Week 4 Complete :-D

Well you can definitely tell I've lost my momentum for blogging!haha Partially because I don't want to bore you with the same old stuff....dengue fever, the amazing fruit, plethora of bugs! And also because I didn't do anything crazy this weekend :-(

I was supposed to go zip lining/cave-tubing yesterday but the tour company didn't receive my email confirmation in time and overbooked....so I agreed to go today (Sunday) instead. Unfortunately the other people in the group backed out last minute and they require at least two people per excursion. This left me with two options, pay double or not go at all. I chose the latter. These excursions are already ridiculously overpriced and it didn't seem worth it to pay double! So now I'm just chillin, thinking of all of the other things I could be doing right now...except I'm not. My last weekend in San Ignacio kinda turned into a dud, but I've slept lots, relaxed, and studied for the first time all rotation!

And I can't really be THAT bummed because in THREE days Paul is coming :-D!!!  It surprisingly took a lot of convincing to get him to come...I guess I told him too much about the bugs and the heat which scared him away. He's getting in late Weds night and staying in San Ignacio in a little guesthouse with A/C. I told him he couldn't come to Belize without going to the ATM cave and at least one of the Maya ruins. I'm gonna plan him two adventure packed days...and then we head to the Cayes for the last 3 days. Ahh, I can't wait!!! I've worked a few Sundays so that I could take my last official day off and it will totally be worth it!

This week at the hospital picked up...finally!!! I worked more with Dr Hailu and got to do my FIRST reductions, apply lots of casts, and I assist him with an extensor tendon rupture repair. So fun! We also sent two more patients to Belize City for platelet transfusions due to dengue hemorrhagic fever. We had a lady come in complaining of decreased hearing; we looked inside her ears and saw a ridiculous amount of hard cerumen. We sent her home with ear wax softening drops and told her to return in 4 days to flush out her ears...it was so gross! Multiple globs of cerumen the size of dried pinto beans came out of her ears!!! We also had an older lady come in with a stroke and a young, postpartum women (32 yo) come in with a PE...she had been diagnosed with a DVT several days prior at a different hospital and decided to go home before she completed treatment. I don't think the risks were fully explained to her!

Yesterday I took it easy because I THOUGHT I was gonna be all adventurous today....it felt sooo good to sleep in. I woke up at 1030am and ate fresh coconut rolls from Maggie. Oh my goodness, they were easily the BEST thing I've eaten all trip. Imagine a buttery, gooey cinnamon roll but instead of cinnamon and nuts it has freshly grated coconut and a delicious syrup. I ate two, it was hard to stop!!! I made a quick trip into town to get some fresh pitaya and star fruit from the market....I've been trying to eat just fresh fruit for dinner to be healthier, with the occasional coconut ;-) I also found my new FAVORITE ice cream shop....its on the street behind the main street and has a little pink sign that says "Ice Cream Shop." It is more pricey than the other places but their sour sop ice cream is to die for!

Okay, it wouldn't be a legit blog without a shout-out to the bugs. I learned the hard way that the little ants here like electrical wiring...I came home to find a trail of ants going across my bed, down my charger cord and all over and inside my computer!!! I literally squished ants for hours...on my sheets, pillow, and crawling out of my key board. I googled it, and yes, it is a thing. They've been known to completely destroy electrical circuits and hard drives!!! I created a "safety haven" by spraying a big rectangle of 100% Deet on my desk...I place my computer inside each morning before going to work. So far, it has worked! I hate to say it, but my battle with the massive cockroach still continues. I swear he has 10 lives!!! I thought I got him TWICE this week, but both times he got away. The tarantula that go in my room was not so lucky....one smack with my flip-flop and he was toast. I promise I'm not a crazy insect murderer, as long as they're not in my room or living space, they can live a good life...I just can't risk them crawling across my face in my sleep or pouncing on me when I'm in the shower. Not okay! My final insect encounter of the week was with a wolf spider....except at the time, I didn't know what it was. I just saw a huge black shadow crawl under my door. My first thought was "ahhh, another tarantula." I jumped off my bed and smacked it with my flip-flop....the spider scurried away but exploded with HUNDREDS OF BABY SPIDERS!!!! I froze for a few seconds before realizing what happened...I thought I had disrupted an ants nest in the floor or something. As the tiny spiders scrambled everywhere, I grabbed my Deet and sprayed the floor ferociously until I nearly passed out. Is this real life?! You better believe I was itching all night last night just thinking about it! Maybe the universe is trying to tell me to just become friends with all of these crawlers....

