Action-packed 2 days!

Sorry for the delay – it has been an action packed 2 days and I’m afraid I fell asleep before writing last night. Yesterday (Saturday) we jammed in 3 activities – the zoo and our meeting with Sharon Matola in the morning, lunch at Alfredo’s brother Vitalino’s little restaurant, then ziplining with some old friends, then cave tubing with Alfredo and his nephew Junior. The value of being repeat customers here is that we establish relationships with folks providing the services we’re interested in, and we get to have some great experiences as a result.

If you had the chance to look up Sharon Matola, you may have learned that she’s an American biologist/animal behaviorist who has been working for decades to build a zoo to allow the Belizean people to get to know their own animals – when she first arrived (as the animal wrangler on a documentary film crew) she learned that most locals never got to see the animals their country is famous for, and wanted to remedy that. She has also worked hard to save endangered/technically extinct species (she’s currently hand-raising scarlet Macaws and harpy eagles to that end) and to rehabilitate predators driven out of their habitats by development who veer from their usual predation pattern and prey on domestic animals. Jaguars are her signature species in this endeavor, but as we learned yesterday, she has rescued lots of critters including Brutus and Mrs., 2 huuuuuuuge crocs who come when she calls (really disconcerting to see!)

The kids got the chance to see Junior the jaguar do tricks for treats (Coley: “Did you HEAR that bone crack? it was like a chip to him…!”), and then got up close and personal with Fieldmaster, a significantly larger cat (new fun fact on Fieldmaster – his particular vice was dogs, so when she caught him and brought him back to rehabilitate him she named him after the popular dog food of the time). From the pictures you can see the drill. The kids were inches from his face and had him roll over and high five – then Sharon gave him a delicious chicken foot. No matter how many times I stand up there, I can’t help but be mesmerized by his eyes. And if I ever call you “jaguar breath”, believe me, I know what I’m talking about.

After lunch (stew chicken, rice and beans made by Alfredo’s sister Yolanda), we headed to the zipline. Everyone did great, and a special shout-out to Haley, who has spent months (literally, I’m afraid) stressing about this moment, and who was a pro by the end of the last run. At its highest the zipline is more than 100 feet into the rainforest canopy, and at times it moves fast. It’s a fine balance to enjoy the thrill while also appreciating the beauty of the flora around you, but they seemed to strike it well.

After the zipline Jake and I headed home, leaving Matt with the kids to cave tube (I guess 9 times was enough for Jake). By all reports the tubing was great (river was a bit high so there were a few fun stretches of rapids). They loved the chance to jump off rocks into a swimming hole, and came home tired enough to be subdued at dinner. But not for long…

Dinner included many different vegetable selections including a green-skinned gourd that they called pumpkin. There was a chicken carving station (the kids are still remarking at how “real” the chicken tastes and looks) as well as shepherd’s pie and baked pork chops (the pork was the best for me – I could really taste the meat … not the washed out “other white meat” from home.) The soup was cowfoot, and Max has made it his mission to try every whacky thing we come across, so he was psyched. We opined on what body part would be in the soup the next night, but there’s no need to report on that.

The kids got a second wind after dinner (no surprise) and ended up around the pool with other kids and a guitar singing and dancing until … I don’t know when. All I know is no one came banging on my door to complain and many adults complimented us this morning on the quality of the musicians in our group. The latter is true – I am the designated van driver so generally have most of the kids with me, and with our handy-dandy wireless ipod transmitter (thanks, Mom!) they play their songs the length of each ride. As a song starts they shout out which part they will sing and play, and it’s an ever-evolving band in the back of the van. It sounds spectacular (I’m always lead vocals) … wish I could watch them too!  Current fave on the playlist: “Dancing in the Moonlight”.  Props to my daughter for mixing in enough music I know to allow me to sing along much of the time. Maddie is often singing harmony behind me, so I’m learning as I go.

This morning we were up on time (breakfast opens at 8 and waits for no man) and headed to the Maya ruin Xunantunich, on the Guatemala border. The kids, again, were fantastic. Good-natured on the ride, attentive as we sketched out a game plan, respectful but excited at the site, and awed once they got to the top of the high temple. They are such a content bunch, they, like me, were happy to sit in the breeze up there and survey. Lots of conversations about the Maya people, how they accomplished all they did, why they “disappeared” … and how evident they are in the physical features, crafts and languages we hear and see around us here. Honestly, they are a thoughtful group; I love it!

We’re back at Caves Branch and the kids are stretched out in the sun, splashing at the pool or river or crashed on their beds waiting for dinner.

Tomorrow is a big travel day but will not offer much to report. Will check on once we arrive at our Brooks friends the Bowens’ paradise, Chan Chich Lodge and Gallon Jug Ranch. Hope no one’s suffering frostbite up there …

PS forgot to mention during the zoo bit that Blair wrote a grant request that helped the zoo out; though the grant was for money to buy microscopes for our partner school out at Gallon Jug (more on that in a dayor 2), we gave the rest, plus a bit more, to Sharon for her project to make the zoo the first wheelchair-accessible public place (that's not a bank) in the country - a projecct after my own heart. She's amazing! (Blair AND Sharon).