If you are from the villages then you will know that the crow of the rooster at 5:00 a.m, mabe earlier, in your backyard coop was the only alarm clock you had. This is how it all starts out in this part of the jewel I call Rural Toledo. At the same time my alarm goes off, the sounds of buses passing on the highway awakens me a bit more. Buses filled with vendors going to the Punta Gorda Market with fresh produce from their farms- coco, yampi, cassava, culantro, tangerine, banana, callaloo- you name it-these vendors will have it. Most homes in Toledo have a garden, and at my home there's no exeption. My first outdoor activity daily is making sure my plants receive a hefty dose of water. Another common trend in Toledo, is 'eating- in'. Families enjoy cooking their own food daily. A typical Belizean breakfast includes smoking hot fry jack, with refried beans- cooked to perfection in a"pressure pot" then fried with coconut oil in a skillet pan, with a side of local eggs and a warm cup of 'black tea' or local coffee to kickstart your day. Off to town most people go to work and look at this amazing view as you approach the Cattle Landing Curve enroute to Punta Gorda Town. Who wouldn't want to work in a place like this! It's like a vacation everday!
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I just simply have to stare out my window and absorb all the natural beauty that surrounds me. The clean, clear Caribbean Sea to the East and lush tropical vegetation to the West; is just simply breathtaking. Far to the east you can see the mountains of Guatemala and Honduras. We are blessed to live in such a tranquil haven. It is now time to offer adventures to visitors in Toledo at TIDE Tours (www.tidetours.org). You can choose from waterfall picnics, snorkelling and diving adventures, Maya site tours, chocolate making, cultural drummings and so much more! All these activities can be done in Toledo. The best thing about this company is that 100% proceeds go towards the Education and Outreach department of the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment.
Continue to follow me daily, as I share with you a journal of life's simple pleasures from Toledo, Belize.
Continue to follow me daily, as I share with you a journal of life's simple pleasures from Toledo, Belize.