Day 21: Self Tour of San Ignacio

This weekend I contemplated treating myself to a luxurious hotel with air-conditioning, a comfortable bed, fancy restaurant, and a pool--but my bank account reminded me that I'm living on student loans and need to save my $$! Thus, I decided to do a self-tour of San Ignacio and relax. The past few weeks I've just been going going going and I'm pretty exhausted!

This morning I roll-out of bed just in time to make a cup of instant coffee and grab some toast before the kitchen closes. Clive mentions how this weekend is the annual fiesta in Benque, which celebrates patron saint Our Lady of Mount Carmel--he says its one of the biggest events in Belize, and that people come from all over, including Guatemala and Mexico. He warns me not to stick around after dark, since there are usually local feuds that end up in a couple people being shot. Okay, I'll definitely not stick around for that!

I call a cab and head into San Ignacio to take a Benque cab....after 3 weeks, I've learned how to get around. A San Ignacio cab to Benque is $20 bze but a Benque cab to Benque is only $4 bze! I make the switch and I'm on my way...I have no idea what this festival is all about, but I heard street corn, tamales, crafts, live entertainment and I was sold!

We pull up to this big dirt area and the cab driver tells me this is it. THIS IS IT? I look around and see old, rickety carnival rides that are just baking in the hot sun....not a soul is in sight! Perhaps because its mid-day and it feels like 97 degrees? As I walk down the dirt pathway, I begin to hear whistling and "ay ay ay Señorita"; I look around and see the carnival operators huddled underneath umbrellas and trees for shade. They offer me a free ride on the ferris wheel that probably only goes up 100 feet...but I decline. These rides look like they're from the 1940's and I'm scared enough on rides at the San Diego County Fair!

I continue on, looking for the crowds, but hardly anyone is here. Most of the merchant booths are covered with tarps, the local food is just beginning to hit the grill; the only thing open for business is bar row which consists of several large tents next to each other, each boasting drink specials and their own loud speaker, blasting different music. It is like auditory overload..each sound guy is trying to play their music louder then the guy next door, it sounds awful!haha I consider sitting down and making friends, but I look around at my potential company and its just a couple locals slumped in their chairs, already wasted from the the rum. I'm beginning to draw attention to myself and the shy girl in me starts to feel really uncomfortable! I keep walking, looking for more people; maybe they are all  at the field watching a band competition or futbol tournament. But no, completely empty. Clive told me to come early, but I guess this is too early!!!

I catch a cab back to San Ignacio and decide to hit up the local market instead...its everyday but Saturdays are the biggest! The parking lot is lined with booths selling fresh produce, homemade bread, clothing, jewelry, hand-crafted wooden figurines, brightly colored purses and hammocks; this is way more my style! I purchase a pitaya (dragon fruit) because it is so pretty! I have no idea how to eat it, but I'll just Youtube it. I'm LOVING all of the delicious fruit that I rarely eat in the States...and the mangos are out of this world. Better than ice cream, and I'm pretty obsessed with ice cream!

Produce galore!

Pitaya.

So many vibrant colors!

