Back from Beauty!

Anyone reading this, go to Guatemala! Regardless of the negative things you may hear about this country, it is a must see. Plus, we had no trouble at all...at least not in the violence/robbery category. We did have trouble with some other issues though. The trip consisted of Kristie, Jen, John, and myself...the A Team. And it was a team.

The first day we boarded a boat, destination Puerto Barrios from PG. We were all so excited to be on our way! It was an hour water ride, nothing short of smooth. The waves at that time of day are a little rocky, so it made for an extremely bumpy roller coaster ride. Because of the giddiness that consumed us, we didn't notice everyone else had plastic covering them, and before we realized what it was for, we were wet. It just added to the trip I thought, as we all laughed the entire way there. Once we arrived in Puerto Barrios, we walked around the market and gathered some goods for the five hour ride to Guatemala City. The bus was actually a really nice coach bus, but around a 1/2 hour into the ride, the engine wasn't as nice. We had stopped twice in that time and waited until the driver finally said the engine "went boom". Luckily there was a bus shortly behind, so we waited and got on. The unfortunate thing was, because everything got pushed further back then we wanted, we arrived in Guatemala City way too late. Too late to make it to Antigua which was our original destination. Luckily there was a girl who spoke English and said the city was too dangerous at night where we were getting dropped off (zone 1 out of 8). So, she called a taxi and a hotel for us. So nice!! We were all hungry once we arrived there, but from some reason, everything was closed at 9:00 pm. At first this was a major bummer because we were all excited to eat (our goods were consumed before the bus broke), but then we laughed at our situation. We feasted that night on: 1 bag of peanuts, 2 apples, some M&M's, and water. Delicious!!

Day two was much of the same thing. Our goal was Lake Atitlan (above). We didn't know anything about where the buses were, what times, nada. As our taxi driver was helping us improve our Spanish, he suddenly sped up, whipped around this corner, and came to an abrupt hault. He raced out, said, "here is your bus", and we jumped on. Well, at first Jen was like, "no, I am not getting on that!" We convinced here we had no other way...then we jumped on. We had no idea if this was taking us to Panajachel, one of the villages on the lake. We road it for awhile up and down through the highlands. This was a great ride! It was early, and that made for some spectacular sights. The road weaved though mountains filled with villages, pine trees, and huge rock formations. In addition to that, our driver was a crazy man! We passed anyone any chance he had...not to mention he was going way faster than everyone else. He drove that bus so hard, that once again, we had a broken bus on our hands. Of course right? It sounds like a bad thing, but we were all in heaven to even care. It was actually really fun. We got some food from some ladies on the road that was great. I had a chili lathered with some guacamole on this great bread (huevos rancheros). We waited again for another bus, and were shoved on the first one that came through. This bus wasn't going to Panajachel, so we rode it for while until this intersection where we transferred to another bus to finally get to the lake. When we arrived to Panajachel, it looked higher than we thought. This is the spot where were were supposed to get a water taxi to San Pedro, the village we were staying in. Little did we know that we got off in the wrong town, so we started walking. We ended up on the hillside next to farmers and villagers walking about. It was a great route down, but as it got a little too steep, we decided to find the main road again. Once we did, Jon and I stuck out our thumbs just for kicks. Within one minute, someone stopped to give us a ride down the hill. And I am glad they did. We would have been walking for miles. This turned out to be better than taking the bus. All four of us sat in the back of this truck as we descended down the mountain to Panajachel. Truly amazing! Coming down this mountain overlooking the most gorgeous lake was a great start. Once there, it was another water taxi to San Pedro.

