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Published: September 21st 2010
Hi family! I’m happy to report that I am back on the blogging scene with numerous adventurous tales to share! I have a lot to catch up on, so I’m going to try to double blog - share what’s going on now while also publishing pictures and stories from diving and cave snorkeling in Mexico, holidays in Belize with my family, and learning how to fire dance in Guatemala! We’ve a lot to catch up on!!
Although I had a fantastic visit with all of you this summer, I am ecstatic to be back home! My first few days were a whirlwind of visitors and social engagements….and of course the debut of my pink Mohawk. It was an instant hit in the village, and many strangers call out “Hey gal, I like your style” or “Hey, movie star!” I absolutely love having short hair in this humid heat - why didn’t I think of it sooner?
I wasn’t home but two days, and I was approached by my friend Kristine about the possibility of starting up a day camp for the summer. I had been thinking about setting up some science experiments with the kids, and with her help I knew
I could get a good turnout and secure a location. Within two weeks we had outlined our 8 weeks of Mondays and opened our doors to a class of about 15 students. Each week we explore a new topic - Planet Earth, the Human Body, Time, Plants, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Recycling, Marine Life and Coral Reef Preservation, and this Monday, our last class, Our World Magnified - the kids will be using microscopes, many for the first time! It has been an incredible experience with support from every direction. Every week I have had 4 or more adult volunteers, snacks donated by Charo (my landlord and good friend,) and more kids showing up! I’ve even had adults in the village tell me they are hearing stories about “doing fun science stuff with the pink-haired lady!” YES!
The program has been such a hit; we are planning on continuing it throughout the school year on Saturdays. Each week a new person approaches me with something they would like to donate, or a topic they would like to introduce to the students. We were able to put on this entire program for about $100 USD…amazing! From this, I have been asked to
help write a grant for the village to begin a recycling program, and we are planning on using the refund revenue (5 cents/bottle) to fund the science camp throughout the year! Of course, introducing recycling and composting to the village is going to take more than just the kids - we will begin a community wide education initiative as soon as we have the recycling containers and program in place. To get started, we had the kids from science camp spend a day collecting the plastics on the beach and constructing an awesome billboard sign for the village, “Keep It Clean, Placencia!” Now we are helping them get the signage approved by the Village Council while encouraging them to share their enthusiasm with friends and family! I think the kids were surprised with the items we were picking up; toothbrushes, combs, plastic forks, flip flops, and lots and lots of plastic bottle caps! When they realized the garbage was all items they use themselves, they took the message personally!
After about one month of crashing with my best friends Anne and Steve, my favorite apartment in the village came up for rent. It was unfortunate that its availability was because
of a good friend’s departure to the US, but such is the transient town of Placencia. My new place is in the middle of the village and across the street from everyone’s favorite hangout, the Barefoot Bar! I am renting from my favorite family again, Charo and Cassie, and have a HUGE breezy porch with couch AND hammock, a nice kitchen, an actual, real-life, comfortable couch (an absolute rarity in Belize where all the furniture is wicker and wood!) all the amenities, and the cheapest rent I’ve paid so far. OH and a karaoke room again! Yay!! I had 6 plastic bins of my belongings shipped down here - books, kitchen utensils, glassware, board games, the karaoke machine and disco balls, and my Brett Favre FatHead sticker! I’m sure I would win the prize for “Most Random Things Imported to Belize.” But I feel so very much at home now, and have even had a few spontaneous sing-along parties with tourists already.
This month Placencia had the pleasure of hosting a couple from Chicago passing through on their way to Buenos Aires…more interesting brains to pick! Corey, a computer security professional, and Sara, an art therapist/psychologist, quit their jobs, sold
all their belongings, and are traveling overland to South America in search of a new home and life! I spent many an afternoon with them debating international policies, internet privacy, and the demolition of our natural resources….but also the bars of Chicago, beers of Wisconsin and the best places to get bratwurst! We also had similar likes in South America --their top picks for relocation are Quito, the lowlands of Bolivia, or Buenos Aires! My favorites! They will be taking the next year to blaze their trail all the way south, so I hope to meet up with them around Christmas.
I’ve also been busy diving, and each boat out has been full of interesting new friends! I had the pleasure of meeting three marine biologists in one day … that was always my dream job when I was a kid! And still is…these people were my age and had conducted research projects all over the world studying humpback whales in Maui, dolphins in Australia, sharks in Palau…where do I sign up? Actually, I do have a small opportunity to get involved here - I will be volunteering for a coral preservation and farming project in November, using my diving
skills to help monitor and transplant coral nurseries out at Belize’s marine reservations. Extra days out and under the water? Yes please!
The last dive I did was at Ranguana Caye, about 25 miles East of Placencia. It was a tremendous day already with wonderful schools of fish, a few moray eels, and two very large sea turtles. At the end of the dive, our group was at 20 feet for our safety stop before surfacing and my buddy Jodie (my Canadian friend from Secret Garden who was just certified to dive this year) and I drifted out of sight from the group. And then I saw IT. HIM. THE GRANDDADDY GOLIATH GROUPER! WHOA - about 40 feet below us was the biggest fish I’ve ever seen, he was 300 pounds at least!! He was bigger than Jodie and me put together, as long as we were tall, and enough fillets to feed a village for a month! Every time I looked at Jodie, his eyes were bigger than saucers, and we just kept laughing and pointing in disbelief! It was another memorable day under the waves.
In between all this action, I am of course enjoying my laid-back beach
life. I swim as often as possible, and when its over 100 degrees every day, it’s never enough! A few close friends really want to learn fire dancing, so we practice on the beach a few times a week and Kristine is practicing her hula hooping as well. We will have quite the fire troupe before I leave here! I’m doing well with my yoga, but not as disciplined as I would like. I’m trying to incorporate yoga moves into the fire dancing….and then maybe perform while diving? No, wait. … Too many great hobbies!! Last weekend Tom had us up to his beach property where we grilled out (including hot links breakfast sausages, YUM) and played coconut golf. I have been going on Saturday night date-nights with Steve and Anne and last night we had a fantastic fondue party at the Austrian restaurant! We had beef and pork and a pot of hot oil to cook our meats - then four different homemade condiments to dip it in. I am so proud of myself for trying all four and actually liking three of them!
Speaking of food, I’m leaving for Mexico tomorrow and I can’t stop thinking about tacos…..I
promise to share them with you this time! I’ll be in touch soon!
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charsey
non-member comment
glad your home
so glad you stop by in duarte to see us, we enjoy your visit and glad you made it home safe. we are looking forward to our baby girl arriving in november and jadyee is estatic with the idea of being big brother. will see you pics of our new addition soon. take care and have lots of fun