The snow cone cart

After trying every sample in sight, I wander into Western Dairies for some coffee ice cream. This is a very popular spot in town, serving ice cream made that is made in Spanish Landing, one of the more modern Mennonite communities. Belize has a very prominent mennonite population, with over 12,000 mennonites residing in small, rather isolated communities. Most of their ancestors originated from Europe and the tradiontalist Mennonites speak a guttural form of German; approx 2,000 Belizians of Mestizo and Creole origins have also converted to the faith. However, the mennonite community is divided in two--you have the progressive mennonites of Blue Creek and Spanish Lookout and the conservative group of Shipyard and Upper Barton Creek. The more conservative groups are frequently mistaken for Amish, trekking down the country roads in horse in buggies. Despite their old-fashioned approach to farming, the mennonites produce over 85% of the poultry and dairy products in Belize...I've been told that if you want fresh milk or eggs, you just wave down a horse-drawn buggy as they make their morning deliveries.

$2.50 bze gets you all of this!!!

Okay, off of my little history tangent. After my appetizer of ice-cream, I stop by Martha's Guesthouse for lunch, hoping to try their famous tamales...but they only serve them at dinner time. Instead I order a glass of fresh watermelon juice and a plate of garnaches--fried corn tortillas topped with refried beans, a zesty cabbage/onion/cilantro blend, shredded cheese, and the infamous Marie Sharpe's hot sauce. My lips are on fire!!!

Garnaches

Fresh Watermelon Juice

I'm stuffed so I decide to walk it off! I ask my waitress for directions to the San Ignacio Hotel which  is known for its iguana conservation project--my sister told me I HAD to go! I make a few wrong turns but eventually find my way (note: don't listen to drunk man, you'll def got lost!haha) As I enter through the inviting doors of the hotel I am happily met by the cool A/C...ah, this is heavenly! I talk to the friendly concierge, Ruben, and he tells me I'm just in time for the next tour! The green iguanas have become a threatened species in Belize due to over-hunting and destruction of their natural habitats. Many cultures hunt the iguanas during the spring, especially the females caring for developing eggs. The eggs are considered a delicacy and often used in stews and the meat of the female reptile is more flavorful. The conservation project raises the iguanas from egg to juveniles and releases them into the wild after 4 years; the program allow guests to "adopt" an iguana and name it. I didn't pay to adopt one, but I decided to name my friend Mel...she is a gentle soul who enjoys a good back rub and cuddling.

Mel, such a gentle soul.

These guys will do anything for some fresh leaves!

Oscar, the bully.

I've been looking for a new accessory....

On my way out, I mention to Ruben how gorgeous the hotel is and how I would LOVE just to stay there for one night. He hands me his contact info and tells me to call him....he's got the hook-ups! Woohoo, perhaps my wish will come true and I'll be living like a queen for one night! :-D

I continue on my self tour of San Ignacio and walk the 15 minutes to the top of Cahal Pech, the local Maya ruins...its a gorgeous view, overlooking the town and surrounding jungle. Gosh, such a pretty country and its so peaceful up here....and eerie! I'm the only person in the park right now and I keep imagining finding a vagabond living in one of the empty caverns or stepping on a snake in the dark tunnels. Thanks to my super adventurous clothes of flip-flops and a sundress, I make it out unscathed!

Gorgeous view from the top...the photo doesn't do it justice!

I can't believe this is right outside of town!

I'm pretty obsessed with these doorways

At this point, I've gone 4 hours without ice cream so its definitely time for more! Cayo Twist is known for its non-dairy ice cream and homemade waffle cones...as well as really bizarre hours (Thurs through Sun, 6-9pm). But the coconut ice-cream is to die for and totally worth all of the walking! Now that I've ruined my appetite, I think I'll just head back to my house and eat my fresh fruit for dinner; besides, I don't need a repeat of last Satrurday night!haha I'm exhausted so I decide just to head back to my house and eat all of my fresh fruit dinner.

I'm not excessive at all ;-)

Street view from the ice cream shop

Days 16-20

I'm not gonna lie, week 3 has been a tough one.....I'm home sick. :-( I don't want to spend my blog complaining, but there are just the little things in life that I miss--my comfy bed without bugs, feeling COOL, sleeping past 4 am (thanks Mr Woodpecker!), a fresh green salad, my friends. And I'm terrified of the massive cockroach in my bathroom, I just want to shower in peace!

