Catching up with Karla

I was fortunate enough to have another amazing visitor recently. Karla, my closest friend and neighbor during my first year in Burkina, spent a week with me in Belize. We were able to see a lot of the country and also hang out with other PCVs so she could see what Peace Corps is like here.

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!

Hurricane Season

As many of you may know, Peace Corps develops Emergency Action Plans (EAP) for each country that outlines what to do in a variety of safety and security situations. Last year while I was still in Burkina there were several terrorist threats and volunteers from several parts of the country had to be evacuated from their sites. I never worried or felt unsafe since I know my community was always watching out for me and Peace Corps had plans in place to take care of us and get us out of the country if needed. Since I left Burkina, there has been much greater safety and security concerns and many volunteers have been evacuated and/or put on standfast repeatedly since February. I don't want to go into the details about everything thats going on there but its basically been a lot of political instability with riots and protests against the government and current president. What I'm really trying to explain is that I was aware of potential problems in Burkina Faso and I felt very safe knowing that Peace Corps was taking care of us.

When I arrived in Belize five months ago, I had to go through a short training to inform me of differences between Burkina and Belize. One thing that really stuck out was my talk with the Belize Safety and Security Coordinator. We went through the EAP and I realized the biggest concern was hurricanes and floods. There was very low threat of terrorist activities or political instability like we faced in Burkina but a very high threat of natural disasters. I guess anywhere you go there are safety concerns; I find it interesting to see how different they can be!

June 1 is the official beginning of hurricane season and the day brought the first rain to Dangriga in a while with both morning and evening storms. For the next five months, Peace Corps Volunteers are supposed to be prepared for potential storms and the possibility of evacuation. Last year volunteers were consolidated (everyone brought together in Belmopan, away from the coast) five times I think because of potential storms. A category one hurricane did hit Belize and caused some damage but this was just a small storm. There is a lot of talk now about this hurricane season being a bad one. I've heard a couple different reasons. Someone told me this is an El Nino year meaning the weather patterns are set for potentially bad storms. Others have said that we should expect a larger number and more powerful storms. The most interesting reason I heard was that all of the worst hurricanes in Belize have hit in September of years ending in 1. It is 2011 so we'll see what happens this fall!

I heard the first potential storm is being watched near Jamaica already so I guess its time to pack my hurricane bucket. Thats right, Peace Corps Volunteers are required to prepare for any potential storms by putting together a hurricane bucket. We need to get a five gallon bucket called a pigtail bucket here since thats what usually comes in them! Pigtails are imported from the US where they are considered garbage but are a part of the traditional cuisine here. We're expected to have non-perishable foods, water, flashlight, clothes, money, and our passports ready to take with us when we get the call to consolidate.

I'm not sharing this with all of you because I'm really scared or to make you nervous; Peace Corps will get us out way before a storm gets close. I just find it fascinating and want to share what my life is like here in Belize. It seems that hurricanes are a big part of life here and there are lots of plans in place in case the big one hits. Every town throughout the country has developed a hurricane plan and most have hurricane shelters. Families know where they will evacuate to and are prepared to do this a few times each year.

Besides hurricanes, there are other big concerns during the rainy season. Flash floods are common and many rivers become impassable after a storm. A bridge on the main road south was washed out several years and now there is no way to travel north when the river becomes swollen. Travel becomes much more difficult from now until November. We faced many of these same issues in Burkina but I think they get a lot more rain here so the problems are multiplied.

I, of course, will update all of you of the situation in Belize. We'll see what the season brings. I'm looking forward to the rains putting out the many forest fires raging currently and cutting down on the dust on the road. Its also nice to get a break from the heat when a storm rolls through. Welcome to life in the tropics!

