Week 14 and 15: Exploring

During week 14 and 15 I was able to have one of my good friends visit me in Belize for seven days! It was so rewarding seeing a reminder of home, but also being able to show my new reality to someone who is new to it.

One of the places I made sure to visit was the Octavia Waight center. Although one of the days I used to introduce the residents to my friend, the other day I took a cake and fruits for residents to enjoy during their snack time. Besides showing him one of the places I was interning for, I also made sure to show the highlights and beauties of Belize as best as I could during the seven days.

Cahal Pech is a Mayan ruin site in San Ignacio that consists of temple pyramids and ceremonial altars. I had not visited this site before but it was breathtaking to see ruins I could walk up and explore so close to the proximity of where I live.

Xunantunich is another Mayan site I had visited when I first arrived. It is most notably known for the large pyramid it has known as “El Castillo” and panoramic views from the top. Upon reaching the top of the pyramid, you have a view of Guatemalan territory.

Cave Tubing is one of the most famous excursions in Belize, however, our driver took us the local way to find a guide. We drove up near the cave sites and were able to find a guide waiting on the side of the road for tourists. It was one of the best experiences of my life, not only are you able to gain so much historic knowledge during the tour, but you are able to see the beauties inside of the dark cave and even explore and jump off a cliff!

Ziplining was something I had never done, and being able to do it for the first time in the jungle was such an exhiliarating experience! We ziplined as a group and although most of the courses were filled with trees in the jungle, we also had the opportunity to zipline above a river.

Horseback Riding was an experience I had told him we had to do while in Belize. Throughout your horseback ride you are able to learn about herbal medicine, the location and even the animals around us like monkeys and toucans. This was my second time riding through St. Leonard’s tours and the whole staff remembered me and was very welcoming.

Caye Caulker is one of the islands off the shore of mainland. Although it is more focused on tourism, we were able to visit a couple of days as it is known as one of the gems of Belize. The most memorable things about Caye Caulker was being able to snorkel with sharks and stingrays, seeing the second largest barrier reef in the world, and having a beach to relax on all to ourselves!

Delicous Hotdogs is one of the local stands owned by an elderly couple I have become very fond of, Mike and Leticia. Their whole lives they had a hotdog cart and would sell by the old hospital. However, due to their age, they currently only operate from their stand in front of their house.

Pupuseria La Exquisita is a Salvadorean immigrant owned business. This was one of the local spots I took my friend to. Belize is known for being a melting pot due to its Refugee population, so it’s important to note that you can see all type of foods that aren’t native to Belize.