9th Annual La Ruta Maya kicks off in San Ignacio
For the past eight years, spectators and competitors alike have gathered beneath the Hawkesworth Bridge for the start of the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. Before dawn this morning, News Five’s Karla Vernon, Brent Toombs, and Stephen Ferguson headed west where they found spirits higher than the river.
Karla Vernon, Reporting
The eighth La Ruta Maya River Challenge began as they all do, with the canoes assembled in the mists and shadows below the Hawkesworth Bridge that links the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena.
With the race set to start at seven, paddlers gathered on the banks before dawn, checking their gear and psyching themselves up for the gruelling one hundred and seventy mile trip down the Macal and Belize Rivers. The event attracts both local and international participants, and a few who are both — like these American missionaries volunteering at schools in San Ignacio and San Pedro.
Anne Grejdus, ?Grand Enterprise?
?We are pumped to be here today, we are really, really excited.?
Karla Vernon
?Did you know anything about La Ruta Maya before you came to Belize or you just found out about it here??
Anne Grejdus
?No, we just found out about it here. This is my second year though; second time.?
Karla Vernon
Do you think it?s something that people in the United States would want to come down and do as sort of a tourism activity??
Ann Benage, ?Grand Enterprise?
?Oh, most definitely. Well, we hope so–we hope to recommend it after four days.?
Among the one hundred and two participants this year are the champions of Santa Elena.
Leonso Teck, St. Ignatius High School
?We are from St. Ignatius High School. We want to win this Ruta Maya this year. Last year we came in third overall in our category, but this year we want to take it up first. ?
Karla Vernon
?What do you think Ruta Maya does for your community as a tourism event or sports or …??
Leonso Teck
?Well, it increases our tourism, you know. It?s a nice sport, its keeps people strong, physical in sports, you know. And people like it.?
Support crews are key to the paddler?s performance.
Sherilyne Jones, Research Officer, Inst. of Archaeology
?We are in there to highlight the cultural aspect that we at NICH are here to preserve the past and the future. And the river is a big part of our heritage. The Mayas utilised the river and so that?s why the Institute of Archaeology and NICH decided to take part. See? (points to Maya motif on shirt.) The paddler twins.? (laughs)
Down river from San Ignacio and Santa Elena is the Cayo Deaf Institute located near the Baking Pot Ferry. Chapel was cancelled and classes pushed back so the children could go watch the race go by.
Eddy Lowen, Assistant Director, Cayo Deaf Institute
?They always want to know like who are some of the better teams and I always tell them some of who are the better teams are. I was out there at the start and I told them who was in start in the first day out there. And so I tell them which ones are Koop Sheet Metal teams and different categories.?
?I think it would be kinda neat if some of the deaf could have a little fun like that. I am not sure if they will actually get to do it. … We?d probably have to have at least one hearing person–well, we?d just have to work out some sort of tapping on the canoe, signals.? (laughs)
Among the fans at Baking Pot was tour operator Owen Burns. His favourites looked good, but he says this river sport has yet to attract tourists in significant numbers.
Owen Burns, Tour Operator, Yute Expeditions
?At this present moment we haven?t had a lot of tours in the area, but I mean it hasn?t become a big thing as yet. Meaning, basically it?s just the start of the race and not at all to see the finish at all.?
But the Belize Tourism Board feels the time has come to make the most of La Ruta Maya.
Keesha Young, Product Development Officer, B.T.B.
?We have come up with a five year plan to internationalise La Ruta Maya. We see the potential for this to be a great tourist attraction and so we have taken over the closing ceremonies to try to add a little spice, a little Belizean flavour, and hopefully attract as many tourists as possible over the next five years.?
Karla Vernon
?Do you ever get any inquiries at the tourist board about the race or people asking how they can participate even??
Keesha Young
?I have been doing a lot of discussion with Mr. Orlando Harrison from Big-H and he has been the driving force behind the race along with La Ruta Maya committee. And they are the ones who have gotten a lot of interest in the race, they have approximately last year about ninety participants and there have been worldwide participants.?
The race ends on Monday at the Belcan Bridge in Belize City. The B.T.B. has organised an award ceremony, games, and musical performances to celebrate this year?s race.
Reporting for News Five I am Karla Vernon.
It was a sprint finish at Banana Bank this afternoon, but the Belize Bank pulled in first, followed seconds later by Pine Lumber and Atlantic Bank. There was one casualty today, however, as we understand BATSUB’s Team FUN capsised near Georgeville. Sergeant Gavin Jones hit a submerged tree and had to be airlifted to Universal Health Services. Jones suffered injures to his pelvic and hip area and is scheduled to be released from the hospital tomorrow. But while his injuries are not serious, Jones is said to be in pain and can no longer compete. It is anticipated that his team-mates will be allowed to continue the race as a two-man team.
