This is what happpens when it rains all day and you get REALLY bored. he was a good sport.

At the OW dog show

Posing with our winnings :)

glamour shot

We're good on food for a couple months!

It has been almost a month since I returned from my trip and about time I gave an update. First lets go over what the rest of the trip was like; Last time I wrote I was in San Juan del Sur, on the pacific coast of Nicaragua, close to the Costa Rican border. I gotta be honest, I was pretty tempted to keep going south! Instead I started the long haul back to Belize (with a few stops along the way of course!) First on the list was Masaya. Now I hadn’t planned on going to Masaya, a small city known for housing the handicrafts factories for most of Central America. Other than this industry there really isn’t much to lure a traveler. So like I said, I hadn’t planned on making a stop there, but rather I was planning on going straight to Leon. Now either way I would have had to go through Managua, the central transportation hub for all of Nica. Throughout the trip I had been hearing horror stories about the capital city. “don’t take a taxi” was the number one rec. Now Managua has a few different bus terminals, and often you have to switch to continue to your destination. I met more than one person who had stepped into a cab only to have the female passenger in the front seat turn around with a gun or knife, rob em blind and leave them on the side of the road with nothing but a backpack full of dirty clothes and a hankering for a western union. Wasn’t gonna happen to me. The San Juan to Leon route would require a taxi switch…unless I took a bus to Jinotepe and then a bus to Managua. Fine. Another hour on a bus, no big deal (especially since its always so quiet and uncrowned on these Central American buses…) The 1.5 hours to Jinotepe was hell. The bus was stopped twice and boarded by police who searched the sketchier looking passengers for drugs or weapons. I guess this was a fairly typical experience, cause the guys would promptly lift their shirts and show the waistline where I guess you would tuck a pistola. Add to that the fact that half the bus was drunk (remember this is like 9AM) and thought it was great fun to harass a poor and obviously mentally challenged fellow on the bus. He would respond by lashing out and trying to hit the drunks. I went from back of the bus to front only to have the group follow me. Not only did I feel bad for the guy but I was concerned for my own safety…they had resorted to throwing things and the victim was swinging around a cell phone charger like a medieval war weapon. Not fun. Jinotepe. Finally. Switched onto the Managua bus only to be followed by the lot of the morning boozers. Not happening. Grabbed my pack, ran the drunken gauntlet and saw a bus for Masaya leaving the station.

It was a quiet ride and I made it to Masaya by lunchtime. Got off the bus, grabbed my backpack and went into the market to find a place to sit and watch a world cup game. I have no problem with street food. I like to eat where the locals eat, I feel like it’s a great way to enjoy something different and save money at the same time. I hadn’t even ordered when a tall guy came up to me with his hand outstretched. Here we go. I feel bad but when traveling I often expect the worst from people. I know it’s a defense mechanism, but 90 percent of the time when someone comes up to you saying “welcome to Nicaragua” or “hey buddy where ya from” they want something. So hand outstretched he comes up saying “don’t eat here, they recycle their food”. As in if someone doesn’t finish their rice they’ll serve it on the next plate. Gross. “thanks for the tip”. But then it turns into “come with me, I know good place to eat” He’s speaking English in an accent I don’t recognize and my guard was fully up. “come with me, I know Fried Kentucky Chicken. Im from Canada” No, youre not. He was persistent, first telling me the food is better there, then when I said “no thanks, Im just gonna get a coke here” he tells me they’re cheaper at Fried Kentucky Chicken. I decided to lay it all out and I told him “I don’t know you, I don’t go places with people I don’t know” “But Im Canadian” NO YOURE NOT!!! LISTEN TO YOUR ACCENT!!! There was no way in hell I was going anywhere with that guy. Ill never know if he was a nice guy trying to help a backpacker out or something more malicious, but Ill tell ya this, there wasn’t a KFC in Masaya.

Bought some handicrafts, stayed in a place called hotel California (private room for the first time in weeks!) and generally relaxed before moving onto Leon. Leon is the jam. A vibrant 500,000 person city full of old churches, college students, backpackers, food vendors and a vibrating energy. I went to art galleries, I went to the bars, I played Jenga on a set made from 2x4 blocks. It was rad. BUT the highlight was going VOLCANO BOARDING!!!! This is where you take an improvised board, hike up a giant volcano, strap on a bright orange jumpsuit (think prison janitor) and goggles and hurl yourself down the side of an active volcano. Definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done! Its like tobogganing for big boys! They had a speed gun and I managed to hit 45km/hr. So youre sitting on this board and bombing down the slope…how do you steer?! Well, lets say the board starts pointing left. You have to bring it back right or you’ll catch an edge and go ass over orange teakettle. So whaddaya do? You lift a leg. Wanna go left, lift the left leg. Right? Yep, other leg. Pretty sweet.

I did two nights in Leon, and by then it was time to make tracks and catch my boat to Belize. I had a brutal day through Honduras. After a late night of partying I left Leon at 8AM, crossed the border and caught a bus to Tegucigalpa. That took 10 hours. So its 6PM and I have a boat in two days leaving from Puerto Cortes, plus the world cup final the next day. I didn’t want to travel the day of the game so I decided to keep going. Caught a bus to San Pedro Sula. Another 5 hours and I was in SPS at 11PM. Check your guidebook. “San Pedro Sula is especially dangerous at night, walking after dark is stongly discouraged” Effing great. Taxis are safer in Honduras, so from the bus it was directly to a cab with the request for a “cheap and safe hotel” It was cheap. It was safe. But it sure as shit wasn’t nice. Bordered on either side by bars and pay by the hour hotels this place was a dump. In Honduras prostitution is big business. To facilitate this a lot of hotels have garages attached to each room. You pay the attendant, open your private garage and pull your car in. Guess this has a dual function, your car is protected and off the street and your wife aint gonna find your Mazda parked outside of “Lover’s Lodge”. Gross. Thankfully I never got stuck in one of those.

Early the next morning I left and went to Omoa, a lil beachside community 10 minutes from Puerto Cortes. Omoa is a basic rustic getaway place full of cheap hotels catering towards Hondurans for the weekend. Watched the game, got some sleep and took the boat back to Belize the next day.

So ended a great trip. Nicaragua lived up to every expectation I had. My only regret was not having more time to wander through such an amazing country. Honduras had its merits as well. Full of kind people and great food, what more could you ask for?! Im guessing I will return to both of the countries at some point in the future.

And what has been going on in the past month? Well, of course I have been working. Rudy and I have been doing a lot together. It has become a fulfilling relationship and I have enjoyed my role as a mentor. We have done some fishing, watched movies, practiced using a computer and gone over some basic math skills. He was kind enough tostay at my house and take care of Moses while I was gone. I’m going to miss him when I leave. Other than working with Rudy I have been doing a lot of tutoring lately, which has been rewarding and fun. I have also begun the process of going through my things and beginning to get rid of things I will not be bringing back to the states. It is shocking how much stuff I have acquired over the past two years. Boxes of papers and magazines, books, dvds and so much random stuff. From glasses cases to nails and handsaws. I have a tough time getting rid of things. I always have that “I might need this again” mentality. Example: Im debating whether to get rid of my beard trimmer. I use it about once a month, but I can always get another one. Or things I have bought to hang on my walls. So unnecessary but such a part of my time here! I’m working my way through the morass!

BUT…the highlight of my month took place yesterday! THE ORANGE WALK FIESTARAMA DOG SHOW!!!!! Every August Orange Walk has a town festival. Whats it called you ask; Fiestarama! A ferris wheel and other equally worn out rides are brought into town. There are mud races, bodybuilding competitions, talent shows, food vendors, carnival games and the dog show. Now last year I saw the dog show but didn’t have Mo with me. Wasn’t gonna happen this year! Now when you think dog show I bet you get an image of something you’ve seen on animal planet. Gorgeous well behaved dogs being brushed before parading around a ring led by a well dressed handler. Oooohhh not here! Here it’s a bunch of tough looking guys with their meaty dogs pulling on oversized chains attempting to eat the competition. Here I am with Mo, who looks kinda confused about this whole process. It was set up in the stadium. There were twelve categories, none of this boring “working group” or “toys” or “sporting group” no no, The competition had 12 categories including most muscular, ugliest, best dressed, most obedient etc. All of the participants (about 40 dogs in total) Lined up around the basketball court. As each category was called the owners who wished to participate would bring their dog to the front. For example, I wouldn’t have brought Moses out for “smallest dog” or “ugliest dog” (far too handsome for that!) The whole thing was more of a game than a serious show. When most obedient was called Moses and I proudly stepped to the front along with a few other competitors. I was nervous but knew I had a secret weapon in the form of a hot dog in my pocket. (he likes his dawgs and will do anything for em!) We went through the routine…Sit, shake, lay down and finally ended with downward dog (yoga pose). It was great! Mo did everything the first time and I was super proud of him. Now I know these tricks arent anything all that incredible and many dogs in the states have no trouble with them and more, but here in Belize it’s a different story, most dogs are kept outside on chains and have little to no human interaction other than food and water. They are guard dogs, tools. So to see a dog doing simple tricks was a novelty. You shoulda heard the crowd cheer when Moses sank into downward dog!!! We went first, and after we finished the routine we turned around to see all the other competitors had decided not to compete against Mo’s formidable arsenal of 4 tricks. WINNER!! Moses also won most talented dog. We stepped forward and the announcer asked what Mo’s special talent was. “well, he can dance” I picked up his front legs and we worked a two step around the ring. This is one of his favorite games, and I never thought I would use it for anything other than diversion! Once again, the crowd loved it!!! We also competed in the tallest dog category and the owner-dog look alike contest. Now both he and I are skinny and with my hair and his long ears I think it fits. I had had my hair in a ponytail, and before I stepped out I took it down and got a good laugh from the crowd.

All said and done, Moses won two first place awards; Most Obedient and Most Talented and two runners up: look alike and tallest dog. For each first place we received a 52lb sack of pedigree dog food. For each second we got a 2kg (4.4lb) sack and a dog chain. Total winnings: 112.8 lbs of dog food. This is serious stuff here! That’s over $150 worth of dog food!!!! We also received two plaques. Pretty freakin awesome if I do say so myself! I had a great time and was lucky enough to have the support of a lot of friends. They took a bunch of pictures but for now Im not going to post, but I promise this week to sit down and do some serious posting of pics from the trip and the show.

So that’s whats been going on with me. Im down to a month and a half left of service and its pretty wild. I am going to travel for a bit afterwards, including almost two weeks with my Dad! That’s all for now!

Jake

Hello from sunny san juan del sur!!!

its only been a week and a half or so since i wrote but i feel like life has been moving at warp speed. Life in belize moves slowly. I have a routine and a program. I know when im waking up and about what time I will go to sleep. Gotta eat, work, walk the dog etc. Traveling is so different. It has been wonderful to get back into the swing of living out of a backpack and traveling. Last time I wrote I had just arrived in granada for a week of spanish classes. Granada was a lovely city and a wonderful place to spend a week. I would wake up every morning around 7, walk to a cafe and start the morning studying spanish over a cup of coffee. Class till noon and then i had the afternoons free. Sometimes I went to museums, others were spent browsing antique shops, wandering the gorgeous colonial streets and trying to get the exposure settings on my camera juuust right. It was pretty hard to take a bad picture. One afternoon i went to the cemetery. This was just as a thunderstorm blew through, soaking me to the bone and giving that wild eerie feeling. Nothing like watching lightning and hearing thunder while surrounded by marble statues of the virgin mary on top of nicaraguan presidents' graves. wild. I also checked out laguna de apoyo, one of the most crystal clear crater lakes (well, probably the only crater lake) i have ever seen.

I always knew i would love nica, and i have yet to be disappointed. I spent the past few days on Isla de ometepe. This, the largest freshwater lake island in the world, is possibly the closest thing to a paradise i have ever seen. The twin volcanic peaks of concepcion and maderas are constantly showing you different sides of themselves as the clouds swirl. Thirty thousand people make it relatively unpopulated, and there is an obvious effort to keep the island pristine and beautiful. The twenty or so km of paved roads are closer to cobblestones than asphalt, the rest is bumpy and rocky, full of stream crossings and covered in butterflies. I rented a dirtbike to circumnavigate the island. By far this has been the highlight of my trip. Taxing at times, controlling the bike on these roads was a task unto itself. I got to stop on empty volcanic sand beaches, visit tiny pueblos 40 miles from the nearest town, and take in mindblowing vista after vista. Truly special.

I have been keeping myself open on this trip, not making plans too far in advance and blowing with the wind. it has allowed me to meet a number of awesome people. I went hiking with a guy i met at an organic farm called finca magdalena. A little usesd and unmarked trail took us to a series of rock petroglyphs. I have been sleeping in my hammock and setting it up all over (THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!)

Yesterday I took the two hour trip from ometepe to san juan del sur. My seatmate had two piglets in her purse. I still dont know why and i dont really think she did either. San juan is a gorgeous beach town full of travelers, most with bleach blonde hair and a surfboard tucked under an arm. The sunsets are great and the food is overpriced. (i love that a $5 plate is overpriced!) My hostel is costing me 7 a night, which is steep for nica but RIGHT on the beach. I love it. I have been adopted by a few irish girls, who really like to sing while they drink beer. Makes me wonder why americans dont have songs to go along with our stouts. maybe ill bring it back. So i have been cooking my food rather than eating at restaurants. Today i went to the grocery store. I bought veggies, pasta and sauce, a pound of ground beef, bread, lunchmeat and oj. I spent $4. :) gotta love it!

So that brings us up to the present. Game plan for the next week....dunno!

lets go over some highlights of the trip:

-the view from the cathedral tower in granada

-finally understanding the imperfect tense in spanish

-$3 hostels run by a free love preaching 75 year old french african

-circumnavigating isla de ometepe

-san juan stylin

-swimming in laguna de apoyo and seeing a piece of pumice float by

-losing my wallet and then finding it three hours later (thank you lordy lord!)

-all the incredible people i have met along the way

Lowlights:

-bedbugs in my hostel in granada...there truly is nothing as disgusting....but thats about it!!!

-having to end the trip in a week or so.

Love it

jake

Its been a whirlwind three days since i left belize for honduras. I couldnt even tell you how many hours i have spent on a bus. Its been a bit of a whirlwind but i am now firmly planted in granada! I left on friday...took a two hour ferry from independence to puerto cortes. The border formalities were a clustereff, the customs official collected our passports in a plastic grocery bag and drove off. Evidently we were supposed to know that the office was a cabride away. So i joined another group and around 20 of us piled into the back of a pickup for the 3 mile jaunt. From there it was on to san pedro sula and then a lil place called comayagua. Comayagua is the original colonial capital of honduras, and posesses the oldest clock in the americas. It was built by the moors in something like 1100 and regaloed to honduras by the king of spain. Its a pretty unassuming thing, stuck on the side of a 400 year old cathedral. The people there are understandably proud of it, and made sure i saw it...twice. So yea, stayed in a pretty grim hotel, had some beers with a few army people from the us base a few miles away and chatted with the owner of the cafe. This dude was the former boss of Belize Airways (now defunct) and had an office full of news clippings of him with all the big names in belize, from barry bowen to george price. He had boats, he had factories, he had airplanes etc. I could go on...he did ;) Im guessing he also had his hands in some unsavory stuff, he had that look, gold chain, shirt open to bellybutton, escobaresque moustache etc. I was thoroughly entertained.

Day 2; I only made it as far as tegucigalpa, where, while watching the US football game i met Angel Gabriel. Another character. seems like honduras is full of em. I cant say enough about the people of honduras. Everyone was so kind. From buying a beer to Angel opening his home to me. First he invited me back for a meal. Sure. It turned into "you must stay at my house" sure. They lived at the top of a hill in the barrio known as las palmas. the walk there was a muddy one, the dirt streets looking more like r

Day 2; I only made it as far as tegucigalpa, where, while watching the US football game i met Angel Gabriel. Another character. seems like honduras is full of em. I cant say enough about the people of honduras. Everyone was so kind. From buying a beer to Angel opening his home to me. First he invited me back for a meal. Sure. It turned into "you must stay at my house" sure. They lived at the top of a hill in the barrio known as las palmas. the walk there was a muddy one, the dirt streets looking more like rivers of mud as the rain was pouring down. I have been through latin american cities before, but never had the opportunity to stay in what could only be called a slum. It was fantastic. We ate fried chicken, beans, eggs, tortillas and cheese (for the record, honduras has the best fried chicken i have ever tasted). I spent the night on their porch, on a foldup bed. It couldnt have been better. Such an amazing opportunity to see a part of tegus that is often overlooked.

day 3

today has been all about travel. I woke up at five, walked to a gas station to catch a bus, met some guys who really wanted me to have a beer with them (530 in the morning was a bit early even for me. ) I patched things up when i accepted their offer to pay for my passage to danli. Its been things like that for the past few days. Just flat out kindness. I cant say enough how impressed i am with the people in honduras. So I took a rapidito (tiny bus that goes way too fast in the rain) from tegus to danli, the cigar capital of hond. from there it was on to paraiso, then the border at las manos, another chicken bus to ocotal (we are in nica now) four hours to managua and finally another hour and a half to granada. Left tegus at 610 am, arrived at 550pm. Read an entire book, made friends with my seatmates, drank coffee with a couple of young ladies who insisted i translate their texts into english and wore a saddle sore in my bum from all the sitting.

