So I know i haven't updated in a while. This is mostly because nothing significant has changed and the last thing I seem to want to do at the end of the day is recount how boring and miserable my day just was. So I will try for a few points: I'm leaving this coming friday afternoon (i hope) to meet up with mom and susan and then travel around a bit before heading home on the 14th. I'm really just anxious to get home, but hopefully the snorkeling and enjoying the sun will be enough to keep me occupied. [View Full Entry]

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We haven't updated the blog for a few days because we have been loafing about on beaches in sunny Belize. Penny has spent some time diving in and around the Southern Barrier Reef along Belize coastline. She had a great time and spent some of her first dive and all of her second dive surrounded by playful dolphins. She also saw big turtles, lobster, stingray etc. etc. meanwhile Darryl got in some serious hammock action on the beach. The trip to Hopkins Beach Belize from Guatemala was pretty straightforward. Four buses driven by the usual collection of lunatics but we arrived [View Full Entry]

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Well, I'm still horribly bored here and frustrated and generally unhappy. But I remembered to bring my camera down the other day and took a few pictures. This is Xupi (pronounced shoo-pee). I couldn't get a picture of Box (Bosh) because he's black and doesn't photograph well. But it is really pretty when he's in the sun because you can see that he has spots too. In Mopan (I believe that's the language it's from) Box means black and Xupi means "the last". they were the last 2 jaguars at a zoo (I believe a breeding program) and they're brothers. They're [View Full Entry]

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So, I haven't updated in a while merely because I still don't have much positive to say and it seems silly to list all my grievances. But I will try my best. I will hopefully be able to start working a little more independently soon. I am learning how to let the jaguars in and out of their cage from their night cage (doors on a pulley system) although i don't really know how someone couldn't figure out how to do that... I'm also keeping Leo's keys now when he's not working, so I don't have to wait around outside the [View Full Entry]

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The jaguars eat a total of 3 chickens between the two of them. i skinned them and cut them up today. and after several handwashings AND a shower, i still smell like dead chicken. yuck. Today Leo and I went out to clear some more of the area where a new monkey pre-release site will be set up (a very large area in the middle of the jungle). Leo taught me how to use a machete. He said I was really good at it, but i had a hard time believing him while I hacked at a twig and he felled [View Full Entry]

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I've now had two full days of work (if you can call it that). I'm extremely frustrated here. This is very similar work to what i've done much of in the past (preparing diets, cleaning enclosures). And I understand that everybody has their individual preferences, but this is ridiculous. I've worked mainly with Marika and Leo (I'm basically learning Leo's tasks because he is usually on here on weekends). They are both very nice. However, they are teaching me to do things their way and scold when i do it differently. THEN Robin (in charge) returns to re-teach me everything i've [View Full Entry]

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Well I am finally at the Wildlife Care Center. My journey was strange. I had several rushes to make flights and several delays. Once I arrived in Belize City I found that my expected ride was not there (My plane had been quite late getting in). After many stressed phone calls I met up with a man who was serving as a guide to a school group (from a SUNY I believe) that were going to be having dinner at the same place I was going to be spending the night. It took about an hour or so on the bus [View Full Entry]

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So I am soon to depart for my 7 weeks in Belize. I'm heading out to intern at the Wildlife Care Center of Belize. I'll be there for the entire winter internship term of school. Hopefully the last few days will be spent meeting up and traveling with mom and susan (unfortunately it just overlaps with the time dad will be in Italy, so he won't be joining us). My trip seems to have mostly sorted itself out. I will be spending the night right outside of Belize City and then a day of bus trips until I arrive at the [View Full Entry]

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Belize is just so laid back that we really didn't do much once we got to our next destination. We enjoyed walking around this small town of Punta Gorda, talking to some kids that were swimming off a dock, and just sitting and looking at the ocean. Yep, life is hard here. [View Full Entry]

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After a pleasant 7am boatride from Livingston, we disembarked to the bottom of Belize in Punta Gorda. The moment we stepped out of customs, a guide named Celiano (who I would get to know well over our week here) greeted us and guided us around town to take care of getting food to stock the kitchen we were told we would have, getting Belizean dollars, and a couple of other errands. Presently we found ourselves turning off one of the two paved roads in Punta Gorda, and jostling for 2 1/2 miles down a pitted, puddly dirt road surrounded by lush [View Full Entry]

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