Placencia Residents participate in the Hands across the Sand movement

hands across the sand belizeHeld on Saturday, May 21st 2016 across Belize including Placencia Village, the Hands Across the Sand movement attracted hundreds of Belizeans who joined hands to protect and preserve what Mother Nature has blessed Belize with.

May 21st, 2016 marked the 6th anniversary of the Hands Across the Sand movement and according tohttp://www.handsacrossthesand.com/ more than 83 events were held around the globe to say no to filthy fuels and yes to clean energy.

placencia belizeIn Placencia Village, the event was held between Cozy Corner and Typsy Tuna and was sponsored by Oceana Belize.

Hands Across the Sand was founded in 2010 and has grown into an international movement after the BP oil disaster in April of that year. People came together to join hands, forming symbolic barriers against spilled oil and to stand against the impacts of other forms of extreme energy.

Chabil Mar is a proud supporter of Oceana Belize and the Hands Across the Sand movement.

Belize International Film Festival

belize international film festival

One of the most exciting festivals in Belize is scheduled to take place November 10-13, 2016 in Belize City. Now in its 11th year, the Belize International Film Festival will showcase a wide variety of films from Belize, southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to promote cultural tolerance and raise awareness. With a focus on the impact that climate change is having in the region, the Belize International Film Festival will also screen documentaries and short films that encourage the development and use of green technologies and social changes to safeguard the environment. The festival will also conduct several workshops and seminars in order to encourage dialogue and a stimulation of regional film-making.

Awards will be given to the best narrative feature, the most notable Belizean film, the best full-length documentary, the best short documentary the best short film, the best animation, the best TV dramatic series, and best music video. Additional categories which will receive awards include a youth audience award (chosen by attendees aged 5-12) and special mentions for the best short film and the best documentary (full-length) feature. The documentary and full-length narrative feature films are open to filmmakers globally while the other categories are restricted to filmmakers in the region. The music video category is restricted to clips featuring an artist from Belize and must be shot on location in Belize.

Interested filmmakers are still eligible to submit their films prior to June 30, 2016. A complete list of the rules and entry forms can be found on the festival’s official website as well as their Facebook page.

For many years, the Belize International Film Festival was held during the summer in Placencia in the southeastern part of the country but at the end of 2015, the organizers decided to return the festival to Belize City, where it was held during its earlier years. The timing of the festival was also rescheduled for November 10-13 because it was “time for a little shake up again,” according to the organizers in a posting on their official Facebook page. The Belize International Film Festival is organized by the Film and Media Arts Unit of the Institute of Creative Arts, a subdivision of Belize’s National Institute of Culture and History.

 

Canadian Teen Discovers Lost Mayan City

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Satellite images compared with Google Earth show potentially man-made structures beneath the jungle canopy. Photo: Canadian Space Agency

Using his deep knowledge of astronomy, 15-year-old William Gadoury recently startled archeologists by discovering a hidden Mayan city located near the coast in Belize, in the southern Yucatán Peninsula. By analyzing Mayan astronomical records, Gadoury realized that the Mayan system of constellations precisely matched the location of 117 different Mayan cities. Using this information, Gadoury was able to predict that a 118th city must exist. After plotting potential locations, Gadoury scoured through satellite photographs to discover K’aak Chi, where researchers discovered a pyramid and more than two dozen buildings lost within the deep jungle.

Archeologists have yet to visit the area of K’aak Chi to confirm the satellite imagery. Gadoury has expressed an interest in visiting the site but will have to wait until funding becomes available to reach the remote site. “To see K’aak Chi with my own eyes would be the dream of my life after spending three years calculating its location,” said Gadoury.

The city was named by Gadoury from a Mayan term meaning “fire mouth”. After a large forest fire in 2005 thinned the jungle cover, satellite photos were able to make out more details of this once-lost city. Mayan experts were startled when they realized that, based on their calculations from satellite images, K’aak Chi is one of the five largest Mayan cities ever discovered.

Modern-day Belize was once the heartland of the Mayan Empire and has the highest concentration of Mayan sites in the region. Top draws for visitors in Belize include the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha, Cahal Pech, Caracol, Lamani and Lubantuum.

The award-winning resort of Chabil Mar on the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize is a great place to begin an adventure. With  luxury beach front villas, the resort offers Belize jungle and sea packages that include tours to all of the top Maya ruins, perhaps you too can discover a lost city on your vacation in Belize.

Chabil Mar also offers a special Belize and Guatemala combo packages that includes a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal, once a leading Maya city-state and home to dozens of soaring palaces, temples and buildings.

For more information about Belize or to find out more about Chabil Mar accommodations, Belize vacation packages, rates and amenities, please don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606.

Belize Barrier Reef Photographed From Space by NASA Astronaut

belize reefLong known by residents and visitors as one of the most spectacularly beautiful ecosystems in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef was recently seen from a brand new angle when NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, currently on assignment aboard the International Space Station, posted high-resolution photographs of the reef on his Twitter feed.

The gorgeous color photograph taken from space pictures the entire Belizean coastline with the reef clearly visible. “Beautiful Belize coastal waters,” wrote Jeff Williams alongside the photograph. The next few pictures posted by the intrepid astronaut showed Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, commenting, “Fantastic Belize barrier reefs!”

If you’d like to experience the wondrous beauty of the Belize Barrier Reef from a much closer distance, the resort of Chabil Mar in Placencia offers comprehensive scuba diving and snorkeling packages that include lodging and guided trips to some of the best places to swim, dive and snorkel along the reef.

Belmopan Bandits FC is the PLB 2015-2016 Closing Season Champion

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Photo courtesy: The Amandala Newspaper

After a thrilling game against the Placencia Assassins in the final of the Premiere League of Belize football champions, the Belmopan Bandits secured the win with a 2-0 victory. Playing to a packed crowd at Isidoro Beaton Stadium, the hometown heros Belmopan Bandits and their star goalkeeper Shane Moody fought hard to end the match in a shutout.

After much exciting back and forth between the two evenly matched teams, the Bandits managed to end the deadlock with a minute 29 goal shot from Brazilian midfield Amilton Filho. The arcing hard shot from 35 yards out just managed to escape the control of Assassins goalie Anthony Williams. As the shot from Filho came rebounding to earth, Honduran forward Kervin Johnson outpaced Williams to tip in the goal with an easy kick for the first goal for the Bandits.

The crowd rose to their feet six minutes later when Assassins midfielder Delone Torres used fancy footwork to penetrate the Bandits defense and slide the ball over to midfielder Ashley Torres. The shot from Torres from just 18 feet out was just shy of the mark and hit the left cross bar. A corner kick a few minutes later from the Assassins Luis “Baaka” Torres also hit the crossbar, dashing Assassins fans hope for a chance to even the score.Placencia-assassins

The Bandits relentless attack soon proved its mettle 10 minutes into the half when flying forward Kervin Johnson arced a perfect shot into the middle for Jerome “Jarro” James to punch in to increase their lead to 2-0. The Assassins attempted to regain ground just minutes later but watched in dismay as another excellent shot caromed off of the cross bar.

Due to points, a draw would’ve given the Placencia Assassins the title but it was not in the cards as the Bandits successfully managed to fend off all attacks to end the match with a decisive 2-0 victory. A triumphant crowd roared as the Belmopan Bandits were crowned the PLB Champions of the 2015-2016 season.

In recognition of their dedication and success in this hard-fought season, the management and staff of Chabil Mar would like to congratulate the Placencia Assassins for their outstanding achievement of reaching the finals of the Belize Premier League.

 

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