Saturday, September 11, 2010

Typical Days in Belize




On a typical Saturday I go to the Cayo market where the most amazingly fresh vegetables and fruits are sold by farmers who come to market from the villages--including San Antonio where I lived earlier in the year. The usual cucumbers, carrots, onions, pineapple, papaya and then the most delicious fruits and vegetables new to me such as chaya and petaya make for a wonderful week of sauteed vegetables. The other pictures are from a typical day at the local ATM (not what you think but rather Actun Tunichil Muknal, the Mayan Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre with artifacts and skeletons from 700-900 AD.) The third picture is a woman's skeleton. This trip involved hiking, swimming and some climbing (I was triple the age of everyone else but I held my own--mostly because swimming through a cave is quite extraordinary.

Monday, September 6, 2010

A Leisurely Walk in My Neighborhood


My life has settled into full-time work at Mary Open Doors--serving women and children--and routines of going to the market, day-to-day living, etc. Sunday was cool and a bit rainy so I decided to search for the Belize Botanical Gardens that is about 10 miles from my home; first a short bus ride and then what turned out to be a very long walk. I never made it (will try using transportation next time) but found two interesting things: a Maya Air Park (local airport?) and spectacular scenary. Pretty amazing what the Maya have done. More to follow. One exciting new thing is a group of local residents has organized a Book Club; we had our first meeting at my home and it was very lively trying to pick books--a few folks have kindles and more are on the way: Our first book is Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Given the role of religion in Belize this should be a very interesting discussion.