belize blog

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EcoTeam Belize Adventures Student Blog March 2011 Saturday March 19 th It was an early morning, waking up at three for our trip to Belize. We were all exhausted at the airport, but it didn’t show because of the excitement building inside of each of us. We would be leaving our thirty degree weather for the tropics, everything would be perfect. We met in front of ticketing and started our journey towards Belize. We made it through checking and security without any issues and anxiously awaited our departure for Miami, our connection to Belize City. Our group of eighteen boarded the plane with smiles and cheers as we said farewell to Minneapolis. Our flight was smooth, no problems, and we were even provided a movie, Unstoppable. We landed in Miami and worked our way to the next plane, the one taking us to Belize City.

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Page 1: Belize Blog

EcoTeam Belize Adventures Student Blog March 2011

Saturday March 19th

It was an early morning, waking up at three for our trip to Belize. We were

all exhausted at the airport, but it didn’t show because of the excitement

building inside of each of us. We would be leaving our thirty degree weather

for the tropics, everything would be perfect. We met in front of ticketing and

started our journey towards Belize. We made it through checking and

security without any issues and anxiously awaited our departure for Miami,

our connection to Belize City. Our group of eighteen boarded the plane with

smiles and cheers as we said farewell to Minneapolis. Our flight was smooth,

no problems, and we were even provided a movie, Unstoppable. We landed in

Miami and worked our way to the next plane, the one taking us to Belize City.

Page 2: Belize Blog

Once on the plane, the anxiety grew even more. It was a clear and sunny day

in Belize. As we flew over the coast, we looked down and gazed upon the

turquoise waters and bright green scenery. It was almost a different world,

seeing most of the landscape untouched by human hands. Once in Belize, we

stepped off the plane onto the asphalt runway, where we were engulfed by

heat. We went through customs and awaited the arrival of the bus that would

take us to the Tropical Education Center, our first Belizean destination. We

were greeted by an old, brightly colored school bus. Minor, the driver, threw

our bags into the back and quickly got us on our way. Driving through Belize,

we experienced an entirely different culture. We arrived at the secluded

Tropical Education Center by a bumpy gravel road. Tropical trees and

wildlife surrounded our rustic housing. We began our vacation with an

adventurous hike through the rainforest. Along our trail we encountered

species such as the Gumbolimbo, Devil’s Gut Cactus, St. John’s Wart, and

Basket Tie-Tie. The landscape was reminiscent of scenes from the movie

Jurassic Park. After our hike on the Long Trail, we cleaned up for our first

Belizean dinner. The cooks presented us with chicken, rice and beans, potato

salad, honey rolls, and freshly squeezed pineapple juice. The home cooked meal

left us all satisfied and ready for our next adventure. John, the manager of the

Tropical Education Center, provided us with a private night tour of the Belize

City Zoo. We geared up in our long pants, bandanas, and headlamps. As we

strolled into the zoo, we were welcomed by what we thought was a vicious boa

constrictor. We soon found that the snake, Toni, was as gentle as any

household pet. We then took turns holding Toni on our shoulders. We

continued our tour, observing native Belizean animals, and even got to see

our guide feeding the nocturnal cats, such as the jaguar and puma. The

jaguar was raised in captivity and was gentle enough for us to pet. We

completed our zoo trip by feeding a tapir and listening to the shrieks of the

black howler monkeys. After our long day of travel and adventure, we called

it a night and retired to our bunk beds.

Written by: Kelsey Johnson and Madeline Ernst

Page 3: Belize Blog

Sunday, March 20th

Our first full day of our Belizean educational adventure began with sound of

rain on the tin roofs of our cabins in the early hours of the morning. Our

Page 4: Belize Blog

bucolic lodgings were reminded us of summer camps we’ve experienced in

Minnesota but uniquely Belizean with the serenades of tropical birds and

palm fronds. We enjoyed our breakfast of eggs and rice with touches of the

local hot sauce, Marie Sharps. Shortly thereafter we loaded a colorful bus and

departed for the town of Dangriga. Upon our arrival in Dangrigra we were

greeted by two boats which sped us forty five minutes out to Southwater Caye.

