This is Belize | La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge 2020 Day 1 | A Canoe Race In Central America.
Conceptualized by Richard Harrison of Big-H Enterprises for the purpose of launching Vida brand purified water, La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge made its debut on March 9, 1998.
It was an opportunity to bring together many partners in order to build an event that would allow for promotional themes of ‘natural products’ identified with sports, endurance, while at the same time raising consciousness about one of Belize’s natural resources: The Belize Old River.
Today, the Belikin La Ruta Maya is considered one of the longest canoe races in Central America that brings together professional and amateur paddlers from all over the world who take on the four day grueling challenge of paddling 175 miles of the Belize Old River against rapids and winds.
Day 1 goes from the Hawkesworth Bridge in San Ignacio to Banana Bank
Day 2: Banana Bank Lodge to Double Head Cabbage
Day 3: Double Head Cabbage to Burrell Boom
Day 4: Burrell Boom to Belize
The Belikin La Ruta Maya River Challenge is now become a major public and tourist attraction and the first canoes enter Belize City to cheering crowds at about 10:00 am on the last day which coincides with the National Heroes and Benefactors Day; a Public and Bank Holiday. #Allaroundus#Iwasthinking
175 river miles conquered in four days by paddlers from all over the world.
My name is Mickey and this is my experience of the Larutamaya Belize River Challenge.
Hello everyone, this is Mickey. Welcome to my channel where we learn lessons from life
experience and when I get a chance I show you something in the place or the country where I
am working. In today's video I am going to show you my experience of the Larutamaya Belize River
Challenge. The 175 mile canoe race was conceptualized by a man called Richard Harrison
of Big H Enterprises and it was done for the sole purpose of launching a brand new purified water
and the first race was held on the 9th of March 1998. With time this challenging canoe race covered
in four days has become the longest race in Central America bringing into Belize professional
and amateur paddlers from all over the world. Day one of the race starts from San Ignacio
in the west of Belize to Banana Bank and then in day two it goes from Banana Bank to
Doublehead Cabbage and then from Doublehead Cabbage to Barabum in day three and then for
the grand finale it goes from Barabum into Belize City where the paddlers and the canoes will be
greeted by a lot of crowd and a party that awaits them. Since I couldn't get the courage to participate
in this nice occasion I am going to tag along with three of my co-workers and I'll be asking
them their experience of the competition and I will also be showing you some of the parties that
goes along the route of this nice occasion. So I'll say come with me and enjoy.
So we start with a trip to San Ignacio,
set up camp and then go into the market to get our food for the duration of the competition.
And then in the evening we hit the town.
Like every Belize occasion it starts with some music, booze and some dancing.
All is well, we're feeling confident that we're gonna do something good today.
You know how it is, it's a nice little challenge so we try to make the best out of it.
Hopefully we do something good. Getting ready for this big race.
It's my first time so let's see what I got up. Let's see what I can do for D.I.O.
Hi man, what's up? Yeah good, how are you feeling?
Feeling kind of nervous and anxious you know it's my first time so it's a new experience for me.
I'm hoping for the best you know finish the race and putting my mind to it you know.
Although a lot of guys says about the crack and stuff I'm ignoring that part you know and
hoping for the best and just doing it for the Belizean people you know.
Good.
Come on.
What's your experience? So my first day you know it's really tougher than what I expected man it's
like pain you know muscle pain and your back's hurting you know so the journey we did was
seven hours and 20 minutes you know and being the first time the other guys said well we did good
you know but when you hit the time like midday you know that's when your muscles start giving up
you know like you can't go no more man but you need to finish because you're going to stay nowhere
right so. You know I'm intrigued sorry to cut you but I'm intrigued to know when the first
horn went and everyone was going for it how did your body feel how did you feel?
Well it was kind of nervous because on my mind was don't capsize don't capsize you know and
we managed not doing it we did the whole race without capsizing you know we had some some
rapids that man those stuff are really dangerous you know and kind of makes you get kind of shaky
because you you don't want to capsize but we managed to do it and it was good you know long
journey painful but we end up doing it good and we managed. I want you to be honest with me are
you looking forward to tomorrow? Man I am you know because I'm done for it and I need to finish
the race you know and I cannot quit. Thank you this is your third one yeah so how was today
compared to the other two you've done? The other two I've done it's been kind of rough eventually
the river it's been shallow a lot of places compared to other to the last two years that
I've done it's been very hectic the corners are very rough the rapids are kind of rough
we've been swinging from left to right you know but eventually we we made it. What about the rain?
The rain was very heavy it was great though because I mean there wasn't the sun wasn't so
hot and the rain kept us kind of cool and fresh so it gave us more time to pull and paddle a
little bit more so you know we weren't that burned out due to we kept cool all the way
usually when when it's extra hot man you've got to keep drinking a lot of water keep hydrated or
besides that it went good. Are you looking forward to tomorrow? Well definitely we're
ready though we are in a little bit of pain but yeah more likely a good rest tonight
then we're supposed to be ready to go tomorrow morning. Well done how was today your first
experience? Well at first I was taking it a little bit light but after I have finished it today it's
it's a beast it's that easy I mean man the long distance and it tells on your your your
your butt your back especially your hands my hand keep kept cramping up and everything
but I managed to get through and with the help of the you know we didn't have much sun today
it was a big advantage for us because if we had that sun I think we'd have come in much later
but it was it was okay. I was feeling a little bit nervous anxious you know wanted to
see you know but after seeing a lot of paddlers flipping over at the start that we kept our
distance and took our time getting through the rapids and stuff that was at the start
with all the paddlers battling it made a lot of rapids but I was a little bit you know because
it's my first time but after a while you know you got through it. So are you looking forward
to tomorrow? Yeah I'm looking forward to my bed also right now. Yeah all right okay I won't hold
you for long well done. Hello guys so this is the conclusion of La Ritamaya 2020 day one
I was so keen to get the end bit for you the finishing of today's leg but I couldn't because
our vehicle bogged down and we were trying to get help but we managed to pull ourselves out
of that situation. So we are in our camp if you see this will be my residence for tonight
it's not bad I'll show you about and you'll see where we will be sleeping we'll be sleeping in
tents behind me. Tomorrow I will bring you leg two of 2020 La Ritamaya and I hope you enjoy the
first leg and the guys have done really well I think they did 40 miles 40 miles tomorrow will
be 60 miles so yeah we look forward to that and there was a lot of rain today as well so the fun
was a bit funnier for me I'm sure maybe not for some of the guys some of them look a bit grumpy
but hey I'm sure they had fun so yeah see you tomorrow
