One Month in Belize

Independence Day and our Anniversary!

There is the theme for this years Independence Day...and yes apparently it is always that long.

So as many of you know September 22 is Belize's Independence day (this being only their 28th year as an independent nation) this is super exciting because the following day was our anniversary! We were very excited because for the first time ever the national parade was to be held in Belmopan instead of Belize City! The parade was supposed to start at 10:30. We got there at 12 and it didn't start until 1:30:) It was pretty cool for the first hour...due to the rain. We were all starving (thinking that we would be home around 1:00) so when the icy man came by we, and everyone else, quickly jumped up to get one. He put 7 squirts in each cup...oh the delicious sugar and ICE! The parade was awesome and probably the best one I've seen in person. There was rampant drinking in both the parade and the audience and even the drivers were passing around bottles of 5 barrel (the cheap, popular rum here in Belize)! All the different ministries each had their own float with the Ministry of health having a whole stretcher and incubator with a person painted with fake blood and a doll wrapped in bandages! It was a great time even though it got quite hot. So hot that when I looked down to see what kept dripping on my toe I discovered it was my elbow sweat from holding my umbrella. Umbrellas in Belize are used more for sun than for rain. Bryan spent a good deal of the parade on Greg's shoulders and was a squirmy 6 year old through and through.

Alyssa and I dressed as twins!

Their newest 'lee chicken' and Kevin in the tree

Telling Kaylyssa all the good gossip.

2 YEARS!

So it is crazy thinking how insane these past two years have been. We have been through a lot together and I never could have guessed we would be spending the majority of our first years of marriage in another country. To celebrate we decided to go to an american style resturaunt. It sold wine, had wifi, air conditioning, and american magazines! We treated ourselves to lovely salads (Greek for me with huge slices of real parm on top, Grilled fruit salad for greg with actual pear from back home and grilled pineapple and apple with...get this....blue cheese!!!). While we were waiting for the meal we each wrote in our anniversary cards we found at this magical store with real school supplies and cards, sealed them, and then exchanged cards. It was just so nice to hang out alone together...in air conditioning. We slowly sipped our lime juice and just soaked it all up, talking about our crazy life and trying not to talk about the presentations we were each giving the next day. After dinner we luxuriously walked through the american style grocery store. We excitedly pointed out all the products we hadn't seen in two years and stood for a good while in front of the candy selecting one each as a desert. We ended the night with a walk back to our village in the cool evening munching on our candies. It was a wonderful anniversary.

Right before dinner...our cards on the wall

Just like two years ago...

Blue Hole

Saturday we went to the Blue Hole National Park. It was a rainy day and we had a 2 hour delay in leaving. It was kind of cool and I would have like to stay in and color in our nest all day with the kids. I also wanted to stay with Alyssa because she had a bad fever earlier in the week. There was a 'fever' sweeping Belize and they even closed Caye Cauker due to so many kids and adults coming down with the fever. Alyssa had a fever of 103 at one point! Every time the tylenol would wear off it would spike back up. Poor thing she even tried to clean up after dinner and sweep and we had to yell at her to go lay down! She went to the 'hospital' which is anything with a doctor or nurse and waited for 4 hours only for the doctor to just leave. Her principal was sitting next to her in the waiting room. After 45 minutes he decided to go see a private doctor (the advantage of money). No one could say when or if the doctor would return. Finally the next day she was able to see a nurse and they gave her a shot of a fever reducer and she's been better. So we got to spend a few more hours hanging out as the rain cleared up then we went out to the park!

Coloring in the nest at 8:30

At Amy's house...this is the tortilla shop and that is little Jose in the doorway.

So that's why they call it the Blue Hole

Greg was the first one in, there were some large fish that made people a little sluggish.

The education gang (plus clifton) and some ants on a log.

THE CAVE

When we were swimming the mosquitoes killed our faces!

The mosquitoes were pretty intense, like a million times worse when we went to the Blue Hole (due to the water). I had on my secret weapon, the small bottle of super deet (20%) and they were STILL biting us. The tour guide was young and was telling us war stories of bot flies (which they call beef worms here). He told us of how he and another tour guide had a competition to see who could get the most... he had 32 but his friend won with 40 something!

When we got home we played our new favorite game....poker. The kids are getting better and Greg just had a huge accomplishment...Bryan actually folded! They all like poker so much that we even bought poker chips at this magical store in Belmopan! Along with a huge 3 foot flag which now hangs gloriously in our room.

Taxi Madness:

On a final note I must tell you our ridiculous taxi experience. So we stayed late at the office and as we got ready Greg called the cab. So after Greg hangs up he turns to us and says, "I don't really know if he said he was available or not." We all stare at him...,"what? How do you not know that?" So after much deliberation we decide to just wait a while and see if he shows up. After 15 minutes we decide that he probably said he was not available. We call another guy. He answers and Greg says we need a pickup from peace corps office and then there is a pause and the guy waits for a while and then hangs up. We are all confused, maybe it was bad reception, call him back...same thing, he answers lets us say the whole speel and then hangs up. This is getting weird and by now we are a little concerned (there are only like 4 taxi drivers). Then a current volunteer says that she used that guy as her main man but she 'stood him up' last week so perhaps he is taking it out on all volunteers (yes in Belize you can stand up your taxi driver). Side note: you also call your taxi driver early in the day and let them know that you'll be needing them later. So Greg is getting sick of calling so Amy volunteers and gets a hold of another driver and we wait, we wait, and we wait. Then we discuss how it was weird how he wanted to know where in our village to be dropped off. Wait did he think we were in our village trying to get to the office? We wait some more then after another debate we have Amy call him back. Guess what, he is waiting in our village and he said he would come here but it would be 10 dollars (which is ridiculous) so we say that we'll find another cab and he hangs up on Amy. So that's it, we've called all the taxi drivers there are....so we start to walk. We get two blocks and a small taxi car passes us (I must add that the only thing that differentiate a taxi from any other vehicle is a green licence plate). We flag him down and we squeeze in. He tries to charge us 10 and Greg says, "10!!" and I chime in with, "look here's 7, we've never paid more than that" and he agrees and we've made it.