This amazing tropical island is located on the second largest coral reef in the

world. After lunch we took advantage of our wonderful location and went

snorkeling. Our first snorkeling experience was amongst a rubble zone where

we saw tang, grunts, spotted-eagle rays, needle fish, channel crab, clinging

crab, an octopus, sea cucumbers, lion fish, and many other organisms we have

yet to identify. Later that evening we met together in the classroom and

discussed the Belizean culture. Our experiences thus far have revealed to us

numerous differences between our ways of life and those we have witnessed

here. We discussed the topics of social structure, values, and economic

situations. Our discussion progressed as darkness engulfed the island and soon

the light of the full moon drew us out of the classroom. We ventured down to

dock with our flashlights and headlamps and scavenged for marine life. We

spotted a southern stingray and a yellow-spotted sting ray gliding through the

moonlit water. The beauty of the night enticed us to the other side of the island

where we rested in the sand and enjoyed the moonlight. As our day drew to

an end we departed to our cabins and fell asleep to the sound of the surf on the

reef.

Written by: Claire Clark

Page 5: Belize Blog

Monday March 21st

We woke up this morning to the island breeze drifting through the slats in our

windows. A couple of kids got up early to see the colors of the ocean change

with the rising of the sun. Walking to our rooms, we could smell the Fry Jack

bread through the kitchen window. After breakfast, we went to get ready for

our morning snorkel in the rubble zone. The current was very strong, but we

saw rays and worked on our snorkeling technique before going into the big

reef. After lunch, we learned how to crack open coconuts. Palm trees grow all

over the island and an abundance of coconuts grow, and fall, off the trees. We

all took armfuls of coconuts to clean up and eat. Ms. Korby even found a

wheelbarrow to cart away old coconuts. Although the people living on the

island use a machete to cut the coconuts open, we used a pick-ax contraption

to open the husk, and a pencil-sharpening like grater to scrape off the meat

from inside the coconut. Unlike the fruits in Minnesota, coconuts of different

ripeness mean different taste or use. Green coconuts that are fresh off the tree

are used for their water. The brown coconuts that have fallen on the ground

are best for their meat, and still have some water in them. After filling up on

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coconut, we went for a kayak around the island. Low tide prevented us from

going all the way around, but we did stop by the island forming from the

coral. The mini island is uninhabited, but an osprey does use the island as a

rest-stop. The other interesting birds include the pelicans. We had a pelican-

student stare-off on the dock. We were all shocked when the pelican dove right

under the dock to catch a fish. After our island adventures, we went for our

first real snorkel. Since the Carrie-bow caye site already had visitors, we went

further down the caye to the Curlew caye patch reef. We jumped into the surf

and saw a whole different world under the sea. It was amazing how much the

water was connected. All the corals and fish move with the tide and blend

together. Some highlight creatures were barracudas and squid. When we got

back, we showered in the rain-water reserve showers and went to the kitchen

to help the ladies cook dinner. Their good spirits and joy was almost tangible

in the air. We helped make dough for bread and fried shrimp. The girls are so

quick and make kneading bread look so easy. We tried and tried but only

succeeded in smushing the dough. Although the dough didn’t go so well, we all

laughed and they helped fix the dough so it was edible. After dinner we

learned our topic of the night: Glow worms. Every month, three days after a

full moon, the glow worms come out of the sand to mate. The rice-sized female

worms swim to the top of the water and, after a blinking ceremony, lay their

luminescent eggs along the water. When they go to the top, they spiral and lay

their eggs. Similar to lightning bugs in Minnesota, the worms communicate

with blinking. After a while, the blinking died down, and the worms will wait

until the next full moon. Tonight, we will all sit on the dock and play cards

and reminisce on the day.

