A Very Fun Visit--and an attempt to remember it!

I love this picture of Dave and the iguana!  One of many iguanas!  And one of many amazing experiences during the visit of Judi Simpson (Dave's sister) and her friend, Mary Wolf!  Now if my computer will cooperate I'll try to share the highlights.  (For some unknown reason, our internet speeds since Christmas have slowed to a crawl, and this blog may literally take several days to complete due to pictures that I want to include.  I have been waiting to see if we can find the problem, but we have not despite having taken our computer to a repair person.  Dave may try 4G to see if we can improve on things.  We wonder, too, if the system has been overloaded with the many smart phones sold recently here.  Who knows, but I am about ready to revert to a hand-written diary.)

Judi and Mary arrived on a Thursday afternoon, January 16th, probably the most spectacular day, weather-wise, we had seen!  And that was pretty much the last of tropical weather until after they left.  I think they were hoping for some sun, but instead they saw rain, more rain, clouds, and very cool temperatures!

On Friday, I had to do some work, counting ICU's (the reward program at DMCCC), so Judi and Mary went to Caye Caulker for the afternoon.  The weather was not great, but they survived the afternoon.

On Saturday, we packed up the car and left early to go to Cayo District to visit Xunantunich Mayan Ruins.  We first took a drive through Belmopan, the capitol of Belize.  There we saw the U.S. Embassy, which was embarrassing in its fortress presentation.  Other embassies are lovely old houses, and the Prime Minister lives in a nice house on one of my walks.  But this compound was scary!

The four of us stopped at Orange Gallery to shop and to have lunch.  When we next arrived at the ferry crossing to go to Xunantunich, we found that the river was raging and the ferry was not operating. "Maybe tomorrow," the guide said.

We decided to go to the Blue Morpho Butterfly breeding center.  What a beautiful place!  A resort or two are on the road off the highway, and the area in the mountains is beautiful!  The guide took us into an area where the butterflies were feasting on fermented pineapple, just a little drunk!  He caught one and showed us the differences between male and female and showed us the "eyes" on their wings that fool other animals into thinking that they are larger and scarier than they are!  Then he went through the life-cycle of a butterfly!  Really informative--and a peaceful place to be on an afternoon!  And no butterflies were injured during the presentation!

Judi, Mary, Dave and I had reservations at the San Ignacio Hotel & Resort where an iguana protection and breeding program is.  The first thing we did upon arrival was take the Iguana tour!  What an experience!  About a dozen of us were on the tour, and the young man was passionate about his iguanas!  We first went to see the "teenage" iguanas, which when ready are released into the wild. They can actually fall 20 feet without injury, so they are tossed into the wild.  A couple of them have returned in search of a mate.  But they are kept out of the breeding area as they would kill other iguanas in there.  The iguanas feel cold to the touch, especially on a day when it was barely 60 degrees outside. I took photos, while everyone else held at least one iguana.  I only pet one...this was not my favorite activity!  But you can see how Mary was totally involved!  After seeing the older iguanas, we went to the nursery, where even Judi held one...and Mary had one climb into her hair!

After having dinner at Fuego on the Square in San Ignacio, we awoke to rain, which cancelled the early morning bird walk that Mary and Judi were to go on.  Dave and I finally got up (I think Mary and Judi were about done waiting for us), and we decided to explore Spanish Lookout.  Spanish Lookout is the agricultural area of Belize where all of our chickens, beans, milk and eggs are grown.  It was developed in a rather unusual arrangement with the Belize government by the Mennonites in the 1950's.  We arrived at the Iguana Creek Ferry and crossed to the Spanish Lookout side.  Beautiful rolling hills and lovely homes were in the area, which is not developed with tourists in mind.

Still seeking new adventures, we returned to the Succotz ferry to cross the Mopan River, but it was closed.  We went on to Benque Viejo and to the Guatemala border, just to say we'd been there. (Someday, Dave and I will go on to Tikal.)  Given that we could not see Xunantunich, we returned to San Ignacio and visited Cahal Pech.  By this time, the day was sunny and beautiful, so I took more pictures in a different light from my previous visit there!  I love Mayan ruins!

It was interesting to find the archeological team at work at Cahal Pech.  What an interesting place to work!





Judi, Mary and I went to Old Belize, a tourist place on the Sea with a fairly extensive port for private boats, where we had lunch.  There is a very high water slide there, and it was fun to watch young people take the dive!  We went on to the Belize Zoo.  I vowed I was not going to take pictures, but that did not last long!  However, the pictures I'm posting here are actually from the pictures that Nathan and Megan took.  (I figured Zoo pictures are Zoo pictures!)  The pictures are of the Jaguar during a "Jaguar Lick" where people are in the cage on which the Jaguar sits and he licks off their heads something good to a Jaguar!  Next is the Howler Monkey, whose sound travels for a mile or more!  And then, I believe, we see an Ocelot in the bushes.

The three of us also walked around downtown Belize City on a weekday.  I loved seeing the streets, through which I usually drive, up close.  We went inside St. John's Cathedral (carved doors below),

and to the House of  Culture,

and walked by the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts

 and the Supreme Court Building.

