Parting with Belize by Sadie H. (Friday - 3/25/16)

Sadie, Amanda, Lauren, Maggie, Sammie, and Ethan
(Pic by Sadie H)

            Today was our last full day in Belize. It’s amazing how quickly our time here has gone! We got up bright and early this morning to check out of the Hok’ ol K’in guesthouse. After that, we headed for Orange Walk and dropped off our bags at Hotel de la Fuente where we will be staying for the night. For the remainder of the day we got to experience Belize as tourists! We embarked on a two hour long trip up river to the Lamanai Ruins. The boat ride along the river was incredible! We got to see crocodiles, an iguana, a number of different birds, and monkeys. After a traditional Belizean lunch (lots of delicious rice, beans, and chicken), we set off to see the ancient Mayan temples.

            Visiting the ruins was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It was amazing to walk through the jungle and view the massive temples that were constructed so long ago. Only several of the Mayan ruins in the area have even been excavated, so there is still much to be discovered. We were able to walk to the top of each of the temples we visited. The view from High Temple (the tallest in the area) was breathtaking! From the top of the temple you could see the river and the dense jungle; we were so high that the tops of all the trees were visible. On our way back along the river, we spotted a spider monkey. The tour guide stopped the boat for a closer look, and the monkey crawled down a branch less than an arm’s length away! To our surprise, spider monkeys apparently love berry power bars! A number of us got a chance to feed it by hand. This was definitely something I had never experienced before. The monkey was so gentle, and it was incredible how close it got to us. Hand feeding the monkey was a highlight of the day!

River boat ride  - passes by one of the sugar mills

The team reaches their high

Sadie really is on top of the world

View from the top of the world (pic by Sadie H.)

The Jaguar Temple  - Lamanai (pic by Sadie H.)

Feeding monkey's along the New River

            Upon finishing the river tour, we went back to Hotel de la Fuente and cleaned up for dinner. The rest of the night was relaxing; we got ice cream and went on a short walk around Orange Walk Town. As our trip draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect on our time here in Belize. It has been an absolutely incredible experience in so many ways. We accomplished great things through our teamwork. We defied all odds by constructing a large lunch pavilion ahead of schedule. We bonded with the children at Chan Chen Elementary and taught them about healthy lifestyles. We immersed ourselves in a new culture. One of the most important elements of this trip was the relationships we built, both with our classmates and professors and with our community partners. Ultimately, it was the people who made this trip so meaningful and memorable for me.

When the mix is just right - you really do bond over concrete
(Sadie, Cynthia & Maggie)
(pic by Dr. B)

The children love Sadie as much as she loves them

            I will be sad to board our plane tomorrow and wave goodbye to a country and group of people who taught me so much. I was particularly moved by the children at Chan Chen Elementary, whose energy and zeal for life was truly infectious. Goodbyes are never easy, but in one short week, we have gained valuable experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. 

Team love

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

Tuesday ... camp and project

Tuesday 3.22.16

We continued our camp activities tuesday morning.  The Chan Chen children made paper mache pinata's

Physical Education included a game of American Football.  It was really more like random running, throwing, and tackling.

Literacy classes included writing pen pal letters to Washington Elementary students from Boise Idaho.  Washington Elementary 4th graders wrote letters and were delivered by our BSU students

Sammie brought a slack line and it was a big hit.  She headed up 'kidtainment' which occupied students when we were doing constructions.  

The slack also occupied our students

Carl designed and 3-D printed a concrete stamp for the cantina floor and so tuesday's construction effort continues

We sided the cantina w/ pine boards then painted with Sea Foam Green to match Chan Chen's new coat of paint.

Department of Youth Services provides to great support

Relationships continue to build

After siding, a two layer screen was put up.  The first layer is made of screen to keep fly's and other insects out of the cantina, the second layer is small galvanized medal mesh.

Ethan and Lauren rebuilt the cantina door which had fallen apart over the past year

Zinc roofing was placed on the cantina and removed at the end of the day when we didn't have time to attache it.

End of the day picture.  Exhausted but still able to pose