Day Nineteen: Sunday was our Free Day while being Inland which meant that we all got to choose what we did for the day. A group of fourteen people went on a Ziplining & Cave Tubing Tour, a group of ten people took a Day Trip to Guatemala, and two people went Horseback Riding in the mountains. Three of the fourteen people who went Ziplining and Cave Tubing didn't actually go Cave Tubing but they did go to an Iguana Farm earlier in the morning before the Ziplining and Cave Tubing trip. I was a part of the group that went to Guatemala for the day to go Ziplining and Tour the Mayan Ruins in Tikal and I'M SO HAPPY WITH MY DECISION. My Roommate (Ashley) and I got up early and then went to meet Joe, Cyrus, Megan, Lindsay Mc., Britta, Maddi, Casey, and Jessica M. at 7:00 a.m. and we waited for our ride to pick us up. Zachary picked us up and drove us to the Border (San Ignacio was only about 15 minutes from the border of Guatemala). We all had to pay a fee to leave Belize and once we got through Customs we then met our Tour Guide Mariella. We all got in the van, gave her our Passports to get stamped, and had to pay our fee before we were able to enter Guatemala. After riding for a little bit we stopped at Restaurante "El portal de Yaxha" (a Restaurant that Mariella's Mom owns) for a Bathroom Break. A little while later after some more riding we stopped at a Souvenir Shop to do some Souvenir Shopping at the only place we would be stopping for souvenirs in Guatemala. After walking around the Souvenir Shop for a while and buying entirely too much, we left to go Ziplining at Canopy Tour that is located just before the entrance of Tikal. I had never been Ziplining before and was super excited but a little nervous. We got our harnesses and helmets on and then made our way to the first platform where the Guides gave us instructions about Ziplining. I am not a big fan of heights and was a little scared at first but I felt better knowing that I was ALWAYS hooked to something even though some of the platform structures did feel unstable at times. I don't know if I have any words to describe Ziplining...IT WAS SO NEAT. On the Second Line the guide went upside down and I was in shock. A couple of people tried it and I thought there was no way that I could do it but the more people that did it the more I wanted to do it so on the Third Line I mustered up the courage and practiced letting go to go upside down while Ziplining before actually doing it. I ended up going upside down while Ziplining 2 more times and even did Superman once! I was so amazed, surprised, and proud of myself! On the last line we couldn't do any tricks but the Guides shook the line up and down so we bounced up and down and that was surprisingly the one and only time that I screamed while Ziplining. I cant believe I didn't scream on any other line while Ziplining but I honestly think I was just so amazed at the view while Ziplining that I couldn't scream. Ziplining was such an incredible experience and I'm so glad that I went. We had the best guides who were so good at what they did. And they were so patient with us and took all of the pictures and videos that we wanted and asked for. They were truly incredible and the ten of us HAD A BLAST! I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I was sad that it was over since it went by so fast. It took about two hours but it felt much shorter.
After Ziplining I HAD to buy me a shirt and once most of us got our shirts we went to eat Lunch at a restaurant just inside of the Tikal National Park. There were four choices for lunch and I decided to get chicken, veggies, and rice, and IT WAS SO YUMMY. After we finished eating our Tour Guide Mariella took us on a Tour to see the Mayan Ruins of Tikal. I'm not sure what it is about Mayan Ruins but they fascinate me so much. They are so stunning. & The views from the top just blow me away. I always feel so powerful when I climb up and make it to the top and get to look down at the ground. Tikal was so neat because they have excavated temples, temples that have parts of them excavated and some under still vegetation, and many under vegetation. I feel like it's hard to put into words about my time at Tikal as well...It's another one of things that you just have to see for yourself to really have an understanding of what it's like. The tallest Temple at Tikal is 64 Meters Tall (212 Feet Tall) and it takes 198 steps to get to the top and I CLIMBED IT. We all sat at the top for about 30 minutes completely amazed by the view. All you could see was the canopy of Tikal with the tops of some of the Mayan Ruins with the prettiest blue sky. It was unreal. We could've stayed longer but we figured it was time to head back down. We headed back down the 198 steps and then walked back to the van to head back to Belize. I was honestly so sad to leave Guatemala. IT WAS THE BEST DAY. I KNEW when I heard about the Day Trip to Guatemala that I COULD NOT miss it. I have no idea when I'll EVER make it down this way to Central America again and why not get another stamp (my second one to be exact) in my (first ever) Passport while I had the chance. While driving back to Belize the sunset was absolutely beautiful and we go to stop for a minute at a lake before the sun really started setting and got some pretty pictures. Mariella was an amazing Tour Guide and I'm so glad she was our Tour Guide for the day. She informed us of a lot about Tikal and made it such a fun day for us. When we made it back to the Guatemala Border Mariella took our Passports again to have them stamped that we were leaving and then we parted ways to go through Belize Customs and Zachary was there to pick us up and takes us back to San Ignacio. I was a little nervous about crossing the border and going to a different Country but it went so smoothly and was a phenomenal day. It honestly felt like a dream and I can't believe it happened. After getting back to San Ignacio a group of us found Dr. C and Dr. K. and got our Water Taxi Tickets for Monday. We all ended up eating supper at Mr. Greedy's and then afterwards I went back to hotel and called it a night after yet another incredible, but exhausting day.
