Duane Moody: Belizean Traveller in Cayo
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a visitor in your own country? Well one of News Five’s own reporters was chosen for Belize Tourism Board’s Belizean Traveller 2021 campaign. His area of the country was the West. In this first episode, Duane Moody takes you along for ride, giving you an overview of some of the many wonders of Cayo!!
Duane Moody
I’ll tell you a secret – I am originally from Corozal, but I have fallen in love with Cayo.
As a reporter, I often travel across the country bringing you up-to- date, accurate reports on incidents and events – but it’s almost always for work and never leisure. So never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be selected as a Belizean Traveller by the Belize Tourism Board. Overly excited, I was ready to take on Caaaaayyyyooooo!!
There are so many things that you can do in western Belize – breathtaking adventures and cultural experiences for you and that significant someone, your entire family, best friends and even co-workers. There is something for everyone.
And I tried to do everything:
Day trips with Kungo Belize like hiking in the Mountain Pine Ridge:
Andy Bahadur
Andy Bahadur, Owner/Tour Guide, Kungo Belize
“We are at the Rio Frio Cave; this is a very popular spot for a lot of visitors to western Belize. The cave is a limestone cave; we have many different cave formations inside. We have stalactites coming down from the roof, stalagmites going up from the ground; pillars, columns. Behind me we are seeing Caana which is the tallest structure in the B group and it is the tallest and the biggest in all of Belize. This is one of the most amazing sites to visit; just for the sheer size of it, we are dwarfed in the presence of Caana.”
….that’s forty plus miles from the Twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. But there is this uniqueness about the West where there are natural and cultural experiences intertwined with the bustling urban setting of downtown. Imagine – eena yo own backyard, literally there are so many things that you can do and I tried it all.
Michelle Moore, Digital Marketing Officer, San Ignacio Hotel
Michelle Moore
“Here at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, you’ve got the best of both worlds. You want a private getaway, no problem. But you need to run downtown quickly to get something, you can do that too. You have so many onsite activities that it is really a true jungle escape right in the middle of town.”
Luis Rosales
Luis Rosales, Manager, Green Iguana Conservation Project
“Out in the wild, you would not be able to do what we do here in our project. These iguanas get six-seven foot long; usually that tail is twice the size of that body. You kinda freak out when you hear about green iguanas. A lotta people would react like that when they get here, but at the end of the tour, they just got something new to say.”
He’s called the Iguana Whisperer – yup he speaks iguana!
I’ll tell you more about San Iggy Hotel and that tour which actively ensures the survival of iguanas in Belize. (Shrugs) But that will be in another episode.
“Man cannot live by bread alone”
There was no shortage of food to pick, choose and refuse – not to mention wines …so I had to indulge.
John Vega, Food & Beverage Manager, San Ignacio Hotel
“We are very proud of using Belizean products here and one of the highlights from the restaurant is definitely our meats so a lot of clients do come for the steaks that we actually get from our sister farms, which are the Running W Farms. Sourcing local, fresh produce almost every day is something that is exciting and the seasonality of the fruits that you can get here in San Ignacio is wonderful and is motivating for us to create dishes.”
Duane Moody
“It’s on fire hearth so it is good, it’s good obviously. You know they say fire hearth make everything better. Tonight you’re going to prove it… [laugh]. Believe it or not guys, I am originally from Corozal and eating boil corn, making tamalitos, making tamales with my mom; that was a big thing that we used to do. So watch out Chef Sean, I di come fi yo. Sean Kuylen I di come for yo; Chef Duane is here.”
Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith, General Manager, Wine Smith Limited
“We want to make wine as important as how food is, meaning that whenever you order a plate of food, you will also order wine because it complements each other.”
I jammed all of this into one weekend – I don’t recommend that. Take your time and really enjoy things on a slower pace. This was just a highlight to whet your appetite, so stay tuned for more, so you too can become a Belizean traveller. I’m exhausted…back to my day job!