Written by: Megan Lundquist

Page 7: Belize Blog

Tuesday March 22nd

The night passed with the gentle pattering of rain climaxing to drum rolls

upon our roof as it shifted from drizzle to downpour. As students who

normally enjoy late mornings, the alluring sunrise easily persuaded us to

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leave our beds and venture outdoors at an early hour. The 5:45am breeze

found us at the volleyball court auditioning for positions in the upcoming

volleyball duel against other student guests of the island. After jockeying for

positions on the court, we refueled with a delicious breakfast of toast, eggs,

sausage (for the meat eaters), and fresh bananas. All foods I have eaten at

home, yet never with such delicious satisfaction. The laughing of the

wonderful cooks (overloaded with over sixty people to feed) beckoned from the

kitchen. After breakfast we learned about coral in the classroom in

preparation for our upcoming snorkels. The morning snorkel took place right

off the dock as we discovered the smaller creatures of the sea. We found sea

stars, sea horses, and arrow crabs galore. We were given the opportunity to

hold the arrow crabs whose spindly legs seemed out of this world.

Again I was reminded of another world as we scaled through mangroves after

our morning snorkel. The Avatar world seemed to come to life in these trees

that appear as if they are spiders emerging from the depths of the sea. It was

our trip to the Smithsonian Research Center at Carrie Bow Caye that taught

us some alarming information, once these magnificent trees are cut down

there is no getting them back. Scientists still have not discovered a method of

replanting these trees. Yet these trees play a fundamental role on keeping

sediment from drifting out to sea, both maintaining the size and shape of an

island. As members of an EcoTeam at our high school we comprehend the

necessity of conserving our resources, yet our trip to the mangroves and the

Smithsonian Research Center proved the delicate balance of our planet and

her beauty.

There is no better place to observe our planet’s true beauty than in the midst

of the sea. An afternoon fishing adventure provided us with a chance to

spend some quality time on the ocean. Juni, the incredible boat driver and

past fisherman, took us to a mangrove island where he searched for schools of

sardines off the shore. He masterfully threw his net from the boat snagging a

large group of sardines, all the while steering the ship with his foot. With a

bucket full of sardines we headed to the patch reef for some fishing. Fishing

lines attached to pop bottles served as our methods of catching fish. Juni

taught us the best way to hook our bait and cast our lines. Being a person

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lacking any skill in the fishing industry, my immediate capture of a fish

proved Juni’s mastery. Hours flew by on Juni’s boat as we fished and laughed.

When we were wrapping up our adventure Juni picked up the extra sardines

and waved them above his head calling forth the magnificent frigate bird.

The frigates flew at top speeds and Juni launched the sardines into the air.

Some frigates caught the fish but many fell back to sea as the birds were too

busy fighting one another to realize they were losing their meal. Frigates

attacked one another’s wings and the sardines escaped, proving the message

that fighting gets you nowhere. We returned from fishing with a boat full of

fish (more or less) and a belly full of laughter.

This laughter carried over into excited (and a little nervous) laughter as we

walked to Pelican Beach to indulge in a night snorkel. With waterproof

headlamps in hand we swam from the shore and were met with an entirely

different world under the sea. The normally bright ocean seemed almost eerie

in the dark of the night. We swam past eels, octopuses, adorable puffer fish,

crabs, octopus, lobsters, sea cucumbers, and various other tropical fish. With a

new understanding of the diversity of the ocean we ran back to our lodging to

avoid the bite of the night air. We then headed over to dinner were the

tremendous women had waited with salads, chicken, zucchini, potatoes, and

chocolate cake for us. After dinner we helped with dishes, and then Mac, one

of the site managers, taught us a lesson in Creole, his native language. With a

head full of new found knowledge our tired bodies headed off to bed.