Day Twenty: On Monday I woke up at about 6:30 a.m. and Ashley and I got ready and packed up. Dr. C and Dr. K arranged for us to get to San Ignacio but we were all on our own to get back to Belize City because all they gave us was our Water Taxi Ticket to get to San Pedro. Ashley and I checked out of Martha's Guest House, and met Tracy to wait for our Shuttle Ride that would be taking us to Belize City since Tracy was nice enough to help Ashley and I find a way back home with her. The Shuttle arrived a little after 7:15 a.m. and we were on our way. I love San Pedro (I am a complete coastal girl) but I really enjoy the city at times too. I am SO GLAD that our Trip to Belize included a Trip Inland so that we were able to see and experience more than just San Pedro and see more of the country of Belize. Up to this point the Trip Inland has definitely, WITHOUT A DOUBT, been my favorite part of the Trip. It was truly amazing and so incredible. I had the time of my life and am so proud of myself for how adventurous I have become. I really enjoyed being in San Ignacio and was honestly a little sad to leave. Our time Inland went so fast but I'm so thankful for the four days that we had there. I spent the whole ride to Belize City sleeping on and off. We got to the Water Taxi Terminal at about 9:15 a.m. and spent time looking at the Souvenir Shops and then sitting while waiting to board the Water Taxi. While waiting Cyrus, Jordon, Savannah, and Brittany joined us after getting a Taxi Ride to Belize City from San Ignacio and we all got on the 10:30 a.m. Water Taxi to San Pedro. While riding the Water Taxi I was so exhausted and could not keep my head up so since there was enough room I laid down on one of the bench seats and just slept on and off on the ride back to San Pedro. We got back to San Pedro about Noon and walked back to Pedro's Inn. Our rooms weren't ready yet and I was starving so Jordon, Cyrus, Ashley, and I all went to get lunch at Melt Cafe. I didn't finish my sandwich so I took the second half of it back with me to the Hotel so I could eat it for supper. When Jordon, Cyrus, Ashley, and I got back to Pedro's my Room was the only one that was ready since I was on the Third Floor and they were on the Second Floor. Jordon was nice enough to help me carry my big suitcase up to the Third Floor and then I spent time getting my stuff in my room. Well...I got all my bags in my room and I was so tired that I ended up laying down on my bed and took an hour long nap that was much needed after the morning of traveling back to San Pedro. Once I woke up I unpacked some of my stuff and organized my bags how I wanted them. Afterwards I spent some time on my Laptop catching up on e-mails. I ate my leftover sandwich from Lunch for Supper and then spent hanging out in the shade downloading my pictures from going Inland to my Laptop. The bugs ended up getting pretty bad once it started getting dark so I went inside the restaurant at Pedro's while everyone was watching The National Championship Basketball Game and uploading some pictures to Facebook. Once Karaoke started picking up when the Game was over I put my Laptop up and joined in on the fun before calling it a night around Midnight. It felt a little different and weird being back in San Pedro but it was nice being welcomed back with Karaoke. It's always a good time!
Day Twenty-One: On Tuesday I had no plans whatsoever except to spend time relaxing at Pedro's and that was exactly what I did too. I was so exhausted from running around for four days straight during our Trip Inland that I wanted to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that required energy. I slept in until about 10:00 a.m. and it was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. Especially after getting up super early and staying busy ALL DAY for five days in a row. I needed a day to catch up on sleep so I was thankful for it. I finally got ready for the day and took my Laptop and Nature Valley Bar downstairs. After eating breakfast I spent ALL DAY sitting in the shade either working on my Blog, reading everyone else's blogs, or responding to the few e-mails I had. I sent time chatting with people as well. At about 5:00 p.m. Jordon, Cyrus, Ashley, and I went to get supper at Lily's since we were the only few people at Pedro's who hadn't ate supper yet. After getting back to Pedro's I got my Laptop again and sat outside working on my Blog some more (I spend a lot of time writing down the small details as you all very well know by now) while a group of people played a Card Game and spent time hanging out and talking. I decided to call it a night at about 11:30 p.m. I know I didn't do much of anything on Tuesday but I have no regrets at all because I truly needed a day to recuperate from my Weekend Trip Inland.