San Pedro is one of my favorite cities in the world. I was told to keep it a secret, but who was ever good at keeping those? So...go there...but don't tell anyone. This is a small village just below a volcano. Oh yeah, the lake is surrounded by these. The village is great. There are people from all over the world. At first it seemed too touristy, but it is just a bunch of backpackers my age...from everywhere. The hills are steeper than Duluth. You almost need a rope to climb them, and, people drive up and down these. The atmosphere is great too! So chill. The activities are too many to write down, and I kind of want to save some of these treats to show Lucia. But, we did hike San Pedro volcano, which is an indescribable sight. Take a look...
Just around 8,500ft. it stands well over everything else on the lake. It took us around three hours to get to the top, and a little under to get down. Half way up there was this vine that we swung off of. So cool (picture later). My legs are still sore from the hike! I think it was because we were hustling up and down the thing! But, it was great! The first night we stayed right on the lake at this great spot. We went out for dinner, and when we went back to the room, we found the strangest, smelly juice leaking through our wall. (Side story - next to our place is a building where they process coffee beans.) The juice runs...somewhere. Well, it got clogged right next to our wall, and leaked through the outlet. We had no choice but to spend the night there, and the next day, the smell was worse. Needless to say, we changed locations. It turned out to be another hit! That was the theme of our trip. No matter what happened, we made the best of it and, in the end, it worked out. The next hostel was beautiful. It had a roof where we spent three night hanging out there. Two of the nights we cooked dinner (in the kitchen on the roof) and ate it under the stars and overlooking the lake. It was so nice! We stayed there for a few days before making our way to Antigua. We took a minibus this time, and it didn't break down. When we arrived, we hit the town running. It has great architecture, much similar to Rome. The town comes to life around dusk and rolls right into the night. We went to this Egyptian restaurant/hookah bar. Awesome! The food was great and the melon was superb! After that we walked around, hung out at JP's Rum Bar, and then waited for dinner. We had some great sushi and a place called Nokeati. Again...recommended. Jon was sick during our stay here, so it made for some dampening situations. Poor guy. He was really sick. We got kind of scared because he wasn't feeling better when we were leaving, but he hung on.

From Antigua, it was another minibus to Guatemala City. I didn't realize this city was so large. Over 3.1 million people! Too much pollution though. After being in such great air for about a week, I could feel the difference here. We ate some lunch and then headed for Livingston. No problems with this bus. We arrived to Puerto Barrios just in time to catch a water taxi to Livingston. It was a full moon, and it was a great ride on the water. I love the sea! Livingston is an okay town, kind of like Antigua. There are some fun things to do outside Antigua, and Livingston is just....weird. The hotel we stayed in however was great! It was right on the sea, our room had a balcony with a hammock, and the bar/restaurant had some local Garifuna music going. Great way to end the trip. But...the A team was dropping like flies. Jen suddenly came down with something similar to what Jon had, and Jon...well, he lived:) It was a relaxed night. The next morning everyone was feeling better, so we headed to the FREE BUFFET! YES!!! And I took full advantage of it. They had pancakes, breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, cereal, eggs, ham, waffles, juice, coffee (really good coffee), yogurt, granola, and whatever else I can't think of. In the end...it took advantage of me. We found out that the only water taxi back to PG left at either 7:00am that day (it was already 9:00) or on Friday. Oops! Luckily Jon found a guy who gave us a ride for a little more than I wanted to pay...but hey, I wasn't waiting until Friday. Oh yeah, this town is weird because it was a mix of really old people, and Garifuna men. All of the Garifuna men hustled to try and get you to buy drugs, sailing "vacations", and other things I won't mention here. That isn't much different than other places, except this was too much. In fact, that is all there was. Everywhere we turned, some dude was cutting in between asking it we wanted something. I guess it got old quick. The old people were nice though. They stuck to themselves. So, if you go there, beware of the bamboozling that goes on.

PG was a sight to see. I didn't think I would miss it, but I found myself saying, "I am home". You know that feeling of being away for awhile, and all you want is your bed, or just the comfort of home. Yeah, I will admit it, it was nice to be back. Overall Guatemala was a great country worth exploring. I will go back here too, but this time Lucia you are coming with! It is sad to see the poverty there. So much. The quetzal is 7:1. It was nice to save some money, but I always felt bad bartering or catching myself excited about how much I just saved. I quit the bartering after awhile, and actually just gave more and ran away before they could give me my change. I don't need it.