My futile attempt to get the cockroach with mosquito repellant!

Despite these pests, I try to remind myself that even if I were traveling through the southern countryside of France, I would still be homesick. It's just what happens to me with any long-term trip....and its always at week 3! It's almost like when you're going for a run and you have to get over the "hump"--and then you get a burst of energy! Well, I'm hopeful that I'll wake up tomorrow with that BURST! I'm just trying to stay positive....I know I'm fortunate to be here and I don't want to waste my last 2 weeks in the dumps.

The hospital has been pretty slow this week so I spent a lot of time helping the nurses by starting IVs, giving injections, and drawing blood...anything to stay busy! I did a lot of bouncing around between Dr Camel and Dr Hailu, seeing patients for tendonitis, muscle strains, wound and dressing changes, abdominal pain etc. It was mellow until Friday when we finally got some action in the OR. I helped with a cholecystectomy and no joke, the lady had a stone almost the size of a golf ball! It was crazy!!!

This week:

• I tried fresh guava! Dr Hailu gave me a bag of 4 fresh guava fruits...I had to YouTube how to eat them since I've only had guava juice. You just rinse and cut it into slices; eating the seeds is optional but I cut them out because they were kinda slimy. It's much more crunchy then I imagined...and almost had a nutmeg after taste. Also, I just assumed all guava fruits were pink...but they can be white too!

• I tried craboo, a fruit that grows on a shrub--once ripe, it falls to the ground. The fruit is peculiarly odorous with a thin, yellow skin and white, oily pulp inside....it reminded me of dry cheese. Not a fan!

• I tried mamey, also known as Sapote. This fruit grows in large trees and has sandpaper like skin--inside is a bright orange, creamy, sweet fruit, almost like a sweet avocado! But also, not a fan!haha

Day 15: Tikal

I probably slept a total of 3 hours last night…I was so excited and nervous that I was going to sleep past my alarm and miss my trip to Tikal, Guatemala!!!

I fill up my 2-liter CamelBack with water, a couple snacks and PBJ, some emergency cash, and my camera. I walk down to the bus stop outside La Loma Luz, expecting to be met by a tour van. I see a red taxi parked out front and try not to make eye contact--I get tired of saying "No gracias" because every single cab driver asks if I want a ride. As I nonchalantly turn my back, I hear a mans voice say, "Melissa...come here Melissa." Um, creepy!! He proceeds to ask me if I have my passport, and I think okay, this guy must be here for me. As we're driving down the road, I begin to think, what if this is a stalker?!! I ask him where he is taking me and he laughs, "To the MayaWalk office to meet the rest of your tour." Shoo, thank goodness I didn't just willingly get into a creeper car!

I walk up to the office to meet the rest of my tour group--Edward is a professional poker player from Philly and Luke is a computer nerd from Raleigh, NC. They seem pretty cool! We get into a big, dodge pick-up truck with William, the owner of the tour group. He drives us to the border crossing and we make it through, no questions asked.

A nicely groomed gentleman greets us on the other side; he introduces himself in broken English and clarifies our names. He then points to a Mitsubishi SUV with very tinted windows and tells us to follow him—this is our driver, Juan. We hop inside and he drives a couple hundred feet, before asking for our passports. He gets out of the car and disappears for a few minutes, talking with the immigration officers. We look at each other and are all thinking “this is when he sells our passports.” But no, he’s an honest man J. We precede down the bumpy, two lane road, staring at the gorgeous scenery, small roadside stands, and the locals playing on the fields. I have never seen so many futbol fields in my entire life! I feel pretty shameless, because there is no way anyone can see inside our vehicle; even the windshield is tinted—there is a small strip that is normal glass, just large enough to see the drivers face.

