Pete Turns 21!

No better way to celebrate a birthday than with Chinese food and paper hats! 22 February we said Happy 21st Birthday to Peter Clemo in style. We even heard an interesting story about his 8th grade library card and some of his middle school shenanigans (thanks to Pete's mom and dad). With a chocolate cake from Miss Martha it was a true Belizean celebration.

Cruise Ships, Monkeys, and the IMF

Each in their roles as archeologist, anthropologist, economist, banker, lumber company owner, environmental scientist, botanist, school teacher, village chairman, cattle rancher and Taylor the Ceiba tree, the students played out a scenario that probably happens often behind closed doors. This week Sara Alexander spent the week with us for Sustainable Community Development. She has loads of knowledge about Belize so it was sensible to spend a good part of the week talking about tourism and the impacts is has on Belize. We visited several local eco-tourism resorts, a friend in Succutz who continues to make Mayan pottery as it was made in the ancient times, and compared those experiences with mass tourism and the significant impacts cruise ship tourism is having on the make-up of this vulnerable country. We also visited a baboon sanctuary and had a chance to hang out with howler monkeys for the morning. Pictured below is a 6-week-old, her mother, and Bob, the dad.

Vacation Already?

Three days off before Sustainable Community Development begin and the students are already out the cayes. On the first free weekend the ten packed their bags and headed east with not much more sense about Belize than what their guidebooks told them. It's a great way to learn Belize. This is a sunrise and sunset on the same day in Caye Caulker, a backpackers island destination in Belize. It's here at Caulker that the students got their first chance to snorkle the reef and got real taste of the caribbean culture in Belize - the food, the dress, the language, the lifestyle. It's a good life out on the island.

Exploring the Depths

February 18 marked our inaugural trip to Mountain Pine Ridge (MPR). With caving on everyone’s mind we made our way up the main road which had been destroyed by heavy rain storms during December and January. The hour and forty-five minute drive, in my opinion, on one of the worst roads in Belize, was worth it. With a quick trip to Rio Frio Cave, a huge expanse of a cavern with a river continuing to carve it out, we headed back to Twin Cave, our featured destination. With flashlights in hand the group forged into the depths of Belize. As we slipped through tight spaces from one cavern to another we were all in awe of what we saw. Stalactites, stalagmites and columns grew all around us like cathedral columns. Soon enough the caves inhabitants awoke and it was apparent that we were not alone as bats whizzed past our heads! After a couple hours the journey was over and we turned to find our way back. After a few wrong turns we made it and were welcomed back by the sun. MPR is always good for an afternoon full of fun! Surely we will be back to visit the Belize's eerie underworld.

Xunantunich

You know you are in an interesting country when the highest man-made structure is a Mayan ruin. This is our neighbor, Xunantunich (meaning Stone Maiden). The Maya are one of the many diverse people groups in Belize and have left significant cultural and historical impacts on Belize. In the height of their civilization (200-900 AD) they developed complex writing systems, were brilliant astronomers and mathematicians, carried out colorful religious rituals throughout cities like Xunantunich, and developed a calender as accurate as the one we live by today (the Maya calender ends 21 December 2012!). Nabitunich, the farm where we live, served as open land for peasants and laborers (essentially a Mayan suburb). The history of this land is so fascinating - it's easy to be reminded finding shards of Mayan pottery while strolling around campus and surrounding properties! Standing on the top of El Castillo, Jared captured the students working on their tans CCSP-style.

At the Zoo

Arriving at The Belize Zoo, Central America's finest zoo, is like stepping into the rainforest. It is jammed with local flora which creates a great environment for the animals to thrive in. None of the animals have been taken from the wild, and the founder of the zoo, Sharon Matola, spends most of her time educating people about conservation and the importance of biodiversity. It is considered "the best little zoo in the world." As soon as we arrived we all got to wrap a boa around our neck. Other highlights include the Jaguar (above), Keel-billed Toucan (below), Harpy Eagle, Scarlet Macaw, Tapir, Spider Monkey, and the deadly Fer de lance. Many considered the River Otter their favorite.

The Garden of Nabitunich

Look at this soil! Thanks to the students we whipped our garden beds into shape in one afternoon. The tools came out, the most popular one was probably the machete. But the beds have been cleared and the seedlings planted - tomatoes, sweet peppers, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, squash, and sun flowers. Much thanks to last semesters students for creating some beautiful compost. Everytime we see egg shells in the soil we think of you. The sign in our garden is a great reminder:

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the bird for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in the garden,
Than anywhere else on earth.

Bingo!

Nothing can make you smile like spending time with the elderly in a rousing game of BINGO! They may be a bit older but when it comes to bingo they are on top of their game. We spent an afternoon with the residents of Octavia Waight, the only nursing home in Belize. They shared stories and smiles and everyone enjoyed each other’s company. We can’t wait to go back and visit our new friends. Pictured above is Brent helping his partner put the beans on the correct numbers.

Beating the Heat at Vaca Falls

Vaca Falls or Cow Falls, whatever you call it, continues to be a choice destination for CCSP’s student orientation to Belize. After a quick health and safety talk (obviously the most exciting part of orientation), students were already anxious to escape. We didn's have to do much convincing to spend the afternoon at Black Rock Resort and Vaca Falls! The water was surprisingly high for this time of year which made for nice rapids to swim and float through. After an hour or so at the falls we jumped into our tubes and made our voyage down the beautiful Macal.

Cayo Sensing

Pete, Lisa, Brent, and Ashlie already making friends! We've found that making a fool of yourself in public can often time be a fun and educational experience. We headed into town one afternoon and dropped the students off to get to know San Ignacio a little better. They soon learned how to get to Celina's, which is the Hawksworth Bridge, how much a taxi costs back to the farm, and where the best ice-cream is in town (undoubtably Cayo Twist). Hopefully this will be the last time these guys spend any time at the Police Station.

Home Sweet Home

Nabitunich, 400 acres of beautiful Belize. After a long bus ride across the country we arrived late in the evening and the students settled into their new home. Cows, chickens, goats, and horses roam the pasture while tucans and parrots roam the branches of the palm trees around campus. Xunantunich, an ancient mayan ruin and neighbor just up stream, provides a beautiful backdrop to this Belizean landscape. All ten students anxiously await the morning when they can wake up and explore the amazing country of Belize!

The Road Home

HOME TEMPERATURE
Wenham, Massachusetts: 20F
Orange City, Iowa: 7F
Burlington, Vermont: 4F
Grand Rapids, Michigan: 18F
St. Paul, Minnesota: 9F
Ancaster, Ontario: 15F
Sioux Center, Iowa: 8F
Wilmore, Kentucky: 19F
Chicago, Illinois: 11F

BELIZE TEMPERATURE
Belize City, Belize: 89F

Everyone arrived and met the heat as they walked off the plane into the hot and humid air of Belize. A few hours ride on the Western Highway and we'll be home!