Several weeks ago, I was looking through my daily journal from my 2005 Study Abroad trip to Belize. I decided to do a series of blog posts about it. So it begins…
{Day 1}
* flew from Memphis to Dallas, Dallas to Belize
* Flights were fine. Landing at airport in Belize was interesting. It looked like we were
going to land in the trees. The airport was very small. We had to go through customs,
which wasn’t too bad…except for the heat.
* We left the airport for Dangriga on a bus. The bus ride was very long (it was supposed
to be 3 hours but ended up being 5 hours). We ate at a restaurant called Cheers (and
yes, it was named after the TV show). I had a delicious veggie quesadilla.
~~~I really miss home~~~
We ended up stopping at every bar on the way to Dangriga. People were either buying
more beer or had to use the bathroom because of the beer from the last stop. I wasn’t
happy about all the stops; I was very tired and just wanted to go to bed.
* When we finally got to Dangriga, we spent the night at the Chaleanor Hotel. I stayed
with two other girls, both very nice. We chipped in $5 a piece so we could have an air
conditioner-best $15 ever spent!
* I got a very good night’s sleep.
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| Chaleanor Hotel |
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| Dangriga from hotel |
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| another view of Dangriga |
{Day 2}
* Ate breakfast at a small restaurant down the street from the hotel
* Breakfast was okay, but the best part was the banana milkshake.
* After breakfast, we waited for what seemed like forever for the boats to take us to the
island. It was so hot; no breeze.
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| Waiting for the boats in Dangriga |
* The boat ride to the island (South Water Caye [pronounced Key]) was awesome once
we got way out in the water. The water was clear and we could see the bottom. The
island was gorgeous; there are palm trees all over the place.
* Since we got to the island so late, we didn’t have class. After lunch, we went
snorkeling. That was definitely an experience. “I hope I’m close to getting the
breathing right.”
~~~I WANT TO GO HOME NOW!~~~
25 more days-I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it.
* For supper, we ate King Mackerel, rice & beans, banana cake with chocolate
icing, and papaya juice.
The juice was awesome; I could definitely get used to the juices here.
* I have little red dots on my arms and legs, but at least they don’t itch because I have
quite a few.
* I’m feeling a little better now but I still really miss home and Annie. At least we have
Stardust the cat to make me feel better.
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| Stardust |
* Saw: spotted eagle ray, bluehead wrasse, Sergeant Majors, brain coral, other species
of coral, reef squid, common sea fan
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| Spotted eagle ray |
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| Bluehead wrasse |
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| Sergeant Majors |
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| Brain coral & common sea fan |
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| Reef squid |
{Day 3}
* I had a good night’s sleep (except for the bug buzzing around my head in the
morning). After breakfast and class, we took a boat to Curlew Reef.
* Saw: parrotfish, giant brain coral, purple sea fans, flamingo tongues, spotfin
butterflyfish
* We ate lunch after returning from Curlew Reef-still enjoying fresh juice! Following
lunch, we had Dr. C’s class…it was so hot; no one could concentrate. When class was
over, we went to South Beach to work on projects. (I saw a BIG barracuda!) We
worked on our research and then worked on naming, etc. for our projects.
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| South Beach |
* We ate dinner, followed by our nightly meeting (on the girls’ porch because it
was breezy).
I GOT TO CALL HOME! I think I’m going to live now.
* My legs, back, and neck are really burnt. I’m tired and sleepy. Bedtime!
{Day 4}
* I’m still waking up before sunrise. No buzzing bugs this morning.
* We had fresh-squeezed orange juice this morning. We had G’s class after breakfast.
After class, we went to the front of the island, called the forereef. IT WAS AWESOME!
We maneuvered through massive walls of coral, followed a large school of blue tang,
and got up close and personal (yes, on purpose) with a (sleeping) nurse shark that
was in/under a crevice in the coral. It was a great experience! On the way back to the
island, we passed by some Pica Pica (algae that produces toxins, which causes a
harmless, yet extremely uncomfortable rash) in the water.
After class, we went to the front of the island, called the forereef. IT WAS AWESOME!
We maneuvered through massive walls of coral, followed a large school of blue tang,
and got up close and personal (yes, on purpose) with a (sleeping) nurse shark that
was in/under a crevice in the coral. It was a great experience! On the way back to the
island, we passed by some Pica Pica (algae that produces toxins, which causes a
harmless, yet extremely uncomfortable rash) in the water.
