We spent a day hiking at Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Reserve along with PCVs Alyson & Clifton. We took a different trail than I had gone on last time I visited the park. It was challenging and we felt like we've never make it to the end but the view when we reached was well worth the hike. The trail stops at the base of a large waterfall with pool of water. There is a short trail leading to another waterfall above the first and you can look down on the clearing below. We enjoyed having our lunches here and cooling off in the water before hiking back.
The next day Karla and I had a very relaxing day on the beach in Placencia. Its such a beautiful area and we had fun just laying in the sand all day napping and reading.
Later in the week we went to Belmopan for the Swearing-In of the newest group of volunteers in Belize. It was similar to swear-ins in Burkina and brought back memories of when we swore-in more than two and a half years ago. PC Belize has a great tradition here that after the ceremony, the just sworn-in volunteers play soccer against the older PCVs. I also heard its a tradition to let the newbies win but not sure if that was said just because they did this year!
That night we traveled north to the town of Orange Walk with a group of other PCVs. That night we went out to this little hole-in-the-wall place for beer and ceviche. It was the best shrimp and conch ceviche I think I've ever had and at a great price. I enjoyed hanging out with some other PCVs that I hadn't spent much time with before as well.
Karla's last full day in Belize was spent on a great tour. We left from Orange Walk in a speed boat to travel down the New River to the Mayan Ruins of Lamanai. The boat trip took about two hours and seemed much more enjoyable than the several hours you can alternatively travel by bus on a dirt, pot-holed road. Along the way our guide pointed out all kinds of wildlife including lots of different birds and iguanas. We saw a couple splashes that he told us were crocodiles and just the top of one's head. I was a little disappointed not to see more crocodiles but I wasn't up to his suggestion of jumping in the water to attract them! In one tree, the guide pointed out toucans to us. They were smaller than I expected and he explained that there are several different varieties that live in this area and we were seeing the smallest type. We also saw spider monkeys that were in trees overlooking the water. We floated right up next to them and the guide gave them bananas. One even jumped in the boat with us. When we got to the ruins, we also saw howler monkeys.
Besides wildlife, we saw several other sites along the river. This included a large sugar refinery. Northern Belize is a huge grower of sugar cane and therefore producer of sugar. Lately there has been a sugar shortage throughout the country and our guide explained it was because of some changes in parts at the factory we saw and they had to cut production as they figured out how to fix their machines. He also pointed out the rum factory along the river. When you've got a lot of sugar cane, you can also have a lot of rum! Finally, he showed us a Mennonite community that is the most conservative in the country. It has about 2000 people and they have shunned all outside luxuries including even rubber for their buggy tires. This is a huge contrast to the Mennonites in Cayo that often drive cars and use cell phones! We also learned that it is impossible to join this community and everyone is required to marry within the population so there are concerns for future generations.
The ruins were also impressive to see but as I've said before, they all seem very similar to me. The last few times I've been to ruins, I've looked around on my own so it was different to have a guide this time explaining to us what we were seeing. Lamanai was one of the oldest Mayan cities but it also continued long after most of the other cities in the region collapsed. One reason for this, our guide explained, was because of the location on the river. The city was able to sustain a large population without decimating the land like happened at many of the other sites. This reminded me of the book "Collapse" by Jared Diamond where he looks at ancient civilizations that reached their demise in a short period of time. He actually even looked at the ancient Mayans and discussed why the society fell apart before the Spaniards even arrived. Makes me wish I could re-read that chapter now that I'm living in the center of this civilization!
The tour ended with a return boat trip. Instead of enjoying the wildlife this time, we sat back and enjoyed rum punch! It was a fantastic end to the day and to Karla's visit. I had a great time catching up with her since it had been one and a half years since we hung out other than a short lunch at New Years. I also really appreciate the American goodies she brought me from home including shorts! I wasn't able to buy many new clothes when I was home in January since summer clothes weren't out then and its so hot here now that all I want to wear is shorts when I'm not at work!
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