Belize Zoo & Beach in Old Belize by Maggie (Thursday 3/24/16)

               After yesterday being such a hard day saying goodbye to the children of Chan Chen Elementary, everyone was looking forward to go visit the Belize Zoo. We all considered this to be the first day of vacation because we didn’t have to do any construction today (no more cement mixing!). Our class had to read The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw and we were eager to see what we had read about. Our day started off with breakfast at the hotel, followed by approximately a two-hour drive to the zoo.

              When we arrived at the zoo, we immediately went to look at the animal exhibits and explore. The zoo was unlike any zoo I have visited before. During our walk, it felt like we were walking in the jungle, not a zoo. Although we were unable to meet Sharon, the director of the zoo, we were in awe of how she created a natural environment for the animals. My favorite animals were the spider monkeys (they put on a show for us) and the scarlet macaw. When we first walked up to the scarlet macaw, the bird was perched at the other end of the cage, but as more people gathered, she flew over to us and posed for pictures. She even said hello to us! Walking through the zoo took about two hours and we then left to go get lunch at a place called Cheers. I ate the most incredible tamales and freshly squeezed watermelon juice.

Ethan flips - in old Belize City

Just Monkeying around (pic by Dr. B)

Saying "Hi" to the Scarlet Macaw
(really - they said "hi" back
pic by Dr. B.)

              After lunch, we headed to a man-made beach in Old Belize and relaxed by the water for a couple hours. There was a massive water slide, a water trampoline, rope swing, and volleyball courts set up. This was a great place to swim without having to worry about getting eaten by crocodiles!

              After swimming, we drove through Belize City, a completely different experience than driving through Corozal (mainly because of how crowded it was). We made a stop to pick up an additional vehicle that was meant to carry our luggage.  We then began the drive back to Corozal to have dinner. The drive was about three hours and we encountered traffic, car accidents, and three police check points! We were exhausted by the time we came back and ate dinner quickly at a restaurant then returned to the hotel to pack our bags. Tomorrow we are traveling to Orange Walk and we will tour the Mayan ruins of Lamanai. I’m looking forward to this adventure and to climb some ancient temples!

Even the moon rise is beautiful

Some of the children don't want to let Maggie go