We saw Haulover Creek with its boats,

the new Battlefield Park, and shops along the way.

Judi and Mary went with me to the Children's Centre, and they handed out ICU rewards!  The best moment was when Mary made a mid-court basket to the delight of the boys just as we were leaving! They saw the Municipal Airport and the plane and met Yvette.  I think that we packed in just about as much is possible in a 5 day visit!  What a wonderful time Dave and I had--and I think that Mary and Judi would agree!

Christmas in Belize 2013

Nathan and Megan arrived at the International Airport on December 21st!  As Dave was flying, I went to pick them up!  They'd had a long day before they ever made it here, so they went to the Radisson to have a rest before dinner.

One of the treats that Dave and I received was a free turkey from BERT.  I had it in the oven while they were resting.  Due to being unable to find stuffing mix or sweet potatoes, I had to make a couple of last minute changes to the menu!  Such is life in Belize!  We had plenty of wine and Christmas cookies to keep all happy, though.

Sunday afternoon was pool-time, and we enjoyed lunch by the Radisson's pool.  After a short tour of the city, we arrived home for a meal of rice and beans and chicken--very Belizean!

Apparently, Dave's lunch at the Radisson had some e. Coli in it, as he became desperately ill.  On Monday morning, he took the plane to International Airport for servicing, but became so ill that the mechanic had to give him a ride home!  Actually, he went to the BERT office first, which I did not learn about until the next day!  Anyway, instead of my staying at work while Nathan and Megan went to Caye Caulker (below) for the afternoon, I spent the afternoon in the emergency room while they gave Dave fluids and antibiotics.  What a way to begin a vacation!

Due to a number of irritating occurrences, the plans to go to St. George's Caye on Tuesday were cancelled and late in the day we set off by car for Placencia, a nearly 4 hour trip.  We enjoyed driving on the Hummingbird Highway through the mountains, but the potholes in the road, especially when it was raining off and on, were treacherous!  (I later saw on the news that an American couple had hit a pothole too fast, and the car was thrown into the ditch.  No one was injured, as everyone had seat belts on, a rarity in Belize.)  We were able to find The Placencia Hotel in the dark, and we had dinner on Christmas Eve on the Pier.

Christmas Day dawned bright and clear, and after breakfast we headed for the pool!  (We were going to lie on the beach, but those nasty sand flies were out and about!)  The pool was beautiful--the perfect temperature, a beautiful stone waterfall, and a swim-up bar!  Who could ask for a better day in the sun!

In the afternoon, Megan went to work out, and Dave and I took a drive down the peninsula to the town of Placencia.  The town is filled with shops, but everything was closed for Christmas.  There were people in the streets, partying.  And we were able to drive around the airport, where a crossing bar goes down as an airplane takes off!  One can see the lagoon on one side of the road and the Caribbean on the other.  This area is being purchased and developed by people from the U.S. and Canada.  Really beautiful residences!

The sunset on Christmas night was beautiful!  And we ate again out on the Pier.  The service staff were particularly cheerful and kind!

On December 26th, we went to Dangriga so that Dave could see from the ground another of his frequent destinations by air.  The town is known to be a Garifuna town and is very alive on Garifuna Settlement Day, but not much was going on when we were there on Boxing Day (a national holiday, too).

The four of us drove back through the mountains on the Hummingbird Highway.  I was not aware of the citrus industry in the area.  We also saw a banana grove or two near Dangriga.  We ate lunch at Cheers, then headed across the street to the Belize Zoo.

The day continued to be showery off and on.  We happened to be there on an apparently active day for the animals.  The jaguar is a special creature at the Zoo, and the personnel do a "jaguar lick," during which they place something on the heads of people who sit in a cage with the jaguar on top, licking off whatever it is that is on their heads!  Well, some children of a family there were in the cage, and we were able to watch the jaguar do somersaults and prowl around on top of the cage!

The Howler Monkeys were lively!  I have a movie that really captures their sound, but I could not get it to load to the blog.   The Spider Monkeys were active, too!  I'm so glad that we stopped and saw the Zoo again!  It is a really special place in the jungle!

The following day, Dave needed to be prepared to fly, and I thought that I should make an appearance at the Child Care Centre.  Megan and Nathan went to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, having arranged a snorkeling trip for Saturday morning.  They had great difficulty finding a room in which to stay, but located a room at the Mayan Princess.  On Saturday morning, they went with "Lil' Alphonse" on a snorkel adventure in Hol Chan and Shark Alley!  Nathan had not been snorkeling, so he received a little instruction and dove in!  He looked down to see a huge ray swim by!  They said that seeing the colorful fish and swimming with stingrays and nurse sharks were phenomenal experiences!  

 To the left is the guide holding a shark, and below is Nathan gazing at fish!

Dave flew to Ambergris Caye and gave Megan and Nathan a bird's eye view of the reef on the way home.  The weather was not clear enough to take them out to see the Blue Hole, but they enjoyed the colors of the reef.

Saturday evening we ate at the Riverside Tavern with Yvette Burks joining us!  I was so glad that Nathan and Megan and Yvette were able to meet each other!

