it's been a while since i last had a chance to write, but here is my longwinded belizian update:
a little over a week ago the kids and jackie and i were off to an awesome week of eco camp at chaa creek. chaa creek is a beautiful resort just outside of san ignacio in the cayo district. the kids got to go through a week at their river camp in the little cabins there! i was in cabin 3 with some awesome girls... kaitlyn (the girl i'm teaching at barton creek) being one of them. chaa creek has an awesome set up that is so environmentally sensitive. they have organic farming, a reverse osmosis system that purifies their river water, they have a glass grinder that is used when making the cement for their location, they grow bamboo and it is used in construction... and the list goes on and on. the camp had a different theme everyday and the kids got to learn about the history of the maya people, medicinal remedies and ways that they can, in their everyday lives, help to conserve and save the environment. i learned a lot myself and got to work as the house photographer during the week. there were campfires at night and this is where the legend of the jungle pirate comes into play. jackie and i had decided that it would be fun to create our own legend since all the other ghost stories we found happend in canada or west virginia so our jungle pirate, captain clock-whose one arm was shorter than the other, was haunting the jungle grounds at chaa creek, searching for his stolen treasure. we had one of the cooks dress up as a pirate and come out of the jungle dressed up like a pirate and banging a machette. the reactions ranged from logan (the boy i'm teaching at barton creek) and a few other kids running up to attack the pirate and save the other to my camper magie, who had to sleep with her bed pushed up to mine for the remainder of the week, no longer wanted to have campfires, and would wake up in the middle of the night convinced that ghosts were after her... led by captain clock himself. oy vey!
it also recently, and luckily, came to my realization that i have been in belize for over 30 days and i had to get my passport stamped. this required that i go to belmopan, the capital, and find the immigration building. i got on a bus from san ignacio and rode to belmopan. i must look helpless because a menonite man sat next to me and after discovering what i was going to do in belmopan he informed me that he wanted to walk me to the building himself to insure i got there safely. once i was there, there was a canadian man who took me under his wing and told me that i had to be assertive and just go up to the window or else i would be stuck in lines that led to nowhere for hours and hours. i think i smile too much and so people feel like i am always in need of assistance. regardless, i made it there, got my stamp, and back to san ignacio in one piece. mission accomplished.
i have also gotten to hang out with brad, kristi (who amazingly enough, coordinated with my mom and brought me a new little laptop!! so excited!!) and charles. it's good to have friends to run into now and agian! :)
today i am luckily sitting on the beach. the britts took a family retreat to the coast for a few days... and so graciously have taken me with them. jim's mom, susan, came in on saturday from nashville and is a beach bum and so we had to take her away from the jungle to hit the sand! i have no complaints about it!! the place where we are is called placencia. it's beautiful. i woke up this morning and the sun was rising, the water was calm, and it all seemed to be glowing. yesterday i jumped in the water as soon as i could and got stung by a jellyfish. i also have become a professional at the stingray-shuffle, making sure not to step on or irritate any of those bad boys. later today i think we're going to the local town to go for some icecream and hopefully (fingers crossed) get to go out to sea on the kyacks. or for a very long swim! :) away from the jellys and senor sting ray.
missing everyone badly. thoughts of home are always on my mind and wish i could call/talk more often. know that you're all in my thoughts!
also-- a big congrats to my amazing brother ian who, after weeks and weeks and weeks of waiting to hear back on a new job got news that he will be moving to virginia!! so proud of you E, and miss you and can't wait to see you on the east coast! xo
a little over a week ago the kids and jackie and i were off to an awesome week of eco camp at chaa creek. chaa creek is a beautiful resort just outside of san ignacio in the cayo district. the kids got to go through a week at their river camp in the little cabins there! i was in cabin 3 with some awesome girls... kaitlyn (the girl i'm teaching at barton creek) being one of them. chaa creek has an awesome set up that is so environmentally sensitive. they have organic farming, a reverse osmosis system that purifies their river water, they have a glass grinder that is used when making the cement for their location, they grow bamboo and it is used in construction... and the list goes on and on. the camp had a different theme everyday and the kids got to learn about the history of the maya people, medicinal remedies and ways that they can, in their everyday lives, help to conserve and save the environment. i learned a lot myself and got to work as the house photographer during the week. there were campfires at night and this is where the legend of the jungle pirate comes into play. jackie and i had decided that it would be fun to create our own legend since all the other ghost stories we found happend in canada or west virginia so our jungle pirate, captain clock-whose one arm was shorter than the other, was haunting the jungle grounds at chaa creek, searching for his stolen treasure. we had one of the cooks dress up as a pirate and come out of the jungle dressed up like a pirate and banging a machette. the reactions ranged from logan (the boy i'm teaching at barton creek) and a few other kids running up to attack the pirate and save the other to my camper magie, who had to sleep with her bed pushed up to mine for the remainder of the week, no longer wanted to have campfires, and would wake up in the middle of the night convinced that ghosts were after her... led by captain clock himself. oy vey!
it also recently, and luckily, came to my realization that i have been in belize for over 30 days and i had to get my passport stamped. this required that i go to belmopan, the capital, and find the immigration building. i got on a bus from san ignacio and rode to belmopan. i must look helpless because a menonite man sat next to me and after discovering what i was going to do in belmopan he informed me that he wanted to walk me to the building himself to insure i got there safely. once i was there, there was a canadian man who took me under his wing and told me that i had to be assertive and just go up to the window or else i would be stuck in lines that led to nowhere for hours and hours. i think i smile too much and so people feel like i am always in need of assistance. regardless, i made it there, got my stamp, and back to san ignacio in one piece. mission accomplished.
i have also gotten to hang out with brad, kristi (who amazingly enough, coordinated with my mom and brought me a new little laptop!! so excited!!) and charles. it's good to have friends to run into now and agian! :)
today i am luckily sitting on the beach. the britts took a family retreat to the coast for a few days... and so graciously have taken me with them. jim's mom, susan, came in on saturday from nashville and is a beach bum and so we had to take her away from the jungle to hit the sand! i have no complaints about it!! the place where we are is called placencia. it's beautiful. i woke up this morning and the sun was rising, the water was calm, and it all seemed to be glowing. yesterday i jumped in the water as soon as i could and got stung by a jellyfish. i also have become a professional at the stingray-shuffle, making sure not to step on or irritate any of those bad boys. later today i think we're going to the local town to go for some icecream and hopefully (fingers crossed) get to go out to sea on the kyacks. or for a very long swim! :) away from the jellys and senor sting ray.
missing everyone badly. thoughts of home are always on my mind and wish i could call/talk more often. know that you're all in my thoughts!
also-- a big congrats to my amazing brother ian who, after weeks and weeks and weeks of waiting to hear back on a new job got news that he will be moving to virginia!! so proud of you E, and miss you and can't wait to see you on the east coast! xo
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