New Places in Belize with the Reals!

This picture of the reef was taken from the BERT plane on our way to Ambergris Caye!

Debbie and Chuck Real arrived from California on Tuesday, March 25th.  

The week following was a vacation for Dave and me as much as it was a vacation for the Reals!  What fun we had!

Our first day was a planned day of rest with just a drive through Belize City. Dave had a flight so we took Dave to the airport and picked him up, giving the Reals a chance to see the hangar and the plane.  We also visited the Children's Centre and Belize Medical Associates!  (Well, Debbie and Chuck did say they wanted to experience a day in the life of the Browns!)  Two mosquito bites on my two ankles developed into cellulitis, so I had to start the week with a handful of pills prescribed for me!  (I did not let this slow me down, or the others, hopefully!)

On Thursday afternoon, the four of us climbed into the BERT plane (thank you, Yvette) for the trip to Ambergris Caye!  We flew over the reef on the way by, and the view was spectacular!  (See above.)

My view was particularly interesting, in that I was seated backwards on the stretcher!  LOL!

We arrived at the San Pedro Airport and took a taxi to Caye Casa!










Caye Casa was a lovely spot in paradise!

 The "pool" was really amusing...I captured the whole pool in one camera shot!  I'd say "pool" was stretching the name!

The first thing that we did was walk to the downtown San Pedro area.  We were told it was a 10-minute walk, but I think that it was a long 10 minutes, given the heat inland.  If we had walked the whole way along the beach, we would have been cooled by the sea breeze.
But we were in search of a micro brewery that Dave had heard about.  The man at the hotel desk was able to locate the address, and we set off in search of the Island Time brewery.  I actually found it!  A very insignificant glass door with the name of the brewery and an "employees only" sign!  We were then off to find Lulu's Bar, which presumably carried said micro-brew.  We found it on a dead-end street--and no, they did not have the beer and looked a little mystified
that we thought they should!

We gave up on this search and headed for the beach to walk back, passing vendors along the way.  A much more pleasant walk!


After relaxing on the deck, we took a cab to return to the center of San Pedro and dinner
at Elvi's!  This meal was certainly one of
the best I've had since arriving in Belize!

Our plan was to go snorkeling with Lil' Alphonse on the following morning.  After we ate our breakfast of pastries from the bakery around the corner, we received word from Lil' Alphonse that morning snorkeling was called off due to choppy seas.  The wind was blowing hard, and the water was churning.  Whereas Nathan and Megan had been able to see stingrays in the shallow water at the shoreline, we only saw churned up sandy water, and the water looked brown a long ways out! Disappointing!

We returned to Belize City to briefly unpack.

As Friday was Debbie's birthday, we went to the Riverside Tavern for dinner--in the air conditioning! (I might add that late March is certainly the beginning of warm weather--high 80's.  Luckily, the humidity is still around 80% and not 99%!)  Debbie received a free brownie sundae that we shared!

On Saturday morning, we packed again for our next adventure, this time by car!  We drove north, the first time that Dave and I had the opportunity to do so.  We drove through sugar cane fields to see the town of Orange Walk.  Because of the heavy rains, the      

sugar cane harvest was slow to begin, but it is in full swing
right now!

We found a restaurant that was mentioned in the guidebook for Belize, Nahil Mayab, which served Mayan food.  It was a beautiful place, and we really enjoyed our stop there.  Of course, Chuck had to have the local beer!

The four of us drove through the town of Orange Walk, then headed for Crooked Tree.  Crooked Tree experienced severe flooding this year, and there is a dirt causeway across which one must travel to get to the town of Crooked Tree.  Through most of the winter, residents had to take a boat to get back and forth, including teens going to high school in Belize City.  About one month ago, the road opened. And a rough road it was!  Lagoons on either side of the cause way are beautiful!

We arrived at Bird's Eye View Lodge where we were four of about 10 people at the Lodge.

Debbie and I headed straight for the hammocks for a rest!  A lovely place!  Dinner was served in the dining room, and soon after we went to bed to get ready for our early morning bird watching trip!

