Black Howler Monkeys, Bug Bites and Sun . . .

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Thanks to some kind people I managed to get IDs swapped around this week and got off in each of the ports. Didn’t do much in Panama besides get a disappointing lunch and some groceries. I’d hoped to go on tour in Costa Rica, but there weren’t any available. So I shopped in the local shops looking for good clothing deals. Then I went back to the park that I love near the port and sat beside the gazebo that I adore. I love when you travel and you manage to find a place that somehow feels like yours, a special place where you just feel at ease. There is something about that park that feels majestic and something about that gazebo that makes me feel inspired and relaxed and rejuvenated. I read my book and just took pleasure in being somewhere lovely. Then I did some shopping for Kristin & Rod’s wedding gifts! I’d been eyeing things for months now and seeing as we only do one more cruise on this run before we change itineraries, I thought it was time to actually make the purchases. I’m happy to have so many exciting things to be returning home to. It’ll make leaving this adventure okay.

Today, in Belize I went on tour with Krisitna. We were exhausted from a really late night at the crew bar, the disco and the pizza parlour (the closest you can really get to bar hopping!) and we slept the entire hour-plus bus ride there and back. But all of the tours in Belize are run by the same company so the guides all spiel on the same stuff, so I’m really familiar with the material. Who knows, maybe I could get a job as a tour guide in Belize! I know the info!

The tour was to the Community Baboon Sanctuary in Bermudan Landing. The organization is really interesting. It started in 1985 by a man from Wisonsin who was in Belize doing research on rainforest destruction and habitats for the black howler monkey. Then a group of local farmers decided to join together to protect the monkey’s habitat. The farmers all made an agreement to NOT develop a certain percentage of their land, all of which links together. The agreement was only spoken, there were no legal obligations and any of them could back out at anytime and cut the forest and farm the land as has been done all over Central and South America. But none of them did and none of them have. What started as a community experiment has become an incredible success story. Together there are 200 square acres of uncut rainforest which is the home to approximately 2500 black howler monkeys - a type of monkey that lives only in Central America and is on the endangered species list. But they are thriving well here in Belize. And the sanctuary is now benefitting by being open to tourists who come to visit and provide much needed funding for the local farmers who ultimately could still always decide to use their land for personal gain rather than environmental protection. Our guides through the forest were local men who own the land themselves. Those of us in “developed” nations could learn a lot from men like these - people who have so little compared to us in terms of financial and material items, but are happily and healthily living while still concretely giving back something that has a great impact on the world.

We took a short walk through the forest and our guide pointed out different types of plants and told us stories. Like of one type of plant that you boil and drink and it is a natural contraceptive that he swears works. He told us how it was always his job to find the plant in the forest for his wife and the one time he went out partying with his friends and didn’t find the plant, he told his wife he couldn’t find it. Their 9 year old son is the product of that!

Kristina got eaten alive by mosquitos. Literally, about 5 minutes in the forest and she had a dozen bites on her back, more on her chest, arms, legs. It was crazy! But our guide took another plant, squished it up and rubbed it on her skin and soon the swelling went down and redness of the bites went away. Natural solutions, so fantastic.

Of course, we saw monkeys - and very quickly. We were barely in the forest before we had them running all along the branches above us. One jumped down, hung from a low branch and was trying to grab at Kristina! She was crouched on the ground, covering her head while the monkey swung at her! She was the entertainment for everyone on our tour between her bites and the monkeys grabbing at her.

It was amazing to see them so closely. Could have touched them close. Our guide had the dominant male barking and howling away - so crazy. He was not going to let us take over his territory! We also saw some mamas with little bitty babies. Incredible.

The tour was short, especially when we slept through the whole bus ride. But it was so great and wonderful just to be off the ship.

Back on the ship I spent the rest of the afternoon on the crew deck soaking up the sun. I read, wrote in my journal and napped. Wonderful day.

Work has been busy this week. 60-some-odd teens on the ship, 55 have been by my club and at any given time there are at least 30 or more there to do my activities. Lovely teens. I’ve been having lots of fun with them. But I’m tired from running every activity full-out. Next cruise my numbers drop again, but then at the beginning of April they’re going to skyrocket - 130 teens! That’s the whole population of camp, but with just me to entertain them!

I’m also now officially half-way through my contract. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I feel like I need to acknowledge that I’ve reached that point. I’ve seen and done so many incredible things in my time here, but I still feel like there is so much more I want to do. I’m more determined than ever to try to pack everything I possibly can into my time here.

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