This will probably be one of my last posts before I get back. Maybe one or two more while Lucia is here, and then, home sweet home. I still need to put up a ton of pictures, so stay posted after I get back. Thanks again everyone for reading, and I will see you soon!

Peace,
Eddie

For now...

Friday was my last day of teaching at TCC. I thought this past week would go by slowly because I knew I was almost done, but now it is Sunday and I am already looking back. That seems to be the theme of my entire trip here. I can't believe it has been eight weeks gone. I have learned so much about myself and my teaching abilities in that time, something I think only the ones here will be able to express with me. The students have been a blast to get to know, and I will miss them. They gave us a great farewell, and made us know that they really appreciated our stay. Teaching there has been a roller coaster of emotions. It has pushed me to every corner of creativity, frustration, joy, disappointment, excitement, etc. I am eager to see what my next eight weeks of teaching is the states will bring me.

Well...our softball team made it to regionals! First time in five years!! I am so glad to have been a part of this for too many reasons. I have never (seriously) coached anything before, and that alone was worth the experience. To think of how far these athletes have come since our first practice is a triumph in itself. Most of my players could barely catch a ball when we began. To get to regionals, we had to beat a neighboring high school in a "zone elimination" best-of-three match. We lost our first game 4-0. After that, I was excited to work on different aspects of our game that needed improvement, but the students had a different idea. Instead, most got upset about the loss and gave up on the whole softball thing. (Side story...practice is much different than in the states. I wanted practice to start at 3:00, but most students would stroll in at 3:30 and some wouldn't even show up. Then they expected to play on game day.) That is what it was like before the first game. After the loss, we didn't even have enough for a team. Jon and I had to fix this quick. So, we booted two students off the team, recruited some more, and put together what we could. It turns out, that was the best decision we could have done. Suddenly, we had a group of guys who clicked so well together, it was like they had been practicing for months. It was really interesting to see this chemistry brewing. Game two was at home, and we crushed them 12-2. One of our guys hit a grand slam to really pull away. The series was tied 1-1, and we had to play again the next day to decide who went to regionals. Thursday we returned to Julian Cho High School, and edged them out 5-4. I was nervous to go onto to regionals because it had rained heavy here Friday, enough to cancel practice. Saturday we boarded a bus at 6:00 in the morning to head to Independence. After a meeting with the coaches, we drew to see who would play who. There was only three teams there, and the team that chose "3" received a bye. I chose 1 so we had to play Stann Creek the first game. (Another side story...the great team we had now put together, only four of them could play. Here, they are very serious about checking to see if the players are really who they say they are, which requires multiple proofs of identification. Everyone had the correct forms, but they required that we have picture i.d's has well. But, only four of our starters had them.) Luckily we had three freshmen come along with us that we would fill the gaps with, but only to make a seven man team. That really hurt the morale of the team, but after a pep talk from Jon and I they were ready to go (well, I would like to think that worked). We played Stann Creek with seven guys against their nine brutes. Really, they were huge. We did what we could, and actually beat them 10-4. It was close as they were coming back, and actually came within one (10-9), but time expired as the winning runners were on base, and when that happens they go back to the score from the last completed inning, which was won by us, 10-4. Everyone was so excited; they couldn't believe it. After that we faced the reigning regional champs and second place national team, Independence High School. These guys were good. Too good. Softball isn't a sport many play in Belize, but this team could have competed with some from the states. That, plus our team, equaled a blowout. They crushed us. But, there wasn't much we could do. Seven guys, three who have never really played at all, versus their nine, well put together, composed, sharp, athletic team. Independence picked "3" so they had the bye the first game. Once we lost, we went to the losers bracket to face Stann Creek again. All was going well during the game. We were down 4-0 in the top of the third, when suddenly one of our players started walking off the field. All I could do was laugh because I had no idea what he was doing. Then I saw that we wasn't happy at all. I asked where we was going, and he told me that, "the players (freshman) don't know how to play, they are not trying, so I am done." And that concluded our trip. The game had to be called, and we took third place on account of quitting. I was embarrassed more than anything because at least we could have finished the game, and who knows what the result could have been. If we would have won, we would have played Independence again, and if we lost, it would have been second place. So all that work Jon and I put into the season ended abruptly. We took third...out of three teams. Nevertheless, it was a feat TCC had overcome, and I was glad to have helped them. Hopefully, this minor success will continue next year.