Exploring Belize with the Amazing Ms Allison

This past week I enjoyed a great visit with my grad school pal Allison. Her vacation started out with a few bumps but turned out amazing. The morning she was arriving just as I was walking out my door, I received a call that all Peace Corps Volunteers were on standfast meaning we couldn't leave out sites because of a bus strike. I never quite understood what happened but there was some disagreements between the government and one of the major bus companies. I think the government had made some promises and then changed their minds. All the bus companies agreed to strike in solidarity so there was no transport. The government was able to work something out and buses were running by noon but PC wouldn't let us travel the rest of the day. I fortunately reached Allison just before her plane left so she wouldn't be worried that I wasn't waiting for her at the airport.

She was able to take a short flight to San Pedro, the largest tourist town in Belize located on a northern island. I took a 5 am bus the next day and was able to meet up with her and enjoy most of the day on the beach. San Pedro was beautiful and we stayed in this amazing resort north of town. We had our own little cabana right on the beach. It seemed very romantic and felt like a honeymoon destination so we decided the week was our honeymoon together. Of course it made us both miss our boyfriends but we definitely enjoyed our girls time too! We enjoyed some great food and drinks there including these amazing basil lime vodka drinks.

We took the water taxi from San Pedro back to Belize City and bus to San Igancio in the west. I had visited this town with my dad and think its great. It has a very different feel than the coast so was glad she could see another side of the country. We did a tour here that included an activity for each of us. She really wanted to go ziplining so we did that. I had gone before in Costa Rica and it was similar but still a blast. I'm scared of heights so it always takes a little personal pep talk to get me to jump off a high ledge but its exciting to fly through the jungle. After a traditional Belizean lunch of rice and beans, stew chicken, coleslaw and plantain, we moved on to the next adventure - cave tubing. I think I read that Belize has one of the highest concentration of caves in the world and many were used by the ancient Mayans as sacred places for ceremonies and burials. We walked a ways through the jungle to reach the beginning of our route where we got into our tubes and paddled to the entrance of our first cave. We continued down the river through a total of three caves. Most of the time the water was deep and river slow-moving so we had to paddle along. The last cave was very shallow though and in several places we had to really raise our butts and the water moved us along swiftly. It hadn't rained in weeks which is why the river was so low but we only had to get up and walk in one area. I can't imagine what it would be like when the river is swollen. Inside the caves it was pitch black in some areas but most of the time you could see a little light from the entrance or exit. We had headlamps to look at the stalactites (are those the ones coming down from the ceiling?) and see where we were going. Allison didn't enjoy this as much but I loved it!

The last part of the trip was spent at home in Dangriga. I think she enjoyed seeing where I am living and what my life is like here. We enjoyed the market and the beach here and I even took her to work and she got to experience more of what Belize is like with lots of informal planning and nothing starting on time! All in all, I think it was a fabulous week with a fabulous friend!

Allison was so amazing treating me the whole week since she understands how little we make on a Peace Corps stipend. Its hard to enjoy all that Belize has to offer sometimes because all of the tourist activities charge American prices but I only get enough money to live at a normal Belizean standard of living. Thanks Allison for really spoiling me and coming to enjoy Belize with me!

Sex Ed on the Banana Farm

For the past few months I've had one activity that has really excited me and I've enjoyed. I was asked by the principal of a very small school to come teach sex ed to his older students. I really wasn't sure what I was getting into since I had never heard of the place and its a Catholic school so was uncertain what I would be allowed to discuss. The first time I went I planned a lesson on sex and gender most of which comes from some Peace Corps curriculum and I had used in Burkina. I wanted the students to get to know me first before we got into the fun stuff and also to have a chance to really discuss with the principal and teacher what they wanted me to cover. They basically gave me freedom to cover anything that I thought was important and the only limit was to not give condom demonstrations. This was 5th and 6th grade though so I completely understand that.