* After returning from the forereef, and before lunch, Dr. G brought some sashimi, with a
three pepper sauce/dip, to the girls’ porch. I ate raw fish and it was GOOD!
We had lunch soon after; we had lemonade this time. I love the fresh juice!
* After lunch, we had C’s class. It was better than yesterday because of occasional
breezes but the bugs were bad. After class, we went to South Beach to work on
projects.
* After projects and showering, we had mackerel, beans, carrot cake, and baked
potatoes for supper. We had papaya juice =) for supper! After supper, we
potatoes for supper. We had papaya juice =) for supper! After supper, we
had our nightly meeting.
I’m going to kill (ok, not really) the girl that is playing the drums! GO TO BED!
{Day 5}
* It was extremely hot when we woke up this morning (the wind blew all night until
around 5 this morning). For breakfast, we had (flat) biscuits and sausage gravy.
* We had G’s class on the pier because it was the only place with a breeze. Afterward,
we went to Third Cut and swam among massive walls of coral.
* We ate lunch not long after getting back from Third Cut. We had rice, some kind of
soup, and lemonade. After lunch, we had C’s class on the girls’ porch (because it was
breezy). Then, we went to South Beach to work on projects…saw a barracuda, twice!
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| project research at South Beach |
* We ate dinner and had our nightly meeting after that. It is lightning right now
so we are hoping for rain. GOODNIGHT!
{Day 6}
* This morning was hot, again, when we woke up. For breakfast, we had eggs, nasty
sausage balls, some pancake-looking things (with peanut butter- had no syrup),
pineapple, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
* We had G’s class on the pier because it was breezy. After class, we went to the
forereef of Curlew Caye but didn’t stay long because, 1) we were late getting there,
and 2) it was uninteresting.
* We ate lunch and had C’s class (on the girls’ porch) not long afterward. After
class, we went to South Beach to continue work on our projects (didn’t see a
barracuda-Thank God!). A and I had some baby Sergeant Majors at one of our
coral reef sites, which was exciting.
* Random alert:
– “Getting really tired of the ‘military-style’ showers” (I can’t even remember now what
I was talking about)
– “It is really really windy right now” (apparently I was very happy about that LOL)
– “I’m getting hungry-ready for dinner” (I must have had too much down time when I
wrote all of this)
* Dinner: chicken, really dry rice with beans, some really good chocolate cake, some
okay potato salad, and PAPAYA JUICE!=) sidenote: Stardust really liked the chicken. I
don’t know how I remember how she got it)
* We saw glowworms’ mating ritual after dinner, followed by our nightly meeting.
{Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of this. The water looks like it is lit up with tiny
little lightbulbs.}
* “The moon is so beautiful tonight. It is a full moon.”
* It’s bedtime. I’m tired. GOODNIGHT!
{Day 7}
20 more days til we go home. I like almost everything about this place but I’m ready
to go home.
* Breakfast: eggs with tomatoes and ham, a banana, bread with peanut butter, some
kind of juice (least favorite…whatever it was).
* After breakfast, we had G and C’s class back to back. (“I like it that way, but today, it
was so hot and C was talking so fast that everything was just bouncing around in my
head.”)
sidenote: I knew something was definitely not normal about myself but I could not
figure it out.
* After both classes, we all went snorkeling in the seagrass beds on the east side of
Twin Cayes (mangrove). I saw quite a few seastars, even one with six arms, and a
Donkey Dung sea cucumber. I was hoping to see a manatee but didn’t🙁 Most of us
got “pinched” by isopods.
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| Twin Cayes |
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| Donkey Dung sea cucumber |
* It was almost lunch time when we got back from Twin Cayes-just enough time to get a
shower. Since we have a test tomorrow, and G gave us the afternoon off to study, A
and I decided to work on our projects at two separate times tomorrow afternoon.
* Random:
– “I’m really craving chocolate and Sprite right now but I’m trying to not think about it
because I don’t feel like walking to the bar to get it.”
– “Well, I’m about to take a nap and then wake up and study til supper and after
supper.”
* “I took a good 2-hour nap. It took me a little bit to get awake but I feel so much better.
A long nap was what I needed. I’m still studying…”
* Supper: mashed potatoes, nasty cucumber something, nasty dessert (with bread
pudding or egg custard), and papaya juice-always good!=) After dinner, we went to
the pier and saw the glowworm mating ritual again.
* “I’m about to study and go to sleep. GOODNIGHT! See ya in the morning.”
Are you ready for week 2? 🙂
