Island Life

Three days and 57 mosquito bites later, I am living the dream on Caye Caulker in Belize. It was pouring rain when I arrived on the island. I showed up drenched on the doorstep of the Bluewave Guesthouse. I opened what I thought was the front door of the office, only to scare the living daylights out of a couple watching tv. I eventually found the real office, and was led to a nice room with air conditioning, tv, and a queen size bed.

The second day on the island was incredible. I signed up for a full day snorkel tour that stopped at three different locations. There were 4 couples, a pair of siblings, and another lone traveler on my boat. Out of all 4 countries I've snorkeled in, I have never seen so much amazing marine life on one tour. Immediately after I jumped in the water I turned around to find two eight foot long manatees staring me in the face. They were very gentle and didn't move at all. Throughout the day we also saw huge sting rays, loads of jellyfish, dozens of sharks, two sea turtles, a fat eel, barracuda, and hundreds of incredible fish. our tour guide actually held the sharks and sting rays. I met awesome people from Holland and all over the US. Later that night I met up with four other lone travelers and the five of us had a family style dinner in the open air cooked by an awesome guy with huge dreads named Willy. Willy actually sat down wish us, and the 6 of us enjoyed great food and converstaion together for a good two hours. After, we went out to a place called I & I that had hammocks and ropeswings on the roof. All of a sudden I was feeling very dizzy and my vision started going. Willy got me and ice pack, and the others I just met gave me cold water. Willy said I had 'sun stroke' from being in the heat all day. I felt better after a while, and have been drinking A LOT more water since.

Within the first two days of being here I was swinging on a palm tree with another girl from Boston traveling alone and meeting other lone travelers from all over. I started to realize that there were a lot of people here on the island just like me. The people on the island don't have much, but they love their simplistic lifestyle. Everyone knows everyone, and if you find the right people they are happy to share their story. Willy even offered to make me sunburn medicine from plants in his backyard, but I didn't see him around when I went to find him today. When I asked Willy why there are so many stray animals, he said that they let their pets run free here...like the people. Everyone travels by foot, bike, or golf carts. Kids are biking in the sand streets, and some are selling fresh fruit. At night, everyone goes to the beach on the end of the island to watch the sunset. There is great music playing, and tables and hammocks in the water.

Tomorrow I plan on spending the day in the water and renting a bike again. I also have a jungle riverboat and ruins tour planned for this week. I can't believe all that I have experienced so far. I'm off to hang out on the hammocks on the roof!

Finally Here!

The countdown has officially ended! Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn I'll be boarding my flight to Belize.

Packing has been chaos. Mainly because I'm so indecisive. I've never spent so much time trying to decide what size shampoo bottles to bring, or what kind of sunscreen to buy. One can never find enough ways to rearrange items in a hiking backpack or cut down on weight. I've been packing for nearly a week now. Every morning I empty my bag and repack it just to make sure I have everything...for the 10th time. If I brought everything I intended for "just in case" scenarios, I would be carrying a small whale on my back. Thankfully I cut down to strictly necessities (yes...Dum Dums, Pop Rocks, Warheads, and glow sticks for the Mayan kids are necessities), and I'm able to carry everything no problem.

My dad rented a satellite phone for me (I wasn't aware they even existed), so for $1.69 a minute I can keep in touch with the world even in the remote jungle and village areas. I'll mainly be using the phone for emergencies. The weight of a brick and the size of a shoebox, this is a very practical option for those looking for a new phone. I called a hotel in Belize to test it out. I'm sure the woman who answered was confused when I immediately hung up. Pretty cool!

I have a lot of very important unanswered questions. Do they have cheese in Belize? Can I lay on the beach without getting swarmed with sand flies? Should I be nervous about the crocodiles that can apparently be seen in the water where I'll be swimming? Will I pass out sitting 3 to a seat on the public bus without air conditioning in the 100 degree heat on my 7 hour bus rides? How does one sleep in a hammock without falling out when rolling over? Answeres soon to come.

I'm off to spend my last day home on the lake with the family. Tomorrow morning at 6 am I will dump my bag out once more...just to make sure I have everything :)

Finalized Itinerary!!

As of today all of my plans are finalized for Belize and Guatemala. These past few months of planning have definitely paid off!! Volunteering through a program was outrageously expensive, so I contacted reputable places in Belize and Guatemala on my own and asked if I could volunteer. I'll be leaving with a backpack and flying in and out of Belize City. Here's a little preview/itinerary of my first solo trip out of the country:

• 1 week on Caye Caulker off the coast of Belize: relaxing on the beach, taking multiple day trips to snorkel with manatees and other sea creatures :)


• 2 weeks at Barton Creek Outpost: a hostel/adventure outfitter deep in the Belize jungle run by a family from Tennessee. Here I'll be working for 5-6 hours a day in exchange for free stay, free meals, and discounted adventure trips.
  
• 1 week at a Mayan village: I will be living with a Mayan family in the remote Aguacate village. These villages maintain original Mayan tradition. I will be treated as a regular family member, and do all activites with the family including making corn tortillas, killing chickens (?), washing clothes in the river, and sleeping in a hammock in the the hut with the family. I'm really looking forward to this experience. Here's a brief description:
  

The lifestyle of the Mayas is very basic. Long before the sun rises, the village comes to life. Children leave home to fetch water and wood while the mother prepares hot flour tortillas for breakfast. After a quick breakfast, the father leaves for the milpa while it is still dark. When the school bell rings at 9:00, there is a bustle of activity as groups of Maya children rush to school. Young men leave to meet their father at the milpas while young ladies help their mother around the home or create handicrafts for tourists. At home, women cook, clean, and wash the laundry in the nearby river.The thatched huts have either one or two rooms. The cooking area is sometimes separated with a wall from the sleeping area. In the evening, the women prepare hot corn tortillas with beans along with fresh steaming coffee on the adobe stove/oven. The men return from the milpa just before sunset, and bathe in the rivers after dark. The family sits together on the floor for dinner, while chickens, dogs, and cats roam in and out of the house. After dinner, family members lie in adjoining hammocks chatting until they fall asleep.

• 2 weeks at Rasta Mesa in Guatemala: a Garfunian culture preservation center. Here I will be volunteering with 3 other women from England. The center provides drumming, cooking, and jewelry making classes in efforts to preserve the native Garfunian culture of the Caribbean. The couple that runs this place is awesome. This should be a really laid back and incredible experience!

That sums up my 6 weeks in Central America. The experiences I'll have here really won't compare to anything I've done before. I'm hoping to have internet access often enough to at least write from each place. Stay tuned for updates. I can't wait!