We were up and having coffee and fruit at 6:15 AM before our trip by boat for bird watching.

Being on the boat early in the morning was lovely!  Much cooler on the water.  Rudy, our guide, pointed out birds that only he could see--until we became more adept at looking for them!  (I certainly could have used a better set of eyes!)  I have listed about 38 different birds, and Chuck may have more than that.  At times I couldn't write fast enough...and watch them as well!  We went across the lagoon and up Spanish Creek.  The water is so high that we were boating across an area that is typically dry. We saw a couple of crocodiles...well, they are rather shy, so we saw the bubbles where they dove underwater at our approach.  And we saw howlers in the trees!  Even a baby on the back of its mama! I was able to get pictures, but as I found in looking at birds, I really need to have a "real" camera to capture them.  But here are a couple of pictures with my little camera.

Here is Spanish Creek:

And here are Howler monkeys in the trees:

I wish that I had pictures of birds, and I do, but you can't see them in the pictures!  I've spent a good deal of time recording the birds that we saw in my annotated checklist!  And even more time studying the beautiful "Birds of Belize" book that Mary and Judi gave to us!  Very, very helpful!

After a 3-hour boat trip, we ate breakfast and left Crooked Tree.  Having some time, we went to the Belize Zoo.  It was a hot afternoon, and the animals were napping.  Not the best day for the Zoo!  But we did see a very large iguana.  I tried not to take anymore pictures at the Zoo.  I have hundreds already!  With lunch at Cheers, we were done with our sight-seeing and went back to Belize City.

Monday morning, Dave was back on call, and Debbie, Chuck and I took off for Cayo.  We arrived at the ferry to cross the river to Xunantunich Mayan ruins.  Finally, it was open (the ferry was not operating on my previous two attempts to visit).  We hired Javier as a guide, and he was enthusiastic in telling us about the ruins and about the trees that grow in the area.  He showed us the copal tree with its fragrant sap used for incense in Mayan (and Catholic) ceremonies.  Of course, the mahogany tree was there, the tree that brought the loggers to Belize.  As there are no brochures or signs about the ruins, having a guide is very helpful in understanding what the area was about.  There is a new visitors' center that gives an overview of the history, and it is a beautiful addition to the area!

While the ruins are spectacular, hearing the howlers in the trees was really exciting!  I was afraid that Debbie and Chuck would not have the opportunity to hear their call, but the tribe that lives at Xunantunich was very noisy!

Sadly, the last morning of Debbie and Chuck's visit arrived.  We had just enough time to run over to the House of Culture, the former residence for the colonial governors.  And then it was off to the airport.

Dave and I had a wonderful time with our friends.  What a very special time that we much appreciated!

Light the Night

A short blog for a short week!

The work week was short.  Dave flew a few times, but the health department has not been calling him, only private "customers."  I wonder what happens to the patients who would otherwise be flown to the hospital.  I am concerned that the budget has a big influence on the quality of emergency care!

This week represents mid-term for the University of Belize students.  I met with each of my three interns to evaluate (both ways) the experience thus far.  The four of us then met with the supervisor from the University.  While the experience is a good one for interns, I think that they have been alarmed with some of the realities of a 60-children residence--the program, the care, the activities, etc.  I am finding it difficult to find a balance between registering complaints with the Department of Human Development and understanding the challenges of being a child care/treatment center for too many children with too few staff.  I've had some interesting conversations that have revealed "the lack of respect" that staff has of me (to quote an intern).  While I feel accepted, I think that my odd thoughts on the use of discipline and the role of positive acknowledgements, along with the realities that emotional problems don't heal overnight (i.e. there are no miracles), do not engender respect here.

On Friday night, Dave and I participated in the Light the Night walk to raise money for Inspiration Center.  Inspiration Center is a community service based center for differently challenged children, providing medical and rehabilitative services as well as social activities.  The cause was a good one, and others from the gym where we work out were participating.



The event started after 7:00 PM, and several hundred people of all ages were aglow with glow-sticks!