This small school has about 100 kids in eight grades though most of the classes are combined so 5th and 6th grade which I was working with had about 13 students. The school is located in the middle of a very large banana farm. Most of the families that live here are migrant workers that come from other parts of Central America so English is a second language for the students. There is no transportation unless they walk from the farm out to the highway so most people are pretty isolated. The kids and teachers were so appreciative of me coming out to their school which makes it much more enjoyable for me. Getting to the school is a challenge but definitely worth it when I feel appreciated. Every time I went to the school I caught a teachers bus at 6 am in Dangriga which takes teachers to several different schools south of here. I'd ride the bus for about an hour and then get off at a junction. In the meantime I'd meet up with a teacher from the school and we'd wait on the side of the road here for about forty-five minutes. Eventually the mechanic from the farm would come get us with the pick-up truck and everyone would pile in with several people jumping in the back. It was about a 20 minute ride to the school. I usually started teaching around 9 am but it felt like I'd been working for hours by that point!

I developed six different lessons for the students that I felt covered the most important information for students. Like I said, the first was on sex and gender and we discussed the difference between our biological sex (male or female) and our gender based on society (masculine or feminine). We also talked about gender roles and how society tells us to behave. They said that only women are supposed to cook but they realized that men could cook. Same goes for driving and many other roles that in the US we think our gender neutral but not the case here. The other topics I covered were: puberty, insemination and pregnancy, reproductive anatomy, HIV/AIDS, and other STIs

For the first session they decided to have me work with grades 3-6 since there were some older kids in the lower grades. This meant I was working with students that ranged in age from 8-15. I found this very challenging since their understanding is so different and I wasn't comfortable about teaching some of the other topics to kids so young. From then on, we agreed to just pull the older kids from the lower grades so I only worked with students ranging from age 12-15. Most of the information was completely new to the students and I know they struggled to understand my English and what I was saying. I was very surprised how much they had learned by the end though.

Peace Corps Belize has been working on an initiative to train teachers in how to use the sex ed curriculum written by the Ministry of Health. I am helping with this project and will have more updates later. I realize that my teaching these classes is not sustainable, one of Peace Corps' main objectives. I did share my lesson plans with the teacher and principal though and discussed ways to teach these topics. I hope in the future they will feel more comfortable teaching it.

Even though I know this wasn't a sustainable project, I enjoyed it very much and sometimes I think its important to have an activity that just feels worthwhile and makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something even if its just with those individual students. I loved having the opportunity to get out in a village and work hands-on with youth since I miss doing that in Burkina!

Bingo Hits Belize

I'm not sure if I've just been way out of the loop or what but it seems like Bingo has just taken off in Belize. Over the past month, I have heard so much talk about playing bingo that I feel like I need to let you all in on the excitement. I think its fascinating how they play bingo here - its a nationwide game played twice a week!

Bingo in Belize is a lot like playing the lottery. Anyone interested in playing buys a ticket for $2 at one of the local shops. Every Wednesday and Saturday night at 8:30 pm everybody sits down in front of their tvs and waits for a pretty lady to come on and start calling numbers. If you have the number called, you mark it off on your card at home. The computer system can tell when somebody has won and the pretty lady will announce that there was a winner. Prizes range from $500 for a row to $200,000 for the jackpot which is all the numbers on your card called in less than 49 numbers. Once somebody has won a prize (like a row), nobody else can win it. If nobody wins the jackpot, the amount continues to increase each game which is why its gotten so high and probably why there has been a lot more talk about bingo.

I can think of a lot of other events that can bring a nation together but there is something that seems so innocent over a nationwide obsession with bingo!