Now I am officially done with TCC. Today is my little brother's conformation, so I get to meet most of the extended family. We are having a party for him afterwards, with some great food I am sure! Then Monday, Jon, Kristie, and I leave for Guatemala for about a week. We are heading to Puerto Barrios via ferry, and from there heading to Antigua for the first night. Then we will travel to Lago de Atitlan for a few nights where we will meet Andrew, Sam, and Lana, who left today. This place is supposed to be amazing. It is one of the 1,000 places to see before you die. Anyone reading this, google "Lake Atitlan" and just take a look. The city we are staying in is right on the lake and surrounded by volcanoes. It should be a pretty stellar trip. Then, we're heading back they same way and staying in Antigua a little longer. I will be back just in time to go catch Lucia in Belize City for the start of our trip.

Last night I could feel the parting of everyone. Now we are beginning to travel and do our own things, so we won't be seeing each other much after this (if at all) until we all return. Even then, I hope it isn't difficult staying in touch with everyone I have experienced this with. I am so grateful to have gotten to know all of them, and feel like I have acquired some great friends. I couldn't have asked for a better crew to be with, and that made this trip so much fun! I love all you, and wish you the best of luck in the coming years. There is a lot ahead of us, but I feel confident in saying everyone will do great things with their lives. Thank you.

To my family, I miss you all and can't wait to see you. I wish I could bundle everyone up and bring you here. I am going to miss PG, and know I will be back (as I'm sure I have said many times). If anyone gets the chance, get to Belize sometime in your life. It is something I guarantee you will not regret. I am excited to see everyone, and will keep you as updated as I can in the next few weeks. For those of you who don't know, I will be back on the 20th of March, a Friday. There are lots of gifts to pass out, so get ready! Love you all and will see you soon.

Eddie

p.s. as far as pictures, for those of you with Facebook, I finally got some up! Other than that, I will have to get the rest of the pictures from everyone down here on account of my camera breaking. However, Lucia will be bringing a camera, so we can take some sweet pics when she arrives. Peace!

Who knew?

Today I realized how much I am going to miss this place. Everyday I find something new and so interesting that it tantalizes all my senses. It is the unplanned, not knowing what is going to happen days that are the ones I will remember. Too many times I have laid at night thinking..."wow, what another great day." I haven't felt this at peace and under stressed (if that's is possible) ever. Sometimes I forget that I still have another eight weeks of school left. One of those days happened today. Andy, Kristie, Jon, and I enjoyed possibly one of the best Saturdays recorded. My only plan was to be outside all day, and it wasn't difficult to accomplish. It actually started the night before. I spent the night on my roof, in my hammock, under the stars. I awoke without an alarm clock to the sounds of birds calling one another and roosters telling me that it was market time. First I had to visit Mr.Godfrey for a haircut. This is a one man show in the back of his house. This amazing man of sixty-eight going on twenty has been cutting hair for over forty years. Simply put...the best haircut ever. I sit there listening to what the latest is, we talk about everything and anything. I get the baby powder on the neck and around the ears. We talk some more. He cuts, talks, cuts, talks. Then the razor comes out and I get the trim with the closest of precision. Then some oil (which burns a little), more powder, and then I am off to the market. 8:00 am and it is in full swing. I ride to where the fish is being sold to check the local fare. It smells as if you are suddenly being breathed on by a barracuda. There are snappers, cuda, jewfish, groupers...the works. I watch the men clean my red snapper, pay with a smile, and proceed down the street for some fresh fruit. After making the drop at my house, I head to breakfast with the whole crew and two UMD professors at the Snack Shack. The first item on the menu, Gigantic Breakfast Burrito! How can you pass that up? Needless to say, it lived up to its name. About the size of my forearm, it was filled with delicious eggs, beans, and an array of other veggies. I didn't want to finish it once eating half of it, but I couldn't stop. Too good!! Since it wasn't raining (finally), we took to the water. After spending awhile at the pier, we head down this trail, still unexplored by any of us. As we walk through the bush, along the coast of the Caribbean, we reach a spot where a freshwater river is entering the ocean. There is one tree with a rope swing, and a coast full of rocks and sea glass. Tons of sea glass. We proceed to sample the local beer and enjoy the sun, water, and the swing. So good! That took up the entire day, and finally I have a tan settling in. Barely:(