Im looking forward to starting my spanish class tomorrow, but righ now its time to find a good place to eat!!!

more to come.

hope alls well!

note from the next day...

the internet went out just before i could post this. ive had a great first day of class and am already loving granada!!!!

Well folks...I am two days away from setting off for unknown parts of the world. unknown to me at least! This friday I will be leaving Belize and heading to honduras and nicaragua. As of right now the only thing I have planned is a one week intensive spanish class in the lovely colonial city of Granada. Other than the amazing food, views of Lago Nicaragua and volcan mombacho, stunning colonial architecture and supposedly rockin scene (im so hip, i know), the city also has a wild history full of lootings and burnings and sackings and disasters. Capt. Henry Morgan (he of captain morgan's rum fame) nailed the city 3 times...using canoes. I have been cultivating the pirate look lately, long hair, beard, minimal showers etc, maybe ill be mistaken for a buccaneer and the ladies will just give up the booty! (sorry momma, couldnt resist :)

I am taking a different tack this trip. Rather than trying to hurry through my three weeks I will be spending 1/3 of the trip in one place. Nicaragua, granada especially, has always been on my radar and i am looking forward to exploring it in depth! Im also branching out from my comfort zone and not planning anything past my first week. Now, i have read the guidebooks and talked to people and IDed some of the places I would like to see, but nothing is set in stone.

So off i go, pack upon my back, money and copies of important documents stowed in secret places, iodine tabs at the ready and my fingers wrapped around the neck of adventure!

yahoooo!!!!

jake

I have lived in Belize for twenty two months. My journey through peace corps is nearing its end. i can feel my mindset shifting. "what next" has become less of a hypothetical question. I am quickly losing the luxury to look at it rhetorically. yesterday i traveled from Placencia to Orange Walk via water taxi, bus and hitch. I left the beach at 10AM and arrived home at 7. travel in belize is pretty straightforward but that doesnt mean its easy. My travel bag forever holds a book, my ipod, water and a snack. As I sat at one of my many bus stops i watched a couple of tourists, sweaty and impatient as they waited for our ride. i was and lately have been struck by how much this experience has changed me. I have mellowed out in ways i never thought an east coast boy could. I am more content with here and now, with who i am and what moves me. I am still learning, and dont plan to stop anytime soon, but the juxtaposition of then and now has hit me with the force of a sledgehammer. what a roller coaster this experience has been. with just a few short months left on my peace corps service i feel like my eyes are opening wider and wider. I am seeing so much more, and I am seeing it in more detail, from the bullet trees that line my river to the sound of waves on the beach. I am proud of myself, proud of the service I am giving, and so thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow along the way.

On the dive boat with Poppa Bear!

Always good to see you brother!

Mom and Dad in the pool

Two of my three animals panting through the heat of the day!

Happy June to all!

I TOLD YOU IT WAS HOT!!!

Whaddaya think of the new hairdo??

How bout an update, no?!

I cant believe its already June. Time seems to quietly slip by in Belize. Here, nature does not tell you the season. We do not have a winter full of hats and scarves and mugs of cocoa by the fire. There is no spring bloom progressing to a warm summer of camping and bbqs. No, Belize is much more subtle. Our version of winter sees temperatures dropping to the mid 60’s (pretty cold in an uninsulated house!) And I know summer is here when the mango tree branches droop with golden fruit. Summer is hot and sticky and rainy here. Pretty similar to DC in August. I find myself missing the change of seasons, but Belize has made me more in tune with mother nature’s more subtle hints. The first rains of the season turn the dirt roads into mud. The river rises a couple of feet and the baby parrots born in April test their wings over my head. The mosquitos are a big indicator too. When the daily rain stops the pools of water left behind are a breeding paradise. I Step by the river and am assaulted by the little beasts! Bug spray doesn’t stop them…I have this fantasy that they smell me, look at their buddy and say “he wore perfume for us!”

I digress…

For almost two years I have lived in a tropical land. Belize has a constancy that I have not experienced in more temperate environs. I like that I can wake up every day and know that the sun will shine. My schedule has changed as well. I wake up much earlier. My major projects; cleaning the house, chopping the yard, washing clothes, exercising etc must be done before the heat of the day sets in. Yesterday I fixed my gate. I woke up at 530 and was hard at work by six, with the temperature already 88 degrees. By the time I was finished around 8 the temperature had risen to over 100. It is 9:19 right now and we have already reached 104. In the states we acknowledge what the weather is doing and continue with our same routine. It does not matter if it is 90 degrees or nine, raining, snowing or sunny. It takes a severe storm or an especially oppressive day to make us notice. Not so in Belize. In Belize the hours between 11-3 are spent moving from one area of shade to the next. Days start early and end early. When I arrived in country I would sleep till 8 or 9 on the weekends. No more. There is something distinctly unpleasant about waking up to a pool of sweat in your sheets! Before Central America I had no idea how much I loved the early mornings and late afternoons.

All this being said, projects don’t stop just cause its hot. If I have to make a presentation on the other side of town I bring two shirts, one for the bike ride over and one for the presentation. Sweating is not rude here, it’s a way of life! : )

Enough about the heat…lets talk about whats been goin on here!

Two weeks ago Belize was honored by the second coming of my family. (I thought about rephrasing that sentence, sounds vaguely religious but lets leave it!) Dad, Mom and Joshie returned to visit me! Last time my parents came we spent it touring mainland Belize. This was a different trip. We wanted to see the underwater world and therefore met on Turneffe Island Resort, a private island dive operation about 35 miles off the coast of Belize. I had a wonderful time from start to finish. Josh and I shared a cabana of floor to ceiling polished mahogany. My bed had a mosquito net that made me feel like a princess. Every morning I would wake up and walk out to the screened in porch. Coffee would be waiting for me and I would greet the day with a cupajoe, a book and a comfy rocking chair. Pretty spectacular. Breakfast followed. Would I like an omelet? Yes I would! What do I want in it? Bacon or sausage? Both?? Sweet!

Then there was the diving. I have not seen a reef so healthy in a long long time. Most of the diving was on sloping walls with large outlying coral heads. I did not see as much small fish life as I expected but the larger marine life was both abundant and quite friendly! I saw turtles on each of my first seven dives. Spotted eagle rays, gigantic schools of Jacks, barracuda, grouper, bull sharks, nurse sharks, crabs etc. It was all there! One of my favorite dives involved a pod of dolphins that hung with us for most of the dive. One moment in particular stands out. I was a short distance away from the rest of the group when the pod swung by. One particularly pretty dolphin branched off from the rest and headed towards me. She got within ten feet and seemed to hang out for what felt like forever, eyeing me. (if only I had this effect on human women!) They stayed around us for our safety stop, and once Josh and I dropped off our tanks we redonned our masks and fins and swam with the pod for another ten or so minutes. Absolutely spectacular!

So our days were spent diving and napping and catching up with family. Meals were raucous all you can eat affairs and the nights were passed playing glow in the dark bocce ball and having hermit crab races. My crab, War Pig, won me a shot of Jack Daniels. He got a piece of lettuce as a reward. As a family we dove the Blue Hole, one of the more incredible and surreal dives of my life. I could not have asked for a better vacation or better time with the people I love. Saying goodbye was hard, but it is good to know that I will be seeing my family again soon. My last dive was as close to perfect as possible. Near the end I saw a massive turtle heading in my direction about six feet below me. I dropped down to his level, turned, and with my hands clasped behind my back the two of us swam side by side for a bit. Time seemed to stop as this beautiful creature and I moved through the water together. It was one of those moments in which time stopped. An amazing ending to a truly special trip.

Less than a week after my family visit I traveled to Belmopan to witness the swearing in of the next group of Peace Corps Belize. The ceremony was held under a tent at the Governor General’s house. It brought back all sorts of memories. I remember holding up my right hand and repeating the oath, the feeling of elation after a year of applications, medical reviews and trainings. The new group seems positive and quite pleased to be here. I am so excited for them to experience Belize in ways similar to what I have. The evening reception was held at the home of the US Ambassador to Belize. Lovely. Warm But Lovely. All the volunteers were dressed to the nines and the red wine was a welcome change from Belikin. I am proud of the new volunteers and the further along in my service I get the more honored I feel to be a part of Peace Corps Belize. I wish them luck and happiness and a good fan!

Those of you who are regular readers of my blog may remember Rudy, a young man and good friend of mine from my days in Carmelita Village. I am happy and proud to say that with your support Rudy will be attending high school. Rudy has been accepted to New Hope High School in Orange Walk Town. Just yesterday I visited the school and gave them the money we have raised for his education. Thanks to your support Rudy will not only be able to attend high school, but he will also receive all books, two uniforms, and even a hot lunch every day. I wish each of you could be here to see Rudy realize his future is secure. He has told me before that sometimes he does not have enough money to eat, and to know that five days a week he will attend school and be provided a nutritious meal makes me so happy. Together we have changed this young man’s life. Its an overwhelming feeling for me. Thank you so much for taking the time to read, letting Rudy’s story touch you and taking that next step to help someone make a better future for themselves.

　

Well, I must continue with my day. On deck: wash the dishes, sweep the house, give the dog a bath. I have an hour before I am picked up and I spend the next couple of hours assisting in a “Meals On Wheels” program here in Orange Walk. I have found a lady who provides weekly lunches to the elderly, the poor and those without the means to provide for themselves. I am enjoying the project and the opportunity to interact with new people who are genuinely appreciative of what we are doing. Happy June everybody, may this month be a good one, full of fresh avocado, juicy mangoes and fulfilling times with friends and family.

Until next time

Jake

Happy, showered and with another notch on the belt after the hike!

Rion filling up at a stream

Check out the size of this stump!!!

Team Summit!!!

The view from the top as the clouds rolled in

This is the peak beside victoria. The mist would hide the peak and then it would appear like a ghost ship on the sea.

Almost to the top!!!

On the way up

The view from about 500 ft below the top

The lil waterfall at 19km

the view from km 17, Victoria is the 2nd from left.

Another view from 17km. the mountains to the right look taller, but this is only bc they are closer!

3,600 feet. Doesn’t sound like a lot, does it? I used to live in a town that was 5300 feet above sea level. I would routinely go snowboarding at slopes that reached 12000 feet in elevation. I have climbed tall mountains and I have lived at altitude. These were the thoughts that ran through my head when I decided to climb Victoria Peak. I was excited to go camping, looking forward to spending time hiking in Belize. Four days skipping through the forest with a pack on my back?? Sign me up! Lets just say it wasn’t the cakewalk I was expecting. Victoria Peak is located in the Stann Creek district, deep within Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Reserve. On a clear day you can see the mountain peaks poking above the clouds all the way from the Caribbean Sea. I left Orange Walk Town around noon for the 5 hour bus ride south and reached Maya Center, the closest town, at 5:15. The reserve is located about 9km past the village. My two choices were to spend $40BZ ($20US) to taxi in, or hike. I hiked. The road was relatively level, jungle on both sides. No problem. Until it got dark. It only took a few sounds to remind me that I was hiking alone, at night, through a part of the country that had been set aside for jaguars. I felt rather naked! It took about 2 hours to reach the reserve visitors center where I met up with the rest of my group. We spent a mellow night in the campground, all geared up to get moving at 6am the next morning. Day 2In keeping with the Belizean tradition of “say one time show up 45 minutes later” Our guide popped in and we set off. The first 12 km were mellow. No serious hills. Our group consisted of six Peace Corps Volunteers, a British volunteer and a Belgian backpacker. We were hiking through jungle terrain, running across spider monkeys and assorted birds. The trail was well defined and we were the only people around. It wasn’t until we passed one of the two designated campsites (at km 12) that the trail got serious. Evidently they don’t believe in switchbacks here. Straight up or straight down. Climb the mountain, descend the backside, trying not to catch a foot on a root and go for a tumble. In every valley there was a picturesque lil creek just waiting to keep me hydrated. The toughest hill was at km 17. A solid kilometer of straight up had me soaked in sweat and panting. At the top the rangers had cleared an emergency helicopter landing pad. I hadn’t really thought about the push for the summit until I stepped into the clearing and saw my first clear view of the peak. More than 10k away and quite a few km up it was a sobering sight. (“we’re climbing that tomorrow?? Shiiiittt”) Our camp was about 2k past the hill at 17. I got in early, set up my tent and went for a dip under a sweet lil waterfall. There are few things in the world that feel as good as dropping your pack after a long hike and walking around camp. I took off my shoes and slipped on my flip flops. Ahhh! Ate some (a lot) of food, stared at the fire in a stupor and crashed out before 830. Day 3The morning came early, 4 AM. The first uphill came quickly too. Straight out of camp we went up. And up. And up. Ugh. Stiff muscles, head still foggy from sleep, and a belly full overly full of Raisin Bran made Jakey an unhappy camper. The up/down continued until we reached the base of the peak. Quickly the trail changed from hard packed dirt to tv sized boulders covered in a slick moss. A couple hours of slipping upwards had me exhausted and sweaty (again). The final push goes from bouldering to scrambling. 75-85 degree slopes made me think about where to put my hands and feet. I had a few slips and scares, but every time I turned around and saw the view behind I was spurred on. I finally made it to the top at around 930AM. I had about 30 seconds of crystal clear views before the fog and clouds came sweeping in, turning the summit into an island socked in by white. Of course I was a bit disappointed there was no view, but I was so giddy with summit excitement that it really didn’t matter. A snack, a few photo ops and a bit of chill time took us to the descent. Much tougher. Those same rocks that I scrambled up a few hours earlier were nearly my undoing. I felt like I was always one mistake away from serious injury. My feet would slip and the only thing that kept me upright would be a thin branch that I had grabbed for support. Going up may be harder on your body but going down works the body and the mind!!! Of the 8 who had joined the expedition only 5 of us had made the summit. Back at camp we picked up the others and set off for km 12. By making the summit day the hardest we ensured we would all be able to make it home the next day, Monday. The last 7km (19-12) I hiked with my good buddy Rion. Also in the Peace Corps, he lives in San Antonio village, Toledo district. (you may remember San Antonio from pics I put up about a year and half ago. Always full of energy, Rion was a great hiking partner. Our quick pace allowed us to stop and take a break at the top of every mini peak along the way. By the end of the day we were positively slaphappy, giggling about nothing, taking random pictures and generally acting like hikers who had spent a bit too much time bouncing around in the mountains. Once we reached camp we threw down our packs and made a beeline for the river, where we sat for at least an hour, soaking. Dinner. Chatting. Bed. Day 4:The final day was the quick 12k push from camp to the visitors center. I can’t speak for the rest of the group but I sure was glad to be done hiking! Its been a day since I have finished the trek, and I am still riding the adrenaline high from the trip. It was a serious endeavor and my body is feeling it! Walking up and down the stairs to my house reminds me that I hiked more than 40 miles in four days. The heat combined with the uphill/downhill nature of the hike made Victoria Peak interesting and challenging. I am proud to say that I have stood on the top of Belize!!!

One of my favorite parts about where I live is the river. the new river to be specific. Every morning Moses and I wake up, make our coffee and take a stroll down to the water. This is what we see...enjoy!

Looking across. I have seen a number of crocs sunning on that log in the middle of the photo.

Moses hammin it up

Downed leaves and a solid canopy make this one of my favorite reading spots.

My good friend Orlando's cabin. Nothin better than sunset on the porch over here!

Its not easy to get Puppo to sit patiently, much less actually look at the camera!

The river's only traffic are boats to the Lamanai ruins and Sugarcane barges pulled by tugboats.

Purdy flowers, silly boy.

Moses pauses before taking off on a mad dash to chase an iguana.

This is a bullet tree. The banks of the New River are filled with em. the wood is very hard and is often used to make furniture.

"Hi I'm Rudy!"

Rudy's High School application forms. He is applying to Muffles College High School, New Hope High School and Orange Walk Technical High School

Rudy and me. He's working on the applications and I am tying the very message you are about to read.