Just as we’re adjusting to this new, beautiful Country we see a checkpoint ahead. The cars in front of us pass through without any problem; as we approach the 6 heavily armed military men, they wave at our driver to pull over. He rolls down all of the windows so that the main leader can look inside the car; we’re all trying to stay calm, but goodness, these guys are intimidating. They’re standing there looking all tough with their hands on large machine guns; they each have a thick rope sash, that appears just long enough to lasso or tie someone up! However, our driver seems pretty calm; he hands over his license and insurance and they proceed to ask him to step out of the car. He takes his keys out of the ignition and opens the trunk; I guess they are searching for drugs. After a few minutes, he hops back in the car and continues to drive; I ask him if that is normal, and he assures us it is.

We continue on our drive—Guatemala is seriously gorgeous! Straw huts are all along the road, the houses seem to be much more open than those in Belize. Horses are tied up along the roadside; Juan says it is the only place where there is green grass. Animals seem to have free range—we slow down for pigs, cows crossing, and a horse who seems to have gotten loose. Juan takes a sharp turn off of the main road, and says “we go to Lagoon”; the scenery instantly changes. We are on a narrow, dirt road immersed in green foliage; there are several homes tucked in the woods and you can see the children running around; women are carrying buckets on their head, filled with water, and you can smell the smoke billowing from the stoves.  We pull up to one of the largest lagoons in Guatemala and it is absolutely breathtaking!

The drive to Tikal seems to be going by pretty quickly. We pick up our guide, Carlos, from one of the villages on the way and stop at a souvenir shop to try some fresh Guatemalan coffee. Just as we’re about ready to leave, we hear all sorts of commotion—men talking into mega-phones, music playing from speakers strapped on to the roofs of cars, and lots of cars honking. Soon we find ourselves smack in the middle of a political rally for the presidential election; apparently this guy, Daniel Leonardo, is one of the underdogs. But he is going through great lengths to bring awareness to his campaign!

After about 2 hours in the car, we arrive to the entrance of Tikal. Carlos keeps telling us, “Friends, it's a beautiful day!” He seems very energetic and much more friendly than Daniel, my tour guide for the ATM cave! I cannot even begin to describe how incredible Tikal is. It measures nearly 23 sq miles and contains over 4,000 ruins within the park, many of them have yet to be excavated. Its so fascinating just thinking about the history that were are walking upon; all of the intense manual labor that went into building these massive pyramids, plazas, and sacrifice chambers. At the beginning of our tour, Carlos points out a gum tree—this is the very tree that lead to the discovery of Tikal. During the mid 1800s, Ambrusser Tat discovered the ruins, after tapping this tree for sap.

As we hike through the jungle, you can hear crickets, iguanas, all sorts of birds, and the howler monkeys in the distance. I’m barely looking at the ground, because I’m determined to spot a Toucan and spider monkey. Carlos tells us just to look for moving branches—spider monkeys are very fast, unlike the more sedentary howler monkeys; however, the howlers are very loud. In fact, they’re the loudest mammals in the world—you know the terrifying sounds coming from the dinosaurs on Jurassic Park? Well, those are actually howler monkeys! I HAVE to see one!!!

My two new friends and I are determined to cover as much of the park as possible; we explore plaza after plaza and are definitely getting our workout climbing up the pyramids. Edward and I like to just sit atop the pyramids and chat—he’s a very interesting guy. He is taking anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months to travel through South America; he has absolutely no agenda! He doesn’t even know which Country he is going to next; but I appreciate his free spirit and honest thoughts. I also just love to people watch—I spot the REAL Napoleon Dynamite and he's just awesome! This guy climbs to the top of the pyramid wearing flip-flops with socks pulled midway up his calves; he has his Star Wars shirt tucked into his khaki cargo shorts with a fanny pack around his waist; and best of all, he’s wearing those glasses that turn into sunglasses and he has this massive afro of curly brown hair, with a bald spot smack in the middle. When he gets to the top, he puts his hands on his hips and yells, “Wow, this is incredible!” I couldn't agree with him more and I immediately want to be his friend!

We climb up the tallest, excavated ruin in Tikal and sit upon the hand-crafted steps of lime stone, just taking in the incredible view in silence. Our meditative spirits are frequently interrupted by the next group of tourists with their selfie sticks, trying to get the perfect photo…also very entertaining. 

