Walking to the pyramid
So tired on the steps
Sitting at the top of El Castillo
A view from the top!
A Veiw from the Plane
Flying Over Belize in 2009
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Xunantunich
On Saturday, we crossed the river and visited Xunantunich. It is a very pretty site about 15 minutes away from San Ignacio and the ferry to cross the river is located on the banks of Succotz. We climbed to the top of the tallest pyramid, El Castillo, and sat and looked at the view. From the top of El Castillo you can see Guatemala and the Chaa Creek Farm. Here are some pictures!
Walking to the pyramid
So tired on the steps
Sitting at the top of El Castillo
A view from the top!
Walking to the pyramid
So tired on the steps
Sitting at the top of El Castillo
A view from the top!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Dangriga and the Gulisi Garifuna Museum
So, I know I mentioned the Museum and trip to Dangriga in the previous blog, but I feel that the trip deserves it's own entry. Our first stop of the day was at the Gulisi Garifuna Museum. We were given a tour and learned a lot of new information. 
Some of the display pieces 
Picture of Women doing a traditional dance 
Illustration of Drumming 
Large Wall of Fishing 
At the Museum we were treated to Garifuna drumming and singing. Eventually everyone was dancing.
And then we made it to the beach!
Some of the display pieces 
Picture of Women doing a traditional dance 
Illustration of Drumming 
Large Wall of Fishing 
At the Museum we were treated to Garifuna drumming and singing. Eventually everyone was dancing.
And then we made it to the beach!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Week 2
Maaan, too much is going on. It is so hard to keep this updated. Last week I had my homestay and service learning experience. It was amazing. I have so many pictures it will be hard to pick which to post.
My homestay was in the Maya village of San Jose de Succotz. On the first night I stayed at the Trek Stop. The Trek Stop is an Eco friendly hotel. It was different but interesting. The shower water is collected rainwater and the toilets are composting. It was a lot like camping.
Then in the morning I went to the Learning Center where I worked with children for a few hours. The children are all out of school for the summer and the learning center provides a safe place for children to gather and interact while learning. It truly is an amazing place.
That night I had my homestay. I was staying with a woman named Marisol, her mother and two children and they were all very sweet. Her daughter is only 2 months old and her name is Stephanie as well. I had really good home cooked meals while I was with Marisol. It was a great experience.
On Thursday the Foothill group took a trip down the coast to a Garifuna museum and then to the beach. It was a fun trip and the museum was small but interesting. The beach was great because the water was shallow and warm. Then a small group of us played Frisbee. All in all, it was a great day.
Yesterday, some of the Foothill group visited El Aguacate, the site where we do out archaeology. After a short day we visited El Aguacate Dos and then called it a day. We all came home and took showers and got ready for dinner and lecture. After dinner and lecture, we went out to the local Karaoke bar and then to good old Fayawata. It was a great week.
My Host Family
Some of the Students from the Learning Center
Me in the Trek Stop
Sunset at the Trek Stop
Inside the Learning Center
My homestay was in the Maya village of San Jose de Succotz. On the first night I stayed at the Trek Stop. The Trek Stop is an Eco friendly hotel. It was different but interesting. The shower water is collected rainwater and the toilets are composting. It was a lot like camping.
Then in the morning I went to the Learning Center where I worked with children for a few hours. The children are all out of school for the summer and the learning center provides a safe place for children to gather and interact while learning. It truly is an amazing place.
That night I had my homestay. I was staying with a woman named Marisol, her mother and two children and they were all very sweet. Her daughter is only 2 months old and her name is Stephanie as well. I had really good home cooked meals while I was with Marisol. It was a great experience.
On Thursday the Foothill group took a trip down the coast to a Garifuna museum and then to the beach. It was a fun trip and the museum was small but interesting. The beach was great because the water was shallow and warm. Then a small group of us played Frisbee. All in all, it was a great day.
Yesterday, some of the Foothill group visited El Aguacate, the site where we do out archaeology. After a short day we visited El Aguacate Dos and then called it a day. We all came home and took showers and got ready for dinner and lecture. After dinner and lecture, we went out to the local Karaoke bar and then to good old Fayawata. It was a great week.
