When we first moved to Belize, it seemed like Halloween was pretty much nonexistent. Which was a big change for us, since we were always big into Halloween. A few stores carried some decorations and you might have been lucky to find a bar doing something, but for the most part it just wasn’t very big. That has all changed, now you can find Halloween costumes and decorations everywhere. Most of the bigger more popular bars are having Halloween parties with costume contests, live music and all kinds of drink specials. A lot of places will also have trick-or-treating for the kids. It’s not a door to door thing like in the States, but more of a destination where people are set up. Belize has really embraced the Halloween spirit and there’s no stopping it now.

Since it is Halloween, I thought I’d share one of the local folklore legends about the “Stone Woman”.

The “Stone Woman” is a famous Belizean ghost legend associated with the ancient Mayan archaeological site of Xunantunich, which is only a short drive from our place. The first documented reports began around 1882, coinciding with early British explorations and excavations of the ruins. Eyewitnesses and local folklore describe seeing the ghost of a woman dressed completely in white with fire-red glowing eyes. She typically appears near the base of the site’s main pyramid, El Castillo, walks up its stone staircases, and vanishes directly into a solid stone wall. Over the last century, local residents and visitors have reported seeing the ghostly figure of a woman in white walking along the grounds or ascending the steps of El Castillo, the 150-foot pyramid that dominates the site. Local villagers famously warned early archaeologists that removing artifacts (like a grand stone altar, later sent to the British Museum) would disturb the Stone Woman’s spirit. Some legends claim she is the spirit of an ancient Maya princess sacrificed by her ruler father, doomed to re-enact her final walk up the temple steps. If you are brave enough, maybe you can find a guide that will take you up in the evening to try and get a glimpse of the Stone Woman. I know Kelley and I will never see her, because we don’t wander around Mayan sites at night.

We’ve got a wild plant that grows around here called a China Root or Wild Yam. It will grow a few long, thorny vines and has a big rootball, the root is highly prized for its medicinal uses. The locals in the village and the traditional healers use it to build blood cells, reduce fatigue, boost male libido, ease joint pain, and inflammation. The most common way to consume it is to dry it and then boil it down into a strong tea. Anyway, we dug one up the other day and asked Ruben if he wanted it. He wasted no time in saying yes, and said that it would last him and his family a long time. We do know where there are a couple more around the property, so we’ll dig those up when he needs them.

Another medicinal plant that we have growing wild here is Jackass Bitters. Jackass Bitters is an intensely bitter tropical herb, traditionally used in Mayan herbal medicine as a digestive aid, anti-parasitic, and anti-inflammatory remedy. Also used in traditional Maya herbal medicine to help manage and regulate blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. I have tasted a leaf right off the plant and it is very bitter. In Belize, bitters are commonly mixed with rum and other barks and then stored in a dark place for a month before being strained. Once strained, you can find them at bars where you can get a shot glass of it. I have only tried this once at a bar, but there are people who just love it and will get a shot any time it is available.

Okay, I’ve got to add in one more Halloween thing. This is an orange huntsman spider that was about 3″ across. We found him in a treetop that we cut down about 5 years ago and have never seen another one since. He’s a cool looking spider and looks like he was born for Halloween.  According to Reddit, there are mixed reviews about the huntsman spider. Some say that you should keep them in your house to help get rid of other insects, and others say they belong outside. I think they belong outside, because I don’t need a giant spider crawling across me while I’m sleeping.

Okay, I thought I was done. On Halloween eve, I walked into the garage and in the back corner was this big Red Rump Tarantula, just sitting on the wall. As far as tarantulas go, this one here was a good-sized one, about 6″.  I didn’t see him at first until I got close, and yes he startled me. We got some pictures and then released him back out into the yard to eat more insects.

Happy Halloween!