As we begin our trek out of the heart of Tikal, I’m feeling pretty bummed that I haven’t scene a whole lot of wild life other than some spider monkeys in the distance—but Carlos, he’s the man. He takes us on all sorts of hidden pathways; its like he’s an animal whisperer and knows exactly where they hang out. We see gorgeous Toucans, humongous guinea pigs, close-ups of spider monkeys, grey foxes, AND HOWLER MONKEYS! That’s it, my day is made!!! And it’s an entire family!!! One of the little fellas sees us and climbs down to the branch directly above our heads....Carlos had warned us about the monkeys, telling us to keep our mouths closed and to look out for flying poop, but I thought he was kidding. As I’m snapping photos, all of the sudden I see this large stream of urine…the monkey is intentionally aiming his pee at us! He misses, so then he starts to THROW POOP! I’m half laughing/half screaming, trying to get out of his line of fire—he does this TWO TIMES! He must have been saving up all day, just to taunt the next tourist that invaded his territory. This guy is something else, like a perverted little boy; he looks us directly in the eyes and begins smacking his booty and playing with himself. I can’t even handle it!!!

Tikal, you were everything I had hoped for and more! I’m so glad I didn’t let others deter me….the people were endearing, the scenery breathtaking, and the animals—hilarious! Mom and dad, I’m safe! :-D

Such a peaceful lagoon. The thatched roofs provide shelter to the laundry area...each family in the village has their own.

A cement washboard

Immersed in the jungle!

Ceiba...the national tree of Guatemala

One of many, many plazas

These steps were no joke, my ankle still hates me!

One of my favorite spots!

Temple IV, the tallest ruin in Tikal (212 feet)

The view from temple IV...mesmerizing!

Gorgeous Toucan....this is the only that held still enough for a photo!

This guy (spider monkey)...such a charmer until he also pooped!

Howler monkey family!

The MOST mischievous of them all.

Day 14: Xunatunich

I'm back to blogging! I had one of the most incredible weekends of my life and I was so excited to share every moment with you, but my computer charger broke...hence the delay. This week I learned that being in a small, rural town in another country is not conducive to owning Apple products. Yesterday, I walked to every computer and office supply store in town (9 to be exact!), asking if they carried Apple chargers or a generic knock-off. I was either met with blank stares or snickers, because NO ONE carries Apple. There ain't no Best Buy in Belize! My last hope was a TV repair shop in the far side of town; the kind gentleman said he would try his best to fix the electrical short...it worked...and my computer didn't burst into flames! Now my phone charger is on the verge of going kaput, but I'll deal with that later.haha Next time I'm bringing extras!

Anyhow, my weekend begins with a bilingual church service at the Santa Elena Central Seventh-day Adventist Church. Several of my co-workers (and Gia!) have invited me and I don't really have plans, so why not?! Belize consists of several religions, with only about 15% claiming no religious affiliation at all--nearly 9% of the population is SDA, with 3 churches just minutes from the hospital.

The church is a simple structure and the main entrance is open to the breeze; you can hear the congregation singing old-school hymns from quite a distance. Everyone turns around and smiles at me as I walk in, wearing my most conservative sundress and cardigan. I didn't really bring church attire, but I make sure my shoulders are covered! The people are so kind and inviting--it reminded me of the small congregations my dad used to pastor growing up. The song leader is belting at the top of her lungs and is having a difficult time staying on pitch; the accompaniment is pre-recorded, with a keyboardist and guitar player jumping in every now and then, as they attempt to figure out what chords to play. I just can't stop smiling! They are very adamant about giving offering to help support the local church and school--there are 5 different "offering" calls throughout the service. I am trying my best to support, but when the third offering plate comes around, I realize I am going to run out of cab money! The service goes from 8:45-12:15, with no breaks in between....I am getting pretty antsy towards the end, the wooden pews aren't really built with comfort in mind and I had skipped breakfast. But the pastor is very charismatic, making it nearly impossible to zone out.