A colorful sight!  With music blaring from a truck in the lead, we walked from Memorial Park through the downtown streets of Belize City, cheering and singing and dancing!  As a friend of mine said, it turned into Carnival! Very fun to be a part of!  And a good cause!

To end with a couple of silly pictures that will always be a part of my visual memory of Belize City.

The crosswalks:

And the garbage, hanging on the fence, waiting for the "dirt truck" to pick up the trash (twice/week!!):

Planes, Boats, Kites & Canoes!

Time flies by when so much is going on!  And we don't want to miss a thing!

The BERT airplane came time for an annual exam, and Wings of Hope sent a mechanic, Dan Lorenz, from St. Louis to do the FAA required inspection.  But the 28th of February was the end of the year, and since Dan did not arrive until March 3rd, Dave and I had a weekend to escape!  The timing may not have been ideal for me, as Natalie Lanni and Laura Connelly, the Children's Centre's faithful volunteers from Florida, were here.

Some of their work this trip was to establish Belize Hope, a high school mentoring and scholarship program here.  At least we were able to have them over for dinner one night!


                                                               Dave and I took a boat to St. George's Caye to stay at the resort in a cabana.

What a beautiful spot! Ten people were at the resort, which is on a private island with no roads. Very, very peaceful!  Meals were served family style, and we really enjoyed getting to know people from Georgia, South Carolina, and Edmonton, Canada.  Dave and I must have been exhausted, as we would come up with a good idea of something to do (like kayaking) and then change our minds to continue lying by the pool or on the beach, reading.  We did walk the length of the island!



The first night that we were there, I took pictures of sunset!  Such beauty!
  

I then took pictures of sunrise from our cabana, but the following morning I took pictures from the east side of the island, shown here.
  

The weekend ended too soon, and it was back to work.  Dave had his work cut out for him, serving as Dan's assistant and learning how the Cessna 206 works from the inside!  One night he came home with a pocketful of screws...I wasn't sure that was a good sign!  They were able to get all the pieces back together again, and Dave flew the plane back from International Airport to Municipal.  Today he really gave it a test flight to a new airport for him in Sartaneja!

The week was a busy one for me, too, completing another training for staff.  I also taught a Play Therapy introduction to the Counseling 2 class at the University of Belize.  I had such fun with the students, who had excellent questions and who gamely participated in my role plays!  

A 20,000 Women Strong Rally was held this week, organized by the Special Envoy to Women and Children, Kim Simplis Barrow, the Prime Minister's wife.  A march left Memorial Park and ended at the Marion Jones Stadium (still under construction after years of delays).  

The Rally was a kick-off to a number of planned projects in the months to come.

I walked over and was inspired by the attendance!  The day was really hot (93 degrees, if I remember correctly), so I did not stay long, just long enough for a couple of pictures!  (Umbrellas are to protect agains the heat!)

This weekend began with the Kite Festival held in the field behind the Central Bank.  Dave, Dan and I did see one person land his kite on the top of the bank, which is where I presume it still is.  

The colorful kites were great fun to watch! The breeze was perfect, and some kites stayed up, almost stationary, high in the sky for the entire time we were there!  People entered different kinds of kites in the competitions, and a very nice woman explained them all to us.  

The birds had to get into the act, too!

At the same time as the Kite Festival, a Regatta of small sailboats in honor of Baron Bliss, the greatest benefactor to Belize, was held.  I loved the sight of the small boats, but when a special sailboat (not sure what it is called) sailed by, I thought it made a lovely photo!

Today, Monday and a holiday in Belize, Dave and I took Dan to the Airport for his flight back to St. Louis.  We then walked over to the Belcan Bridge to watch the end of the 4 day La Ruta Maya Canoe Race.  The bridge was crowded with spectators, and cheers erupted at the sight of the first finishers! The winner of this last leg of the race was not the over-all winner, but I believe that the second place finishers won over the whole event.

With the Reals arriving in just a week, the adventures continue!  Time really flies by with all the entertaining activities that we have!