February 15, 2009
I wrote that on Saturday, and am I glad I waited until the weekend was over to publish this. Sunday we all went to the Snake Cayes. I was a little skeptical at first because it was out of price range (still not a lot though), and, I don't know, how could you top Saturday? Oh but it did...in a different way. Snake Caye is a cluster of little cayes about 18 miles off the coast, straight out from PG. The ride out on the boat gathered much anticipation for all eleven of us. When we finally arrived, the water changed from a dull, pale blue, to a majestic sky blue with a tint of white underneath. It was a stunning view. I would have been happy if we would have just turned around. As I jumped out of the boat, forgetting all that was with me, I hit the water. Actually, that is a lie. I did jump in, only to get to shore because I saw this watchtower that I had to climb. So I first ran up to that to catch a bigger glimpse of my backyard. Then I grabbed my snorkeling gear (thanks Scott and Judy, it is coming in handy!!!) and hit the water. I snorkeled all day! There was a few breaks where I built a thatch covering with Jon to stay out of the sun (sucker girls!!), ate some PB & Banana sandwiches, listen to my music, and explored the depths of the bush. I didn't have to go far inside before I realized where these cayes got their name. There were literally tons of snakes weaving their way through the coconut trees. And on the ground, there were crabs crawling around, big and small. Tons of those too!!

One of the times I was out there, Jon and I swam with this huge fish! It looked like a tuna but I am not so sure that's what it was. It was about the size of me (if you could squeeze me into a gigantic silver shilling. Anyways, when I first saw it, it scared the ___ out of me. I was actually scared because it trailed only a few inches behind us. Once we got used to it, we turned around to face out fear. Turns out, it was the most friendliest fish. We swam around with it for awhile until it had enough of us and swam away.

That day, we saw so much sea life, I can't even ebgin to make a list of it all! Starfish, sea urchins, a massive array of colourful fish..the list goes on. It was again, another amazing day, and a great way to cap a weekend off! Monday was a drag, and I don't know if it was because of the sun or because I miss that already. Friday can't come any sooner!!

To all of my family and friends, thanks again for the support and I miss all of you! I wish you could see, eat, live this experience with me. It has been an eye-opener in too many ways. Thank you again.

p.s. my camera broke (big time bummer!), but I will start trying to put up what I have piece by piece. I am getting everyone elses so don't worry. This is one from the day we went swimming in the cave. This is the entrance.

Update!!

Hello All! It has been awhile since I have written, mostly because it has been the same ol' same ol'. I have started coaching the softball team with Jon, and we are having a blast. They really don't understand the game, and at first it was difficult because you have to be really elementary with them...which is good, but not for the level they should be playing at. So, we are working with them, and last week they have shown some real improvements! Everyone is counting on us to coach them well because they have never really had success at TCC. First we play another high school, and depending on the result, we would move on to regionals. From there, nationals, and then we are champs...if all goes as planned of course!