I return back to the hospital for lunch, and talk with Maggie (the other cook), for quite some time. She is a short, garifuna lady with a thick creole accent; she has the friendliest smile and her laugh, its just amazing! I don't really have plans for the afternoon and contemplate just taking a nap...but I tell myself not to be LAME and go explore something, anything! I get on my computer and look up the distances to Cahal Pech and Xunatunich; both are Maya ruins I have been wanting to visit. I put on my adventure clothes, lather up in sunscreen, and grab my camera. I only have $60 bze on me and I need to find out where it can get me. I flag down a taxi driver (I usually let several pass, until I see one that doesn't look very creepy) and ask him the prices to each; we agree on $50 bze to drive me the 8 miles to the ferry, up the steep hill to the entrance of Xunatunich, and a return trip back to town. Seems like a pretty good deal, considering most of the tour groups charge $90 US (180 bze)--and even though it DOES contain the tallest Maya ruin in Belize, I don't think I need a full day.

Xunatunich is located atop a ridge above the Mopan river--you can see the Guatemala border, just 0.6 miles to the west. The center consists of four major architectural groups, the most prominent being "El Castillo", which stands 132 ft tall. This massive structure served as the dwelling, shrine and administrative hub for the elite rulers.

Xunatunich means "Maiden of the Rock". Local legend holds that around 1890, a gentlemen went hunting near the site; he was awestruck by the appearance of a beautiful, statuesque Maya maiden, dressed in traditional clothing and dazzling in the rays of the sun. Startled, the man threw his gun aside and ran downhill to the village, leading the native priest back to the site...but the stone maiden had disappeared. To this day, locals claim that the women has appeared to several others, but no-one has been able to follow her into the cavern at the base of Castillo.

I love learning about the Mayas, its so fascinating! Belize is just bursting with history, culture, and adventure...I can't believe I almost considered NOT coming!

After my self-tour, Gil (my cab driver) and I head back to town--I'm craving ice cream, as usual, and so I treat us both. It's only $2.50 for a double scoop, why not make someone else's day! And besides, Gil is pretty awesome. Afterwards, I decide to hang out on the patio at Eva’s restaurant; it seems like the local and tourist hot spot. Large groups are seated outside, enjoying freshly squeezed cocktails with Belizian rum or appetizers of ceviche and nachos. Street vendors stop buy, offering samples of freshly roasted nuts or homemade tamales.  As I’m sitting at a table all by myself, I’m realizing this is the challenging part of traveling alone--you feel as though people are looking at you, even though they barely notice you. Is this when I’m supposed to just approach a random table and start up a conversation? Do I just sit here, trying not to look out of place? I try to put my thoughts at ease and just smile—apparently that's all you need to do...at least for the Belizian boys. Armadour, a local boy with long black hair and a chipped front tooth, approaches me and invites me to join his group of friends. It's a very diverse group--Michelle is from Indiana and has lived in Belize for over 20 years; she is married to Carlos, from Cuba. Then you have Zaheed from Argentinia, Jon from Guatemala, Giselle from Peru, and a couple other Belizians that drop by. We sit there for hours, chatting and listening to music….as the night wears on, people start to dance and an even larger crowd forms.

Michelle invites me to join her and some friends for dinner at her log cabin…she says it’s not far from town and she can give me a ride back to my place later. I politely decline, telling her that I have big plans tomorrow and need to rest up, but she insists. Soon I find myself at her charming home in the countryside....fast forward a couple hours.