I have known Rudy since I moved to Carmelita. He was my next door neighbor for over a year. Despite the fact that I have since moved six miles away to Orange Walk we have continued to stay in contact. When we first met, Rudy was a tall kid, 15 years old, knees and elbows and a very serious demeanor. If you believe in "old souls" Rudy is one. Whenever I would go out of town I would ask Rudy to stay at my house and keep an eye on things. It was great for me because I had someone I could trust staying at my house and watching my dog, Moses. For Rudy, it was an opportunity to relax on a couch, watch dvds and use an indoor bathroom. We always got along well, how could you not when dealing with someone as courteous as Rudy. "Mr Jacob, can I please take one or four mangoes from your tree?" When I first moved in I ripped up my old marley (like thin linoleum) and he asked if he could have the scraps. "sure" I said, "but why?" "They will be very good for patching the holes in my house." Rudy lives in a house made from scrap plywood, pimenta sticks and a tin roof. The floor is hard packed dirt and electricity comes via extension cord from next door.

It hasn't been an easy run for Rudy. He was born in Belize and spent the first four years of his life in Guatemala. His mother died when he was 12 and he immediately assumed all home duties. His father was in and out of the picture, only emerging to snatch whatever Rudy had managed to save, spend it all on drink and fight with Rudy's older brother. On more than one occasion Rudy would run to my house and ask me to call the police or to see if I had a bandage after one family member had slashed another with a machete. Rudy's father is currently in prison, and will be there for the indefinite future. His older brother has disappeared and his two younger siblings are living with relatives. At 16 years old Rudy is 100% on his own. He is taking care of his family's land in Carmelita, he works before school, after school and on the weekends just to eat. When things are especially tough he sometimes has to miss school for work. Despite all this, Rudy is currently ranked Sixth out of Sixteen students in his Standard VI class.

Ever since I knew Rudy he has talked about wanting to go to High School, but knowing that it was probably not possible. "Well, I do not have the money, so probably I will start to work" he would say. "If you could go to high school would you?" I would ask. "Oh yes, but from where could I get the money?"

I have never done anything like this through my blog; just asked if people would be willing to give to someone they most likely will never meet. Rudy and I plan on setting up a bank account in Orange Walk that would be only and exclusively for sending him to high school. Even as I write Rudy is sitting beside me filling out HS application forms. In Belize your primary education is free. If you wish to go beyond standard IV (about 8th grade) youre essentially on your own. School fees run about $700BZ ($350 US dollars) This includes tuition, registration, activity fees (labs, ID, sports). He says he would like to be an accountant, or work at a bank.

So, without sounding too much like one of those infomercials I'll close by saying that working together we can have an opportunity to help a sixteen year old continue his education and better himself.

If you are at all interested in helping Rudy please email me at

Jacob.Hafkin@gmail.com

and please forward this message on to anyone else that you think would be willing to help

thanks!

Jake & Rudy

Lindsay peeking out

Market day in Cayo

I know, im so epic.

This is in Guanacaste National Park...the confluence of Roaring Creek and the river

The golden lighting of sunset makes this a classic image of Belize for me.

El Castillo at Xunantunich, a mayan ruin in the Cayo District. It is 130 feet high and being built on a hilltop it towers more than 250 feet above the surrounding valleys

Lindsay strikes a pose on the way up.

Our campsite as the sun was setting. Pretty much perfect.

A wild art project in the woods at Poustinia. The place wild...the bastard love child of jungle and modern art

Another art project. I came across this one while looking for a bathroom spot. I was hiking up the hill and looked up to see Mr. Tree from less than 10 feet away. His face was about 6 feet tall and was definitely a surprise!

In the shallows of Caye Caulker...way to protect yourself from the sun Sis!

he looks like a pro, No?!

Danny Boy and me on our way to Hol Chan Marine Reserve to dive with sharks, turtles lobsters, rays, fishies and coral (oh my!)

Bridget enjoyed making friends with a starfish

Bridget and Daniel strike a pose on their way up the High Temple, Lamanai

Hey all! Lets start this post off by saying, once again, that its been too long since I have written up here. Alot has been going on! I have been rolling all over the country, from Caye Caulker to Placencia to Belmopan, Bermudan Landing and Burrell Boom. I even hit up a few National Parks; Guanacaste and St. Hermann's Blue Hole. It truly has been a fantastic month!

A little over a month ago I had a long awaited visit from my sister and brother in law. We got to spend eight days catching up and relaxing and touring etc. The very first day they flew in and were immediately introduced to Belize the right way...standing up in a crowded bus as reggae music blared locals stared and the three pale gringos with so much luggage :) The first few days were spent rolling around Orange Walk, visiting Lamanai (the sweet ruins just an hours boat ride away from my house!) They got to meet Moses and were so wonderfully complimentary on how clean and organized my house is (...right...) The second night they were in town we had a party/ceremony for the ladies of my computer class who were graduating. Not only was it great fun but I was so pleased that it coincided with B&D's visit! It really felt like they got to see a big piece of what I am doing here in Belize. Despite the fact that Orange Walk is such a tourist mecca we decided to head out of town and enjoy the relative comforts of Caye Caulker. It was great to take them to a place that I know so well. Good restaurants, reading books by the pool and other such luxury was enjoyed by the two weary travellers while the peace corps volunteer tried in vain to keep the hot showers under half an hour. Daniel and I got to do some diving, which was wonderful (well done on the teaching Pops, he looks good!) The water was fairly cold being Feb (81 degrees! BRRRR!) Too bad Daniel had been given my wetsuit! It was truly special to have the opportunity to hang out with B and D on my turf...to have the opportunity to be the guide when so often my sister, being 10 years older than me, has been in the lead. Having been a PC volunteer herself it was an opportunity to compare/contrast our two services. She served in West Africa, a very different place from Belize. She has teased me about my posh existence but after the visit I think the perspective has shifted a bit and more comparisons can be seen! All in all a great visit and I think that they left more relaxed and comfortable and with a better understanding of my projects, my home and my lifestyle

A house nearby. The classic Belizian colonial

Right alongside the river this ol place used to be a bar. Now squatters live upstairs and wash their clothes in the river just behind.

The view through the trees to my house

Another neighbor's place. There is always something blooming in his yard.

Me and Mo on the back porch

A local fisherman displays his catch

Concrete house, zinc roof, clothes drying on the line, a giant mango tree and a rainbow. THIS is Orange Walk.

Im sitting outside my house on a bench built from wood harvested within miles of where I sit. The boards were planed at the backyard sawmill just down the street. Its not very comfortable. It was my first time building anything more than a shelf and there are some key design flaws. The back slats are spaced too far apart and I didn’t leave enough space for my butt. The sum of the parts leads to one of those seats that is initially quite comfortable, but the longer you sit the higher your discomfort.

My ears are assaulted from every direction. The little cassette radio on the shelf inside my house struggles to push out the hard reggae beat. Its not enough to drown out Rhianna from a neighbor (she likes the same CD and is quite convinced that the best way to accompany is to sing loudly and off key.) Then there’s the guy who lives behind me. A classic image of Belize, shirtless, poorly and copiously tattooed and smoking a cigarette on his porch as reggaeton blasts out of monstrous speakers. Why such a system for that little board house?! The thing can’t be much bigger than your average Uhaul! This said, with its green paint and brown trim it’s a cute lil place. Every few minutes one acquaintance or another will roll by. “Tardes” or “aftanoon”, sometimes just a head nod. All who pass his little part of the street acknowledge him in some way.

There’s also the roosters, cock-a-doodle-dooing all hours of the day, they must’ve missed the childhood stories that said they’re only supposed to make noise at dawn. Every few minutes a dog somewhere around the neighborhood will start barking. Ill hear one start, a few more pick up the call and then it becomes inevitable; Moses, he of the howl will stagger up from whatever dream had his legs twitching and calmly march himself outside. Does he gauge when to join in? A few growls then “AAAAAHHHHWOOOOOOO” “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” “WOOOOOO” it’s a foghorn of a bark. A call to arms. The lady with the vegetable stand, more than two blocks away, often tells me she heard my dog this morning. Thank God there’s no concept of noise pollution in this country!

it’s a vibrant place to live. Just outside Orange Walk Town its not quite suburb not quite urban. The streets are dirt but my garbage gets picked up. Two story concrete homes stand next to huts made of zinc roofing and plywood. Its an area where dogs and chickens roam freely and kids walk barefoot. In a walk around the block you will hear English, Kriol, Mopan Maya, Mandarin Chinese but mostly Spanish. We can stop and talk to Freddy, a woodcarver with seven teeth and doors of zericote wood upon which flora and fauna have been carved. He’ll undoubtedly invite us in for a drink, but being 10AM I think we should politely refuse. Next stop, Sonia Mini Tienda. You get to watch Sonia, a hefty lady from El Salvador berate me for my skinny frame and make me promise to come get some Pupusas from her this weekend when she’s selling. She’s crafty, she makes me think about her food two days before the grill is even out. Next stop, Big Momma’s place. Lunch. Yes, she gave you too much food. Yes, she would be offended if you didn’t eat it all. And yes, that is a chicken foot on your plate. Enjoy!

The dominant features of my neighborhood are trees and sky. Giant coconut palms brush against each other in that classic Caribbean stereotype. The mango and plum trees also grow huge. Any time of year a walk around this mini town can provide you with something to munch on. Plums are tasty, even moreso when mixed with sugar and sweetened condensed milk (what isn’t though) Oranges are cut in half and the juice sucked out after sprinkling a little salt and red pepper on top. Even the mangoes, as perfect a fruit as nature could make, is not safe from the hot sauce. I could reach out and pick a papaya from the tree growing next to my porch. A few short steps into the yard puts me in contact with Sour Orange, Jamaican Lime and Cashew. The sky is always blue, the sun rises on one porch and sets on the other. The clouds are those massive cumulous cotton balls that just seem to hang in the sky.

How can it be that I live just minutes from town yet life is so basic here?! Lawns are still chopped by hand; shirtless and sweaty, machete hissing as it cuts the grass. Next door they still pull their water up from a well. Every other family uses an outhouse for their bathroom needs and there sure as hell isn’t hot water! We may have built ourselves homes with doors that lock but outside is still inside. When it starts raining I run around like a madman to close the shutters. The one time I left em open only the tv and bed got soaked. (at least its nothing important right?!) Dust blows into my house at an alarming rate. Sweeping every day will net you a pile of dirt that would make Martha Stewart squirm. People back home snicker when I tell them how cold it was last night (62 degrees!!!) Go ahead, laugh if you want…lets see how comfortable you are when we walk a mile in 95 degrees. My body has adjusted to the heat of Belize but the houses aren’t insulated and anything below 75 sends me running for a hoodie. My dishes are washed in a bucket and my clothes dry on a line…and after that I can head into my house and watch cable tv. Its an odd combination of primitive and modern, and most days I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Death is a tough thing to wrap your head around. The idea of "here one day gone tomorrow" may be a part of life (or not as the case may be...) But that doesnt mean it necessarily always makes sense. People in Belize look at death in a different way than I am used to. This morning I was sitting in my chair, drinking my coffee and reading Harry Potter (book six...it rocks) When my downstairs neighbor, three year old Osiel walks into my house. He doesnt necessarily want or need anything, more of just a "hiya!" visit. Maybe he wanted to show me how he was able to work banana into his hair at 7am. So anyway we're chatting away and I ask him what happened to his puppy (the one named "U", shes in a picture with Moses from my last blog entry). "ella se murio". She died. "QUE?! CUANDO?! POR QUE?!" I ask. He shrugs his shoulders and then proceeds to offer me a bite of his banana. It makes me sad. This little puppy with her stubby tail was always eager to come hang out in my house, bite my toes and generally wreak havoc. I would have to kick her out every night. "You're not my puppy" I would tell her. Yes I would feed her, and yeah she came with me and Mo to the river every morning, but she wasn't my dog. All this said I feel like I lost a dog. You can make a dog listen to you, make a dog spend time with you but this little girlie was always about as excited as she could possibly have been whenever I came home. Nothing made her happier than a belly rub.

Osiel's nonchalant attitude towards death seems to be representative of the general mentality in this country. When there is a car accident people dont ask "did anyone get hurt?" but rather "how many died". A wake is a social event where the mourning family serves overly sweet coffee and cheese spread sandwiches with the crust cut off. Go over to someone's house and it wont take long before you are looking through a stack of faded pictures of the family. Pretty soon you will come across a picture of a family member crouched next to a coffin full o grandma. Taking pictures with the deceased is entirely common and unsurprising here, and it blew my mind! I dont know if the mentality is necessarily healthier or unhealthy, just different.

When I finish this blog I will go home and make lunch. As I make lunch Ill be listening to the radio. Love FM (i think its broadcast on the internet too, yall can check it out) Right around 12 the news will come on. Some headlines, some politics, some weather and then the death announcements. This real sad funeral parlour music will warble out of the speaker and a gentleman whose voice was made for exactly what he is doing will start announcing who passed away since noon of yesterday. Mind you this is a nationally broadcast radio station. Its crazy that this country is that small that a regular person's death is announced over the news. Instead of saying "born April 20, 1950 Died January 17 2010" The dude will say "Sunrise April 20, 1950, Sunset January 17, 2010". Its a different touch to say the least.

I feel like I have been around death alot more this past year than I had before belize. Whether it be a dead dog on the side of the road, a wake in the village, car accidents with multiple fatalities etc. Death is a much more visible part of the fabric of life in a country like Belize. Once again, not a bad thing, just different and worth a mention.

Till next time

Jacob

Pics above:

1. Kevin (another vol) and myself in an abandoned car in crooked tree

2. Moses tying on my yarmulke. He makes a good jew even if he isnt yet snipped

3. My remedial reading program at the library. As you can see i dressed up for the pic!

4. I played Santa. I scared the hell out of some little kids. Entertainment abounds

5. For some reason I keep teefin peoples' fedoras for pics. Dunno.

Next batch:

1. Volunteer Sam and me in Playa del Carmen

2. Moses and his new friend "U" (yes, they actually named their dog "U".)

3. Me with my new Guatemalan family. Spent a weekend with them in Caye Caulker

4. The view from my front porch right after the rain. Purdy Rainbow!

5. Same porch, same pooch different collar!

So i know the descriptions for the pics may not be in order with how the pics are posted, maybe backwards or something. Try to piece it together and figure out which goes with which. There is no prize for getting it right other than the satisfaction of having a better idea of how i live my life!

Till next time!

Jake

I know I know! Almost two months since I last posted. No excuses but here are a few explanations: I have been crazy busy these past few months. I am working something like 40 hours a week when I total up all my projects. Its great and I like feeling busy but sometimes a bit exhausting. I also managed to lose my computer power cord somewhere along the line. A bit of a bummer but it should be relatively easy to find a new one when I get around to it :) (until then no new pics...sorry!)

I remember when I started out in Peace Corps and everything was strange and new and different. I would post little anecdotes and drop tidbits of information about Belize and my life. I guess that after being here for almost a year and a half I forget that the random sights, sounds and events are not so commonplace for everyone else. For instance, watching a 90 yo mayan woman squat and pee at the bus station while blowing a snot rocket didnt even make me double take. Or what about the way Orange Walk celebrated christmas; the distilleries all competed to see who could give out more free rum. Both roads were blocked off, not by wooden barriers but rather because so many men were passed out right in the middle of the street. It didnt even cross my mind that that was strange (granted I stayed away from there!)

So yes, one of my goals for this new year is to continue to keep my eyes open to the things that are so strange and different from where I come from. I find myself recommitted to my time here in Belize. I cannot believe that I will be leaving belize in 9 months. For a long time I was counting down the months and days, having a hard time here. THings have changed. My work may not be something I would want to do for the rest of my life, but it is fufilling and enjoyable. My social life is fun! Living in town I have met all sorts of interesting and enjoyable Belizians and foreigners with whom I can spend my nights and off days. Im good here in Belize. All that being said, being the kind of guy I am...always looking for the next adventure I find myself brainstorming on what comes next in the life of Jacob. I feel like the whole world is open to me. Grad school is on the horizon for fall of 2011, so after peace corps I will have almost an entire year to work, travel, play and knock off a few of the bucket list items. One thing I'm thinking about is buying a pickup here in belize and returning to the states overland. I've got this great image of driving a beater truck with Moses' head out the passenger window, ears flappin in the wind :) Momma bear's only requirement is that I make it home for thanksgiving!

I also have alot to look forward to in the next few months!!! Its less than a month before my sister and brother in law come down for a visit! This will be their first time in Belize and I can't wait to see em. Sissy is all about planning the hotels and the route and so on...guess one of us needs to think in advance! I think we will be doing caye caulker and rockin the beach as well as some mayan ruins. You know, surf and turf?! I have never been in the place of being a guide for Bridget, and Im psyched to show her my adopted home. Then feb. will be all volunteer conference. Its alot of sessions and overly detailed information but I like getting to spend a few nights with all of Peace Corps. My new years trip to playa del carmen was the first time I had seen some of my friends since august! (for the record, that trip was epic) March will be bringing some fun, I am planning on climbing Victoria Peak, the highest mtn in belize at 1120meters (3600ish feet) Its not super high but evidently it can be a bitch to summit.

I have also thought about combining that trip down to southern belize with a venture out to either nicaragua or el salvador. Both countries are fascinating to me (colonial cities, black sand beaches, great surf and other such amazingness?? YES PLEASE!) We shall see how funds are stacking up by that point.