Day Twenty-Two: On Wednesday Morning I got up at about 8:30 a.m. and got ready for the day. A group of us were meeting at 9:00 a.m. to go to Rum + Bean for Bible Study! Rum + Bean is a Coffee Shop and Rum Bar where you can have any drink of your choice. We were all obviously all going there for the coffee (Random side note: The Country of Belize LOVES THEIR RUM. Rum Punch is very common around here and they even sold Rum at The Belize Zoo. It's interesting and for some reason it kind of makes me laugh.). We left Pedro's at about 9:15 a.m. and all eight of us got on our bikes and were on our way. Since our first week in San Pedro I saw signs for Rum + Bean but had no idea where it was. It turns out it's a cute little building tucked away in a beautiful part of the island. Had we not had Bible Study there I probably would've NEVER KNOWN that it even existed. A few people from our Cohort have been to Rum + Bean and failed to mention how pretty the area was of where it was located. As we rode our bikes closer to Rum + Bean I was blown away. I kind of loved how it was a little secret on the Island though and am glad that I had the opportunity to discover it. When we all got to Rum + Bean we all ordered our drinks. I'm not a coffee person but a couple of people got a Caramel Macchiato that LOOKED DELICIOUS so I tried it and since the coffee flavor wasn't too strong I decided to go ahead and order one for myself. It was pretty good and I figured I had to have a drink from Rum + Bean just so I could say that I did. Once everyone got their Coffees we started our Bible Study and went through a Lesson in Begin Again: A Series In Galatians since one of the girls in our Cohort is going through it with her Church and was kind enough to invite us to go through it with her. After Bible Study the eight of us left and went to The Baker to get breakfast. Most of us got a cinnamon roll and there I HAD THE BIGGEST CINNAMON ROLL THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN AND EATEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. After eating my cinnamon roll (that I honestly wasn't sure I could finish but did) some of us stopped at the grocery store before heading back to Pedro's. After hanging out at Pedro's for just a little bit a few of us decided to go to Caribbean Villas and hang out for a while. I was completely up for relaxing after such an exhausting Inland Trip (it really took a lot out of me) so I took one of the three books (I haven't opened yet) that I brought here with me to Belize, sat on a chair, and read it. It has been FAR TOO LONG since I've actually gotten to sit and lose myself in a book and it was so nice. Since it was a short book (only 200 pages) I actually started and finished the entire thing before leaving Caribbean Villas to go back to Pedro's. Once I got back to Pedro's I hung out for a little bit before going with Jordon, Cyrus, Ali, Lauren, and Ashley to get Supper at YJ's Deli. YJ's is another cheap Taco Stand on the same road at Lily's that I hadn't been to yet and I got a Fryjack for Supper that was of course delicious. I made a phone call home not long after getting back to Pedro's and once I got off the phone I decided to go into the Restaurant at Pedro's to see if anyone was up to anything. Tracy, Callie, Meghan, Tiffany and Kenzie were playing Spoons with Kaci and Trevor (two kids from Colorado who are on Vacation here with their parents and two of their Dad's Coworkers). Tiffany was getting up to leave so I took her place in the game and got to play. I ended up losing so I just sat and watched the rest of the game. It was getting late and everyone stopped playing the game so we all decided to call it a night somewhere close to Midnight.
