The National Agriculture and Trade Show
Fourteen years ago I arrived here as a visitor and now, for only the second time in my life, I stood beside the river in Roaring Creek, Belize. A fine gray film of caliche dust coated our clothes and hair as we attended to customers at Belize’s annual National Agriculture and Trade Show in Belmopan. Semi-trucks thundered past on the bridge which overlooks the grounds, busses blared their horns, the neighing of horses and lowing of cattle mingled with the loudspeaker’s squawking at the rodeo stands which was accompanied by loud country music as well as some other classics which were not country. BJ Thomas was mournfully reminding us of raindrops falling on our heads despite the fact that the sky was sunny and mostly cloudless. I do not like country music or any slow music, for that matter.
Needless to say, the beer company possibly carried the honor of being the most important trade on the showground, based on the empty beer cans scattered on the ground and the amount of visitors balancing paper cups with the company’s logo on it, not to mention those carrying up to 4 or 5 cans in their hands. Under a tree close to us two older men peacefully emptied a pack of cigarettes. Every two minutes horses would pass by, carrying smiling children or terrified mothers. In fact horses were all around us, which simply meant that you had to watch your step. The majority of horsemen were black, many of the younger ones dressed in football shorts and polo shirts with rubber sandals. Among the real cowboys present, most of them were also black. Besides horseback riding, the other forms of entertainment were the mechanical rides situated at the south end of the showground.
Years ago a number of Spanish Lookout businesses had booths here, but ever since they began hosting the Commercial Expo in 2010, the numbers have dwindled. Today only a very few were there.* Mennonite visitors could be glimpsed here and there, but mostly those from the modern churches.
By 5pm I was beyond weary of stepping over horse droppings and listening to the incessant loud music and breathing caliche dust. We chose a quiet back road on our way home to avoid the traffic jams and leaned back, relaxing to the gentle rhythm of classic reggae in the background.
Farmer's Express Road is an alternative route to Spanish Lookout which is funded and maintained by that community
* Since the show is also open on a Sunday, the Mennonite businesses take advantage and keep their booths open. Nothing wrong with making several thousand dollars of profit one Sunday a year.
A. Mendoza
