Text and photos : Michael Weck
Crique Sarco is there, where the unpaved, rough road comes to an end. After a one and a half hours ride from Punta Gorda through the jungle, visitors reach the banks of the Temash River. Samuel Choc, his wife Veronica and his brother live with their families in Thatch roofed houses consistently built in Mayan style. They welcome the guests, give a hand to load the luggage in one of the dugouts and cross the river. There are only a few minutes to walk to the guest house, which is located in the centre of the village. There are no vehicles within the village.
Jolpec Cave Ltd. is a private ecotourism company owned by 6 families, all living in Crique Sarco. Samuel is guiding the visitors through the village and gives a short introduction to other Jolpec families. Mostly a short visit is given to the priest of the catholic church or the mayor, called here alcalde. Mayan villages in Belize are self-governed and there are always a lot of stories about local politics. Besides tourism, some families get a small income from rosewood carvings. Crique Sarco is famous for these craft and arts and the families sell them to gift shops in the tourism centres of Belize. Andres, the chairman of Jolpec shows visitors, how these carvings are produced, all hand made with simple tools.
But all villagers here live self-sufficient as far as possible. Corn tortillas, chicken and fruits of the season are the staple food on a Mayan menu. Nevertheless a barbecue dinner is organised, when guests arrive. This is always appreciated as a welcome change for the villagers to get in touch with foreigners. Due to English as official language, it is easy to socialise with the open-minded indigenous people. Some code of conduct is expected, while staying in the village : visitors are requested to refrain from nude bathing and public drinking of alcoholic beverages.
Jolpec has been launched in 2003 by the current shareholders with the objective to promote tourism in and around the village. Due to the remoteness of Crique Sarco, the village has never been considered for tourism before, although the pristine nature around the Sarstoon-Temash National Parc, the second largest of Belize is really an attraction. With the support of the author, a website was launched this year together with full service tour packages all over the country, including the Barrier Reef, a UN World Heritage Site.
Usually there is no electricity in the whole village except in the guesthouse, which has been built by Samuel. The solar panels charge a set of batteries and a shower and a flashing toilet are available as well. The house belongs to Dr. Nicols, an american dentist, who comes since ages every year to Crique Sarco and provides free medical services to the villagers. The rest of the year the guest house is available for tourist groups up to 6 persons. It provides enough possibilities for retirement and privacy for the visitors.
All tourism activities are based on private initiatives and are supported by individuals like Dr. Nicols and myself. The Maya families are the entrepreneurs and organise their tours on their own behalf and provide a significant share of their income to the community. Visitors can choose between several jungle tour options according to their physical fitness and their preferences : Temash river tours, either by motorboat
or by kayaks, fishing, overnight stays in the jungle camp ground, caving, birding or just to have a rest at the beautyful river bank and to swim in the Temash river along the village.
Antonio the tour guide explains the existing flora an fauna and knows the best spots, where to find it. A boat trip on the Temash river through the forest canopy and the lush greenery of the riparian part of the Sarstoon-Temash National Parc is impressive. Closer to the Carabbean, where the river is getting much wider and extends to a lake district, big mangrove trees are dominating. Numerous indigenous bird species, including the Toucan (Ramphastidae spp., Belize’s national bird), the Parrot (Psittacidae spp.), the Kingfisher (Alcedinidae spp.), the Piam-Piam, and the Social Flycatcher (Tyranninae spp.), reside in the forest alongside the river and in the jungle near the cave. Local fish species, including the Tarpon, the Red Snapper, the Tuba, the Barracuda, and the Machaka, and iguanas, locally referred to as bamboo chicken, are commonly spotted along the Temash River. Mammals in the area include the Agouti, the Jaguar and other feline species, the Tapir (Belize’s national animal), the Nightwalker, and the Howler Monkey.
Location and access
It is the southermost (red) spot on the map. You can reach Crique Sarco either by bus with the final destination Punta Gorda or by plane to Punta Gorda. Jolpec will pick you up and carry you to Crique Sarco. Guests booking nationwide packages will be picked up directly from Belize City International Airport.
Contact
Samuel Choc
P.O. Box 62
Punta Gorda, Toledo
Belize C.A.
E-mail : s.choc@jolpec.com
Web site : www.jolpec.com
Language should be used for communication : English
Booking : direct through the website.
Cultural & background information about the community
The village of Crique Sarco lies within the 6,000 acre reservation, which is part of 77,000 acres of land in Toledo ordained as Maya reservations, under the Crown Lands Act of 1896. The villagers are descendants of the ancient Mayas and belong to the Ke’kchi Maya tribe, who has resided in the Toledo district for centuries. The late 19th century hosted significant migrations of Ke’kchi Mayas to Belize from Guatemala, due to civil war and lack of accessible land for the people. Though the exact date of Crique Sarco’s first settlement is uncertain, at least three or four generations of Ke’kchi Mayas have resided in the village to date.
Through the passing of generations, the village has remained relatively untouched by modernization. Today’s village structure and social norms are much like those of the original settlement. Crique Sarco is governed by an alcalde, a Spanish word commonly used to describe the village leader, who oversees the laws and welfare of the village. Originating from the Maya chiefs that led their nations centuries ago, the alcalde serves a two year term (by Belizean law), in which he judges crime, resolves disputes, and organizes beneficial community projects in the village.
The Ke’kchi Mayas strongly value family and religion. Their emphasis of close family ties is evidenced through relatives building homes near one another, and through daily interaction with extended family. Each household averages six kids, which explains why half the village’s population is younger than eighteen years old. Historically, the people of Crique Sarco practiced a religion similar to their ancient Mayan ancestors, including ritual ceremonies and festivals. They believed that the Copal tree was sacred, and extracted its resin (called pom in Ke’kchi Mayan) for incense in religious activities. With the advent of foreign missionaries in the mid 1900s, most villagers converted to Roman Catholicism or Baptism, though pom is still used in worship today. A key component of Mayan culture, religious beliefs influence daily life, in aspects such as education and weekly church attendance.
Range of activities and services offered
Jolpec offers full service packages including 3 meals, accommodation, tour guide, shuttle service, boat charter, skipper and crew service and sales tax. Not included are beverages, airport and border taxes. Following packages are available :
_ Crique Sarco & Sarstoon-Temash National Parc (minimum 2 days / 3 nights), kayaking, motorboat trips to the Caribbean, fishing, caving, birding, jungle expeditions, contemporary Mayan culture
Barrier Reef : sailing, diving crewed yacht charters and bareboat charters
Ancient Maya culture : e.g. Xunantunich, Tikal, Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit
Toledo Special tours : river kayaking, caving, waterfalls of Santa Cruz and Pueblo Viejo
Customized tours available on demand