The weeks have been going by extremely fast here, and I can't believe I will be coming home soon! I feel really comfortable here, and homesickness never really came to visit. Of course I miss some aspects of life in the states, but life here is much different. There is an easy-going, Belizian pace that I have come accustomed to. Everyday I catch myself saying, "I will be back, no doubt." Being here has really made me contemplate what I want to do with my life. There are so many things that need to be done here, and I feel bad leaving it all. There is a lot more to life than I thought, and over time, I have reflected more about this than anything else. Traveling is great because you get to see other cultures, hear other stories, and get a glimpse of other worlds. But, living outside the U.S. changes a perspective on some issues. Especially for Belize, because it is such a small country, you really feel part of the community and get attached to it more than you would staying for just a week. I know all this is obvious, but it feels better once you see it...realize it...do it!

One thing that I will miss here is the radio! I have listened more of one station (Love FM) than I have done anything else! It is great! I don't think I can express my love for this here, but to get a clue, I have memorized all of the commericals, PSAs, advertisements, and all else that a station would entail. Also, they have the news every few hours, so I have all the latest skinny on what is happening in Belize. Elections are coming up soon, and WOW, it is something worth seeing. Politics here is...indescribable. Everything decided in Belize depends on what side you lean on. A lot of what I am saying isn't different than the states, but like I said, because it is so small here, everyone hears about it at the same time, it affects EVERYONE, and from there...it gets deep. People will resign from positions (a.k.a. get fired) the day a different party is elected. For example, at TCC, the former principal was UDP (United Democratic Party), but once the PUP (People United Party) won last elections, that principal was demoted to head of the arts department, and this new PUP guy stepped in. Hence, why the school systems here are slowly falling further in their own crap shoot. Nothing can ever be fully decided on because, for one, if you say what side you are on, you risk your job, and every time a new party is in, they seem to change the "old" and step to the "new". Even if everything is fine! A rant...yes, but I thought you all should know the importance of it here. So, there is tons of campaigning going around between four different parties! I will let you know the results!

Lucia is coming down in March, and I cannot wait!! It will be so nice to travel (once again) with my best friend. Lu, if you are reading this, love you! So, this means I will have about two weeks in PG before she comes, and I have been deciding what to do before she comes. My initial thought, work at a local Chinese restaurant. I think it would be a trip to work down here for a bit. Plus, who couldn't use money? Anyone reading this, I am up for any suggestions!

This past week, some of us went to Placencia again, and it was great! It is nice to get out of town, especially because our rainy season seemed to greet us a little early. And it has rained!! A LOT! It makes for a really sweet jungle though!! Anyways, they have this bar/restaurant there called the Barefoot Bar. It's a great place. I have never danced so much in my life since I have been down here, and this place is one for the ages. The floor is sand, it is outside about 30 ft. from the ocean, and the "Punta" (a type of dance here) is in full swing...literally! HA! They also have the smallest street in the world. It really looks like a sidewalk, but that is what Guinness says.

On to the food! I can't remember what I have written in the past, but to sum it up, I have had:
- Iguana and their eggs
- fry jacks
- tons of rice and beans (yes!!)
- great fish (snapper, barracuda, jewfish, etc.)
- the BEST fried chicken from this ladies kitchen at like 2:00 a.m.
- powder balls
- soursop
- custard apple
- mali apple
- Turbo (look at one of the first posts) with coconut water in a coconut
- great other fruits from the farm
- great banana pudding (really just bread)
- coconut tarts
- 1 Barrel
- my families tradition foods...soups, hot breakfasts. etc.

At any rate, the food as been as much fun as the places I have eaten them!

Alright, out of thoughts for now, but some interesting things are about to hit me, so stay tuned!

night,
Eddie


haha, oh yeah, there is this loud machine attached to this truck that drives around the city pumping out this terrible gas. Turns out, it is to rid the mosquitos from attacking us, but I would rather slap my arm from a bite then smell this. Yuck!

Suddenly I don't fell so bad for Minnesota.

