Today was our last day in Belize! We spent the day touring the Lamanai Mayan ruins. We took an hour drive to the river boat that we rode to the ruins. Our tour guide was named Amir. He grew up in Lamanai and on the river so he knew the local names and scientific names of all the animals and plants. He told us that the Maya called the river "The River of Strange Faces," but when the Spaniards came they didn't ask if the river had a name and renamed it the New River.
We saw lilies and other flowers that only bloom in the day, and several animals like iguanas, hawks, cranes, "Jesus Christ" birds (named because they appear to walk on water), and lots and lots of termite nests.
When we got to the ruins we had a lunch of chicken, potatoes, and rice and beans. It was so delicious and Amir told us that his mother had personally cooked the meal for us!
Then we went on a tour of the ruins. Amir knew a lot about this area as well, and about the ruins themselves. He showed us the sacred tree of the Mayan people. He said that they believed the roots led to the underworld and that the branches held up heaven. We also saw some howler monkeys! We got to the first pyramid which was the temple of the Jaguar. We all climbed up to the top (except for Dr. Al and one of the girls from TAMIU, Maris) and took several photos and admired the view. Then we walked to the remains of a house and Amir pointed out the bedrooms and told us that the kitchen would be in the middle. He also said that there were many bedrooms because the king would have married several women from different tribes to encourage good relations.
Then we walked past the ball court where Amir explained to us the ball game that would happen there. The players would play in teams of 2. They had a ball that was about 10 to 15 lbs and they had to use their elbows, knees and hips to push the ball into a hoop and the winners would be rewarded by being sacrificed. By being sacrificed, they were sent directly to heaven instead of having to travel through hell first, as the Mayans believed.
Next we went to the big temple. Most of us climbed all the way to the top, which was very tall. Amir said that this ruin was higher than the trees and that from the very top you could see the whole southern part of Belize. It was exhilirating being all the way up on top of the temple. On the way down, I got a lilttle scared, but everyone in our group was very supportive and kind and helped me to calm down and reach the bottom. That is probably my favorite thing that I've gained from this trip - 19 really good friends. We've been through a lot together, but everyone used their skills to support and benefit the group.
We all defnitiely benefited so much from this trip, growing both as people and as clinicians. I am so glad that I got to have this experience. I had to think on my toes and apply the all the things that I learned in my externship site and in my classes. I also got to learn a lot about how children with special needs are educated in another country. Even though we came to Belize to provide the school with speech and language services and matierials, I can honestly say that we all have gained much more than we could ever give.
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