharks enjoying the scratch on their tummies.
Take care and I look forward for your next episode. Please come back to Belize soon.
I was very impressed with the show and feel that you presented our Belize beautifully to the world. i must correct one of the previous comments which states that the people in Gales Pointe were not Kriols but rather Garifunas; the people in Gales Point are indeed predominantly Kriol and drumming is in fact a part of the Kriol culture (Maroon Drumming). It however tends to be overshadowed by the more popular Garifuna drumming, but it is as important a cultural landmark as any other type of drumming in Belize.
I do tend to disagree with the eating of worms, conch penis and conch eyes, that is not inherenty Belizean. As a matter of face never in my lifetime have I seen this practice in belize and while travelling around my country. Belizeans don't tend to medle into the bizarre food category as much,with the exception of Gibnut, Iguana, and Turltes.
nonetheless Andrew...Job Well Done!
hi andrew
i am a belizean and see that you came to belize is good thing because my 2year old son never seen belize like that he only now about where we live in independence so thanks
bye
hello im like one of your biggest fans and also my mom is a native of belize. she cooks the best Conch friters and panadas. you should come to our house to try some of her foods. i swear when we come home form school all you smell coming from the corner of the bus stop is this great smell of fried snail mmmmmm.
Just finished watching your episode on Belize. Excellent! I have been to belize several time and I love it. I know most of the places you were.