Industry “shush”
In Belize, “shush” is something that Belizeans can have and something that they can do. “Shush” is the Belizean Kriol word for “gossip”, which typically refers to secretive and unconfirmed information. Unfortunately, these days, the word “gossip” has a more negative and derogatory connotation but the word did not start that way. The word “gossip” has its origins in an Old English term “godsibb” which refers to a godparent or a child’s sponsor at a baptism. The term changed over time to refer to a familiar acquaintance, neighbour, or friend. Changes to its meaning continued and “godsibb” came to mean “familiar or idle talk”. Finally, by the early 19th century we end up with “gossip” which means “trifling talk or groundless rumour”. Today we share some news about the tourism industry within the context of the word’s earlier definition- As we say in Kriol, “Wi gat wah lee shush fi unu.”
The “shush” is that Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye have caught the attention of Travel +Leisure (T+L) magazine. Before you ask about the relationship between the islands and the magazine, we can let you know that they have known each other for years. The New York-based Travel publication is about fifty years old and printed its first issue in 1971. Since then, it has become a top travel media brand in the world. The magazine covers small towns to big cities, food, road trips, mountains, lakes, beaches, and just about everything that has to do with travel. In the magazine’s recent article entitled “Readers’ 5 Favourite Islands in Mexico and Central and South America of 2024”, Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye came in at No.2 and No.3, respectively. The ranking was conducted through their World’s Best Awards survey (WBA), where over 186,000 T+L readers casted their votes across more than 8,700 properties. Just so you know, Ambergris Caye also received a place in the WBA Hall of Fame honouree after making the list for ten years in a row. Imagine that! Out of thousands of places, readers from across the globe chose Belize. This shush does not finish there.
This year, our beloved Xunantunich is celebrating 100 years of modern archaeology. The truth is, since institutional archaeology started in Belize in 1924, the perception about Belize’s role in the broader Maya realm has continued to shift. Did you know that prior to the 1970s and 1980s, the archaeologist community regarded Belize as a “passing through” area to Maya sites like Tikal, Uaxactun, and Palenque in Guatemala and Mexico? That perception only changed after the discovery of the jade head at Altun Ha, the towering temples of Caracol, and other discoveries at Lamanai and Nim Li Punit. To mark this momentous milestone, Belize’s own Dr. Jaime Awe will be directing the Xunanctunich Archaeology and Conservation Project (XACP). The project is a joint effort to continue excavating and conserving structures at the site. Apparently, the recent discovery of two hieroglyphic panels and a large tomb at Xunantunich indicates that the site played a key role in a battle that defeated Caracol. If you know anything about Caracol, it is home to the tallest structure in Belize, and the people who lived there were fierce warriors. The discovery of the two monuments at Xunantunich suggests that they were taken from Caracol and may have been used to decorate the funerary temple of a woman who likely served as an accomplished Queen at Xunantunich. Now, that is hot news. Dr. Awe and other archaeologists will continue to spill some more “ancient tea” about the Maya civilization, and we will be here to hear it.
The tourism industry has some pretty good shush, and as a responsible friend, we are happy to let you know.
Chat again later.
Jasmine Anderson
For the Belize Tourism Board