Auxillou Beach Suites Photo Essay

It rains every day in Toledo. The days are scorching hot and extremely humid, the way it feels
on Caye Caulker when there is a storm approaching. It feels difficult to even breathe
sometimes the air is so hot. When the heat builds up too much, it begins to rain... and the
cycle begins again. On a really hot Saturday afternoon, we were happy to come across this
fabulous little waterfall called "Noh Sos". "Noh Sos" is located on communal village lands and
is operated as a protected area by the "Bol" family.

Another view of the lovely little waterfall located not even three minutes away from the village.
Across the way is a vine hanging from a tree which the boys in the distance are using to swing
on. Just outside the village of San Antonio is the entrance to the Sarstoon - Temash National
Park.

Mrs. Flora Bol is the owner of the Hilltop Guest House where we stayed. We understood there
is a TEA Guest House in the village but Mrs. Bol's place was conveniently located across from
the chuch where the wedding would take place. With all the rains, we were told the road to the
other guest house was muddy and so didn't even attempt the drive. Mrs. Bol's place is very
basic, no fans in the rooms and the cost is $15 per person, per night.
Here she is pictures across from the lovely little church.

Socializing is a major part of village life here. Mrs. Flora's neighbors came over to greet her
and I asked if I could take a picture. In the background is a basic grocery store owned by Mrs.
Flora's husband, and up the little hill from the store is the guest house where we stayed.
Everyone in the village is bi-lingual, mastering both their native Mopan Maya language and
English (not Creole).

The night before the wedding a ceremony is held to slaughter the pigs to be cooked for the
wedding. Later that night, a feast of chicharron and tortillas is held and everyone is invited.
This is a traditional Mayan custom. Later that night, the men will stay back to season the meat
from the pigs for the barbecue the following day. It will also be a night of merrymaking.
Here you can see pictured (from left to right) Sandra, Elise and Dora (the bride to be). Dora
is feeding baby Flora. The little girl is a relative of the groom's.

The next day, baby Flora is given a bath to cool her off. I should note that it is Pia that has
been mostly caring for baby Flora because Dora, the mother, has been busy with the wedding
preparations.
Using one of those little six-inch-high stools, Pia squats on the floor, holding baby Flora
propped up on her legs, and uses warm water to bathe the baby. She finds a little corner of
the room where there is not too much ventilation to keep the baby warm to do this. The water
she bathes the baby with falls to the packed ground and the wetness disappears in no time.

Another close up of the wonderful Mrs. Flora Bol. Says Mrs. Bol, "The new generation of
villagers that work out of the village, whenever they come back home, they sneer at our way of
life. It hurts a lot."
On an entirely different note, all the women in the village wear the exact same earrings. They
all have LONG flowing hair which when washed is then parted mostly in the middle of the
forehead and then pinned up at the back of the head.

One of the guests at the wedding is this beautiful Mayan girl named Venencia. Venencia's
husband works as a security guard at the Victoria House in San Pedro. He earns a lot, but his
living expenses are also high. Since he has to share a room with two other men to make ends
meet, Venencia cannot go there to live with him. So, she waits for him to come home every two
weeks for one night.
In two weeks, Dora will also return to work on Caye Caulker, leaving her baby behind with Pia.
Her new husband, Felix, is a BDF soldier. He works for two weeks and then gets a few days off
which he spends with Dora. It is unknown how often they will be able to make the long journey
back to San Antonio to visit baby Flora.
Elise also plans to continue to work after her marriage to Fidel. Fidel, just like Felix, is a BDF
soldier. He, too, will go on to his job wherever making the trek to Elise out on Caye Caulker for
his few days off every two weeks.
For the moment, these new families will never have to worry about going hungry. The stability
that Pia and Eriberto's life provide in the event their offspring cannot earn a paycheck for
whatever reason is reassuring. However, I cannot miss that the self-sustainability of Pia and
Eriberto is being replaced by paycheck-dependency. It makes my heart bleed.

Following in Dora's and Felix's footsteps, Elise and Fidel will tie the knot on October 29th.
"Why get married if you plan on getting divorced?" Elise had asked earlier. And certainly, the
perfect-looking marriage of Pia and Eriberto as an example do make one question the
possibility of having traditional male / female marital roles work in real life. As the chief
breadwinner and chief nurterer in my own family unit, I envy Pia's worry-free life. She never
has to wonder if there will be food on her table for her children to eat nor does she ever
wonder about the whereabouts of her husband. Still, the traditional Mayan heritage and
upbringing is being tested by the new generation who dress and think differently than their
parents as is noted by the Western clothing being worn by Elise and Fidel. Fidel was born in
the neightoring village of Santa Cruz.