Baking Pot Ferry

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  This blog about the Mennonites would not be complete if I didn't write about the old-fashioned hand-cranked ferry at Baking Pot, commonly referred to as the Spanish Lookout ferry because it used to be the only entrance although it is no longer part of SL. It connects 2 narrow dirt roads over the Belize River and at certain times of the day there is even a rush hour with non-Mennonite employees and customers on their way to or from San Ignacio.
  Originally it had been built farther downstream at Mennonite Beach, the spot where the Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites arrived in 1958. It was washed away more than once, recovered and rebuilt and later in the 1960's relocated to the Baking Pot area, about a mile upstream.
  Now that there is better and faster access to Spanish Lookout via the Iguana Creek Road, the ferry road on the government side is usually left uncared for long periods. On the SL side a grader levels the gravel every now and then. During heavy rains in the wet season the ferry is closed due to the high waters.
  A few years ago the ferry operator or an assistant hanged himself on the ferry. Drunk or careless drivers have sometimes ended up nose-diving into the river due to the steep incline on the southern side. Even though the river is only about 150 feet wide at this point, it takes about 8 to 10 minutes to cross plus an additional 20 minutes if you're at the end of the waiting line. The non-Mennonite operator is never in a rush; and he expects you to act the same.
  This is the 3rd hand-cranked ferry in Belize and serves as a historical reminder of the Mennonites' immigration.

                                          A. Mendoza

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