Playa Blanca Villa San Pedro

Our bus drove us from Palenque to Chetumal, we walked the border into Belize and passed customs in the little town of Corazal. Border crossing went smoothly, the girls hadnīt paid their entry into Mexico so we were a little concerned it would be a problem, the friendly Belizean officers didnīt seem to have a care in the world and just asked them to pay 200 pesos each, probably later used on a bottle of rum. We borded ...

... out the island. It was couldy and rainy all day so we didnt go snorkeling. I rented a lifted golf cart and we went cruising around, that was pretty fun. Grubby went into a barber to get a shave and came out with very little hair. lol We scheduled the blue hole dive the next day. We got up early and met the boat at the dock, it was a good sized boat with about 20 diver on it. We knew the trip out was about 2 and half ...

Good food and good music what more do you want for Sunday lunch. An awning, a live band pulsing the caribbean beat, some garden furniture, a bar and a selection food stalls selling all sorts of delicacies, what more does one desire to kick back and enjoy a Sunday afternoon?!! Not forgetting the manditory armed police and military guards to make you feel safe.

... Costa Maya is filled with activities and as expected, far too many ways to spend oney. We did some shopping in town before coming down this way and stoked the kitchen for a few days. Oh ya, and most everybody here in Belize seems to think that Im looking to buy pot, or I've got the herb to sell, or give to them...People willl yell out at me "Hey Rasta Man!" and stome me for a purchase of some kind. I guess one's hair goes a long ...

... back. The roads are kind of hairy but it's all part of the fun. I've found a place to start jogging again, I've had too long a lay off since the marathon. It is called the Marion Jones Sports Complex and consists of a 1Km tarmac track and a rickety old stand. I do 8 laps in about and hour. It is so hot for jogging but it can only do me good. There is something special about ...

... chicken. The stew chicken is basically a national dish. The chicken is stewed in creole spices and served with rice and beans and a side of coleslaw. It was delish! All in all it was a great first day in Belize. The other interns are leaving today to meet a group of students from Kamloops in Cockscomb and wont be back until Monday so things will be fairly slow around here and I will have time to relax, check out the river for a swim, maybe do some slacklining and get used to this heat.

... to do this dive as itīs a 42m dive and we were only qualified to dive 18m. Well our parents will be pleased to hear that we decided just to snorkel this site, despite much pressure from some pushy Belizean dive instructors. It was still a great experience though as when the divers came up a load of sharks followed them and we got to swim around with them for a ...

... fish. I was able to touch some sting rays and tried for the nurse sharks but they were too fast and i simply ran out of breath. Anyway, it they are real docile and get spooked real easily by people. Tomorrow I am off to San Igancio to do some cave tubing, see some mayan ruins and go into Guatemala to see the Mayan city of Tikal. I hope to write soon but who knows how the connection will be. Until then, enjoy the pics.

... think, relax and enjoy the moment. A Belizian minute is one to treasure. The people who travel here, and the people who call it home have at least one thing in common...you canīt be in a hurry while you are here, and it is paradise because of that. Madonna said it best when she wrote the song ĻLa Isla BonitaĻ about Ambequise Caye. Our accommodations on the island add considerably to the feeling that one is in ...

... Like the American version, one slice weighs about 3 pounds. Also like the American version, many are given and received for Christmas. However, unlike the American version, there are no fruit cake jokes, and all black cake seems to get eaten. So that's us for another month. Remember, we're just as interested in what everyone is doing at home, so send us a note about what's happening in your life this winter. At the very least we can gloat about not shoveling snow. Happy 2006 everybody!