On our recent trip to Belize, we stayed in the south near Punta Gorda where our private guide had arranged a visit to a local village to meet with the Mayan Community there. Getting under the skin of ancient cultures and understanding other ways of life is innate to cazenove+loyd’s experiential travel and this extraordinary day proved an amazing insight into the mystical Mayan culture.
We entered a small wooden house where one family lived all together in one large room. Although small and simple, the traditional trinkets that decorated the space shed light on the family and what occupied their day to day. You can’t help but draw comparisons with your own way of life, and it really brings a refreshing perspective, in a way that all travel should. Everything that made up their home was hand-made; a bed made of bark, a drum made of deer skin, a small ‘marimba’ (traditional Guatemalan musical instrument) carved from wood. The family chatted away to us and introduced themselves, explaining their family and community.