My Host Family
Some of the Students from the Learning Center
Me in the Trek Stop
Sunset at the Trek Stop
Inside the Learning Center
Sunday, July 4, 2010
What I Have Been Up To
Hello there!
It has been 4 days since I last wrote. I'm so tired that all I really want to do is take a nap. Let me see if I can remember everything that I have done in the last few days. On Thursday we went to part of the Archaeological Symposium that is held in different places every year. This year it was held in San Ignacio which was convenient for us. Then half of the Foothill group got to visit the village of San Jose Succotz, which is where we will be doing our homestay and service learning projects. It was really fun. Then when I got back to Midas I discovered I had a colony of tiny black ants in my suitcase and room. Not fun. I had to shake all of my clothes out on the balcony. That's one way to unpack!
On Friday I spent all day at the symposium and got rub elbows with some of the most well known Mayanists. After the symposium was over I walked back to Midas with other staff members and got ready to go to Succotz again for a traditional Mestizo dinner that served as an introduction to our host families. Marisol is the name of the woman I will be staying with and she has a 12 year old son named Marlon and a 2 month old daughter named Stephanie! That will be easy to remember. I'm really excited. I also decided that I would like to participate in the "Learning Center" as my service learning project. More about that later.
After dinner we all went back to Hodes and after changing I headed over to the big banquet that was being held because of the symposium. Everyone was dancing and there was a lot of drinking and plenty of fun and good music.
The next morning we all had to be at breakfast by 7:30 and on the bus to Caracol by 8. It was a long bus ride but well worth it. Caracol is amazing and is the largest Maya site in Belize and is home to the larges man made structure in the country. Caana, or the Sky Palace, is beautiful. I got a sunburn while sitting at the top of the pyramid.
On our way home from Caracol we stopped at Rio On, which are naturally occurring waterfalls and rock pools. They act as natural water slides and are really refreshing after a long day at Caracol.Rio On is in the Pine Ridge Forrest which looks very similar to Northern California as far as the vegetation. It is a very beautiful area.
The staff went out for dinner last night and then most came back to my room to watch the Futbol game and then it was time for bed. Before I was actually asleep though, another staff member knocked on my door and informed me that one of the Foothill students was injured on the dance floor. So, today I took another trip to La Loma Luz and the prognosis was not good. She has to go back tomorrow to speak with a specialist but she will probably unable to participate in many of the activities that are planned for a while. Now I am being lazy in my hotel room and I think I will take nap before dinner.
The Butterfly Farm at The Trek Stop
San Jose Succotz, A Modern Day Maya Village
A Traditional Mestizo Meal
Sitting on Top of Caana, the "Sky Palace". It is the tallest man made building in Belize.
Rio On, Waterfalls and Pools
It has been 4 days since I last wrote. I'm so tired that all I really want to do is take a nap. Let me see if I can remember everything that I have done in the last few days. On Thursday we went to part of the Archaeological Symposium that is held in different places every year. This year it was held in San Ignacio which was convenient for us. Then half of the Foothill group got to visit the village of San Jose Succotz, which is where we will be doing our homestay and service learning projects. It was really fun. Then when I got back to Midas I discovered I had a colony of tiny black ants in my suitcase and room. Not fun. I had to shake all of my clothes out on the balcony. That's one way to unpack!
On Friday I spent all day at the symposium and got rub elbows with some of the most well known Mayanists. After the symposium was over I walked back to Midas with other staff members and got ready to go to Succotz again for a traditional Mestizo dinner that served as an introduction to our host families. Marisol is the name of the woman I will be staying with and she has a 12 year old son named Marlon and a 2 month old daughter named Stephanie! That will be easy to remember. I'm really excited. I also decided that I would like to participate in the "Learning Center" as my service learning project. More about that later.
After dinner we all went back to Hodes and after changing I headed over to the big banquet that was being held because of the symposium. Everyone was dancing and there was a lot of drinking and plenty of fun and good music.
The next morning we all had to be at breakfast by 7:30 and on the bus to Caracol by 8. It was a long bus ride but well worth it. Caracol is amazing and is the largest Maya site in Belize and is home to the larges man made structure in the country. Caana, or the Sky Palace, is beautiful. I got a sunburn while sitting at the top of the pyramid.
