April 2015
| Business World
61
young couple farming in the remote rainfor-
est, would come out to visit, sometimes even
staying to lend a hand.
As the influx of visitors grew, Lucy recalls,
she and Mick decided to build a simple
guest cottage, using materials sourced from
the jungle and built with the thatch and pole
construction local people had used for cen-
turies.
“And that was the birth of Chaa Creek Cot-
tages,” Lucy said.
That was in 1981, and two years later the
Flemings built another cottage, soon fol-
lowed by a dining room and a few simple
amenities. Soon the dirt track was expanded
into a dirt road to handle the steadily in-
creasing traffic. Indoor plumbing was intro-
duced along with six more cottage rooms, a
6,000 gallon water tower, staff quarters and a
gift shop displaying the work of local crafts-
people.
Electricity arrived at Chaa Creek in 1987,
and by 1988 hot water showers were avail-
able. The Flemings built an office, installed
outdoor lighting and continued construct-
ing and improving Chaa Creek’s signature
thatch roof cottages.
As Lucy puts it, “We never really stopped.
We’ve been building every year of our lives,
and I suppose we’ll continue doing that.”
As Chaa Creek grew, so did the Flemings’
appreciation and respect for Belize’s ecology
and culture. As they expanded their home-
stead, they made it a priority to protect the
area’s vibrant yet fragile ecosystem.