Written by: Alexandra Angelo

Page 10: Belize Blog

Wednesday March 23rd

The day started early in the morning for those who were going to go out

fishing. Those who were going to fish had to first catch their bait. Juni, the

master fisherman and boat captain, took us out to net our elusive live bait, the

sardine. For our guide, however, it seemed easy to spot the silvery little fish

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under the surface of the glaring waves, and with a half hour and his trusty

net he had provided us with a couple dozen of the morsels. Soon after catching

our bait, we went out to do some Belizean style fishing, using a fishing line

wrapped around a plastic bottle. We cut the sardines in half and hooked them

onto our lines. We then cast our lines simply by dropping our hooks over the

edge of the boat and letting them sink down and hover just above the sandy

bottom. As soon as we felt a nibble, we jerked up quickly on our lines to set the

hook, and hoped when we reeled in our lines that there was a nice sized fish on

the other end, or at the very least the fish hadn’t stolen our sardines.

Sometimes we were lucky, but usually we weren’t. Most of our bait became

fish food, while Juni seemed to be catching all of the fish for us. The fish that

seemed to be over one pound we kept to cook, but the ones that were too little

were still put to use: a large flock of frigates loomed hungrily overhead. These

large, gliding birds resemble a cross between a seagull and a swallow, and rely

on stealing other predators catches to survive. We took our smaller fish and,

after getting the attention of the birds, flung them up into the air into their

waiting mouths. Most of the fish that we caught were grunts, red snappers,

and yellow snappers. Occasionally, someone would catch a grouper.

Soon the sun rose high into the sky, and we headed back to the island to eat

breakfast. We had fry jacks, scrambled eggs, orange juice, and bananas.

After breakfast, we all climbed into the boat again to go snorkeling at Tobacco

Caye. While preparing to flop into the water, we all spit into our goggles and

smeared the saliva around to prevent the goggles from fogging up. Then we

carefully slid overboard into the frigid sea. We swam around for maybe an

hour, looking at the various tropical fish and coral formations. The fish that

we saw included great barracudas, tarpons, lion fishes, various angelfishes, a

Belize-exclusive drum fish, and a menagerie of other tropical fish, among

which were a multitude of different rays. After drifting around the reef, we

climbed up a ladder back into the boat and went back to our temporary home.

At this point, it was lunchtime. Our lunch consisted of coconut shrimp soup,

freshly-baked rolls, watermelon, and banana bread. Finally, we had time for

a short break, in which many of rested. After our naps, it was time for our

final snorkel of our trip at Whale’s Shoal. Juni took us out again, and for the

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last time we prepared to jump into the water. Many of the fish we had seen at

Tobacco Caye were present here as well, but now in a more captivating

environment. Arches and pillars and other amazing coral rock formations

dotted the seascape, with the vivid colors of the coral bringing life to the scene.

Fish grouped together in the little nooks and crannies the coral provided,

peering out at their alien visitors with a mix of fear and interest. A nurse

shark added even more zest and excitement to this expedition, and cameras

clicked the whole time. Soon the sun had begun to set, however, and we all

decided that some dinner would be great. Juni expertly navigated our return

journey, squeezing through narrow island trenches and appearing to know the

whole sea like the back of his hand. Before long we found ourselves back at

base.

The fish that we and our fellow EcoTeamers had caught during our stay had

not been going to waste, we found, as we walked into the dining room to the

smell of frying fish. These made up our dinner, as well as white rice with

stewed beans, coleslaw, and a sweet coconut bar for desert. We then worked

our way over to the classroom, where we briefly covered the activities we

were planning for the next day, and then had a little bit of fun. Everyone was

sent out across IZE’s plot of Southwater Caye, on a mission to find the fastest

looking hermit crab we could. These were gathered into a bucket, which was

turned upside down with the crabs trapped beneath. We drew a large circle

around the bucket which would serve as a “finish line”, as we were to use these

crabs to race. After three rounds of releasing the crabs and watching them

scuttle, squabble and hide, Claire Clark and her little buddy “Hermie” claimed

victory. We then released our feisty derby crabs back into the wild, and our

scheduled day was over. A few of us went out to gaze at stars, a handful

crawled off to bed, and two of us stayed in the classroom to tell about the day.