Ice Cream, Park & Play

Dave and I have been enjoying Belize City activities since the first of the year!  Yesterday, we went to a newly opened ice cream shop!  What a welcome addition to the City!  Dave has been grousing about the lack of good ice cream, though we have two nearby ice cream shops.  Now one has opened with home-made ice cream and over-21 flavors...that means you have to be over 21-years-old to buy a scoop!  Rum & Raisin, Guinness & Peanuts, and my favorite, Black Cherry Amaretto Chip! They have vanilla and chocolate, too, for those who are not as adventurous!  The interesting problem is getting there.  I call it the corner of "Wrong Way-Wrong Way-Wrong Way-Wrong Way!"  Seriously, you drive down one street, but can't go the next block to the shop as it has a "Wrong Way" sign, but you go one block to the left and the street is torn up.  So you retrace your steps, going now on the first street "Wrong Way."  Then you get to the Wrong Way end of the street that was torn up.  So you go on to the next One-Way street, only to find that the street is torn up at the corner of the street to the ice cream shop, which says "Wrong Way."  We chose to drive down that Wrong Way street anyway, as there was absolutely (literally) no way out!  But the ice cream was worth it!  Cute shop, too!  And open on Sundays!

Last Sunday we attended an encore performance of the play produced by the Rotary Club called "Every Rose has Thorns."  We were going to attend on Saturday night, but it was sold out--and we'd missed Thursday and Friday night performances.  Fortunately, they added a performance.

The play was written by a minister who had lived in Belize and now resides in New York.  Because I work with a crew of Belizeans daily, I not only understood the Kriol, but I also understood the jokes!  Poking fun at themselves!  I laughed and laughed!  And it was such fun to have a cultural event to attend!  We went to dinner at the Hour Bar after the play, sitting on the deck with the most beautiful breeze!

The volunteers who come from Florida are returning in a couple of weeks, and they are trying to arrange housing for a couple of months during the summer when they can bring their families.  They found a lead on a house, which I thought was closer to Ladyville than it is.  Dave and I visited it to assess the property for their summer stay.  What a spectacular house, now being divided into apartments, which overlooks the Sea and is alongside a canal!  Fun to see the home!  Dave and I then drove on to Ladyville to look for Big Mama's Kitchen, which I had seen advertised on FaceBook. After a little searching and asking directions, we located it!  A beautiful place with wonderful burgers and fries!

Friday, Valentine's Day, was the official opening of the new BTL Park.  The festivities began at 5:00 PM with shows on stage for the smaller children.  Dave and I walked to the park, which is not 10 minutes from our house, and found security tight.  Police had the street blocked off and were checking people for weapons and contraband.  The street also was blocked with carnival rides.  The park has cute little buildings that vendors rent, and I had been wanting to try the smoothie shop.  Excellent!  We then walked around to see what all was happening.  Ozzy the Clown was soon on stage!  He is known by Dave as Javier, one of the medics, but he is a very popular and sought after clown!  It was fun to watch his performance, then talk to him afterwards!

As we ate food from the Filipino Fast Food shop,

the Puseria shop, and the Jamaican shop, we watched the children play on the climbing structure.


We walked by the fountain, then stood and watched the mayor open the park.  A reggae band performed as more people arrived until the party really began to rock after 9:00 PM!  My personal favorite moment was when 3 of "my" high school girls shrieked and ran up to nearly topple me in a big hug!  I was so happy that they were able to attend!

A great fireworks show happened over the water!

We walked home under the full moon (see first picture at top of blog), and could hear the rest of the concert from our bedroom!  Fun evening!

Dave has not been flying as often as he would like.  He thinks it could be because of the end of the fiscal year approaching and clinics out of money in their budget, or it could be just normal fluctuations in need.  I, on the other hand, have been busy full-time and then some!  In addition to working with the children, I have developed a series of trainings for the staff as we try to improve the consistency and quality of discipline.  The reward system is being revised, and I have divided the residents and staff into teams to try to develop more cooperation and team-building.  I also have three social work interns from the University of Belize, and I have been asked to present at one of the counseling classes on the subject of Play Therapy.  Whew!  I am pretty sure that this is not retirement!