On our way home from Caracol we stopped at Rio On, which are naturally occurring waterfalls and rock pools. They act as natural water slides and are really refreshing after a long day at Caracol.Rio On is in the Pine Ridge Forrest which looks very similar to Northern California as far as the vegetation. It is a very beautiful area.
The staff went out for dinner last night and then most came back to my room to watch the Futbol game and then it was time for bed. Before I was actually asleep though, another staff member knocked on my door and informed me that one of the Foothill students was injured on the dance floor. So, today I took another trip to La Loma Luz and the prognosis was not good. She has to go back tomorrow to speak with a specialist but she will probably unable to participate in many of the activities that are planned for a while. Now I am being lazy in my hotel room and I think I will take nap before dinner.
The Butterfly Farm at The Trek Stop
San Jose Succotz, A Modern Day Maya Village
A Traditional Mestizo Meal
Sitting on Top of Caana, the "Sky Palace". It is the tallest man made building in Belize.
Rio On, Waterfalls and Pools
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Move
So, today was another uneventful day for this jr. staff member. I took student A back to the hospital for more injections and came back to the hotel. Emma (my room mate this year and last) and I had to move today so we packed up our stuff and put it all in Aaron's room with the intent to pick it all up when our room was ready. Then it was lunch time. We went to lunch and then the UCLA group visited the site they will be continuing work on this year. I was going to go with them since my Foothill students were away on their drop off experience but I decided it would probably be best if I stuck around Hodes (where we eat our meals and where the students were supposed to meet up after the activity). So, while I and other staff members were still in the area we decided to go shopping for the staff house. When we got back from that I decided to go back to Midas (our hotel) and move my stuff into our new room. That was a heavy job and I was sweating up a storm. Then I found out that I had to move a staff member's luggage out of a room because he was available to do it himself and the room was needed for other guests who would be arriving. Eventually I got to take a cold shower and put on new clothes.
All in all, the most interesting pictures from today are of the two rooms. The one that I have been staying in and the one that I will be staying in from tonight until the 28th. After the 28th we might be moved again.
These pictures are a bit boring, but I didn't have anything exciting to take pictures of today. Sorry!
The Roundhouse (Room 1)
A view of inside the round house
Our new bed (In room 2)
Our new bathroom (In room 2)
Until next time,
Steph♥
All in all, the most interesting pictures from today are of the two rooms. The one that I have been staying in and the one that I will be staying in from tonight until the 28th. After the 28th we might be moved again.
These pictures are a bit boring, but I didn't have anything exciting to take pictures of today. Sorry!
The Roundhouse (Room 1)
A view of inside the round house
Our new bed (In room 2)
Our new bathroom (In room 2)
Until next time,
Steph♥
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
La Loma Luz
Well, the title of this post may lead you to believe I visited an amazing site called La Loma Luz, but actually, I spent about 2 hours at the La Loma Luz Hospital with a sick student. While I missed out on the agricultural orientation, I did my job as the "health" staff member and learned how to navigate the clinic, hospital and taxi scene. It was an interesting experience and I think I will be doing the same thing for the next 3 mornings. The pictures are of the front of La Loma Luz and the view from the front. At least I know what to do if I get sick! Dinner is in about an hour and a half. I will have to ask someone to catch me up on the agricultural orientation.
Also interesting, Emma and I will be changing rooms tonight. I think I will take a picture of the room we are currently in and the room we move to and I will post them tonight or tomorrow.
Until next time,
♥Steph
Monday, June 28, 2010
Start of Week One
Today was the first real day of activities for the students, I took a small group of students in to town to show them important locations; the bank, post office and pharmacy. On the way back we took a walk through the local market. It was bright and full of produce. We also had a tour of Cahal Pech which was fun.Cahal Pech is a Maya site in San Ignacio, about 10 minutes from where we are staying. It was a great way to introduce the layout of Maya sites to the students. Dr. Jaime Awe gave the tour which was lucky for us because he has excavated the site for over 20 years now. He is highly respected and well known in the Maya world. I will be including pictures of both activities but I'm not sure how they will show up. You will have to guess which picture is which but it shouldn't be too hard!