Written by: Cedrik Krouch and Greg Skudlarek

Page 13: Belize Blog

Thursday, March 24th

The sun rose and the birds screeched as William, Katie, Connor, Jill,

LeAnn, and I woke up at 5:00 A.M. to finally take our turn fishing. Once we

had our water bottles filled and our sunscreen smeared on, we scrambled into

the boat and headed out to sea. There was a cool breeze, a calm sea, and all

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you could hear was the hum of the motor until we got to the fishing spot that

Juni liked. I wondered where the fishing poles were until I saw Juni handing

us plastic soda bottles with thirty feet of fishing line wrapped around with a

big hook for the chopped up sardine chunks that he gave to us as bait. The

fishing was off to a quick and great start. I caught the first two fish which

were both Porgies, one was half a pound, while my second and last catch of

that morning was an amazing two pounds (it might not seem a lot, but it was

the biggest fish I have ever caught)! Connor and Katie had the most amazing

fishing experience out of all of us. Connor caught a stingray, while Katie

caught a Parrot fish! Not even the master fisherman, Juni, ever caught a

Parrot fish before! Our chaperones, Jill, and LeAnn, caught a Grunt and a

snapper. Katie caught the most (not counting Juni) out of all of us; three fish!

The coolest one she caught was a Red Hind Grouper. William on the other

hand was catching half the sea, not fish by the way. He caught an assortment

of coral and seaweed. After the fish stopped biting the bait, we headed back to

the island and ate breakfast. After we ate, we slowly packed our bags so we

could savor our last sights of paradise that we had called home for the past

four nights. As we loaded our luggage onto the boat, our group secretly held a

vote that the Emory’s should ride on the luggage boat, named the “Oceanic”.

There was enough room for the triplets and the driver. Charles and I sat on a

wooden plank while William got to sit with the luggage. Our boat master was

Captain Doggy. He was an amazing person to talk to. He told us his fishing

tales as he steered the boat with expertise. My favorite story of his was when

he told us how he caught a fourteen foot, five hundred pound Hammer Head

Shark with a net. I thought my fish I caught was big! He also let all three of us

steer the boat. He taught us how to ride between the waves and not through

them. The most exciting part was when we saw Juni’s boat with the rest of the

group, stopped. Captain Doggy, my brothers and I were wondering why the

boat was stopped until we saw the dorsal fins of dolphins just barely sticking

out of the water! I never thought I would get the chance to see dolphins. It was

an amazing sight! Once we docked, my brothers and I thanked Captain Doggy

for the boat ride and Fishing Tales. The group then packed the bags into the

two vans waiting to take us to Caves Branch. On the way there, we stopped by

a citrus farm, and then a Belize Super Market. This was their biggest grocery

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store in the area we were in and it was about the size of our Village Market.

For example, there were only two rows for snacks, and half a row for hot

sauce. Next was the bathroom. I walked in and in there was a cement floor, a

sink, and a molded piece of tile with footholds and a hole with a radius of six

inches in the ground, to do your business in. After we left the grocery store, It

hit me hard right there how spoiled people can be In the United States, with

all the choices that we have. In Belize, people barely have enough money for

the basic necessities, and the little wooden shacks with tin roofs are proof

enough. But, what fascinated me the most was that it didn’t bother them. All

that mattered was that they had each other. Their sense of community gives

them hope and perseverance through hurricanes, poverty, and the willingness

to survive. I think as Americans, we have somewhat lost our sense of

community. We should start caring about the ones around us just as much as

we care about the ones in our homes.

Once we left the grocery store, it was about an hour drive to caves

branch. Our first impressions of cave branch were we thought we were going

to be staying in these wooden dorms with a couple bunk beds and a bathroom

for everyone to share, just like at IZE. Then we found out from Cara that we

got UPGRADED! The South Carolina kids got the student dorm which I

described in the previous sentence of what it looks like. Instead we got these

lavish Cabanas that could hold three students each. We got a fan, white sheets

with a mattress, our own bathroom, water dispenser, and a marvelous view of

the Rainforest with the river right below us. We got our own showers with

warm water, and a swimming pool outside with a bar and a view of the

rainforest. We were in paradise! The food was served in a buffet, with three

courses per meal! This was more food than we have seen these past five day!