It has been awhile since I have wrote, but I wanted to before I forgot all of what I have done lately. Last weekend, had a great Friday night enjoying what PG's nightlife has to offer. Saturday was our day of rest because we had to get up early on Sunday. The reason was because we were heading to Lubaantun to check out some Maya ruins and then to Blue Creek from some swimming. The ruins was an amazing sight! This is always something I wanted to do, and I took full advantage of it. At first, the guide we had spoke for what seemed like forever, and all I could do was sit and keep only a glimpse of what was to come. I felt like a kid being held back from a toy store. When he finished and was going to walk around with us, I broke loose and explored! All of the history, the culture, and simply the sight blew me away. I invisioned myself there (or what it might have been like) as people played games, cooked food, and harvested the land. There was also a story of the Crystal Skull. It was said that a skull made of 100% crystal and of perfect configuration to a human skull was found here. It was really interesting to read about since they only had tools made by hand, and certainly nothing that was capable of making this.

From there, we went to Blue Creek which was even better than the ruins! I had no idea what we were in for. We were also lucky enough to grab Garnet from Tulmulkin Village where she is doing her student teaching. We don't see her often so I am glad we were at full strength for this adventure. We followed this trail along a beautiful creek that was truly blue. When we arrived at our destination, it was a gigantic hole in the earth that I could not wait to climb into. It turns out that you swim through the entire thing! It was awesome!!! Perhaps one of the coolest things I have ever done! I know I will be saying that a lot while I am down here, but this was breath taking. As we swam with headlamps through this twisting cave filled with waterfalls we had to climb, unique rock formations, and a crew of 12, all I could do was smile. When we reached the end, the last waterfall was so intense that only a few of us could get up it. Garnet being one of them, reached the top, and I was helping others get up all of a sudden I saw a headlamp go down the waterfall and swirl around the bottom. It was so loud from the rushing water that I didn't know what happened. It turns out she slipped and fell down the rush to pop out where all the rest our team was. She was okay and we laughed about it later. Back to the top of the waterfall though...Four of us got to see the end and it was worth the climb. Three huge waterfalls came spilling out of the walls of the cave as though someone turned a faucet. We swam in there for a bit before realizing everyone else couldn't see us and were screaming for us to come down. Once we regrouped, we started our swim back. It was just as fun because the current was in our favor, and it made it a little easier to swim. When we reached the opening, Jon and I explored some other cave close by before we all jumped in our van back to PG. It was truly a day I will never forget.

As for teaching, I am loving that just as much. I have taught on my own for a full week now, and it is everything I planned for and everything I didn't. UMD really does prepare us well for this, but some things school cannot teach us...hence why I am here. I am learning aspects such as classroom management that I never could have gotten somewhere else. I have had some good classes and some bad ones. Thursday I had perhaps the hardest class ever. They were so energetic that I had a very difficult time controlling them. As I was reflecting on what had just happened to me, that is when I realized that I am glad I am here. The easy teachings do not do as much justice because they are not pushing me out of that sense of comfotability; however, the classes I am not preapred for yet really cause me to pull out the skills that I have learned, and use them in a way that pertains to a situation...in addition to some skills that I haven't learned that I am figuring out! We had our annual 3k 5k race on Friday which went spectacular. I have had a great time watching this culture perform sports because it is much different than how I perform them. For instance, students where running barefoot which I thought was amazing. My feet could never endure that for miles on end. Ouch! But, they all did well as they ran through the rain.

Speaking of rain!! It has been raining here for a week straight! Paradise uh? Well, it still is nice, but the rain has put a damper on everything. Teachings, after school activities, nightly plans, and our weekend have all been changed due to rain. We were going to go to Placencia this weekend, and I am gald we didn't. The roads become just as dangerous as snow covered ones because they get slippery and the pot holes get worse.

Finally, Friday night we went to a tribute to Andy Palacio. He was a man who came from a village in Belize and brought Garfuna and Belize music to the world. He was well on his way to becoming a very famous muscian world wide when he suddenly past away. Belizians really care for him and appreciate everything he has done for this country, so to honor his death, they paid tribute in PG last night. It was great! We all sat there and watched as they recited poems, danced to Garfuna music, listened to some of his band members as they played on stage, and even danced to traditional beats. I was mesmerized by all that was surrounding me. It seemed all too surreal. I know Lana got some great photos of this, so I will be sure to grab them from here later!