On our way back to the hospital we run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, in the pitch dark. None of their friends are answering their phones; the few cab numbers we have, go straight to voicemail; the spare gallon canister of gas in the trunk is empty. Well, this is no bueno! Zaheed looks at me and says, "Melissa, how do you feel about walking?". We begin the 8 mile trek back to town in the pitch dark, without flashlights, and our empty gas canister in hand. We're hopeful that some kind soul will stop, but only a few lone cars pass by...I'm sure they are far too paranoid to stop for strangers! We walk for about 1.5 miles and I finally see some sort of civilization, the Ka'ana Resort, one of the nicest resorts in Belize. I suggest that we try to see if there is a receptionist in the lobby who could help us; we walk up the long narrow pathway, only to find more darkness and locked doors. Just as we're about to leave, I see a large flashlight shine towards us--its the security guard!! We say a friendly hello as we walk towards his light and explain our predicament. After several phone calls, he locates a gentleman who is willing to give us a lift for $20 bze. Done! At this point, I would pay $100 bze!!! I make it back home safely and exhausted....I'm already dreading my early morning alarm.

Taking the hand-cranked ferry across the Mopan River

Gorgeous Mopan river...lots of people swim, kayak, and canoe here.

El Capitan

Nice little booty burn climbing up all of these stairs!

Symbols representing the sun god, venus and the moon.

Eastern side of El Capitan

Looking out towards Benque Viejo del Carmen, the border cross into Guatemala

Day #13

Today was very relaxed...it rained most of the day, so I think a lot of patients stayed home...Monday will probably be extra busy! Dr Camel took the day off so I worked with Dr Hailu (ortho); he is just hysterical to work with! He's a tall Ethiopian man with a large gap between his front teeth...he always wears some sort of colorful tie and rolls his suit pants up at the waist so that they don't drag on the floor. He speaks English with a very thick French accent and as for Spanish...his accent is almost as bad as mine! You can tell that his patients can barely understand him, and often times I would have to clarify what he was saying. He also tends to cut you off mid-sentence and say "yeesss" in the funniest way. I wish I could voice record him! I try to ask him yes and no questions just to here him say "yeeesss". I LOVE just hanging out in his air-conditioned office, asking him about his child hood, dating life in college, and of course, his favorite...American politics. Very interesting man--he was born in Ethiopia, grew up in Lebanon, went to college in Berut, studied medicine in the Philippines, and now lives in Belize.

Our last patient was a 74 year-old man who was in a car accident 13 days ago; he went to the hospital in Belize City where they told him he had a small fracture to his left ankle, but that it would heal without issue. They placed a full leg cast on his left leg and told him to return in 6 months to have it removed. He came in today because of pain to his left shoulder and he needed a doctors note to send to his insurance company. When we pulled back his shirt to look at his shoulder, we noticed that his clavicle was displaced--something the other hospital hadn't even addressed. No wonder he was in pain. We ended up repeating the x-rays and he definitely needs surgery. He has a severely displaced lateral malleolus fracture and distal fibula fracture, which will require a plate and pins. I'm excited though, because I get to help with his surgery on Tuesday! :-D

I decided to take it easy this evening--its been stormy all day and I didn't really need anything from town. I thought I'd maybe watch a movie and log all of my patients on Typhon....but my sweet Gia showed up outside my window. I didn't play with her most of the week since my ankle was unstable; Wednesday I told her she could come over to my house and we'd play Snakes 'N Ladders, but she never came. The next morning, her mom told me that Gia had gotten bitten by ants and fell asleep...when she woke up it was dark outside--she was really worried and told her mom, "I promised Melissa that I would come play with her, and now she's gonna be upset with me!" So of course, when her sweet voice was calling me form my window, I couldn't say no. She showed up with a backpack filled with biscuits, Snakes 'N Ladders, a puzzle, and her most treasured toy, a light-up figurine of Olaf. We spent the next hour and a half playing games and singing along to the Frozen soundtrack. We made a trip back to her house to get a machete so that we could open up some coconuts--but its way harder than it looks! She started laughing and was like, "Um, Melissa...your really bad at this!" I got one open just enough to pour the water out into a glass and then I gave up before I chopped off my toes.haha

Not the evening I had quite planned, but I wouldn't change it for anything!

The dirt path down to the hospital.

Gia celebrating after beating me in Snakes 'N Ladders

A weird puzzle we did and the biscuits she brought