After we got over the shell shock, it was time for the tour of the Orchid House.

This was a garden dedicated to the different species of plants in Belize. It was

full of the most beautiful plants, poisonous plants, peanut plants, pineapple,

and the national flower the Black Orchid. After the tour, it was time for

lunch! For lunch we ate rice, beans, chicken, and yes, for the mothers reading,

we did have a full serving of fruit. Dinner was the biggest meal yet. We got

served three courses: first course which was a Conch Soup with an assortment

of bread, fruit, and salad. Second Course which was ham, turkey, chicken,

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mashed potatoes with gravy, and broccoli with melted cheese. Third course

was dessert which consisted of white and chocolate cake, and a bread pudding.

After dinner was done we went to the chaperones cabana to have our end of

the day chat, ending with a game of Phase 10. I fell asleep to the screeching of

birds, the howling of the monkeys, and the satisfaction of just being able to

sleep in the Rainforest.

Written by: Chris Emory

Page 17: Belize Blog

Friday, March 25th

I woke up at 6:45 without an alarm. It’s funny what being in the rainforest does to your sleep cycle. Waking up early was never something I would do in the states unless I had to, yet here I was, up forty-five minutes before I needed to be. Breakfast was served buffet-style, with a vast amount of food to choose from. I decided to enjoy my morning with a breakfast burrito, piling ham, cheese, and beans onto a tortilla. At 8:45 we drove down to the school we had brought supplies for. School supplies are very expensive in Belize and as a result any help the US can offer is very much appreciated. We dropped off our school supplies and after a brief meeting with the principal we went into the classrooms to observe what the kids were learning. I was partnered with Greg and we went into the classroom of 12-16 year olds. After introducing ourselves they explained they were on a “fun” unit, learning how to do origami. I knew very little origami but Greg remembered much more. He amazed the kids with his paper-folding skills and got them to open up to us. Before long we were off again, taking the bus to observe some ancient Mayan ruins. Our guides explained to us the function of the various buildings left standing. After the historical briefing we headed off towards the furthest and tallest building, the ancient Mayan sacrificial temple. The temple was quite a sight to behold. With over one hundred stairs to the top and standing easily one hundred feet tall it was quite a feat of Mayan architecture. Once we were at the top we took many pictures, my favorite being Chris and I holding down Charles with a knife, a mock sacrifice to the Mayan gods. After pictures we simply just enjoyed the view, being able to see for miles around in every direction. After a rather long climb down we wandered the nearby town, buying souvenirs for home. Our bus headed back to the Caves Branch Resort and we enjoyed another fantastic three course dinner, the meal extending on into the night. . Our adventure was not over yet, after dinner it was time to make our trek into the deep and dark rain forest for an exciting night hike. As we waited by the bridge to the pool, we were suddenly greeted by our tour guide, Ching. At first, I was not sure what I was getting myself into; Ching had showed up wearing thick, long, blue pants tucked into his ZR-8 S.W.A.T tactical boots, and not to mention carrying a three foot machete. If you’re like me, you would be thinking that this is awesome because where else could go on a hike that could potentially be life-threatening! I was very excited to start the night hike. Being very prepared, Ching issued out to all of us a High Power 3 Watt CREE LED 120 Lumen AA Headlamp, the best for this kind of adventure. We followed Ching and his partner in a single file line onto the