Finally (well not last, but for now its one of the other events I am looking forward to) Mom, Dad and Lil bro Josh will be coming down in either may or june for a dive trip! Hopefully by then I will have completed my divemaster (oh yeah, im doing that too, tee hee!) and we will rock out the blue hole and maybe even get lucky and finally see a whale shark!!! Now if I see one before you, Mom, I promise to close my eyes...i know how jealous you get!

All in all, I like where things are heading, the changes that have gone down in my life these past few months have been pretty heavy and they could have knocked me down. Instead I am seeing my life and my options opening up in wonderful and new ways.

I AINT TRAPPED....IM FREE!

until next time...

Jacob

So here are a few pictures that have been taken in the past few months...no theme or rhyme or reason.

Its been a month since my last post. I think I'm getting worse at doing this whole blog thing on a regularlike basis. Sorry. Things have been moving at a pretty quick pace lately. Its good, it keeps me busy! I am sitting in the computer lab typing as the five ladies in my intermediate class work on a typing program. (for those of you in the know its called Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing) Its a pretty decent program but now that the ladies are comfortable with it they don't really need my help for the first hour. Guess my chickies are leaving the nest?? Yeah no, that sounds weird :) Buut anyways...what have I been up to lately other than work you ask?? Well...lesseee... Last month I went back to Asheville for Susannah's birthday. It was supposed to be a surprise but lets be honest, I stink at keeping secrets. I'm like a little kid, "I have a secret but im not gunna tell youuuuu!" Yeah it came out. No popping up at her door outta nowhere. But thats ok, it let us both enjoy the anticipation. It was a short trip, only four days, But absolute magic the entire time. Got to eat at 12 Bones, drive on the parkway, enjoy cold weather, check out the fall leaf colors. I loved it! Being back in Asheville was instantly familiar and I was shocked with how much I felt like I was back home. It was also wonderful because Suzy and I fell right back into the comfortable pattern of our relationship...it fits.

the visit was too short but I have something to look forward to in November...thanksgiving in dc!!! The whole family; sister, brother, niece, nephew, the new york crew, the nashville dirty duo and suzy will be there. I can't wait! It will be my first time back in DC in well over a year. I am trying to whittle down the list of things I want to do while Im home. (going to the aquarium and the zoo in one day may be a little too much, no?)

This past weekend I traveled too Caye Caulker for halloween. It rained most of the time but I really enjoyed myself. As usual I met cool people, drank a beer on the beach, danced the night away and ate amazing seafood. A good trip.

Its looking like Hurricane Ida is heading towards us here in Belize, should be an interesting couple of days. I promise to keep all informed! Gotta run teach a class!

Jake

Things have started moving more quickly here at the library. I find myself getting so busy at times that I am almost too busy. Quite a few of my projects are moving forward rapidly and today I am going to tell you about a new project idea.

I have been put into contact with a group called Interconnect. They are based in Washington State. Basically what this group/company/organization does is take used computers, refurbish them and sell them to developing nations at a discounted price. Now I have told you all that I am going to be teaching computer classes at the library, right? Well the computers we are using are all quite old. One of the things that I would like to get the ladies in the class to work on is raising funds to get "new" machines for the library. I am actually pretty excited about the idea. Another interesting dynamic revolves around shipping. The more computers you order the lower the cost to ship. So I have been exchanging emails with a number of different groups, peace corps volunteers and other Belizeans to hopefully put together a larger order and drop the per unit cost.

As of right now we are estimating a cost of about US$100 per computer, not bad really. The head librarian and I have been doing some brainstorming as to how we are going to raise the funds, about BZ$3000 or US$1500. We have set a working goal of US$750 to be raised by the library itself, with other assistance coming from outside sources. (Don't be surprised if in the next couple of months you see an appeal come from me :)

I am putting up a few pictures from the library as well as a couple fun ones...enjoy!

I know, I know…its been too long since I have written anything. But man have I been busy. I am writing this from home on my fancy new laptop…Dude I got a Dell. I’m not gonna lie, I am still a Mac person, but hey, the amount of computer for the price…how could I not have gotten this guy.

Things have been pretty busy lately. I moved into a new house in early September. I am living in an area of Orange Walk known as the “fruit tree section” Evidently all the streets are named after fruit trees. I say evidently because as much as I have walked around this neighborhood I have yet to see a single street sign. I am on the top level of a two story house. I have three small bedrooms, one of which I have turned into my kitchen. The other one Im currently using as a storage/staging area. Im pretty pleased with the place. There are a ton of windows and plenty of natural light. Being on this level also gives me relief from mosquitos and a sweet breeze. I actually have to close my windows if I want to sweep J Directly across the street is a huge park. The park is filled with mature trees, the majority being Mahogany. The trunks are all painted white up to about 3 feet and provide great shade for the playgrounds and benches. Mo really enjoys it when I decide to take a book over there and he can wander around smelling whatever it is that he smells.

Speaking of Mo he seems to have taken to the place quite quickly. I find myself spending a lot more time with him just messing around. He has become a gangly teenager of a dog, with front legs shorter than the back. He doesn’t seem to be able to just walk, its more of a sway down the road. Its kinda a butt wagging back and forth thing that he is obviously unaware of. The best part was watching him figure out how stairs work, ass sticking straight up towards the sky as he slowly made his way down. His health has improved immeasurably, and I am getting a glimpse of the personality he will have. He is a sweetheart, a total space cadet and a lover to the highest degree. Example: He has learned that he is not allowed up in my bed, so what he has been doing is waiting until im fast asleep then quietly creeping in. I’ll wake up pushed all the way to the side with 70lbs of hound stretched out comfortably. I woke up the other day and I had Doggie head on my left shoulder and doggie paws on my right leg, the rest sprawled out quite contentedly across my torso. What a punk! We spent an hour wrestling in the rain and the mud yesterday

In other news I have started working at the library. Things have been really good really quickly. My new counterpart is absolutely wonderful. She really wants me to focus on working with the children and teens. I am running a program called Homework Helpers. I supervise high school students who volunteer their time to helping younger children with their homework. I am also doing a Story hour on Saturdays. All the great books of my childhood are coming back to me. Can you believe that none of these kids has ever read “Where the Wild Things Are”??? Tragic. I’m looking for a copy of that and a few other titles down here. Ima blow these kids minds with literary awesomeness. I also have plans to get some computer classes going on as well as a fantasy of mine…a book club. I have always said I wanted to join a book club but never did. Maybe if I am running it itll actually happen?! Ooo…I think we are going to paint a world map on the library as well. That’s a project I am really excited about. Yep. So work keeps me busy.

I am also really enjoying Orange Walk itself. I feel comfortable here. Im a block from the river, have a tiny shop across the street and access to whatever I need a 15 minute walk away. Its not too close and not too far. Hopefully I will be able to post these pictures and yall can see what the house and Mo look like. Seems like that about covers it…Ill work on posting more often and getting more pictures posted!

Jake

What a lovely way to start the post. This deer's tongue was like that...all the time.

Birdie has big wings.

Dancin with the big dogs!!

The view from the bottom of my stairs lookin up. Mo waits for me up there in front of the door.

The front view of the house. I have the top part.

Las Vegas changed my life.

How do you talk about a trip to Las Vegas in a blog that your parents read??? Bachelor party, a drink or two, clubs, socializing...not exactly conducive to storytime, eh? So i guess this will be a short post :)

Las Vegas was effing amazing. Everything i expected was blown out of the water by the actual event. The gentlemen formed a wolfpack and we boldly went where every man who goes to vegas hopes to go. We were lucky enough to have the assistance of a couple ladies who live in Vegas and somehow happen to know EVERYONE. We did not wait in a single line, we had private cars coming to pick us up and drop us at the door of the club. Bottle service and private tables at the hottest clubs. Fer goodness sakes one of the clubs had a 3 story waterfall! It was super neat. Everything about the place is made to just let loose and go crazy, which is exactly what we did. From our knockout suite overlooking the lights to our VIP tables we did it right.

The craziest part about Vegas is that it lives up to all expectations. For example: You know when you watch entourage and theyre hanging out by the pool and every woman that walks by them could be a model? Yeah thats what it was like. I think there is a sign at the doors that says "if youre not a ten just dont even try coming here. EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL. Craziness.

We spent our days lounging by the massive pool, sippin beers and watching the world go by and our nights by the big lights. Im thinking I need to write a book: From the Village to Vegas. You would read that, right?! I think we did the bachelor party right. I think we did it all right. I don't even know what to say. Either God or the Devil lives in Vegas, and they're probably sleeping together.

Vegas baby Vegas!

ps ill try to post some pics when i get a faster internet connection and i find some tame ones :)

Productive day! Met up with Jay and Austin, the Peace Corps program coordinators to figure out what our next step is. AND....I am officially moving to Orange Walk. Its pretty exciting and I am looking forward to a new set of challenges, new people and new happenings in my life. In a way it is sad too. I know I am only going to be a few miles from Carmelita, but I am starting to get that feeling that comes about when a period of life is coming to an end.

I have this deeply grained instinct/desire for change. Its not so much a "grass is greener" mentality, but rather, I look for whats next. By sticking relatively close to my old site and maintaining alot of contacts I feel like I will be able to both tend to that instinct and still continue to progress and grow as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

I am incredibly excited about one of my new projects. I will be working at the Sandy Hunter Public Library. I will be teaching computer classes, leading a reading program for children, starting to work on an environmental group as well as initiating any programs I want. I feel like one of the best aspects of this is that there is already an established library building and community. I wont be starting from scratch. Ms. Elena, my new counterpart, has hosted many Volunteers. She and I are old friends already. I enjoy her passion and the vibrancy she brings to the library. I finally feel like I will be working WITH someone instead of against!!

Tomorrow I will be heading to meet Trainees as they get off the airplane and then the 2nd year volunteers will all head out to Caye Caulker for a bit of a reunion. Sometimes it blows my mind that I have been here for a year already. At times I have felt like it has dragged, but a year?!?! Wow.

Last post I mentioned that I am heading to Vegas in a week. The other day I had the first inkling of how much that is going to mess with my mind. My friend Rob, who lives in Belize City, and I went to the Princess Casino to see a movie. This was my first theater movie in a year. We saw GI JOE. Now the movie rocked. The 10yo boy who lives inside me was jumping up and down with glee the entire time. (Sub Arctic hideout?! YESSS!!) Ninjas, suits that make you run really fast?! Awesome chase scene through Paris?!...that girl can ride a motorcycle!!) Yeah, it was sweet. The only problem was I was nearly dizzy. I felt like a country boy who just moved to the big city. Like a blind man who opens his eyes and is confused by everything he sees! Lotta lights for this country bumpkin!!! Nevada should be interesting! Im doing desensitization exercises; flashing lights in my eyes, popping bags behind my ears, stepping on broken glass. You know, training for the big event. :D

Hey all! got a quick update for ya about whats been going on with my life and health and all that business. I have actually spent the past three nights in the hospital. For the past week or so I have been developing a bit of a chest cold. I didn't think much of it, just bumped up the vitamin C intake and got a bit more sleep, but monday night when I tried to go to bed even the littlest breath was wheezing in my lungs. To be honest it was a bit scary. I have never had to deal with truly feeling like I could not get any air in my lungs. I would take a deep breath and it would rattle around inside me, but not do much. It felt like trying to breathe off the end of an empty dive tank. Obviously I called my Medical Officer first thing the next morning and made an appointment to go to the doctor on Wed. in Belize City. The doctor took one listen and 2 xrays and promptly laid me in a hospital bed and told me that I was staying in the hospital for at least two nights. Evidently I had come into the clinic with 25% lung capacity.

The past few days have been rather trying, no change of clothes, no computer, no ipod, no book. I had thought that I was going to visit the doc, get a course of antibiotics and promptly return home. OHHH NO. As of right now I am spending the next two nights in a hotel in Belize City. I have a monday appointment with the doc to check up on my lungs and see how I am doing. Its kinda a bummer, he has said that he recommends getting rid of the pets, especially the cats. I don't know what I am going to do, but all of this is a bit of a wakeup call. Guess at 26 I am getting to the point where i can't automatically expect my body to do whatever I want it to do, obeying promptly and without complaint. Hmmm.

In other news, the next few weeks will be pretty exciting. We have new volunteers coming in the 20th and then a week later I go to VEGAS for a good friend's bachelor party. I am also in the process of looking for a new site, quite possibly Orange Walk. It has gotten to the point in the village where I think it would be a good and healthy idea for me to extracate myself from what is going on there and find a spot where people are excited about what I am doing and willing to work along with me.

Crazy changes in life, and im guessing that this is only the beginning.

Jacob

So this past week I have been traveling the 10 or so miles to Guinea Grass to help my friends Melissa and Coy run a chess camp. We are teaching about 15 kids the basics of chess in the hopes of starting a club at the school. The idea behind it all is to use the game as a way to build life skills...yknow, cause and effect, thinking ahead, patience, self control, processing wins and losses etc. Its really fun to see how into the game these kids get.

The camp started each day at 9AM. Now I live only ten miles from Guinea Grass, but TIB, (this is belize!) Each day I was on the side of my road at 730 waiting to catch a hitch the 3 miles to the junction that leads to GG. I wait half an hour before a dump truck full of sand comes rolling out of the village. This is no ordinary MACK truck you might see rollin outta a construction site, no, this bad boy was built in 1964 (I asked). It had that classic 60's bubbly everything rounded off style to it. The thing might as well have had fins. So with a grind of the gears we are bumping along the highway at a very sensible 21 miles an hour. Those three miles were not the quickest of my life, but I got there and got dropped off on the side of the road. Before long I am joined by a Mennonite fellow who looked about my age. We are both sitting on a bench waiting for a hitch west. He's going through GG to get to Shipyard, the big Mennonite settlement out here, to buy parts for his tractor fixing business. One of the ironies of the Mennonites is that they don't drive cars but ride in them and they don't operate tractors but are the only ones in the country who fix em. Go figure.

It doesn't take too long before we are chatting away. His particular group lived in Mexico before Belize, so we are speaking spanish, him with a germanic accent and my flawless native tongue exhibiting its prowess...(riiight) We talk about life, he asks what Im doing in Belize, I ask about the Mennonite communities. (If youre reading this and dont know who I am talking about, look it up online, The Belizian Mennonites run this country; eggs, dairy, tractors, prefab buildings, poultry, beef and so on. They look like the Pennsylvania Amish)

We finally manage to catch a ride with a pickup truck heading down the dirt road. This was one of the good'uns too, there was a bench seat that had been taken out of another pickup bolted backwards in the cab. Hitchhiking in comfort...Posh Hitch...Pitch? Potchiking? Now at this point on the journey I love to break out my ipod and ride the last few miles through the countryside while rocking out to something fun. (Think Allman Brothers, The Roots, Marshall Tucker Band, Tribe Called Quest etc) Just something with a solid traveling beat. Now we are sitting shoulder to shoulder in this truck bombing down the road and I see the Mennonite eyeing my ipod. I think to myself "this could be fun" and offer him one of the earphones. OK...what do I put on?? I know...CCR! Southern Rock at its best. Somehow "Heard it through the grapevine" just seems to work so well in the bush! The guitar kicks in, then the drums, and I see this huge grin stretch across Joe Mennnonite's face. Those of you in Belize already know, its pretty rare to see a Mennonite smile. "Not bad" i think to myself. But thats when things start getting silly. This guy starts bobbing his head and tapping his feet. I'm sneaking peeks at this impromptu show(thank god for dark sunglasses) when the dude really lets loose. He whips off his straw cowboy hat and turns it into an impromptu air guitar. Seriously. Black overalls, steel toe boots, longsleeve flannel shirt, hat in the crook of his ars as he pretends to rock out the riffs and high pitched whine of the guitar. I can't help it and start to bust out laughing. He looks over at me with this huge grin, yellowed teeth poking out all over and yells something lost over the sound of the truck and the music. "Why not?!" I think to myself, and pull up my feet and start playing the air drums. My feet are tapping, my hands are banging out the rhythm on my imaginary cymbals and the last few minutes of the ride are spent rocking out side by side. By divine intervention the song ends just as we are heading into town. He gives me back my earphone, I shut down the ipod, roll up the headphones and put it in my bag. By the time I look over at my new friend his face is back in that unreadable Mennonite stare. I knocked on the side of the truck to let the driver know I wanted to get out, shook hands with my new bandmember and jumped down from the bed. As the truck pulled away the Mennonite shot me a smile and tipped his hat. I never even got his name.

How's THAT for cross cultural exchange?!?!?