On Sunday, Nathan, Megan and I drove to Cayo to visit Xunantunich Mayan ruins, but the river was so high and rushing that the ferry was closed, and we could not get across to the ruins.  Mayan ruins are all over the country with only a small percentage likely uncovered.  Another site, Cahal Pech, was nearby in San Ignacio, so we went there!  For me, it was something new to see!

Monday morning, I took Nathan to the Child Care Centre where the children greeted him!  I was so happy to introduce "my children" to my son!  The following day, they asked me if he was still here! And he had the opportunity to meet Ms. Augustine and others with whom I work.

Then it was off to the airport where we sadly had to say "good-bye."  I was so happy to be able to show them places that are now my home.  I think that they had something of an adventure, perhaps a bit more "third world" than they were expecting.  A different kind of Christmas!

More Pre-Christmas Festivities!

The weather has been continually rainy, four times the normal for the last month or more.  When the day for the annual Christmas Parade dawned bright and sunny and the perfect temperature, the time for celebrating began!  I loved being outside, watching people and waiting for the parade to begin.  Dave was off flying, so I walked the half mile to a good spot across from the hospital.

The parade was filled with children, marching in holiday colors, playing in bands, and dancing.

 (The man marching behind the band, above, is a neighbor of ours, George.  He directs traffic for St. Joseph's Church a block away, and on this day he had been tipping the glass way too early!  He always greets us with a cheer and a wave as he sees us drive by!)

We always have our favorite clown, too!  He is Javier, the medic who works for BERT and flies with Dave, when he isn't being a clown!  And Santa brought up the rear atop the fire engine!

On December 20, the Department of Human Development hosted a lovely dinner and dance for employees and their guests.  The room on the fourth floor of a nearby building was beautifully decorated!  A turkey dinner was served, and a DJ provided music for dancing!  Here are a couple of pictures from the event!

Christmas Party at the Centre!

Ho, ho ho!  Santa came early to Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre!

Laura Connelly and Natalie Lanni, our faithful volunteers from Florida who come every couple of months, came with two other frequent volunteers from their church to host a holiday party at the Centre.  This was no ordinary Centre party!  Two months ago, Laura made sure to get a wished-for gift request from every child and staff member!  Then she and her team in Florida went to work, filling the wish list and shipping it to Belize.  When Laura and team arrived on Wednesday, they began wrapping the gifts, getting ready for Santa's arrival on Saturday.  Meanwhile, they also had prepared a performance of the Christmas story, bringing costumes for Joseph and Mary, the Wise Men and the Angels.  Rehearsals began on Thursday!  

Yesterday was the big event!  Christmas morning magnified! The Christmas Story was presented first, followed by a dance choreographed by a group of four girls.  Then the sign language teacher, with a group of children with whom she has been working, signed a lovely song!  

  

At the end of the performance, Santa arrived!  (We decided that he had walked, due to a strike by the reindeer, as he lost a lot of weight on his journey!!!)  Each child was called to come up and receive a gift, the one they had requested, from Santa:  Jordan sandals, remote control cars, several baby dolls, MP3 players!  The importance of each child having a gift with his or her name on it cannot be underestimated.  One little girl, the day before the event, asked:  "Is my name going to be on my gift?"  These children receive lots of gifts at Christmas, but seldom one that is personalized.  Usually it is "girl under five" or "boy over twelve."  To have a gift which they asked for and with their name on it was most special! Then cupcakes and ice cream were served, and the staff received their requested gifts:  big pots for cooking rice, tablets, DVD players, jewelry and phones!  

Chaos reigned as children put batteries in and played with their toys!  Additionally, there was a crew working on the new, cement wall that is being constructed at the back property line of the Centre!  They got in on the fun, since they had tools to unscrew modules needing batteries!  And of course, they had to have cupcakes!  (A little disruptive was the large truck arriving to deliver the rice and beans and flour, etc. for the week!)  What a lot of fun everyone had!

Earlier in the week, Dave took an afternoon off, and we drove to the Orange Gallery in Cayo.  I love that gift shop, filled with beautiful wood pieces and art!  We ate lunch at the Gallery's cafe, which was wonderful.  Just being out in the country, in the hills in the mist, was heavenly!  

On the flying front, Dave flew less in November than in any other month.  He seems to be making up for it now...9 flights in 3 days! One morning, he was called early.  Upon arriving at the airport, he found that high tide had spread debris across the run way.  A few guys with brooms were slowly clearing the runway.  Dave thought the patient might get critical at the pace they were going!  He took the push broom from the hangar and headed out to help them. Within a few minutes he had cleared enough space that he thought he could get off the ground.  As he took off, they workers moved off the runway.  The control tower at the International Airport said:  "I thought the runway was closed at Municipal!"  Dave had to explain how he managed to get off the ground.  When he returned after a short flight to San Pedro, he informed International that he'd do a low fly-by to check on the runway condition before landing, as International was still reporting that the airport was closed.  The workers, still sweeping, moved off of the runway when Dave flew overhead, and he landed safely with the patient!  Such is life in Belize!