This has been an amazing week without technology. I'm the only person on the trip who traveled without a phone or a computer, and it was a liberating feelings.
As for the travels- that was quite the adventure. We started out on the water taxi from San Pedro to Belize City, which is roughly 1 ½ hours on the water. From Belize City we caught a bus towards Punta Gorda. The bus loading scene really set the stage for how this part of our adventure was to go. We stood at a gate and then rushed to the bus entrance with a mob of people. Luckily we got seats but there were lots of people who got turned away. This was the most intense bus ride of my life because it was suffocatingly hot, and they just kept shoving people on. After about 5 ½ hours on the bus we made it to Punta Gorda.
The first stop on our inland trip resulted a a few spontaneous events. The first one was the Warasa Drum School where we learned how to play the Garifuna drums. Our instructor was amazing! He not only introduced us to the Garifuna drums, but also their rich culture and history. I love learning about this kind of stuff so it was a major highlight of the trip- even though I don't have any drum rhythm. After the drum school I was able to go with a two other girls to rent kayaks. We paddled upstream on this lake that reminded me of the movie “Anaconda,” and I kept waiting for something scary to jump out of the mangroves.
As for the travels- that was quite the adventure. We started out on the water taxi from San Pedro to Belize City, which is roughly 1 ½ hours on the water. From Belize City we caught a bus towards Punta Gorda. The bus loading scene really set the stage for how this part of our adventure was to go. We stood at a gate and then rushed to the bus entrance with a mob of people. Luckily we got seats but there were lots of people who got turned away. This was the most intense bus ride of my life because it was suffocatingly hot, and they just kept shoving people on. After about 5 ½ hours on the bus we made it to Punta Gorda.
The first stop on our inland trip resulted a a few spontaneous events. The first one was the Warasa Drum School where we learned how to play the Garifuna drums. Our instructor was amazing! He not only introduced us to the Garifuna drums, but also their rich culture and history. I love learning about this kind of stuff so it was a major highlight of the trip- even though I don't have any drum rhythm. After the drum school I was able to go with a two other girls to rent kayaks. We paddled upstream on this lake that reminded me of the movie “Anaconda,” and I kept waiting for something scary to jump out of the mangroves.
The third day of the trip we went to the chocolate farms! We started the morning off at Mayan ruins close to the chocolate farm. Our guide was very detailed in his explanation of the Mayan structures, and also about the significance of religion. It was interesting to learn about the area surrounding the farm because our guide was very passionate about sustainability. At one point he said, “If we learn together, grow together, we make this wold a better place.” What a great thing to say, especially to a group of teachers. Honestly, he was really passionate about sharing what he knows about farming and spreading the word about the benefits of organic farming. We had the opportunity to go through the jungle which is where they are actually growing the cocoa. The cocoa plants are mingled with banana vines (yes they actually are a vine not a plant or tree!!!), mango, coffee, and lots of other plants that work together to create the perfect growing environment.
The chocolate day was split into two sections so we had this delicious lunch. It was buffet style and everything was cooked in one way or another with cocoa. Then we got to the good stuff: making chocolate. First they roast the beans to the perfect temperature and then we had to crack/peel the shells off. After that there was this grinding board, which was actually an artifact passed down from our guides grandparents. The beans grind down and then you have to move at a faster pace, eventually creating the most unsatisfying pure chocolate. From this step you start to add sugar, lots of sugar, and eventually you have chocolate bars sweetened to your liking. Of course there are faster steps to this process now, but our guide wanted us to experience the traditional way so we would have a great appreciation for what we eat.
The chocolate day was split into two sections so we had this delicious lunch. It was buffet style and everything was cooked in one way or another with cocoa. Then we got to the good stuff: making chocolate. First they roast the beans to the perfect temperature and then we had to crack/peel the shells off. After that there was this grinding board, which was actually an artifact passed down from our guides grandparents. The beans grind down and then you have to move at a faster pace, eventually creating the most unsatisfying pure chocolate. From this step you start to add sugar, lots of sugar, and eventually you have chocolate bars sweetened to your liking. Of course there are faster steps to this process now, but our guide wanted us to experience the traditional way so we would have a great appreciation for what we eat.
The fourth day was our zoo adventure. There were so many spectacular animals with vibrant colors. My favorite bird was the keel-billed toucan which is the national bird of Belize. There were lots of different birds which reminded me of the that one movie about bird watchers. I could totally be a bird watcher in Belize, they are breathtaking. There were lots of cat variations as well, but they were more difficult to see. It's hard to find anything cool or exciting when they are just laying in a shaded corner. However, the howler monkeys, and yes, they literally sound like they are howling. My professor was able to make the noise very well and one of the monkeys was talking back. It looked like the monkey actually wanted to fight Dr. Kubasko because he was getting really worked about. As for the zoo, it has a great appearance. There are inspirational quotes on these wooden posts that really enhance the walking experience. I also enjoyed how the park decided to incorporate the Caribbean dialect, and made the information easy to read. A lot of times the zoo will have signs with a lot of dense information, but the Belize Zoo made sure to keep it short and clear.