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alternative path into the rainforest; the previous one had been hit hard by the hurricane. The path we were on was only big enough for one person to walk through, hence the single file line, making us a prime target for the hungry jaguars that lurked the shadows of the forest. For a while, we did not encounter anything particularly interesting; then out of nowhere, Ching stops all of us to point out something crawling in the shadows of the tree. I (Charles) wasn’t able to see it at first until I got underneath the tree. Way up there was a little Kinkajou, a nocturnal, arboreal relative of raccoon with light brown fur. We also found a handful of scorpions using Cara’s black light. It was really cool because under a black light, scorpions glow purple! We came across many spiders too, the biggest one being a wolf spider! The trees around us were huge, it was nothing I had ever seen before. They were all green and lush; most bases of the trees were triangle shaped. How cool is that! The trail went on for a good mile or so before we broke through the salvage and we were back at the resort again. As we thanked Ching and were on our way to bed, Ching came sprinting back telling us he had found a baby Fer-de-lance snake on the path! It was a very beautiful snake to look at, but not to touch. This snake is the most poisonous in Belize and so Ching got him quickly off the path. After such an exciting adventure that evening, we returned exhausted to our beds.

Written: William Emory and Charles Emory

Page 19: Belize Blog

Saturday, March 26th

Excitement was in the air when everyone awoke in the rainforest to

begin the final day of our tropical adventure. Breakfast was served! We all

enjoyed the buffet, eating as much as we pleased. Connor and I had cereal,

pancakes, eggs, beans, and massive amounts of juicy, fresh fruit. From

breakfast, we loaded into the “jungle limo”, which took us to the mysterious

orange groves. It was a treacherous ride – driving through rocks and even a

river! We finally arrived at our destination, unloaded our bus and all grabbed

a tube. We attempted to hoola-hoop with the tubes, but our attempts were

futile. We then proceeded toward the cave with tubes in hand, following our

guides, Ching, Carlos, and Wilmer. We sunk into our tubes in the chilly water

of the river, leading into the mouth of the cave. Once we arrived at the

entrance of the cave, our guide pointed out a six foot long Ferdilance snake,

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the most poisonous snake in Belize. Next, Ching explained what we would be

encountering in the cave, and he explained Mayan history and its connection

with the cave we were visiting. We learned that caves were thought to be the

entrance to the Underworld, and therefore, caves were used mostly for

ceremonial purposes associated with the Mayan culture. Right before we

entered the cave, we spotted a group of Fishing Spiders, which were gigantic

and a little scary to some EcoTeamers, like Katie. we finally proceeded into

the deep abyss of the cave. We spotted Fruit Bats and their “bat guana”

aka…poop. We learned that the acidity of the “guana” was so POWERFUL

that it burned holes into the walls of the cave. “Wow!” exclaimed Connor, his

jaw dropping to the bottom of the the river, which we floated along. We

eventually washed up on the riverbed so we could explore further where the

river didn’t flow. In order to reach these spots, we had to do some super

INTENSE rock climbing. We first encountered a chamber, called the “Titty

Chamber”, named for the shapes of the stalactites. We also viewed some

original Mayan pottery that had been left in the cave for centuries. During

our climbing excursion, Connor had an encounter with a stalactite. We

discovered that if you hit a stalactite hard enough with your head, the sound

will resonate throughout an entire cave. Lunchtime approached quickly. We

had no idea what the guides has in store for us, but we soon found out that

they had packed us a delicious picnic lunch, to be eaten in the cave. It was a

delicious meal and a once in a lifetime meal for us, but not for Ching, who told

us that he has eaten that same meal everyday for the past eleven years. After

lunch, Ching had a special surprise for us! We trekked through the cave up a

wall and into a chamber, where we were instructed to turn off our headlamps.

We sat in the pitch black darkness of the cave until Ching shone his flashlight

on an ancient Mayan carving. Connor thought it was a monkey, but it

obviously wasn’t…who would make the fertility god a monkey? There was also

a natural formation in the cave, that, when lit up, interpreted the

reproduction process on the wall of the cave. After viewing the different

chambers of the cave, we headed back to the bright outside world. We paddled

along, thinking we were finished with our tour, but little did we know, Ching

had yet another surprise in store for us. We parked our tubes on the riverbed

and climbed to the top of a 20 foot cliff. We looked down to see the river that

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seemed miles away. We were unaware what was about to happen, until Ching

told us to “JUMP!” We were surprised but excited to jump off a cliff in a

rainforest. We leaped off the cliff to the raging waters below us. Everyone,

except Connor, who did a bellyflop, had a safe fall. Soaking wet and happy, we

plucked oranges from the groves around us, and boarded the bus once again.

