Belize (Spanish Creek, Rancho Dolores)

Week 1: complete.

I have done more this week than I did in 3 months working back home. I also feel fantastic! Accomplished! Healthy!

Here are some random stories/facts I’ve picked up:

  • Clinton Roca is a 57 yr old Kreole man who has worked on Spanish Creek for many years. He is “the horse man”. When trying to tame one, he was tying a rope and the horse bucked his head back and his thumb got caught in the rope and popped it off at the first knuckle. He also got kicked in the face by one and lost and eye and all his teeth. Yet, he laughs constantly and is one of the most pleasant and bravest man I know.
  • The farm I’m working at is all organic. The only chemical they use is against ticks (for the horses) and sometimes (during the wet season) against leaf-cutter ants. The food is amazingly flavorful.
  • Cilantro grows wild here. It’s like grass.
  • Fun fact: when you boil lemon grass, it tastes like fruit loop milk.
  • The spider monkey used to he prevalent around here, but there was a giant fire that forced them from Belize. I was lucky to see one the other day. Howler monkeys, on the other hand, are common and you can hear them everywhere. Their call sounds like dinosaurs.
  • Killer bees (African bees) are a nuisance here. You can actually hear them swarm towards you. When they land, they all pile on top of another to rest, making a fuzzy black blanket on whatever they landed on. They pollinate really well and there are no honey bees around, but they can be deadly. (if you brush them away, they release a pheromone that attracts the other bees towards you.) To kill them, you light a dead banana/palm tree branch on fire and put the fire between yourself and the bees. Light bees on fire.
  • Sitting on the bus, no one talks. They just stare out the window.
  • I went into the city to go snorkeling at Caye Cauker; an island off the coast of Belize. It’s basically a paradise.
  • 4 comments

    • That kicks ass. And I still owe you a list one your countries. Summary: For all of Latin/South America – gangs, crime,corruption and drugs are rampant. /end Summary. Seriously, stay safe!

    • That kicks ass. And I still owe you a list one your countries. Summary: For all of Latin/South America – gangs, crime,corruption and drugs are rampant. /end Summary. Seriously, stay safe!

    • I know you have a camera. I need pictures!

    • I know you have a camera. I need pictures!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *