BY SIMONE J. SMITH
How are you feeling now? I am sure a little better because SUMMER IS HERE! I don’t know if you have had chance to read this latest travel series. If not, I want to welcome you to Cabin Fever Countdown. Our team at the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper wanted to offer our community an exotic escape from their quarantine life. How? By presenting to you the sights and sounds of the Caribbean.
Let’s break down why this is important, and then I want you to allow me to take you down a path of imagery that will arouse your emotion and maybe even some personal memories. In John Suler’s research, Photographic Psychology: Image and Psyche, he discusses mental imagery systems, and their tendency to be more sensory, holistic, fantasy-based, emotional, and personal.
He found that images easily arouse the senses. Images cultivate imagination, fantasy and symbolism. If you think about it; infants process their experience of the world via images. They see before they can talk, so our imagery system is the fundamental method by which the human mind works (John Suler, 2013).
This is key to the Cabin Fever Countdown. We want you to imagine that possibility of traveling to a place that you have never been. To experience things you never have. This week I want to take you to the fascinating island of Belize.
Imagine the perspective from a XP2 Quadcopter (high-tech drone). All you see is gorgeous green leaves, plush, welcoming. The foliage breaks. You are now looking at aerial footage of a piece of Mayan history. They Quadcopter scans down and begins to ascend. You see people walking up slowly, sideways on the ruins. The thought of it scares yet intrigues you.
Tigers, animals so unique, they are difficult to describe, beckoning blue waters, captivating cultural education. Rare birds. Belize has nearly six hundred identified species of birds. Thousands of bird enthusiasts visit the country each year to enjoy Belize’s alluring abundance. There are a variety of both temperate and tropical birds in natural habitats that remain largely unspoiled. Blue Crow Mutt, and Tuscans with extravagant beak art. Mother Earth showing off.
Listening to our ancestors through the beat, as a young man translates in a traditional dance. In Belize, street food is an art form. They do not have food chains like we are familiar with. They have food stands distributing delicious masterpieces one after another.
Visitors to Belize have an opportunity to become one with nature. Deep within Belize’s unforgettable forests lies a wonder of both ancient and natural artwork. Come face to face with the mystical Mayan Ruins: Cahal, Pech, Caracol, and El Pilar. You can visit Belize’s Barrier Reef, which happens to be the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.
In the mood for an underwater art show. The clear waters of the Caribbean coalesce with a white sand ocean floor, making for some stunning views of the reef and other marine life. For our environmentalist, you will be happy to know that much of the rainforest area in Belize is under government protection in the form of a national park, animal sanctuary or wilderness area.
Are you ready for even better news? As of Wednesday, May 13th, 2020, Belize hit a 30-day milestone of zero COVID-19 cases. This is a very positive sign for Belize’s Central America and Caribbean neighbours. With a population of approximately 400,000, the Belizean government took early steps to manage the pandemic by: closing borders, bolstering its medical capacity, and implementing a State of Emergency. That included changing laws to suit the ever-evolving situation. If this were not done, the country’s public health system would have difficulty managing the potentially disastrous outbreak.
Well, why are we telling you this? More good news! The Belize Tourism Board is encouraging Canadians to plan their trip to Belize. As a little incentive, they created a virtual postcard campaign called “Dear Belize.” This is an opportunity for past visitors, and those dreaming to make their first trip to Belize share their love of the island. Winners will be selected, and all submissions will be shared on the Belize social media platforms to inspire other people to create and engage. The winner will receive a free 7-night trip for two to Belize, including airfare, accommodations, and ground transportation.
Restrictions are lifting, so you don’t have to stay home and practice armchair travel – you can soon take a dream trip to Belize.
For more on the Virtual Postcard Contest Belize, visit https://dearbelize.com/
Resources
John Suler’s Photographic Psychology: Image and Psyche
http://users.rider.edu/~suler/photopsy/visual_verb.htm
Travel Belize
www.travelbelize.org.
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