Is it seriously already august?!? What happened to this summer! July has been a fun month, I had a visitor, my cousin Sam. Straight from New York City, he managed to fit right into Belize. From sharing mango wine with villagers at 10AM to busting his butt helping out with our volleyball/personal empowerment camp he jumped right in and seemed to get a kick out of the experience. It was alot of fun for me as well, I got to see the country from another person's eyes, and reexamine my own feeling towards my adopted home. Im guessing his favorite place in the country was Caye Caulker...big surprise! I would post some pictures but sadly my trusty point n shoot canon has bit the dust. Frankly Im surprised it lasted that long! The woods of North Carolina, the icy mountains of patagonia and the sweltering heat of Belize are probably not the best things in the world for electronics. So be it! First my laptop and then the computer. Booo!

So these past couple of weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster. Projects that I have hoped were well on their way have stumbled to a protracted death causing me to reevaluate what I am doing here and what I hope to accomplish. If I learn nothing else from peace corps I will come back to the united states more able to cope with failure. Thats a good thing right?? So its been a time of reflection and searching within myself. I am learning what motivates me and makes me happy as well as realizing what kind of person I am, how I work best, and how to maximize what I do. I think one of the best conclusions I have come to is the fact that one of the reasons I am here in Peace Corps is to work on me. To make me a better person. My relationships with Belizians have developed as I let go of the United States and become more a part of the community here. For example, yesterday (sunday) I had just gotten home after a weekend of enjoying Fiestarama (imagine a county fair that has been left to rust for 5 years then the owner came back with the keys and started up all the rides again) and had just sat down on my porch with a book. My buddy Bat came by and yelled something out the window of his pickup. I couldn't hear a word through the pouring rain, so grabbing my umbrella I slogged to the truck. "I need a paddler for a canoe race!" "When?" I said. "Right now!" Oh crap I thought to myself. Its raining, I dunno how long the trip is so on and so forth. I finally relented and got in the truck. Turned out the race was only from the tollbridge to orangewalk, about 10 miles. But we had to paddle in Di Doctah, Bat's 25 year old 9000 pound puke orange satans spawn of a boat. My hatred towards this canoe was built up to its current frenzy after 174 miles of paddling the bitch for La Ruta Maya (see march post) Being the good sport that I was I jumped in with two other people who work for Bat (he runs a boat tour operation to Lamanai) and we paddled through the rain trying to win $300 for first. Sadly first price was taken by three fishermen who make their livings on the river and have, over the years, developed the ability to paddle insanely fast while still chugging gallons of mexican beer. My mind was blown.

But it wasn't until we finished the race, floated in the river for a minute and then hopped in Bat's motorboat for a cold one and a trip back down the river to cheer in the remaining teams that I realized that I had become an accepted member of this group. Sitting shirtless in the rain, Guinness in hand, bantering back and forth in Kriol it struck me that whatever my issues with this country, with my village and with peace corps may be, I could call these guys my friends.

I guess that sometimes when I feel like I have no good options left, that nothing is working out the way I want something comes along to kick me in the ass and let me know that its not all bad. I can make a life here, I can smile and enjoy myself and be happy for the next year...And thats exactly what I am going to do. Take this next year for me. Make it good, hopefully make a difference, but no matter what go home with both me and my friends here better for the experience!

I think Ill be posting more often now. I'd like to get back to the idea of putting down my thoughts and letting yall hear where I'm coming from. Im tired of simply recounting events. Mek ai cho wahn lee bitah spirit inah dese heer posts, no?!

Posing in the Antigua ruins. The people who run this site say that it is the most important archaeological site in Guatemala. I wont judge that, but it sure was impressive.

An old spanish fort on the Rio Dulce. We nearly got kicked out for swimming nearby!!

6AM, bags strapped to the bumper of our microbus, ridiculously sweet coffee in hand breaking in some flea bitten barrio.

The scorpion who seemed to have a problem with Susannah's toe. It took four stomps for me to kill him.

A security guard posing for us on the River

The view from our cabana near Lanquin. The thatch on the right is the restaurant. Darn good BBQ with an ice cold river to boot!

Semuc Champey from ground level. This was a natural limestone bridge filled with gorgeous pools of water. Underneath raged the Rio Cahabon.

The view of Semuc Champey from above. There is no way these pics can do justice to the beauty of the site.

Goofing around in Las Grutas de Lanquin. Those are bats flying all around us. Kept hoping one would get caught in Suzy's hair...no luck, I guess that only happens in cartoons

Another bit o silliness!

A view of Lago de Atitlan taken from my favorite restaurant...Melon liquado and dominoes with the owner...priceless

You guys like my new pants?! Ive been rockin these things everywhere!

Aren't we cute?!

A sidestreet in Panajachel. The colors of the streets combined with the misty mountains and the lake at one end made for a surreal setting. We spent a night in town here throwing down with Guatemalan Govt officials :)

Yep...thats lava. Notice how red my face is? The wind shifted just before this picture was taken and I thought i was going to spontaneously combust.

Posing in the church ruins in Antigua. Cinderblocks and a camera self timer.

Yes yes, I know...its been far too long since I have posted... Well...quitcher whinin and read! Here I am...all 26 years of me...writing to you after an amazing vacation in guatemala with ms. suzy! Lets get a few disclaimers going on first...the thumbnails on this computer are far too small and im not sure if I am posting a picture of the lake or of the bathroom. Next...the "o" key on this computer is rather fickle...so if the word looks like it needs to buy a vwel, insert it and move n!

Guatemala!!! WOW! So close to Belize yes so incredibly different! In two short weeks I was enthralled, enraged, ecstatic, saddened, relaxed and wound tighter than a strand of barbed wire. I guess thats what traveling is all about. Before we left I had heard countless people tell me I will love guatemala and never want to leave, that it is a magical place full of surprises. While I dont think that I'm ready to purchase land I will agree that it certainly has something about it, some sort of undefinable quality that keeps my mind wandering back there. It could have been the mountain vistas, high ridges down to misty valleys that I swear have hobbits living in them, or the hard consonants and "shhh" sounds of the 21 mayan languages that are heard more often than spanish in the highlands. Maybe it was the kindness shown to us by Pedro, a little man living in the secret garden who brought us home for beans and nescafe. Swimming through a river in a cave, holding a candle above our heads for light, or buying handmade boots and huilpes (traditional mayan clothing) from cobblers and weavers on the street.

We climbed an active volcano, melting the soles of our shoes in the process and witnessed a mayan exorcism where they cut a cross in a mayan teenager's forehead while yelling at a wooden statue smoking a cigarette. We swam in pools of water the most mindblowing shades of green and turquoise and drank german beers in an Irish pub set in a spanish colonial building in guatemala.

Traveling was an experience unto itself. From double decker buses playing steven seagal movies to minivans and pickup beds, tuk tuks to fiberglass boats, dugout canoes in a downpour and chicken buses where 5 people squeeze onto a 2 person seat every single ride was an experience in both patience and contortion. I have realized that my body has a few deficiencies that make 3rd world travel slightly more difficult. 1. Im too darn tall. Six feet isnt that big right?? It is when youre trying to squeeze into a schoolbus crowded by tiny mayan people with no concept of personal bubbles. Issue #2: My ass is just too damn bony. An hour and a half and my butt is numb. Seriously. I think I am going to end up with a callous down there. Im gonna have a baboon ass, and i dunno how I should feel about that.

As far as natural beauty goes, Guatemala is fantastic. We spent hours on tiny mountain roads with a cliff on one side and views for miles beyond. Its like someone sat down and said "lets put some amazing mountains here...and since its not picturesque enough lets give it a light dusting of mist, just to take it into the realm of jaw droppingness". Im also guessing that it was that same guy's idea to put a tiny wrinklefaced woman with a hand embroidered outfit, a chicken hanging in her hand and a giant bundle of firewood balanced on her head along the roadside just to remind you of exactly where you were.

Guatemala is a country of extremes. Benzes and hummers passing shantytowns, swelteringly hot flatlands near the coast and 40 degree nights lakeside at 6000 feet. We spent so many hours wandering through cities and villages, ducking into little shops, chatting with people in the markets and collapsing onto plastic stools to revive ourselves with Gallo beer and sweetbread when we just couldn't go any farther. The markets were fantastic, divided by section you would take one step and go from the guys hawking avacados to clothing to an entire street of live chickens and puppies. Some of my favorite moments were spent with my back pressed to the wall while a sea of humanity went about their daily shopping, haggling over the price of a hen that Im guessing ended up in a pot that night.

Speaking of haggling...goodness gracious! Guatemalans seemed to believe that Jacob not only was willing, but WANTED to pay three times the value of every product or service available. I got tired of haggling. Granted it is part of the culture, but there is a difference between haggling and an obvious concentrated effort to lighten this gringo's wallet! We were usually able to get people down to the sensible price with some haggling and a few feigned "ok...im walking away"!s. Guess I have to thank the middle eastern side of my family for whatever genetic bartering skills I have inherited!!

Spending so much time living and traveling in Spanish was wonderful. Every time I travel in Latin America I can feel my language skills improving, and almost inevitably I am complimented on my ability to speak the language. I realize alot about myself on such a trip. I am reminded that I enjoy the experience of attempting to navigate a world I am not a part of. I find that I am often more comfortable and stable with a backpack strapped on, putting one foot ahead of the next on the quest to find the next piece of the puzzle. What an opportunity I am afforded, and what a wonderful travel partner I have to balance me out, calm me down, and open my eyes to things I would never have seen!

Its an incredible world, and Guatemala sure is a special part of it!!!

Hello all! It has been over a month since I posted. Im sorry. Its been a tough month for me, and I feel like I am finally on the upswing and feeling like putting some of this on paper...er on computer. Things in the village have been faltering a bit, people not really showing interest in my projects and activities and I have been feeling a bit alone in my work. I have let it affect my disposition and have generally been feeling bummed out that Im not doing more/having more of an impact. I remember when we were in training and they talked to us about how Peace Corps service would give us the highest highs and the lowest lows. I was so excited about being here that I didnt even think about what those lows would feel like. I even remember joking with our instructor that he was saying we would all become bipolar. Maybe not so funny with some perspective. This past month I have had to deal with the collapse of my school garden, two projects (a trip to a water park and a library) receiving little to no support from my village, and what I have felt is a general apathy to what I want to do. I think I have let it affect me more personally than is good and/or healthy. Im not saying that it shouldnt get to me, its just that it has taken me a while to break out of this funk. While all this is going on my puppy contracted distemper, a virus that is often fatal for dogs. He has been sick for a month, stopped eating for two weeks, and now will only eat hot dogs (definitely my dog if you consider the hot dog thing!) The really tough part is that even if he physically gets healthy again the virus often travels to their brain and basically fries their mind. Moses will spend 20 minutes staring at a wall panting. I think he just doesnt know where he is or whats going on. Im waiting it out to see if he gets better, but if he stays this way I have to make the decision on putting him down. It is agonizing to watch your puppy suffer and know that there is nothing you can do. As if things werent tough enough right now my computer up and died last week. AHHHH!!!!

This weekend I went to Caye Caulker for a couple of nights, just to get away from everything and gain some sense of perspective. I will also be going into Belmopan tomorrow to talk to my APCD (basically a decision making staff member) and try to figure out what we can do to make this a positive experience for all involved. The trip to the island was wonderful, I got to relax and read on the beach, sip a Belikin or two, hang out with a good friend and meet all sorts of fun and interesting people exuding positive vibes. Sometimes I get jealous of all of these young travelers on their multimonth trips through central america, but it feels wonderful to just soak up some of the energy and rehabilitate my mind, body and soul.

Things have been hard, but as I feel better I believe my own frustration will slink off and I will regain my optimistic approach towards this experience. As Bob Marley told me at least 10 times this weekend... "Dont worry, about a thing....every little thing...is gonna be alright!"

One of the big temples in the central courtyard of Tikal

This is probably my favorite view from tikal. Its the one taht was in Return of the Jedi. The photo doesnt do it justice.

Another amazing view, accessed only by climbing a staircase/ladder hundreds of feet into the sky

This is the view from our hotel in Flores. Mom and I watched the sunset while treading water in the lake. magical.

A view of Flores from the water. You could get a ride on a little wooden boat for an hour for less than ten dollars

Our hotel in Flores. Check out the top window right by the sign...yep, that was our room!

A little side street in Flores. I could walk these lanes for hours.

The rents and me in Actun Tunichil Muknal!

The skull of a teenage Mayan boy sacrificed over 1000 years ago.

Jacob at the top of El Castillo in Xunantunich

Jacob and the Rents at a very deserted Altun Ha.

Hi everyone! It is Tuesday morning and the rents left yesterday. What a wonderful visit! They were here for ten days and we did a little bit of everything. We started out with a few days in the village, meeting people, eating fried fish, playing volleyball etc. It was a great opportunity for them to see where I live and the people I hang out with. Mornings were spent cooking eggs and pancakes. I was reunited with my cast iron skillet (yes they carted all 15 pounds of it down here!) We walked Moses, explored the village and generally hung out. We took a few day trips, visiting Crooked Tree village and walked next to the lagoon, we explored the Mayan ruin of Altun Ha. The visit was made even better by the fact that it was absolutely empty. We pretty much had the entire place to ourselves. Awesome. The next move in the visit was three nights at Chaa Creek, a resort near San Ignacio. The place was pretty luxe; thatch roofs, whitewashed walls and dark wood furniture everywhere. Our little cabana had a view of the river and a landscaped outdoor shower. One of my favorite parts about the place was the hot water. I took three showers a day! Each night after a full day of activities we would get dressed up and head to the dining room for a wonderful five course dinner. Mom and Dad seemed happy to keep stuffing food into me, trying to fatten me back up!

Our time in Chaa Creek was not spent lounging by the pool. (well, a little bit was!) We filled our time with activities and adventures. The first day I went on a mountain bike tour. We rode on trails, dirt roads, muddy airstrips, creek beds and plenty more till we reached Xunantunich, the second highest Mayan ruin in Belize. The private tour was great and I continued my immersion in Mayan ruin culture and got a great workout at the same time. While I was riding a bike the Rents took a canoe downstream from the lodge to San Ignacio. Seemed like they really enjoyed getting back in a boat and floating down the river to the sounds of parrots, toucans and howler monkeys.

The next day we all took a van to Actun Tunichil Muknal cave. A 45 minute jungle trek took us to the mouth of a cave where we swam, waded, crawled and wedged ourselves into the far reaches of the underground world. This beautiful cave went from “neat” to mind blowing when we were shown the back rooms, where pottery sat, untouched for a thousand years. The cathedral sized back room was also the site of many human sacrifices, and we were able to get right down next to calcified bones, skulls and full skeletons. Part of what made this so incredible was the lack of railings, glass walls and other tourist site type barriers. It was obvious to me that access to this cave will eventually be curtailed. There is too much there and we could get too close to it. The only thing separating us from a human skeleton was a piece of neon tape on the ground that might as well have said “hey, please don’t step on me, I’m a mayan skull”. The place has been on multiple tv shows, in National Geographic and had been filmed the day before by Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods. I dunno what the guy was gonna eat there, but its still pretty cool.

Sounds like we’ve done a lot already huh? Well, it only got better. We drove the car to the Guatemala border, parked and caught a ride into Flores. Flores is an island in the middle of Lago Peten. The brightly painted concrete walls and rusted tin roofs went right down to the water. Our hotel was right on the water, and we would sit in the Jacuzzi, sip Gallo beer and watch the sunset over the lake. For about ten bucks you could take a little wooden boat ride to explore the island, little three wheeled motorcycles, called “tuk tuks” were the mode of transport for everyone. I cant quite figure out what it was about Flores, but I instantly fell in love. It is Medieval and brand new. A gorgeous restaurant filled with flowers would be tucked into a nook on a cobblestone street, tiny shops filled with brightly colored Guatemalan hammocks and blankets were on every corner and everything just felt so perfectly foreign. Flores is about an hour away from Tikal, the final mayan site we visited on this trip, and by far the most impressive. We spent eight hours hiking through the jungle and coming across massive spires, temples and residences. Tikal makes every other site look miniature. We tramped up the side of one of the temples and came across a view that will stick with me forever. The jungle was spread out in front of us, and poking up through the trees were massive limestone temples. I felt like I was in “The Jungle Book”. This famous view can be seen in Star Wars Return of the Jedi. Its one of those classic images that even if you have never seen something like it it instantly feels right and familiar and strange and new all at the same time. Wow. Tikal is one of those amazing places that I feel like should be on everyone’s to do list. Like Macchu Picchu, or the Egyptian pyramids, or the Statue of Liberty. I feel so lucky to have seen it. The truly amazing thing is, after eight hours and almost 10 km of walking, we saw only about 75% of the site. Now, take that statistic and add this: only about 20% of the site has been uncovered. Eight hours showed us 75% of 20%. This place is big. Huge, Massive.

All said, this vacation was one of the best I have ever had. My family travels together well, and we were able to have a great happy visit and enjoy each other’s company. Thanks for the great time Mom and Dad! I’m glad you guys had fun and didn’t melt in the heat!