Belize Zoo

Last week I visited the Belize Zoo with my friend KC. We had talked about going for a while but finally had a free afternoon when we were together in Belmopan so decided to grab a bus there. The zoo was formed almost thirty years ago by an American woman. A crew had come to Belize to film a nature documentary and afterwards they were unsure of what to do with all the animals they now had capture and domesticated. It was decided they couldn’t be released so this woman decided to open a zoo to share Belize’s many exotic animals with everyone. I read this is the best zoo in the Americas south of the United States and was definitely impressed. The zoo only has animals found in Belize and all the inhabitants were either born in captivity, orphaned, or confiscated as illegal pets. Most of the exhibits feel like they are in the middle of the jungle with lots of trees and greenery both inside and outside the large enclosures. We were even amazed by some of the animals outside of the cages just wandering around in nature including some huge iguanas and an armadillo. There also are monkeys loose but we never saw them. Other animals include the tapir (called a mountain cow here), scarlet macaws, the largest eagles in the world, all kind of different cats, crocodiles, and something that looked like a wart hog. Most of the animals I had never heard of but they were all fascinating. One of the most amazing was the jaguars. If you’ve been religiously reading my blogs, you’ll remember that KC and I went on a jaguar hunt in the world’s first jaguar reserve but only found scratch marks on a tree and paths made by some type of animal. This was our chance to see a jaguar and boy did he pose for us. They have three jaguars at the zoo but there was one that seemed especially friendly and photogenic. He was in a large enclosure but came to the fence and was only a few feet away from us. I posted some pictures from the zoo including our favorite jaguar.

Parents' Visit

My first visitors in Belize recently left. My parents came for the Easter weekend and although my mom had to return to work, my dad stayed for two weeks. All of us enjoyed spending the weekend on Tobacco Caye. All the small islands just off Belize’s coast are called cayes (pronounced keys). Tobacco Caye is located about twelve miles off the coast of Dangriga. This island is small - just four and a half acres - and its only a few minutes walk from one end to the other or about a fifteen minute kayak around the island. We stayed in a small cabana with a porch and a hammock hanging over the water. The second-largest coral reef in the world is located along the coastline of Belize and is known for its great snorkeling and diving. Tobacco Caye, unlike many of the islands, is located right on the reef so we snorkeled right off the beach. We saw all kinds of colorful and exotic fish and coral and even a turtle. My mom and I also enjoyed kayaking around the island though my mom did struggle to stay out of the water!

After my mom had to return to Wisconsin, my dad and I continued the vacation. We enjoyed a day trip to Blue Hole National Park. The blue hole is a deep sinkhole that is connected to an underground river. The water here is freezing cold so very refreshing after the heat of Belize.

We also took a trip to the Cayo region in western Belize. This was the only area I hadn’t visited yet so I can now say I’ve travelled to all six regions of the country. We rented a car that allowed us to stop in lots of little places we wouldn’t have seen on the bus. One of these was Spanish Lookout, the largest Mennonite settlement in Belize. Like I previously stated, there is a large Mennonite population in Belize that are successful farmers and entrepreneurs. Many of the largest businesses are owned by the Mennonites including a poultry company and a dairy. They also are known as great mechanics and many Belizeans travel to Spanish Lookout to get their cars repaired. The landscape in this area seemed very different than the rest of the country and other than the occasional palm tree, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that we were in the American Midwest with rolling hills and lots of fields and farms. Dad’s favorite part of the visit was a stop at Western Dairy’s factory where we had ice cream!

We visited two different Mayan ruins in this area as well. The first was Xunantunich, one of the largest and most impressive ruins in Belize. We also saw Cahal Pech, a smaller set of ruins located on the edge of the city of San Ignacio. Both were amazing and if I was an archaeologist, I’d have tons to say about them but I’ll let me pictures tell the story instead.

On the way home from Cayo, we stopped at the Belize Agricultural and Trade Fair that is held one weekend a year. This is the Belizean version of the county fair and reminded me so much of the many years I spent at ours. There is a 4-H program here but its a little different than at home. The fair is held on the 4-H grounds and I saw many kids with 4-H shirts on. There were animals, plants, and lots of commercial booths selling junk. And of course lots of food and beer stands with loud music blaring. The day was horribly hot just like most fair days in Wisconsin! The only thing I didn't see was a Fairest of the Fair!

Pictures from all my latest adventures are posted on the link to the right.