Day Twenty-Three: On Thursday I once again didn't have any plans for the day so I slept in until about 11:00 a.m. I took my time getting ready and at about Noon I decided to head into town to mail of a couple of Postcards to the Three Special Education Classrooms at the School where I completed my Student Teaching at since they all did so much for me on my Last Day and wished me well before coming to Belize. When I got to the Post Office it was closed for lunch so I stopped at Casa Pan Dulce Bakery to get a sweet treat (Why not?! It only cost $1.75 BZ) and did some more Souvenir Shopping. Once I did that it was almost 1:00 p.m. (when the Post Office would be opening after lunch) so I headed back to the Post Office so I was able to have my Postcards be mailed off. After I got my Postcards ready to go I decided to head back to Pedro's since it was so hot. I wasn't sure of my plan for the day but a few people were heading to Caribbean Villas so I figured I would go enjoy another relaxing day while I had the opportunity to do so. I was pretty hungry when we got to Caribbean Villas so I ate some lunch and played Fetch with Jambo for a tiny bit (Jambo is the dog who belongs to the owner of both Pedro's and Caribbean Villas who enjoys playing Fetch in the Sea with a coconut) before beginning to read another book that I brought with me to Belize. I spent about three hours reading and headed back to Pedro's only to sit by the Pool there and continue reading for another 4-5 hours until I finished the book. I just love reading and honestly have so much trouble putting books down once I start them. Nothing much was going on so I figured since I had the time why not just sit and enjoy reading a book while I could since I never can anymore. I wasn't too hungry since I was pretty full from my lunch at Caribbean Villas but to keep from starving when I woke up on Friday Morning I ate a PB & J for Supper and then spent time hanging out and talking with Kaci, Trevor, and Tony (the two kids and one of their Dad's Coworkers from Colorado) before calling it a night at about 11:30 p.m.
Day Twenty-Four: Friday was definitely one of my top favorite days while being in here in Belize (I think I've had about five of those now). I got up early and got ready for our Snorkel and Sail Excursion. We all had to be at the dock at Ramon's Village Resort by 8:30 a.m. We all got fitted for our fins when we arrived, were given a snorkel and mask, and then got on the Catamaran with SEAduced. We sailed to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and snorkeled there first. I've been snorkeling in The Bahamas before as well as The Florida Keys and I have to say that Belize is the best snorkeling that I have done yet. Hol Chan was so beautiful. The second we got into the water there was a Green Sea Turtle just below us. There were so many different sea creatures I got to see and the coral was so pretty. I almost don't have any words for it. I was just taking in the view and really enjoying my time in the water. After snorkeling at Hol Chan we got back on the boat, ate some fruit, and then sailed to Shark Ray Alley to snorkel there. They brought chum with them so as we were getting into the water there were SO MANY nurse sharks right below the boat where we were supposed to get in. I was a little apprehensive about getting in considering THERE WERE SHARKS IN THE WATER but Cyrus encouraged me to go on in so I finally did and IT WAS SO NEAT. I saw a few Rays and THERE WERE SO MANY NURSE SHARKS. I have no idea how many there were but there were a good number of them. Some were small, some were medium sized, and there were a couple of pretty big ones! I couldn't believe that I actually got into the water with sharks but it was such a neat experience and I'm glad that I did! After we were finished snorkeling we all got back on the boat and got to relax while sailing to Caye Caulker. During the sail to Caye Caulker we all ate chips and salsa that they made us. When we got to Caye Caulker we had two hours to eat lunch as well as walk around and explore the Island. I went with Maddi, Casey, and Jessica M. to find lunch. We ended up eating at Belita's Deli and it was pretty good. After eating lunch we spent time walking around the Island a little bit and looked at a few shops. Caye Caulker isn't very big so there wasn't too much to see but it was definitely a pretty place and I really liked the vibe of it. (Have I mentioned that I've fallen in love with The Island Life? Because I have.) Maddi and I walked to see The Split (the Island of Caye Caulker is split into two areas) and unfortunately couldn't get in the water since we didn't have enough time to do so (If I ever come back to Belize I know what I'll be doing!). Everyone had to be back on the boat by 2:30 p.m. and we all got to enjoy the hour long sail back to San Pedro and IT WAS INCREDIBLE. The whole time we've been in Belize I've been wanting to ride on a sailboat and I'M SO GLAD THAT IT FINALLY HAPPENED. It was just amazing and I will never forget it. After getting back to Ramon's Dock Meghan, Tracy, Callie, and I spent time looking at the shop there and of course each of us ended up spending money since we couldn't help but buy something. After getting back to Pedro's from Ramon's I spent the evening just hanging out in the Restaurant for the rest of the night. I spent time talking with Kaci, Trevor, their parents, and their two Coworkers as well as enjoying the night of Karaoke. Friday was definitely a fun day and I enjoyed it a lot. The Snorkeling and Sailing Experience was one that I will NEVER forget for as long as I live. After this Friday I honestly can't choose between Last Friday (the day I went to Caracol and Big Rock Falls), Sunday (the day I went Ziplining and to Tikal in Guatemala), or This Friday (Snorkeling & Sailing). I loved all three Excursions and I honestly believe it's a Three-Way Tie for being my Favorite Day(s) on this Trip yet.