About the pics:

1. This friendly fellow now lives in my sink. And I now brush my teeth in the kitchen. I think he would eat Zipper so im keeping the bathroom door nice an shut!

2. This is a view of the river behind my house.

3. Me @ La Ruta Maya on the morning of the last day

4. Josh trying to balance a Maya lady's headthingie on Caye Caulker

5. A beekeeper with his smoker before we went out. This pic is sideways but awesome all the same.

Wow, its been a really long time since I have written here. Pretty much all of March, huh? Plenty has happened here since the last entry. I have paddled 180 miles in La Ruta Maya, Josh has come for a visit, Moses got super sick and almost died, Janine got pregnant, cable got hooked up. Well, when I put it down on paper it doesn’t sound like too much, but I feel like a lot has happened.

The first few weeks after my last post were a bit of a whirlwind. When Susannah left I traveled to Belmopan to attend the All Volunteer Conference. (I believe I wrote about this) So that was the 23rd through the 28th. Less than a week later I left for San Ignacio for our paddling adventure. Now I am not out of shape, but it had been a while since I had paddled a canoe. The boat we were “competing” with was an old burnt orange fiberglass creation nicknamed “Di Doctah”. Given to me for the trip by my friends at Lamanai Eco Tours (if you ever travel to Lamanai use them, they’re great!) this boat was a beast. It took all three of us to drag it down the hill to the starting area. Now there are people who take Ruta Maya super seriously, (not us) but on this rainy Friday morning there we were, hanging out, sippin coffee and waiting to put in when we first met some of the serious groups. Double timing down the hill come the British Army teams. Each canoe is super narrow and incredibly light, a ripped Brit at the bow and stern, they come roaring down the hill with their canoes perched on their shoulders. They line up their ten canoes next to ours. Each one had the Union Jack painted on the front, so lined up in a fancy lil stagger it looked like a 10 foot flag. Oh yeah, we were ready. Right. The best part of each day was the start, when 90 odd boats would cram into the same stretch of river waiting for the starting horn. When it blew every team would start churning the water, knocking into other boats. There were canoes tipping, fingers getting smashed between boats, people in the water getting run over…it was madness. Pretty quickly we would find our place and rhythm, and usually for the rest of the day we were either alone or leapfrogging with a couple other teams. The evenings were the best part. You would pull into that night’s checkpoint, so happy to be done. Get the boat flipped, set up the tent, wander around the party (and it was always a party.) Those who weren’t paddling were either support crew or Belizians who came out for a good time. We could cash in our vouchers for an entirely too small dinner, cook more for ourselves, sip on a beer or two (great way to get calories back after taking 21000 paddle strokes for the day!) and crash out, hopefully before 8. Our last day was the best, with only 25 miles to paddle. There were people along the route cheering us on, and a ton of fellow Peace Corps Volunteers at the finish line to give hugs etc. The entire experience was incredible. I guess its kinda like running a marathon…painful and awful while you are doing it, but an awesome accomplishment and something I will be proud of forever. Plus I got a sweet wooden medal….er…woodal. 

The day after the race Josh came to visit. I was so excited to have him come and hang out, even if it only was for 4 days. We kept it pretty low key, hanging out in the village, going to Union (the mex border crossing), had a lil bash for him in the village etc. The last day we went to Caye Caulker, which of course, was wonderful. It was a good time and I thought it was great that he got the chance to see where I live and what I do. Kinda makes it more real for him I think. The village definitely took to him, especially the ladies. He proved that at least one of the Hafkin boys can dance! I cant wait for him to come back and visit again!

In final news, guess what!? Mommy and Daddy are coming to visit Jacob! This should be an awesome visit. They will be spending 10 days here, and I think I am going to take some vacation time so we can travel. Its looking like we are going to go to Chaa Creek Resort near San Ignacio and then carry on to Guatemala. Neither Mom or Dad have been to Belize, and none of the three of us have been to Guatemala. I am looking forward to having a face to face conversation with my parents. Being able to just hang out instead of getting an entire week squashed into a 45 minute phone conversation. Sweet.

Yep, I better put this on my flash drive and run catch my bus into the village!

jake

Hey all! I know I have to do a full on update soon, but i thought I would leave you with a letter I wrote for now. PC Belize asked me to write a letter that would be included in people's welcome packets. Kinda give them an idea of what to expect and so forth. Hope you like it!

Welcome!!!

Where are you right now? Are you reading this letter from your couch? Are you sitting at the coffee shop with your information packet spread out around you? I write to you from my porch. I can hear birds chirping, roosters crowing, dogs barking, and reggae pounding from a neighbor’s speakers. In front of me is my neighbor Don Miguel’s yard, his hundreds of carefully tended flowers set off the trees in the distance in a way that reminds me I live in the tropics. I remember the many months of suspense before my big blue packet finally arrived. Belize! I immediately went on an information gathering rampage, googling, Barnes & Nobleing, I think I even talked to a friend who works as a travel agent. (She was nice, but didn’t exactly give me the best idea of what my service would be like!) What made you decide to join the Peace Corps? For me it was the idea of living and working at the local level. I have always been a traveler, but I felt like my rush to see as much as I could was keeping me from seeing the world how I wanted. I also feel like I have been given many opportunities in my life, it was time for me to give back. Maybe you have some of the same reasons, maybe not. Each person’s experience is unique. I had no idea what to expect. You are probably overwhelmed by how much “general” information you are receiving, very little telling you what its actually going to be like. My experience will not be the same as yours, but maybe you can get an idea…

So you ask, “what IS it like?” Well, let me tell you a little bit about my life in the Peace Corps. I live and work in a village in Northern Belize. Most of my village is involved in the Sugarcane industry in some way, either farming or processing. When I started my service I imagined that I would have a rather clear and outlined job. Call it a 9-5 or whatever. My primary assigned project has been to develop a Youth Group. The idea is to give teens and children positive outlets for energy as well as encouraging character development. In addition to working with youth, I have taken on a number of other projects. I have a garden in the school in which 33 students in 4th Form (about 12 yrs old) are learning organic gardening techniques. We are building a library in the village, attempting to get a paved road constructed and working on writing a children’s reader that would describe the history of the village. (I must be honest, I think the last one is really cool!) Living in a slow paced rural community I have learned to appreciate and get excited about your successes, large and small. For Christmas I worked with the village council to organize a party (or Bram as they say in Kriol). We were able to raise the money to feed over 500 people, provide a toy for every child, a DJ, a volleyball tournament and….fireworks! These were serious light up the sky type explosions, the first that many of the people in my village had ever experienced. 5 months later I still hear people talking about it.

So what about life outside of work? Well, lets start with where I live; I have a tiny two bedroom wood house on the outskirts of the village. When I found the house it was kinda a disaster, but after quite a few hours of work I think it looks great. My yard is filled with fruit trees; mango, plantain, lime, cashew, papaya. I have a dog and a cat (actually both are lying on top of me as I sit on my couch and write this). I have indoor plumbing, a fridge to keep stuff cold and a stove to boil water for the essentials: coffee and mac & cheese. I can’t cook to save myself. This has had a more positive outcome than I could have expected, people invite me over for lunch or dinner all the time. My village is primarily Kriol, and the people are warm, friendly, generous, and have no problem saying exactly what they think. I have lost a few pounds down here, and they like to tell me that I am far too skinny. It usually sounds something like this: “Bwai Jaycob!! You meh get magah magah bwai!!!” Mek you eat somethin!”

Belize is a playground for nature lovers. We all know about the beaches and the mountains. But living up North I have fallen in love with the bush. Hypnotizing by horseback, exhausting by foot, on my daily walks to the river I may see picaries, deer, hundreds of species of birds, turtles and even the occasional croc. There is something deeply satisfying about bushwhacking through the undergrowth, trying to make it to that marshy area you heard about for some great fishing. More often than not I am with a group of guys who in between cracking jokes (sometimes at my expense) are excited to teach me a new trick of the woods.

It’s the people that keep me happy in my village. The late nights playing Dominoes, the overnight treks in the bush, the pickup that pulls up beside you as you’re walking home and invites you fishing, to go butcher a cow, (that was a first) to help pick corn, to pull a 10 wheel truck out of the mud using two tractors. I came to Belize without having ever picked up a machete, now I can chop your coconut open and pour you a fresh glass in ten seconds flat. If that isn’t a transferable skill I don’t know what is.

I can’t promise you paradise, but I can promise that Belize will surprise you, encourage you, frustrate you and make you laugh out loud. You will feel the highest highs and some pretty low lows. Belize sneaks up on you. One day you won’t be able to understand Kriol, next thing you know your village has stopped seeing you as an outsider and you are speaking the language and sharing in their lives. I have made friends that will last a lifetime, bridged cultural and language gaps and worked myself into a close knit community.

Congratulations and good luck!

Jacob Hafkin

I’m always unsure of how exactly to start off a blog entry. I feel like an inordinate number begin with a “so…” or “hey there everybody”... I wish that I could just pick up in the middle, total stream of consciousness style. I spent the past week in Belmopan at the All Volunteer Conference. Despite the countless times that I debated ripping out my hair in boredom (nothing about the conference, its just that Jacob was not meant to sit in a classroom for 8 hours a day) I feel like I learned quite a bit and made some excellent contacts. Being with all the other volunteers, hearing their stories and sharing my own has reminded me of two things; I remembered that I am incredibly lucky to be in a village that I enjoy alongside people I like, and I have the opportunity to do some amazing things here. I returned back to the village on Friday and it felt like coming home. I was excited to see my house, hail my friends and cook hot dogs on my own stove. (For the record, a sandwich made up of banana bread, cream cheese and hot dogs is up there as one of the tastiest things I have ever made, Im emailing Anthony Bourdain after this.) Saturday was spent down by the river. I am attempting to extend an existing trail that runs alongside the river. At the moment its about ¾ mile. If I make it through the jungle, the brush, the pimenta forest and the swamplands the total length should be about 2 miles. Starting this project has reminded me of bushwhacking in Patagonia, except this time I have a machete. I am getting quite handy with it. I had no idea how useful of a tool it can be when you live in the bush. I have used mine for cutting chain link fence, opening coconuts, hacking my way through the undergrowth, chopping down trees, killing spiders that are as big as your hand, fixing the plumbing and picking my teeth. (well, maybe not the last one!) So that was yesterday. Today I had a village council meeting in which I got to discuss some of the projects that I would like to see going on in the village. I’ll just drop a short synopsis/description of what I want to see happen in the village. Its looking like I will be spearheading three projects in the next few months. The first is what I consider to be the most serious and pressing of issues. The front part of my village is on the main N/S highway. If you are going from Belize City to Orange Walk (or further) you pass my village. The northern Highway is the main artery from Mexico and gets a lot of traffic. This two lane stretch is also used by the villagers as they move from one part to another. More than ten people, mostly children, have been hit by vehicles as they barrel past. No speedbumps, no sidewalk. If you ask me this is absolutely unacceptable. I feel like it is only a matter of time before someone else dies. The village has asked for funding from the Ministry of Works to construct a sidewalk about 10 yards away from the highway. Despite repeated requests, nothing has happened. I want to put together a photo album with a picture and a bio of everyone who has lost their life on this 2 mile stretch of road. We will see how it works and if anything can come from persistence. On a lighter note, I will be starting work on setting up a library in the village. This is something I am super excited about. As of right now I am not quite sure of where books will come from, but I am feeling like if we start getting organized then the books will come. Guess you could call it a “Field of Dreams” mentality! I have been told that we can use a room in the community center, and with a bit of lovin I shall turn that cement square into a center for literary…ness. Yeah. Im psyched :) The last item on the agenda is a fun project that I think could be interesting for Carmelita. As I hang out with the people of the village I am learning about the history of the place. Evidently the village is named after some dude’s horse or cow or something or other. Now this village is known for being multicultural. While Belize is incredibly diverse, typically communities tend to center around one ethnic group or another. Camelita is unique in the sense that living in close proximity you have Kriol, Mestizo, Mayan and even Mennonite. I think it would be fun and interesting to design a children’s book explaining the history of the village and celebrating the diversity. I am sure that there are some talented artists in the community who would be willing to illustrate. To continue to emphasize the diverse nature of my new home, I think it would be fun to have the wording in multiple languages. For example the line “Carmelita was founded in 1983” would be translated into Spanish, Maya Mopan and Kriol. The idea is in its infant stages but I think there is potential! As far as things to write about I think that about covers it. The next few weeks are going to be super hectic. On Thursday I leave for San Ignacio and Friday is the 1st day of La Ruta Maya. Four days later I will pull into Belize City and will probably never wish to step into a canoe again…wish me luck! (if you haven’t googled it yet, do it…its cool) And then on the 10th Josh (lil bro!) comes to visit. I’m about as excited as I could be. I haven’t really gotten to spend any time traveling solo with him, and I think that it will be an awesome bonding type extravaganza. Plus I will be tossing him to the girls in the village, who will eat him alive. (Cant wait to see ya bro!) Cool. Well, if everything has gone according to plan there should be some pics up here to enjoy as well! Peace and love jacob

Jumpin doggie

Chewing on a bone is hard work.

Moses and I are debating whois the boss. I think he is in this picture.

Chug a lug go di choo choo chrain gyal!

Suzy and I learned how to dance Belize style

This was taken at Susannah's surprise going away party. This is and the pic above are perfect representations of what life in my village are like :)

Bein Silly.

A lil bit of valentines day lovin. The beach is in front of us and our toes are in the sand. Please note the rockin friendship bracelet Suzy made for me :)

This dude hung around the bar to provide a touch of local flavah. He would weave hats from palm fronds and let gulls grab fish from his mouth and the tourists would buy him beer. If you caught him at just the right moment you would see him balancing on a second story railing belting out bob marley or shakin his booty to punta rock. Gotta love it.

Dad, this dive shop picture is for you. How perfect does it look?!?!

This is the view of "The Split". Originally Caulker was one island, but a hurricane carved a deepwater channel forming two islands. The bar and surrounding dock has a post apocalyptic look to it. Its probably the perfect place for a dramatic swimsuit photo shoot. Yes I made Suz pose, but I think she would kick my butt if I posted any of those pics.

Bridget calls this one my postcard pic. Its rare that I like a picture of myself but this ones pretty legit!

Whats goin on people?! Thought it was about time to update the blog. It’s a gorgeous sunny day here in Carmelita. Last night another volunteer and her visiting boyfriend came over to hang with Susannah and me. Had a pleasant afternoon and evening of storytelling, stargazing and relaxation. Elisha (the other volunteer) and I got to hang out on the couch as our significant others cooked up a nice stir fry dinner for us. The most interesting part of the evening occurred around 830 as I made my way to the store to buy a few bottles of soda. Now, riding your bike at night in the village can be slightly treacherous. Your petal strokes are far from smooth as you encounter softball sized rocks, two foot potholes and the occasional spot of loose sand. (remember folks, these roads are not paved!) So all of this stuff has become routine, I know where the dips and drops are, which roads stay muddy year round and so forth. Well, last night I encountered an obstacle for which I was not quite prepared. Villagers often leave their horses and cattle and sheep tied in different areas to graze. As I was trucking along a side path/shortcut I saw a horse off to one side of the trail. No big deal, me an him are buddies. Figures that tonight he spooks as he sees my bike coming out of nowhere, coke bottles clanking the frame and he darts across the trail. The end result is that I end up clotheslined by this horse’s tether and go ass over teakettle, a perfect rendition of a superman takeoff (minus the proper landing) and end up sprawled in the dirt to the sounds of laughter. How wonderful is it that my grace was witnessed by half a dozen locals. Chalk another one up to Supervolunteer Jake.

In other news, We spent Valentines Day on Caye Caulker. Go there. Seriously. There are very few places in this world that I have felt so instantly attached to. The island is tiny, funky, and gorgeous. We spent our days lounging at the Lazy Lizard, swimming in water that went from the brightest turquoise to a dark sapphire blue. Pictures will be posted shortly. What really made the trip for us was the locals. There’s the giant muscley dude who weaves palm frond hats and puts sardines in his mouth for gulls to swoop in and pick out, there was Rasta Jimmy, who Jah Loved and one worlded us as we would make our way down the car free street. Lets also not forget about his wife, who became the first person I have met whose given name was Delicious. Seriously. Next we shared a sunset with a gentleman whose dreadlocks brushed his back as he unceremoniously split live lobsters in half. For who are the lobsters we asked? “Ai meh split ahn fu di Jolly Rogah.” Oh ok. Well, why not eat Valentines Dinner at the Jolly Roger? Sounds nice, plus it’s the last night of lobster season! The Restaurant turned out to be a shack on the beach and Roger turned out to be quite Jolly (of course he was, he weighed 300 lbs!!!) The lobster was grilled, the garlic bread was about as tasty as it gets and we were happy. All in all Caye Caulker seems to have an amazing combination of scenic beauty, cheap rooms ($15 US with hot water in our private bathroom!!!) genuinely kind locals and great vibes. Highly recommend a trip there!

