February 2, 2011 (Hopkins Town Part 1)

In my previous blog entry I reported that my Canadian friend and I traveled by bus almost all the way across Belize today and finally arrived at Hopkins Town. The Southern Highway runs from Dangriga to Punta Gorda. For buses that do not make the 5 mile side trip to Hopkins-- which was our situation today-- you need to jump out at an intersection in the middle of nowhere and hope you can get a lift into town. Today Kirby and I were fortunate that El and Barb's van was waiting for us when we jumped out alongside the Southern Highway. After a short (4 to 5 mile) ride we found ourselves in "downtown" Hopkins.

This Homemade "Billboard" Welcomes Visitors to Hopkins!

This Is "Downtown"  Hopkins!

I found Hopkins to be a surprisingly undeveloped and rustic place. It is a small, unspoiled village of about 2,000 located about 15 miles (by road) from Dangriga. Both Hopkins and Dangriga are conveniently situated between Placencia to the south and Belize City to the north. Dangriga is at one end of the magical Hummingbird Highway which brings you directly to the capital city of Belmopan. Hopkins is largely unchanged since it first became a Garifuna settlement in the early 1800s, although it is starting to change at last (there is even an Internet cafe near the "central" part of town). The people are very friendly, and (as of early 2011 anyway) the area has (thankfully) not been developed extensively. The Garifuna comprise about 6% of the population of Belize, and are of mixed African and Carib Indian heritage. The history of the Garifuna is as interesting as is their rich and colorful culture. Even before the arrival of Cristopher Columbus, Indians from South America traveled by boat to the island of St. Vincent in the southeast Caribbean. The Indians conquered- and ultimately intermarried with -- Arawak Indians- adopting much of the Arawak language. The group that emerged from the merger went by the name "Kwaib", from which the names Carib and Garifuna (meaning "cassava-eaters") probably evolved. In the 17th century, slaves imported from Nigeria were shipwrecked off St. Vincent, and the Africans also mixed with the Caribs and Garifuna. Europeans originally -called them "Black Caribs". Below, Ronaldo is posing with one of the local Garifuna gals who works at Mark Nunez's restaurant:

Ronaldo with One of Mark's Daughters (Who Helps Out at the Restaurant)

For many years, the English tried to subdue these free people of color, but the Garifuna, with the aid of France, maintained their independence until the late 1700s, when both the Garifuna and French surrendered to Great Britain. In 1797, many of the surviving Garifuna were taken by ship to Honduras. Many Garifuna eventually moved up the Caribbean coast from Honduras to Belize, where they worked in the logging industry and settled in a number of villages in what is now Dangriga, Hopkins, and Punta Gorda. The Garifuna settlements in Belize appear to be poor, but beneath the poverty lies a rich culture and heritage. They have a complex system of religious beliefs, borrowing from both African and South American elements as well as Catholicism.

Other Americans who have visited the village of Hopkins regularly over the past decade told us that nine years ago there were no restaurants or stores in the village. For pretty much anything you needed you had to travel the 15 miles to Dangriga. Even back in the year 2000, however, the friendly locals were perfectly willing to bring you to a resident's place for a home cooked meal -- which you would be warmly served at a very reasonable price. Hopkins is located at a very convenient spot along the Caribbean - with an absolutely stunning view of the sea, sandy beaches, and easy access to a number of nearby islands or "cayes"-- including Tobacco Caye. The barrier reef is only about 13 miles off shore from Hopkins, but access is somewhat limited for travelers on a budget due to the much smaller number of tourists in the area (in comparison to the most popular cayes such as Ambergris and Caulker). The well-heeled can easily charter a boat with a number of "captains" residing in both Hopkins and Dangriga, but budget trips are more difficult to find. The beaches along the entirety of Hopkins -- which stretches for about six miles in length -- are sandy, great for running and walking and very swimmable. The areas I tested were shallow enough to stand for about the first 200 yards into the water -- with a nice sandy bottom and only a little "sea grass" to deal with.

The Gorgeous Beach at Hopkins