A Very Traditional Good Friday Morning in Very Traditional Benque Viejo, Belize

Yesterday afternoon, my 3+ hour bus ride ended in the town of Benque, Belize.

The last town before the Guatemalan border in the Cayo district, Western Belize.  (I took a water taxi from San Pedro to Belize City and then the bus from Belize City to Benque – just west of the Mayan site of Xunantunich on the map.

If you haven’t been to Xunantunich, you must get here imemediately!

I’ve actually never been to Benque before.  Driven through many times, yes, but stopped?  Never.  And the town is SO not what I pictured.

The phrase “border town” bring up imagines of neon signs, barbed wire, shady money changers, shoot outs and girlie bars.  So far I haven’t seen any of that.  Benque is a quiet QUIET town on the gorgeous green Mopan River…

Gorgeous last night as the sun was setting.

The river is filled with bathing kids, women doing laundry, dogs cooling off…I’m hoping to get in a tube a bit later.  And I will show you all my pictures around town including the centerpiece.  The large Roman Catholic church.

This morning everyone was up at the crack of dawn carefully laying down saw dust carpets on the streets for the mid-day procession.  Here are some pictures and I have lots more to take.  This is still going on…

EVERYTHING is closed in the town.  No one is working.  I need to get out there and take about 15,000 more pictures so enjoy your Good Friday.  The big parties start this weekend.

I am here until the afternoon and then head to Belize City for the evening.  Off to beg someone for a cup of coffee!