The bugs have been biting but it isn't too bad. Tonight I came home to a giant jungle spider on the wall. Bleh. Killed him with my boot. Ahhh, Belize!
Tomorrow should be a fun day, there are different activities planned. Hopefully I will be able to take and post more pictures soon!
Goodnight for now,
♥ Steph
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Belize, Day 2
Greetings from Belize!
I got in yesterday around 3 Belize time. We were a little later than planned because of a thunderstorm that was sitting over the airport. There was talk of a possible diversion to Cancun because of the weather. Luckily we were able to circle for about 15 minutes and the lightning passed.The rain however did not. It was a bumpy landing and the passengers on the plane actually applauded after we landed.
The rain was like nothing I have ever seen before and it rained for over 24 hours nonstop. We were actually cold for a little bit. Luckily dad sent me with a rain jacket and it came in handy!
It is nice being back here with almost everyone from last year. It was great getting off the plane and seeing familiar faces and getting to the hotel and seeing more old friends. What I don't miss about Belize? The bugs, but they missed me! I have 5 bites already and that number will keep growing each day. But, what are you going to do? Only part of the adventure, right? Haha.
I was so tired last night, I slept so well. Now, we are watching the World Cup, Germany v England. Nothing like a little futbol in the morning! I'm hungry but we are all going to head to breakfast after the game.
Miss you guys! I'll post pictures once I take some.
♥Steph
I got in yesterday around 3 Belize time. We were a little later than planned because of a thunderstorm that was sitting over the airport. There was talk of a possible diversion to Cancun because of the weather. Luckily we were able to circle for about 15 minutes and the lightning passed.The rain however did not. It was a bumpy landing and the passengers on the plane actually applauded after we landed.
The rain was like nothing I have ever seen before and it rained for over 24 hours nonstop. We were actually cold for a little bit. Luckily dad sent me with a rain jacket and it came in handy!
It is nice being back here with almost everyone from last year. It was great getting off the plane and seeing familiar faces and getting to the hotel and seeing more old friends. What I don't miss about Belize? The bugs, but they missed me! I have 5 bites already and that number will keep growing each day. But, what are you going to do? Only part of the adventure, right? Haha.
I was so tired last night, I slept so well. Now, we are watching the World Cup, Germany v England. Nothing like a little futbol in the morning! I'm hungry but we are all going to head to breakfast after the game.
Miss you guys! I'll post pictures once I take some.
♥Steph
Friday, June 25, 2010
A Little Over 7 Hours to Go!
Everything is pretty much packed. I'm exhausted and anxious about flying. I thought I would be over that by now. On top of that the weather isn't cooperating in the Caribbean. There is a tropical depression that may cause flight delays over the next few days. Fingers crossed. Alright, time to finish everything up!
♥ Steph
p.s. check out this link for storm info http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/tropical-depression-one-storm-hurricane-alex-2010-_2010-06-23
♥ Steph
p.s. check out this link for storm info http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/tropical-depression-one-storm-hurricane-alex-2010-_2010-06-23
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
3 Days Out!
Hello everyone!
Currently, I am preparing to travel to the beautiful country of Belize. I leave bright and early Saturday morning which means that I need to be packed and ready by Friday. Ha! I still have laundry and a bit of shopping to do. This is my second trip to Belize in less than a year and I guess I know what to expect. Bugs, heat, humidity and great memories! My first trip was for an archaeological field school. This time I am returning as a junior staff member. I'm a little nervous since I will have more responsibilities, but it will be fun and a great experience. I plan on updating this blog as often as I can and uploading pictures when I get the chance.
♥ Steph
Currently, I am preparing to travel to the beautiful country of Belize. I leave bright and early Saturday morning which means that I need to be packed and ready by Friday. Ha! I still have laundry and a bit of shopping to do. This is my second trip to Belize in less than a year and I guess I know what to expect. Bugs, heat, humidity and great memories! My first trip was for an archaeological field school. This time I am returning as a junior staff member. I'm a little nervous since I will have more responsibilities, but it will be fun and a great experience. I plan on updating this blog as often as I can and uploading pictures when I get the chance.
♥ Steph
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