When we arrived back at Caves Branch, Mr. Chan was there to greet us and

tell us about the composting system and some of the plants in the rainforest

and their uses. We learned that food scraps from the kitchen are put into large

wooden boxed and decomposed to make fertile soil. Animal poop is also used to

aid in the composting process. Mr. Chan showed us some of the plant and trees

and in the rainforest. We learned about medicinal remedies and how plants

can help humans, if we know how to use them correctly. For example, a tree

nicknamed the “Tourist Tree” is used to relieve dehydration. We had some free

time after this, so some of us packed up for our journey back home the next

day, but the cool kids hung out poolside. We then gathered in the dining hall,

where we enjoyed another gigantic feast at Caves Branch. Filled with three

courses, our dinner started with salad and soup, then going into the main

course with different meats and fruits, and finally ending with delicious cakes

and pies. After gaining a few pounds from the feast, the waiters gave us some

fun challenges to accomplish. They had tricks with toothpicks and nails

balanced on top of each other. After finally completing all of the rigorous

challenges, with a few hints of course, we gather in a circle for recollection. We

went around sharing our favorite moments, things learned, and first times

throughout the trip. The whole team enjoyed laughs and good memories. We

then took out headlamps and walked back to our cabins, watching out for

snakes and other creatures throughout the night. Upon arrival to their cabin,

the ladies experienced some bug catastrophes. Some cockroaches had entered

their room sometime throughout the day, scaring them out of their socks,

literally. After some help from the guys, the ladies eliminated all cockroach

threats and readied for bed. Everyone drifted off to sleep to get enough rest for

the long plane rides following the next day.

Written by: Katie Hamerlinck and Connor Venteicher

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Sunday, March 28th

We awoke early on our day of departure to finish packing our substantially fuller suitcases and to enjoy the little time we had left in the tropical rainforest. The Cave’s Branch staff once again spoiled us with a delicious breakfast and soon after we boarded two vans destined for the airport in Belize City. Our drive to the airport was a bittersweet experience. The thoughts seeing our families and laying in our own beds helped ease the sadness of leaving such an amazing place where so many experiences were had and memories were made. We worked together to unload our gear before thanking our drivers and entering the small but sufficient Belize City Airport. As we waited in line we jokingly wished that our plane would be cancelled and we could have further time for more adventures in Belize. Little did we know we would soon have a new appreciation for the phrase: “Careful for what you wish for”.

Our chaperones ushered us over to the side and went to the ticketing counter. We attempted to watch the dialogue between the attendants and the chaperones with mild curiosity as we began to sense that something was a rye. We eagerly awaited an update and gave the chaperones our full attention

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when they approached us. Ms. Rieckenberg then informed us that we would likely not be returning back to Minnesota until Tuesday due to a fuel explosion at the Miami airport. The positive spirit of our group shone as we cheered upon hearing that our trip was to be extended. We settled into the airport as Ms. Rieckenberg went to work making arrangement for our group with the help of her extensive Belizean contacts and the other chaperones. After awhile a van arrived which whisked us a short distance to “The Global Village”, a hotel which was to serve as our location for the night. After the chaperones determined the hotel to be safe and sanitary we went to our rooms where we found, much to our surprise, televisions. This reintroduction to the conveniences of our modern world allowed us to contact our parents and inform them of our extended stay. After a quick run to the neighboring grocery store we met in one of our rooms and put together an ample picnic as we optimistically discussed our situation. In Ms. Rieckenberg’s fourteen years of experiencing Belize with various school groups she had not experienced a situation like this, but she handled the stress like a seasoned professional and ensured high group moral. The remainder of the evening included a sufficient dinner, games, movies, and numerous jokes about our predicament. As the night wound down we drifted off to sleep, once again in the company of each other, anticipating the following two day’s journey back to Minnesota.

Written by: Claire Clark