Day Twenty-Five: On Saturday I didn't have any plans for the day so I slept in until about 10:30 a.m. which was nice after such a busy and long Friday. I spent time hanging out in my Hotel Room and decided to finally exit it at about Noon. I was sitting in the shade downloading my pictures and uploading some to Facebook when I started talking to Tamara. Tamara is a lady I met a couple of weeks ago who has been staying here at Pedro's since January. Tamara has been learning to sign while being here in Belize so I began talking with her about Sign Language since I love it from learning it at UNCW. She so happened to be planning on going to a Meeting at 2:00 p.m. with the Church she's been going to here that would be done in all Sign Language for the Deaf Congregation. Tamara invited me to go with her and I decided to go with her since I haven't been in a complete silent environment where Sign Language was the only mode of communication in a while and I wanted to work on practicing my Receptive Skills and see if I could understand any of the signs at all. The meeting lasted about two hours and I honestly did not understand very much. I knew a few signs here and there but I did feel like I was able to put together the MAIN IDEA of what was talked about during the Meeting based on the few signs that I did know/remember. During the meeting there was an Opening Song, an Opening Prayer, a Speaker who flew just to Belize for the Meeting spent time signing to the people at the Meeting, a video was watched, questions were answered based on the Video, there was a Closing Song, and then there was a Closing Prayer. Even though I'm not a Jehovah's Witness and have not had the opportunity to learn many signs when it comes to faith, spirituality, and religion, it was still a neat experience and I'm glad that I went. Everyone was nice and welcoming and I feel like I learned more about having an open mind to experiences that I am not used to. Tamara had just found a new place to live in and was about to move and since a few people from our Cohort have gotten to know her and wanted to know where she would be going I followed her to her new place so I would be able to inform everyone else of where she would be. Tamara is a chef so she offered me some of her homemade hummus (which was so delicious and I can't wait to get her recipe for it) while we sat and talked. I had learned bits and pieces about Tamara throughout a few small conversations over the past three weeks but it was really neat getting to learn more about her life story and how she ended up here in Belize. I really enjoyed my time with her and am thankful for her sharing with me. Tamara is very passionate about sharing her faith and is in the process of learning Sign Language in order to reach out to people in the Deaf Community. I already LOVE Sign Language but after spending time with Tamara I was encouraged EVEN MORE than ever before to REALLY want to continue and practice Sign Language. I know it will take a lot of work but I really hope to become fluent in it one day (We'll see what happens. Hopefully it can become a reality one day.). Not long after getting back to Pedro's I went with Maddi, Casey, Jessica M., and Ashley to get Supper at Neri's Tacos. When I got back to Pedro's I was going to work on my Blog and get started on some of my Assignment but Tiffany invited us to play "Shout It" so needless to say that didn't happen. I'm so glad I took the Evening to play a fun game like "Shout It" because I laughed so much and so hard and I haven't done that in so long. Even though I'm pretty terrible at "Shout It" (it's just like Catch Phrase) I still had a lot of fun and enjoyed myself. I'm not entirely sure how long we played (I lost track of time like I usually do here) but we played it for a while. I spent a little bit of time working on my Blog before going to bed and decided to save the Assignments for another day.
As Week Three comes to an end I have to say that I honestly CANNOT BELIEVE that we have LESS THAN TWO WEEKS left here in Belize. It doesn't seem real at all. In exactly two weeks I will be back in North Carolina and I honestly don't know what to think of that. I realized on Saturday that I only have ONE LAST WEEKEND here in Belize and that makes me SO SAD. Before we left to go Inland I remember Dr. C told me that after the Inland Trip our time here in Belize WOULD REALLY FLY BY since it's the Midway Point of our Trip and I didn't believe her but now that we've been back for almost a whole week I realize that she was so right. I have really enjoyed having a relaxing Third Full Week here in Belize and it's a good thing I did because our "Vacation" is over now. The School's Easter Break is over and we start back going to the Schools on Monday. After not being in the Schools for Two Weeks I honestly forgot that is the entire reason why we're even here in Belize. I'm not going to lie...I'm a little nervous to go back to the Schools because I don't have a set schedule or know quite what I'm doing when but I know I will figure it out as time goes on. I spent time learning about the the students I'll be working with during the First Week we were in the Schools before the Easter Break and now I need to make a Tentative Schedule of who I will work with when. All I want to do while I'm here in Belize is to be able to help make some sort of difference in AT LEAST one student's Education and it will make this whole trip worth while. Dr. K told us that if we can teach in Belize then we can teach anywhere so here's to hoping over the next two weeks I can achieve that.
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