okay okay, sorry for all the complaining. it’s been nearly a year. one would think i’d be through with complaining about the heat by now. just goes to show you i’m not exaggerating here. this is something to be reckoned with. the other day, coy and i were talking about it and i said, “you know, if belize were a bigger country, this would be section of the country that was very sparsely populated because of the heat and humidity.” we then proceeded to rehash belize’s history and guatemala’s land claims on belize (they claim that belize is actually a province of guatemala) and we reminded ourselves that there are fewer than 300,000 people in this entire country and…well, things made a lot more sense after that.
in a valiant effort to escape the heat of the north and party like it’s 1999, we ventured to hopkins to meet up with some old friends from college, and to make a few new ones.
leah and rachel’s uncle was gracious enough to invite us to stay at the amazing belizean dreams resort, where we enjoyed every moment of beachy bliss our bodies could tolerate. when we bored ourselves of warm showers and air conditioning, we ventured outside to relax in the cool water of the pool, sipping belikins and catching up. although the sea was only a few yards away, it was actually HOT. we did enjoy basking in it for wonderful stretches of time, but we certainly took advantage of the chillier water the pool offered us.
after a day or two of this, we decided a field trip was in order, so we packed up our tour bus and headed out west. our first stop was just outside san ignacio, at the maya ruin site of xunantunich. set atop a hill overlooking nearby villages in belize and guatemala, xunantunich is a mesmerizing site. a good deal of xunantunich has been excavated, allowing visitors to truly take in the layout of this ancient maya city. for many, the highlight is the towering “el castillo,” at 40 meters high, the tallest structure on the site. the climb to the top is not nearly as daunting as that at lamanai, as the path is staggered with landings and wraps around the structure. once on top, the view is astounding. the layout of the city becomes amazingly clear to the front of the structure, and behind you can see forest and small villages spotting the landscape.
on your way out, check out the souvenir shops just at the base of the site, their goods are of great quality and surprisingly very inexpensive. at the bottom of the hill, you must cross the mighty mopan river by hand-winched cable ferry to return to the western highway.
on our way back to hopkins, we stopped off at the blue hole national park, a 10 meter wide stretch of underground river revealed by a collapsed cavern. the water was turquoise and quite frigid, and abundant with fish. surrounded by dense forest and vines, it truly felt like a jungle oasis.
like the suffering peace corps volunteers that we are, we decided to stay on a while longer at belizean dreams and soak up some more sun and good times. we had a fantastic time with an amazing crew of old and new friends. thanks, you guys, we really had a blast! as all good things must come to an end, we headed back up north toward the airport just outside belize city. we made one last stop just outside belmopan, at a delightful souvenir shop called the art box. now, if you live in belize or plan to visit, you MUST go to the art box. not only do they boast a splendid variety of every souvenir item you’ve ever seen in this country, they are good quality and VERY affordable. the décor is awesome, with a little indoor/outdoor café and themed bathroom. upstairs is a wonderful gallery displaying belizean paintings. it’s a must see, people. i only put plugs in for things that are worthwhile.
our grand reunion came to a climactic ending as the crew pulled over to the side of the highway to let us out. they would head south toward the airport, and we were heading farther north to return to our village. with many hugs, a few tears, and even a posed picture of us with another white hitch hiker, we bade our farewells. until next time, friends. thanks for the memories.
with school closed for the summer, returning home felt a bit empty. in an attempt to fill the void, i embarked on a week long deep cleaning campaign. i am still in recovery. it’s been over two weeks now. i spent several afternoons trapped beneath a heap of ant carcasses and dust. thankfully i managed to pull myself out and get back to work, as i was preparing the house for the long awaited arrival of tom and betty. after nearly ten months of persuading, we finally lured them out with promises of a wedding and some village style relaxation. it was wonderful to have them here and spend quality time getting to know each other better. they are such wonderful people. we were heartbroken to see them pack up their apartment and head home a few days later, when a health-related situation forced them to make a difficult choice. we miss you already, tom and betty.
the past week has given us the awesome opportunity of playing hosts to several other volunteers. our nearly-neighbor, jake, came by to visit and catch up on some laundry. always good to spend time with him. then terra and diane headed north for a whirlwind visit. we ate some delicious food, had some great talks, and did some quality peace corps bonding. thanks, ladies, we really enjoyed your company.
next week coy and arnaldo (teacher and vice principal at the pentecostal school) will host the first ever chess camp in guinea grass. it will be a week long camp (mornings only) for up to 25 students. they hope to continue on with chess clubs next year at both schools. look forward to updates and pictures on that!
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