So yeah, as I pull this here entry to a close Ill brief all on whats going on for me the next few weeks; On Monday I head to Belmopan for the All Volunteer Conference. That will be five days of lectures and learnin. Then March 6-9 will be spent paddling from San Ignacio to Belize City as I compete in La Ruta Maya, a 160 mile canoe race. Chris, Joel and I will be pushin a battered old canoe down the stretch of river as we scream out our team name: LORD OF THE FLIES!!! (yes I know how the book ends people…) Just one day after that my lil bro Josh comes to visit!!! Hooray!

In sad sad news, Susannah will be heading back to the states in the next week. It has been such a wonderful visit and having her here has made me incredibly happy. Ill miss you Suzy!

So that’s the story morning glory. Ill post some pics soon.

jake

This would be the border crossing at La Union. Its kinda sorta semi legal. Theres a customs trailer on the Belize side, but nothing on the Mex. side (they want belizians to come in and spend their dollars) So you dont have to pay the $40 fee, dont even have to have a passport. The canoe to cross costs US $1 round trip. The best part about it is humping two 50 lb sacks of rice up the hill to your pickup in a race to beat the customs guy back from the Mexican bar across the way and therefore not have to pay duty for your imported goods. Its an experience.

This is Susannah, Jeanine, Jeneve and another sister hanging out at the Carmelita football game. Jeanine is about to "plait" or braid Suzy's hair when we get back from town. (ill be sure to post pics :)

Meet "Da Fahmahs, the most hardcore gardeners in all of Carmelita

My whole Standard IV (think 5th gradeish) class standing in front of their newly planted beds. By now we are starting to see the radishes, cilantro and cucumber coming up!!

Zipper and Moses like to sprawl on me when I read. Its really nice. You can only see about half the dog from this position. He's getting big enough to push me off the couch! Whatdyall think of my new Belizian haircut and beard/chinstrap??

Susannah and I went to Lamani yesterday. This is from the top of the largest temple, which overlooks the lagoon.

It wont let me load more at the moment :( sorry! Well hello all! What an eventful couple of weeks! Things have calmed down here after a pretty serious set of events. Carmelita Village is located about two miles from the Tower Hill Sugarcane factory. This factory processes all of the sugarcane grown in Belize. Thousands upon thousands of tons of sugar are refined here each year. Any given day a trip to Orange Walk will pass you by hundreds of trucks loaded down with fresh cane waiting for a turn to offload at the factory. Over half of the village is employed by the sugar industry; growing, cutting, burning, driving, factory work etc. For the past two weeks or so the Cane Farmers have been on strike. They are protesting a new machine that measures the quality of the cane. The price they pay per truckload is calculated according to the quality. The farmers have been objecting to what they feel is an unfair pricing program. This is compounded by the fact that Belize Sugar Industries (who also owns the factory) owns fields of cane that are not tested in the same way. While I do not have all of the information, it seems like this is an effective way to ensure that the higher prices go to the farmers that work for the company, and leave the freelancers/regular people with the lower prices. All this came to a head a few days ago when the Cane Farmers Association announced a strike, blocked off the Northern Highway and started getting hostile. Rocks were gathered as weapons, tensions skyrocketed and the Belizian Army was called in. In an attempt to run a road block and destroy the quality measuring machine shots were fired, seven were injured and one farmer was killed with a shot to the head.

Things have calmed down a bit and the two parties are talking, but tensions are still rather high. For a few days I couldn’t get into the village from Corozal, where Suzy and I had gone to spend a night by the water and watch the Superbowl with other volunteers.

Yep, so that’s been my excitement these past lil bit. In other news, the garden is growing nicely in the school. All of the groups have painted signs that tell what they are growing, their names, their “team” names and some even have pictures painted of their crops. Fun! Its just another way that we are hoping to encourage ownership of their beds. January rocketed past, and its hard to believe February is already a week in. Things have started picking up speed here. The past couple weeks I haven’t spent as much time going out to the court and playing volleyball. Its been really cold here (below 70 almost every night…brrrr!!!!) And its hard to gather the motivation to get out the door. Why do I mention this? Well, after a week of not going out I had some people come over to the house and ask if I was alright. They said they missed seeing me out there and were wondering if I was sick. Felt good to be considered a part of the community and to be missed, ya know?

OOOOH…next subject then I gotta run…We went to Shipyard last week. Now that was an adventure. Shipyard is a community of traditional Mennonites (very similar to the Amish). Walking down the dirt lane it could be Lancaster, PA with palm trees. Everything is cheaper there, from rice to gas to kerosene lanterns (hadta buy one) to pots to pans to screws to whatever. Its worth an internet search to check out the Mennonite communities in Belize. They have had quite a trek to find asylum. (too long to recount here) But for most of them, their last home was in Mexico. So we have Aryan looking people wearing overalls and cowboy hats (men) or long dresses and wide brimmed hats (women) riding in horse driven buggies, speaking lowland german accented Spanish in Belize. Right. Makes total sense. No mind screw there at all! It was pretty interesting and for all who plan on visiting me, know we will be taking a trip there!

K, I gotta run. More to come. Have a great day!

jake

lalala...waiting for my pics to upload...sitting in the internet cafe. its gonna start raining soon. meh. :) Just got a package from mom and dad! THANK YOUUUU!!! the coffee will be consumed immediately and we are already down to one package of beef jerky!

Thought it would be fun to tell you guys about my quest to find something for Moses to chew on (that isnt wood!) So a guy in the village told me about a butcher that sometimes has bones. So in I walk to Campo's meat shop slogan: "We're here to MEAT your needs" heh heh...witty. So the place looks like something out of the Saw horror movie series with a slapstick twist. There are about 6 gigantic Mestizo men covered in blood from head to waist slicing up halves of beef. I wouldnt be surprised to see one play a practical joke on another by slapping him across the face with a t-bone. K, so they all look up when I walk in and stand there with a bit of an inquisitive expression. I start in and ask about bones (take note that this is all goin down in spanish) Guy asks me what for and i tell him to chew on. His face takes on a bit of a weird look before I realize that I said something that approximates "for me to chew on" Right. Strike one for high school spanish! I quickly correct myself and let him know that its for my dog. He laughs. I laugh. We laugh. He then asks me if I have a black and tan hound. (thats the pooch) He has heard about me and my dog. I say I do! We are bonding. He wants to know all about the dog. I oblige by showing pictures. Turns out that he has a female hound and wants to breed her. We are now best of friends. We get back to the reason i walked in...bones. He reaches a bloody hand into a bin and comes out with a cow's thighbone. "Will this work??" Yup. The bone is bigger and longer than my thigh bone. "How much?" "Gratis, amigo!" For serious?? Yep. He places the bone in a plastic bag that only covers the bottom half. another on top and hands it over. Thanks! I am now buddies with the meat man. Beautiful.

Well then...it seems to me that my dear sister is getting slightly disgruntled about my lack of posting these past few weeks. Sorry sissy. Been busy!

Things are going quite well over here. My porch has finally been constructed and I have learned that water pools right outside my front door. Oh well :) Lesseee...whas goin on these days...Suzy has been in the village with me for about a week now. Its been fun and interesting to see everything through a new pair of eyes. More and more I notice the kids who yell "Mr. Jacob!" or "where's Moses??" I get to look at my village through unfamiliar eyes, seeing the palm trees and the sunsets, the joy of picking a coconut off the tree outside my door and hacking it open with a machete to drink the water inside. So many people have been so curious to meet Susy. We have had countless invitations over to people's houses to eat dinner, hang out, talk etc. All of the women seem to love her. She has made a habit of sharing and learning recipes from the ladies of the village. Alot of the women don't work, so I think their social circles are pretty small. Having a strange new woman (with a friendly smile and a genuine interest in learning and chatting) must be fun and different.

I dont know if I have mentioned it before, but I have been semi-adopted by a family in the village. They are constantly inviting me over for dinner, helping me build things, fixing my bike and generally being awesome. The two boys, Emerson and Edward, are cousins, and they are attatched at the hip. Many nights will find us hangin out on my porch or couches just chatting and listening to music. Susannah has bonded with the daughter, Jeanine. Jeanine is a large powerful woman with the cutest daughter ever. The three of them will sit and talk and giggle, Jeneve (the daughter) firmly planted on Susannah's lap. The entire family seems to enjoy ganging up on me and helping Suzy give me a hard time (I dont know what I do, im so innocent!!)

In other news, the Carmelita school garden has taken off, with teachers asking me if I will help them start one with their class. The cilantro and the radishes are currently stealing the show, growing quickly in the hot Caribbean sun. Today in art class we will be painting signs that the kids to plant in front of their plots...just another way for them to take ownership of their beds. Suz and I should be starting my garden in my yard in the next lee bit too! (who woulda thought I would be psyched about gardening!)

The 4H club is not going nearly as well as the garden :( Had a meeting this past Sunday, had over 20 kids promise to attend. The big day brought out a grand total of.....one. Didnt I feel silly standing in front of a plate of cookies and a pitcher of juice. I refuse to stop trying, I just know I will have to work slightly harder!!

This weekend we should be heading up to Corozol to watch the Superbowl and hang out with some other vols. It should be nice to spend some time with people, I just have to find a place to put the dawg. (Alot harder than I would have thought...I just dont feel too comfortable leaving him with anyone in my village just yet.) It doesnt help that he is a big baby and cries pitifully when I leave the house without him. Yep. Thats it for now. I'll be posting pics with the next installment, which I promise will come soon!

love

jake

We are finally building my porch!!

This is the inside view of my house. Not bad eh?

Moses' ears make me laugh.

This reminds me of something you would see in a JCrew catalogue. Dunno why..

Mo an Zip

I went to Lamanai, a maya ruin, climbed the tower (2 pics down) and came across a group of mennonites speaking lowland german. Had to shake my head and say "where am i again??"

Me an pooch

At the bottom of the main Lamanai pyramid

Glamour shot

Jacob and Suzy all dressed up for new years!

Our Cabana at Backpacker's Paradise, Sarteneja

Us. Yep.

Sarteneja's main street...ocean to left.

The sunset there is incredible

Whoops..duplicate!

Hey

Lets do some updating…last time I wrote I was in a bit of a funk…like I wrote…”whats next” still haven’t totally figured it all out, but I am feeling like I am in a whole lot better of a head space. In training they told us that there would be highs and lows, ups and downs and I guess that’s what I was dealing with (little did I know that Peace Corps would bring out the Bipolar side of me! Thanks for the kind words.

What have I been doing this past week?? Well, I started a garden in the primary school here in Carmelita. I have started with one class. Thirty three students from Standard Four. Its pretty exciting for a couple reasons: I haven’t done any gardening and I will get to learn as we go and the students are really into it! We will be meeting on Mon, Tues and Fri for an hour to dig/plant/weed/water. Now yesterday was Wed and as I was riding by the school I saw the students working on digging their beds. They had begged the teacher to let them go work in the garden! (students being motivated helps with this whole process!) Ill keep ya updated and put up some pics to record the progress.

I have also gotten serious with starting the 4H group. The past two meetings have had age ranges from 5-18. Too big a gap. Starting this week I will be separating the group into a Youths branch (ages 13-18) and a kids branch (the young’uns). I have found a few teens who are really interested in the idea of basing the group around community service, fundraising and taking trips. (they have suggested a caye, caracol, a ruin, the belize zoo, and others) this seems to have a lot of potential and I am excited to see how it all pans out!

We have finally gotten started with building the porch on the front of my house. Before I was stuck inside whenever it rained or I wanted a comfy seat. With a porch My house should feel a bit larger and I will have a Belizian style mudroom! At the moment the cement has been laid down (and subsequently tramped upon by the dog and cat when wet) and the posts laid. This also means there is a 3 foot pile of sand and another of dirt in my front yard. Also, the cement was mixed right beside the porch area, So I need to figure out how to remove a 10x8 area of hardenedness. Should be a lot of fun with a pry bar! I have learned that you need to push to get work done in this country, and then again to make sure it gets finished. As far as cleaning up goes: youre on your own. J

Random aside: Moses has discovered his tail and is chasing it while bumping into everything and growing like crazy. Cute.

So last night I was lying in bed thinking about this blog. I was wondering what I could write about that would be more than just “and then I” or “after that” etc. Talk about my life here without necessarily running through the steps of my day. What did I come up with you may ask…wellll…how about I tell yall about a few of the things/places/people etc that make me happy here in Orange Walk town and in this here district. Maybe I’ll even do a Belize version at some point! (but for now lets stay local!)

1. La Popular Bakery- This place will blow your mind. They have these sugar coated donuts (granulated not powdered…very important distinction) that taste like a lil piece of heaven. (some say heaven’s clouds are made of cotton candy, I disagree. Donuts. The white fluffy that you see in cheesy paintings and when you look in the sky is a result of an optical illusion.)

They also sell fresh baked whole wheat bread, the only I have found in Belize, everyone else gets down on white bread.

2. BBQ Saturdays- We have a central square/park in Orange Walk. It’s a big gathering place any day of the week. With the sellers of cds/dvds (all bootleg btw) hammocks, used clothing and much more displaying their wares. BUT on Saturdays out come the 55 gallon drums. A bit of backyard welding has turned these former oil vessels into a damn nice grill. All of Orange Walk starts to smell like BBQ chicken. A plate will cost you about BZ$7, or US$3.50. Alongside your pick of leg or breast (if it’s the good vendor he dips the whole piece in BBQ sauce before handing it to you) y’get potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans and a flour tortilla. Its an incredible meal.

3. Seaweed & Watermelon Juice- If you have ever had a Chai tea, you know what this seaweed drink tastes like. Im pretty impressed. A guy at the bus area sells both for BZ$1.00. They are served in a bootlegged bottle of sol beer with a plastic cap that juuust barely misses fitting properly J

4. The DVD guys- Since the entire country steals cable from whatever company’s satellite I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to see a movie that just came out last week here on DVD. Any movie I could want, as long as its been around for a week or so, will be copied here. Now the quality may vary quite a bit, which is why I have found my guy. Ron G. Don’t know who he is, but at the start of every movie that he copied, up will pop his name and his phone number. I’ve found his quality to be better than a lot of others, with none of the recording in the theater nonsense.

5. Boundary Store- Oh how marvelous Boundary is!!! About a 10 minute walk out of town there is this whitewashed warehouse. Inside is everything from old clothes to bags to hats to belts to mugs to dishes to cups to plates to mirrors to books to pictures to tables to jars to toys to…well, you get the point. Its like a crazy combination of goodwill and an antiques place. In my house I have seven “pictures” or other wall hanging thingies from boundary, my fridge comes from the store, all my cups, mugs, dishes, silverware. I use the place a lot!

6. The Library- Other than an inordinate amount of Tom Clancy/Nelson Demille, there’s actually some decent stuff in there! Plus it has a gorgeous view of the river.

7. Friendship Restaurant- So Belize has a huge Chinese/Taiwanese population. Don’t ask me why. But a lot run shops and a lot run restaurants. Standards on all the menus include chow mein, chop suey, some form of sweet and sour something and bean curd stuff. But all the “chineys” as they are called here (pc hasn’t caught on in Belize) also serve burgers and fried chicken. Ever had one of those meals where you asked the waiter if the plate was going to be enough food/too much food? WELL..the folks at these here restaurants have figured out a way to deal with such issues. You have a choice! From $3 on up you may pick out the exact amount of chicken that your lil heart desires! I usually go with a $5 plate. Seems to be enough without killing me.

There’s a bunch of other places on the list…ill do some brainstorming and report again on new discoveries, new favorites and old standbys that deserve a mention!

Now a few thankyous: Alisa, Amy, Sam and Isa; thanks so much for the knife/shirt/goggles!!! The shirt gets tons of compliments and the knife gets used every single day!!

Mom, Dad, thank you for the dog training book and the flea stuff! Same goes for the flash drive (I can post pics again!)

Now lets put up some pictures!

Guess this is kinda the calm after the holiday storm. I wouldn't call it a letdown, but its definitely feeling different now that its 2009 and the xmas/new years preparations and celebrations have come and gone. Those of you who know me know that i am not too great at holding still and or staying in one area. Sometimes I feel a bit trapped in the village. I have also noticed that having a dog doesn't make it easy to leave town. I don't yet feel comfortable leaving moses with anyone in my village. Its a very different mindset about dogs here, and witholding all value statements, its a very different one than mine when it comes with how to raise a puppy. Hmm.

So i have spent the past week or so getting things done around my house, building shelves, cleaning the yard and building a bench. Now remember, jacob has no woodworking experience whatsoever, but surprisingly enough the bench turned out really well! Hopefully this will be the precursor to my landlord finishing the work that was promised to be done before i moved in 1.5 mos ago! Its simple stuff too...fix a gate, supply the materials for building a porch, help me get at least one of my sinks to stop leaking...you know, the basics!