Keep reading for the latest, and thanks to all that have been reading. It is nice to hear your comments and glad to hear people care!


stay dry...or warm...or just happy!

eddie

The Farm!

Hey everyone! I perhaps saw the coolest thing ever the other night! I went out to my families farm, and was it a sight to see. As we pulled up there was two houses on stilts. One was a two bedroom house, and the other just a one room shack. Surrounding the place was coconut, banana, lime, all-spice, and bread fruit trees! There was also these other two trees that had strange fruit on them, but were all good! From there, we took a walk back into the beginning of the jungle where they own hundreds of acres. We also saw the Gibnut a.k.a. the Royal Rat. They call it this because when the Queen came to visit, they feed this (basically) a giant rat. All I know is that it is part of the rodent fam, and the ones we saw definitely had royal status. They were huge! We watched as they walk across the bean fields and into the jungle. We cut some coconuts off of a tree and cut one side of them off. We then drank all of the water that was inside of them. It was amazing!! I couldn't get enough of it. I drank so much of it! (not good for the stomach though...) The we cut them in half and scooped the jelly out of them and ate that too. They should call Belize "Big Sky Country" because you can see so much, and the moon is so close to your face. Soon it will be full here, and from what I hear, it is the best full moon on the planet. Yeah...I couldn't ask for a better night.

School is going well after the first week. On Wednesday, they have basketball games that they make the whole school come and watch. That day, one of the teams didn't show up so they had a staff vs. Toucans game. It was five of us versus there team. Of course...we took it to the house. Actually, we only won by two the first game and one the second game. It was a great time and a great way to meet all the students. I am also coaching a thrower in track and field. Last year he won the national championship, but throws it completely wrong! I introduced him to the spin (which he had no idea about), and since he has wanted me to couch him to throw like this. Already he has improved so I am excited about his results come March. Monday, I start teaching my first classes, and I cannot wait! The first week was just observation, but I was starting to get bored. This should be an adventure...

Tomorrow we are heading to some Mayan ruins and going swimming in this cave. More details next!

Hope all is well for whoever is reading this, and from what I heard, there is a lot of snow in Minnesota. Bummer!!! It rained here the other day...felt pretty good. I have to rub it in a little.

noche, Eddie

First Day of Teaching

Alright, today was my first day at Toledo Community College! It was interesting to say the least. I am with the head of the Physical Education and Sports Department, his name is Peter Castillo. He is an amazing dude. At TCC they have "forms" instead of grades. 1st form = 9th grade, 2nd form = 10th grade, and so on. I will be teaching all of the 2nd and 3rd forms (each class averages 40 students!!) The whole time I will be teaching (8 weeks), we will be in our football (soccer) unit. This is perfect since I love football and it is the most popular sport in the world. Not to mention it is the national sport of Belize and the students love it. I originally thought I would be teaching many subjects in P.E., but this is equally as fine. Plus, I only see a class once a week (although I have 12 different classes), this means I only need to make two lesson plans per week! I think I will will get to introduce softball before I leave, but we will see. The food at the school is amazing of course. I will send pictures of what it looks like soon, along with the other pics. I had stew beans with coleslaw and some fired plantans. So so good! Like I said, there are a lot of students and most of them come from Mayan villages, so they must travel greta distances to and from their homes. This means less homework otherwise they just won't do it. Doesn't really matter for my subject, but you get a better picture. Mr.Castillo (Cas) and I played some basketball after school in the local sports complex. This place is awesome. Nothing facny, but that is what I like! After that, I ran to the pier to get a swim in with the crew. From there we went to the Reef Bar, had a few drinks, and then I went home to eat with my family.

All in all it was a good day, but lots of work ahead. It will probably be awhile before my next post, but stay tuned!

noche, eddie