Belize Navidad

December has been busy!We visited the Spice Farm and took a tour to see what all of my favorite spices look like while growing.

We loved eating cinnamon leaves so much that we bought a cinnamon tree addition to our family! His name is Leif.

The kids finished up with school and came out on an overnight clinic with me.

San Vicente

Arts and crafts came in handy when one of our patients had difficulty keeping track of her medications. Deirdre and a visiting physician made this pill box out of tongue depressors.

The kids were great sports and went swimming in the jungle river with me after dark. The stars are amazing out on the Guatemalan border and floating in the river you can look up and see jungle trees with an explosion of stars in between. It is magical.
We slept on the floor of the clinic in Jalacte underneath mosquito nets.

The next day, they made turkey gloves which served to amuse some of our smaller clients.

 Then, for our last weekend, we sailed with the Finneys and other friends back to the abandoned resort for some snorkeling and island fun. Deirdre and Brennan were a little freaked out by the sting rays and barracudas. We got to see spotted eagle rays, too!

 Then we sailed out further to West Snake Caye.

It was a beautiful send off.
We traveled on Tuesday and came back to the states. The kiddos are enjoying Christmas with their dad and I am enjoying time with my sister before heading out to Uganda in a couple of days. No internet there, so I will update when I return!
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Run for the border...and beyond

A couple weekends ago, we took a much needed weekend away. We were late leaving on Friday evening and made it as far as the border town of San Ignacio. We stayed at Casa Blanca (no joke)

We had a lovely breakfast the next morning before heading to the border and on to the lovely Island of Flores in Guatemala. We left vehicles at the border and hopped in a large van with the Kelly family.

As we were nearing the causeway that goes out onto the island, I spotted a very unfamiliar sight to us - Pizza Hut. I told everyone to look out the window and I think every kid gasped and said"Oh my gosh! Pizza Hut!!" It was funny. The Peten region of Guatemala is considered to be one of the most remote yet is seemed very metropolitan as compared to Punta Gorda! We stayed at a lovely hotel...complete with swimming pool.

Flores was just an adorable little place to stay.

The next morning, we woke early and took off for Tikal, one of the larger Mayan ruins sites. We enjoyed walking through the jungle

Climbing temples

Jaguar Temple is in the background

Lord Chocolate!

And taking in the wonder of Tikal

View from Temple IV

We then went back to Flores for a lovely evening and returned the next day to Belize.

We decided to take a hand-cranked ferry to Spanish Lookout...

the Ohio of Belize

And then returned home.
Being the history nerd that I am, it is actually physically painful to not talk about these places in a bit more detail, but alas time is short. I am finishing up the courses that I am taking toward my MPH this semester and prepping for both the Community Health Worker training that I am doing this week on the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses and the Public Health Nursing course I will teach in Uganda in a few weeks. Busy! I am enjoying all of the things I am involved in, though!

Gratitude

I am lucky enough to see the sunrise most mornings and there is just something about water...staring out at it has such a calming effect. I will often see some pelicans and maybe a fish or two. Yesterday, I saw a fin pop above the surface. Surely that can't be right, I thought. Then, I could see the whole dolphin! I ran in to wake the kids and we stood on our porch/at the window watching a group (pod?) of dolphins frolic in our front yard.
I am grateful every day for being able to do the work that I love in a place that is magical. Sometimes things are hard, though, and Deirdre's response to that has been to try to think of one thing to be thankful for every day.
I am thankful every day for my amazing and wonderful family. I am honored to be part of such an amazing crew of humans who are bettering life on this planet - each in a different way. I know that I couldn't do what I do or be where I am if I didn't have them behind me.
I am thankful for my colleagues at work - the permanent staff, the short termers, the long termers, the board - everyone is working together to better the health of people in the Toledo district. The permanent Belizean staff are an exceptional crew who are the real engine of Hillside. I am grateful for their tolerance of my learning on a daily, even hourly, basis.
I am thankful for friends who I have grown with throughout the years and new friends that come into my life.
I just want everyone to know that I am thankful for YOU! Enjoy today and all of the special moments within. Hug each other for me!
Sending lots of light and love...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Cultural Day

Every rotation, students have a whole day where they are exposed to the diversity of cultures in Belize. I had not attended this day with the students yet and wanted to be able to enjoy it with the kids. This rotation, we finally went! What a whirlwind of a day, but certainly fun and informative.
The day started with one of our staff, Yolanda, giving an overview of the different cultures in Belize. Amongst others, these include the Mayan - Mopan and Ketchi (so many different spellings of this one), the East Indians, Creole, Garifuna, and Mennonite - amongst others.
Then, we traveled to one of the ruins - Nim Li Punit which means "Big Hat."

We learned about the Jipi Japa tree - you can eat the hearts of the shoots (it's like hearts of palm) and the leaves are used for weaving here. It tasted delicious!

We also learned about the cahoun palm and the rubber tree and many other plants!
After this, we went to a women's cooperative to learn how to make cornmeal and tortillas...

And then eat them with a traditional Mayan lunch!

We learned about basket making and weaving as well. These women work hard!

After lunch, we traveled to Blue Creek to hike up into the caves. This was incredible. We hiked along the water until we reached the entrance to the caves. We tightened our life vests and entered the water of the cave. We swam and climbed and scrambled to three different waterfalls within the cave! We were surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites and bats. Deirdre and Brennan were troopers...even though it was scary at times! The students were awesome and encouraging and helped them along. Thanks, students! So much fun!

No need to wonder where Blue Creek got its name

Deirdre, Brennan and the guide at the entrance to the cave

Beautiful jungle scene - the cave is at the top of the photo

We survived the blackness of the cave

We stopped by the Mennonite ice cream store on the way to have a Garifuna dinner with drumming and dance lessons.

Tasty Hudut - fish in a coconut milk sauce - mmmmm

Do you notice that this is the same drummer that you have seen in almost all of the previous photos? "Ray" (given name forthcoming but he goes by Ray) spent days drumming! Still so amazing...not sure where he gets the energy!