I know that i have a tendency to look towards the future, to find things that i want to change.(usually these are out of my control though) I think this year i want to look inwards. Both into myself and into my community. I am a professional escape artist, after a while i just get out. Carmelita and Peace Corps Belize will be an opportunity to work on this instinct. Its awful tough to get away, there will be no moving to another community, no hopping in the car and going on some adventure etc. I want to hike in the woods? Look out your back door jacob, you can do this.

Happy 2009!! Bizarre. These past few months have had times that dragged by, but when I look at my life since January of last year the days and weeks have flown by. I asked myself; "what were you doing this time last year" I was in the woods with a group of students outside of Asheville, North Carolina. I hadn't even gone for my Peace Corps interview. Who would have thought that this year I would be celebrating New Years in Sarteneja, Belize??

As some of you may know, since Susannah is living in Akumal, Mexico (about 6 hrs by bus) we decided to meet up in Sarteneja, a sleepy fishing village on the coast of Belize, for the New Years. I arrived about 230 on the 30th and walked to our chosen lodging, Backpacker's Paradise, about a half mile into the bush from the village. Suzy had not yet arrived. I learned that there was a ferry coming in at about 430. Since this was the last transport of the day into the village I assumed she would be on board. There I was standing anxiously at the end of the pier, peering into the boat looking for Susannah, excited to see her for the first time in 5 months. She wasn't on board. :( Dejectedly, I walked around the village until a call came in, Suzy had gotten stuck in Corozal, missing the ferry by less than an hour. Our reunion would have to wait for another 15 hours. I passed the night chatting with other cabananistas, drinking rum and sharing stories. In the morning I was posted on the dock when the boat came in, this time bearing a beautiful blonde with an ear to ear grin. Of course, she had made new friends, and they all got to watch and hoot at our shameless reunion. :) Jacob was happy. The next few days were spent doing a whole lotta nuthin. Relaxing in hammocks, talking, reading to each other...generally being sappy and sweet. It was nice.

We were due to return to our respective homes on the 2nd, but found out that the last bus leaves the village at 630. AM. Lets not try to figure out what sense this makes. None. Gr. So our four day visit was now down to 2. In typical fashion, we decided that we were going to extend our time together, so Suzy came back to Orange Walk and Carmelita!! She spent two nights hanging out, learning how to play dominoes with villagers (playing much better than me, much to my chagrin) walking the dog, cooking, watching sunsets and generally getting an idea of where i live and who i live with. It was wonderful to have her here and share my village. Her leaving yesterday was tough, but its less than a month until she comes back for an extended visit.

All in all, i have been on cloud 9 for the past few days, feeling reaffirmed about what I am doing, and who I am with. Thanks for coming down lady.

2009 is a new year, and hopefully it will be a good one for me, for Carmelita Village, and for all my friends, family and loved ones.

I wish all of you the best for next 12 mos and beyond.

So Bridget asked me how you catch a fish using a hand line. It really is just a line with a hook on the end.  As far as cutting my fingers goes, its a relatively thick line, and when the fish tugs you let him pull as much line as he wants!  It makes for a longer fight!!! I have also heard that sometimes people use a bicycle inner tube to protect your fingers.  Most of what we are catching is in the 6 inch range, so its not always necessary.   As far as what training is like: Here is a normal daily routine:I wake up at about 630, breakfast (called tea here)  and hit class by 830.  Mornings are spent learning Kriol.  We start out with a song (yesterday it was "Gimme da tik") and then move on to the main portion.  We may focus on food, or transportation, or go on a community walk and talk to people etc.  Our classroom is our trainer's ice cream parlour (don't be thinking baskin robbins here folks)  I am picking up the kriol pretty quickly.   Around 1130/12 we head home for dinner (lunch)  which is the big meal in Belize.  Unlike other central american countries there is no siesta :(  I have until about 130, when we return and our group of 6 busses about 15 miles away to little tiny Georgetown. There we meet up with the other three Youth Development volunteers for technical training.  We have studied how to set up a community garden, some games/initiatives to play with kids, what the role of a YD volunteer looks like, work in our PACA books (participatory analysis for community action) etc.  Gtown is a tiny Garifuna town with a serious bug problem.  We be talking sand flies, horse flies, botflies, mosquitoes and my personal favorite....fire ants (dont lean on a tree, sit on the grass, go barefoot or generally do anything natureish.)  These guys are serious!!! Its almost comical....almost.  My legs looked like I had leprosy for a bit!!!  So yeah, afterwards (about 5) I go back to the house, have tea (a tiny dinner) go for a run and hang out (read, study, shower, chat etc)  I usually end up crashing pretty early unless a few of us get together for a drink.      I find myself starting to get used to things and looking at this as my life, as a regular routine, and not as much like a vacation.  Its a cool transition and I am happy about it.   Still dont know about the placement....Ill update that as soon as I can, but really, I am kinda just gonna go with whatever I am given and be happy...its all about the journey!   And no placencia yet :(  headed to punta gorda (south), some mayan ruins and the Blue caves tomorrow though!!!!   Spanish:   a bit.  One of the guys that works for my host father is Honduran and I get to speak with him pretty much daily.  I really want to maintain and improve my spanish, I have talked to another volunteer about getting a tutor eventually.  I really want to keep learning!!!

Thats about all!jake

Terra's host father, Elvis Leslie hauling in a bait net

Cast away???

Terra, Melissa, me and Chris on our island

Worshipping the sun

The cement shack next to my house.

Happy Monday people! Today starts the september month of celebrations. Among other things is Independence Day here in Belize (that would be the 21st) Essentially the entire month is a build up to that day. This weekend was wonderful. I spent a majority of it on the water, which was incredible. As a few of you have heard, at times it has been difficult for me to adjust. These past few days of relaxation and nature have turned me around 100%. Saturday I went out fishing with my host father and the host parents of another volunteer. We left at 4pm and ended up getting back at 1 in the morning. It was a long day to say the least! We set six nets, fished for 3 hours and then spent another three hours dragging all the nets in and removing the fish we had caught. It was a new experience for me to be so intimately involved in the commercial side of the whole fishing bit. The highlight of the night for me was catching a 2 foot long 12.5 lb Snook. He put up a fight!!! We were fishing with hand lines (basically throwing a fishing line into the water, no rod or reel, so fighting it was pretty intense. Iwas jumping back and forth on the boat as the fish swam from bow to stern, wrapping the line around the anchor and generally not going out without a battle. Sweet. All this got to happen as a mind blowing sunset slipped into a dark and star filled night.

The next day I returned to the water, same boat, but this time I was with 3 other volunteers. We got to tour the Big Creek deepwater port, view the shrimp farming operations and visit a super tiny deserted island for a bit. I got to show off my newly learned hand line fishing prowess and enjoy feeling comfortable. (I wasn't in a classroom and I was in the beautiful mangrove forests on the water, how could Jacob not be happy!)

Class is still going well, my host family are all very nice and I am adjusting and enjoying things here! Settlin in folks!

jake

Hello from Independence Village, Stann Creek District, Belize.  It is my third day in site and I am starting to get the lay of the land.  The village is a dusty little stop off that's main function is to serve the two slip deep water port about 2 miles away.  The dirt streets spread on both sides of the southern hwy.  Doesn't really seem to be a center, although I haven't really had too much of an opportunity to walk around.  My host family has been nice so far,  they run a cinder block operation from their front yard.  The fun part about that was that because it gets so hot here, they start super early.  Whatever sort of machine they use to make cinder blocks is loud.  Like for real.  It is especially loud at six in the morning,  i swear I thought my house was getting bulldozed!  But yeah, they're super nice, a dad, mom and about 15 assorted children runnin around.  Haven't really figured out how they are all related, and to be honest, I don't know if I ever will!        Each day I wake up, eat with the family and head a few streets over to the ice cream parlor that is owned by my teacher.  The Kriol classes have been alot of fun so far.  My new buddy Chris and I are constantly laughing as we introduce ourselves in the local language.  See if you can interpret this:

Jake:  Da weh yu nayhn?Chris:  Mee nayhn ChristofahJake:  Da how oal yu?Chris: Mee twentifoJake: pleez fu noh yaChris: Alrite byai, sotay!Jake: lata

Yep, asked his name, how old he was and told him i was pleased to meet him.  it gets even more interesting when you get into proverbs such as:

Kriol:  Haad ayz pikni goh da maakit too tiamLiterally:  Hard ears children go to the market twiceMeans:  People who don't listen will pay for their mistakes!

 mi di laan kriol!  dis de chroof alrite

sotay, (until later)jake  

Guess what...I know where I'm going!  For the next few months I will be living in Independence, a small town on the coast.  I will be learning Kriol there.  Now its not Garifuna like I was hoping, but I am pretty excited about knowing where I am going, what I am learning and so on. This is exciting! :)  Plus i will be 10-15 mins from Placencia, supposedly the best beach stretch on mainland Belize.  (darn, right?)  So yeah, thats what's going on with me!  

Answering the questions asked:  1. What does garifuna sound like:  different,  very different.  cant really give you much more than that.  sorry, but its cool.2. Can I understand Kriol:  I can catch a few words, but seriously, its a whole 'nother language.  3. Can I get chinese food:  The number of chinese places here is awesome.  I have gotten chinese three different times.  4. How is the local cuisine:  Pathetic and devoid of protein.  5. As far as logistics go: My classes have been in the main peace corps building, which happens to have wireless internet.  When I move to my training village (that has like 3,000 people) I'm guessing the internet situation will be different.6.  The last pic is on the hummingbird highway, I dont know what the building is, but if you look behind the building you can see what is called "the sleeping giant"  (a man's face looking up at the sky) its pretty sweet huh?  and beautiful.  

Side note: does anyone know if my parents and brother are reading this?  Tell em to post something!  

From Kriol Kountry :)jake

So here's the deal people...I wrote a whole entry and took care of all of my stuff so that people could have an idea of what i was doing.  I was so proud of myself!  Buuuuut...the images wouldnt load.  this makes Jacob sad.  What shall follow will be the post I attempted to put up yesterday.  Not so much luck.  Im going to keep trying and we shall see what happens in the grand scheme of things!--Helloooo! Its Sunday.  That means I get a day off.  We haven't really had any time to ourselves yet, so today has been glorious.  We took a trip down to the river about 2 miles away.  Just got to laze about and have awesomeness.  To get there you walk about a mile and a half down a dirt road,  follow it to the bottom of the hill and there is this crystal clear stream.  On one side there was a rope swing and the other had a 20 foot cliff to jump off of.  A solid five hours was spent in that creek.  One side was shallow and we all got to sit in the water and enjoy finally being cool.  (its kinda hot here)  Both sides of the river is dense jungle and as we hung out we would chat with locals who were cooling off and or washing their laundry in the river.  Kids splashing, crickets and wildlife noises etc.  One of the other trainees cracked a few jokes about how our friends and families' tax dollars have sent us here...soooo...thanks y'all!  I brought my camera to the river and didn't manage to take a single picture.  Boo.     Lets move on to what went down on saturday...we got to go to Dangriga, which is the largest Garifuna settlement/village in Belize.  The story of the Garifuna is fascinating and I recommend checking em out online.  We got to visit a lady who makes Cassava bread in the traditional style.  Tastes kinda like a mixture of matzoh and a crispy tortilla.  I think I have managed to post a picture of her!  I managed to escape during lunchtime and wander around a bit.  Dangriga is right on the coast and is gorgeous in its ramshackle caribbean flavor.  Afterwards we had a performance of traditional Garifuna drumming and dancing. It was very African in its feel and was a unique experience.  We got to see a dance in which the white slave masters are impersonated.  They wore pink masks (like the white masters' faces)    So I got a bit of picture action going on!  Looks like I have managed to upload a few pictures.  I know one is doubled up,  i dont really know how to get rid of the second :)  Hopefully this will satisfy some of you guys who have wanted to see whats going on.  Thanks so much for reading and please please leave your questions and comments.  I love to hear from you and I would love to answer your questions!  jake

I'm in Belize!  Its true!  This crazy unbelievable journey that started so many months ago has finally brought me to this country.  We arrived on Wed. and promptly launched into training.  They are definitely organized and keeping me busy.  Security meetings, survival kriol, medical chats, more meetings etc.      Lets start this blog from when we arrived in Belize.  We flew into Belize City and as we stepped off the plane I heard the Volunteers already in the country cheering loudly.  The welcome was as warm as the air.  (that was lame...)  So we loaded everything into the bus and went to a restaurant on the coast.  Felt like i had just arrived in paradise.  We got a chance to meet some of the volunteers and hear their stories over lunch.  The rest of the day was spent driving to the capital city of Belmopan (the world's smallest capital at around 10,000 people.)  I guess it took opening the door to my hotel room (home for the next week) To help me realize that this is Peace Corps and I am no longer in the US.  Its a chinese owned place, and everything from the soaps to the light switches are in chinese.  The bed is on the saggy side, and the entire building looks like a soviet bomb shelter.  But my favorite part, by far, is the overwhelming smell of mothballs when you enter the room.  We're talking gag reflex if you open the closet.  Lovely :)      Sooo... Each day we wake up to make it to the office, a few blocks away, by 7:30 or so.  We eat breakfast and start our classes.  Today I learned about the history and politics of Belize and we had a group discussion on Development (what is it, who does it, what for etc)  At times I feel like some of the people here are light years ahead of me when it comes to knowledge of these subjects surrounding economics etc.  I am trying to catch up and still be an active participant.  We will be a large training group for the next few days before we split into our individual concentrations.  Youth development will be training in either Kriol (the local patois) or Garifuna, an african arawak language.  Whatever group I am placed into in the next few days will determine the population I am with for the next two years.  I have my fingers crossed for Garifuna, but part of this whole process is being open to whatever happens,  so thats where I am trying to put my head right now.  On Wed.  I will move with 3 or 4 others to either Georgetown or Independence,  two villages in southern Belize.  I am so ready for this info.  

   All these logistics aside, I think I am still trying to wrap my brain around being here.  I guess it hasn't really sunk in just yet.  Tomorrow we visit the town of Dangriga, which is Garifuna, and then the next day we have a river trip to wash our clothes, go swimming, and generally spend a day outside of a classroom.  There is so much together time with the whole incoming class that I have been craving a bit of alone time.  I took an hour yesterday and went on a run...kinda snuck off from the group after the class day was over.  I feel like I am in limbo.  I have yet to separate fully from the US, I haven't done anything but be in class here, and I am unsure as to what my next week will look like,  much less next year.  Hopefully things will get clarified in the near future and I will be able to give you all an update as to what my next move is.  As far as pictures,  its only been classroom time so far.  (plus i need to learn how to upload pics!!!)  I hope ill be able to show some cool stuff after this weekend.  Love,Jake

Hello all!  In a perfect world I would have set this blog up weeks ago.  I would have detailed the journey from application to nomination to medical clearances to legal to whatever else I did.  Its not a perfect world.  And I am not the perfect blogger.  Nonetheless, here I am, writing to you at 10:06 PM while on my bed in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Miami.  The past 48 hours has been a whirlwind.  Saturday night was my going away party, and it was fantastic.  It was great to see everybody coming together just to say goodbye.  Sunday was a bit tougher.  Essentially it was saying goodbye to one person after another.  First there was Joshie.  Usually its a slap on the back and a "see ya soon"  this time was different.  I teared up, and despite his rock hard exterior, I think he did too :)  Next came Bridget, Daniel, Max and Lila.  Its really tough knowing that I might not see my niece and nephew for another two years.  They will change so much, I will miss so much.  I felt like I was abandoning them.  As if I wasn't close enough to losing it,  after hugging everyone goodbye I had to drive Suzy to the airport.  Now if you don't know,  Susannah Ayliffe has been my rock throughout this whole application process.  She has kept me organized, motivated me, buoyed my spirits, and generally been absolutely amazing.  How selfless to devote your time to helping your significant other move away from you.  I don't know if I would be in this position today were it not for her. (thank you Bruiser!)       When I got home from the airport I went out to dinner with the rents.  As always, hanging with them is both wonderful and trying.  That last night of packing  and this morning's trip to the airport made the scope of this trip so much more obvious.  I am so lucky to have parents who support me leaving the country for 2 years.  Who will take all my crap and put it in their gorgeous new home, who I know will come and visit me as soon as they can, and who are generally the most caring and involved parents I have ever known.  When I was a teenager I would complain about family dinners and friday nights at home.  Thank you, mom and dad, for giving me a foundation that I can build on for the rest of my life.      After all the events of the past few days, today was pretty tame.  Basically I have walked in, made some friends, and sat through four hours of lecture.  Tomorrow is an early morning, so I am going to turn in.  But I promise to keep this blog going and tell all about what this experience is like.  Please Please Please feel free to share this with friends, family etc.  My internet musings are as much for me as they are for you.  from tropical storm'd miami...jake