Is there a base for a field school or research group in Toledo District?

Toledo District is one of the least-visited parts of Belize and one of the most worked-in — Maya archaeology, rainforest and reef conservation, public health, agriculture, language and culture.

What those groups need from a base is unglamorous: enough beds in one place, somewhere to eat, reliable power and internet, somewhere to spread out gear and talk at the end of a day, and a location you can leave from early and come back to late.

We are in the middle of town rather than out on a road, which is the practical difference. The hospital and the University of Belize Toledo campus are a three-minute walk. Buses, the market and the water are walkable. Groups working in the villages drive out from here rather than being stuck somewhere remote when they are not in the field.

The compound is four floors built by hand over twenty-five years, with a courtyard and hammocks, a rooftop sundeck, common areas and WiFi throughout. Because we take one group at a time, a research team can leave equipment out and hold a meeting in the courtyard without negotiating with other guests.

On-site there is sip and paint, live drumming, movie nights, rooftop yoga and massage — which sounds like a resort list, but for a group three weeks into fieldwork an evening that is not another restaurant is worth more than it looks.