Yes, Shock! Horror! We left our comfortable nest in the bush to go out for the evening. We went to Belcampo for Green Drinks with some friends. The scenery up there is spectacular; sipping on an ice cold drink whilst watching the sunset is certainly a pleasant experience!
Belcampo Bar.
Duckie and Tim were in top form:
Duckie and Tim.
The display at the bar is nice with all the greens from their garden. This is Tim making a drink for me!
Tim At The Bar.
It was a great excuse to go out and it gave us the chance to dress up…Gnome’s mother had sent us some lovely new clothes (nice stuff…not our usual farm attire).
I guess I shouldn’t complain about the rains when lots of very interesting mushrooms are coming up on our farm. It is amazing that we have found such a wide variety, each within a few yards of each other.
The Lingzhi mushroom is worth its own post because it is a fungus which has been recognised for its medicinal properties by the Chinese for 2000 years. In addition to this, medical scientific research has shown that it boosts immune function and it has been explored as a possible adjunctive therapy with patients undergoing chemotherapy.
The lingzhi mushroom (Ganoderma sp.), in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is used to strengthen the heart and improve the memory and is viewed as a medicine for longevity. It is seen as a divine, sacred and en-lightening mushroom by the Chinese.
These polypore mushrooms are very easy to spot because they have a shiny surface and when fresh, have a soft cork-like consistency.
Varnished Conk Mushroom.
The mushroom can be prepared by thinly slicing, or pulverising (when dry) and then boiling it in water for a couple of hours to make a tea.
About a couple of years ago, I noticed that there was a sudden surge in interest in this mushroom as an anti-cancer tea in Belize. It appeared that someone was actively bringing in sachets of this “mushroom tea” made by a natural herbal company in the States. I saw them everywhere…in the pharmacy in Punta Gorda and in the main supermarkets in Belize City. And, they weren’t cheap too…something like a $100 for a pack. I could not believe that this stuff was getting imported at such an exorbitant price and it was growing in our own back-yards!
This one is definitely a fungus to go hunting for. When we conducted our foraging tour at Belcampo Lodge, we also spotted it growing in the bush:
A couple of weeks ago we were asked by Belcampo Lodge (an eco-lodge in Toledo) to assess their foraging tour. We were accompanied by their guide, Jose Vellos and we went on a two hour trek around Belcampo grounds. We would like to share with you some of the plants and trees that we came across…we probably saw up to about sixty plants mostly noted for their edibility, medicinal or useful purposes. All in all, the tour reinforced the diversity of plants in the rainforest and it was very educational for everyone involved. I will probably write about this tour in wee instalments since I have so many pictures to show you.
This is a picture of a Strangler Fig of the Ficus sp.; the seeds end up dropping in crevices of other trees and as they grow, they form roots which bind around the host tree, eventually killing it.
Strangler Fig.Strangler Fig.
This one is the Central American Rubber Tree, also known as Castilla elastica and Panama Rubber Tree. Here is a picture; if you look carefully, you can see some latex dripping out from the multiple scores on the bark. During the heyday of the rubber industry in Central America, these trees were tapped for their valuable latex. As an historical aside, the rubber from this tree was used to make the ball used for the famous Mesoamerican ballgame Ollamaliztli.
Rubber Tree.
Close-up picture of the foliage:
Rubber Tree Leaves.
These are the fruit of the rubber tree; Gnome took some home to start a rubber plantation…he wants to make his own thigh high rubber boots one day (for walking about the farm in the wet season). NOT a cosplay fetish!
Rubber Tree Fruit.
This one has many names…we have heard of the following: Bull’s Eye, Deer’s Eye and Horse’s Eye. Gnome suggested re-naming it ” Some Sort of Ruminant’s Eye” as a catch-all term. I don’t know…mmmm…not a very catchy name?!
Picture of the seed with the dried pod:
Deer’s Eye/ Bull’s Eye/ Horse’s Eye.
The locals tell us that this seed is used in childrens’ games where it is rubbed very quickly against the pod and then transferred onto somebody else’s skin to cause a scalding effect. This is done for fun and laughs in the bush! It happens less now that everyone has Galaxy phones 😉
Yes, Shock! Horror! We left our comfortable nest in the bush to go out for the evening. We went to Belcampo for Green Drinks with some friends. The scenery up there is spectacular; sipping on an ice cold drink whilst watching the sunset is certainly a pleasant experience!
