Belize: Day 15 (Gabrielle Garza)

The last two weeks have been a life changing experience and all of us are extremely appreciative of all the donations that were given to Students for Global Communication. We want to thank all of our sponsors for all of their generous help. Our service learning trip to Belize would have not been possible without our sponsors, family, friends, hard work and dedication, the Office of International Studies and our outstanding faculty advisor, Dr. Seitel.

“Belize required stepping out of comfort zones and becoming whatever person each student needed.”

-Jessica Weldon

“This was an unforgettable experience; I’m glad I was able to share it with wonderful people.”

-Denise Hernandez

“This beautiful little country stole my heart and no matter how much time passes, I will never forget the life lessons the culture, the people, and most importantly, the children of Belize have taught me.”

-Karina Uribe

“This experience has enabled me to grow as a person, develop global relationships, and learn to be grateful for all that I have, it was a truly life changing experience.”

-Courtney Yancy

“This experience had made me more grateful for what I have and has increased my desire to help others.”

-Nancy Juarez

“I am extremely grateful to have traveled to Belize, not only did I learn about the culture, but I learned more about myself; I will forever cherish the memories I have made over the last two weeks.”

-Gabrielle Garza

“Belize was a truly special experience; what we learned will be taken back with us, and we will build out future success on the valuable information we have gained here”

-Jessica Corson

“Belize reminded me that material things are nice but not necessary and that speech therapist need to be open and willing to helping people of different cultures and backgrounds.”

-Lindie Dollery

“Belize was a heartwarming experience that has taught me both about my personal and professional self.”

-Valerie Garza

“The beautiful sceneries of Belize and the humbleness of the Belizean people made this trip an unforgettable experience.”

-Gabriela Lopez

“Belize is rich in culture in history, and I feel lucky to have experienced the amazing food, beautiful beaches, and most importantly I am fortunate to have met the hard working people who bring Belize to life.”

-Krystina Perez

“An extraordinary opportunity for a life changing experience that taught me I am greater than a simple statistic.”

-Celina Garcia

“A life changing experience where I learned much more than I thought from Belizean culture to appreciating the simple things in life.”

-Kathleen Aguado 

Photo: One of our graduate students saying farewell to a student from Stella Maris School Belize Academy for the Deaf signing I love you. 

Belize: Day 14 (Courtney Yancy)

For our last day, we enjoyed a nice morning at the Belize Zoo. Seeing the animals in their natural habitat was so cool! Of course my favorite part was being in the jaguar cage, but all of the animals were amazing! As we made our way through the zoo we took several photos and were able to bond as a group. I enjoyed getting to spend the morning with everyone. Four of us went into the jaguar cage, Belle, Kathleen, Lindie and myself. We were so scared at first because the jaguars had been growling all morning! We could hear them from across the zoo. Once we started walking into the cage, I began to feel more comfortable. The jaguar began to do some tricks and prance around. The zookeeper then instructed him to jump up on the cage. YIKES! He was huge!! His paws were as big, if not bigger, than the palms of my hands! We were able to touch him and pet his belly and tail. Next, we were able to feed him! I was terrified at first. The pieces of raw chicken were so tiny that you really had to put the meat in his mouth. I thought that he was going to take my fingers with him! The jaguar was very gentle though and no harm was done to any of us. He was such a majestic creature and just watching him walk around was so cool. I was so proud of myself that I was able to do it! It was a once in a lifetime experience and totally worth the extra cash!

Next we went to the Inspiration Center where we met a very knowledgeable and informative physical therapist. The Inspiration Center is a community based rehabilitation facility. She gave us a tour of the facility and some background information on how it was started. We even got to sit in on her presentation that informed us on what she has learned and gone through in the past 12 years that she has been treating in Belize. I was amazed to learn about how few allied health professionals there are in Belize. I knew there were only 3 speech therapists in the country, but I never thought about how few physical therapists and occupational therapists were there also! There are 4 physical therapists and 0 occupational therapists. 

Seeing all of the equipment and space the center has for treatment was very promising. I know that the center is going to make a huge difference in the country of Belize. I was also surprised to learn that insurance does not get involved with this center. I guess I just assumed that families would want insurance if their child needed services, but in Belize insurance isn’t a necessity. It must be nice to work with other professionals and not have to deal with billing and insurance claims. We also were able to meet the speech therapist on staff. She seemed like a wonderful woman who has great experience. I would love to see her in action with some of the children. It would have been such an amazing experience to come intern with her. I hope that maybe one of the other girls can come in the summer and experience it for me! This center was absolutely wonderful and I feel much better leaving the children of Stella Maris knowing that there is a center for them to go and receive services. I hope that one day more centers like the Inspiration Center open up to serve all of the children on the waiting list. After seeing the need for allied health professionals, it has opened my eyes to the thought of maybe traveling for a few years to work somewhere like Belize that is in need of speech therapists. Maybe once I start working in the US and get my feet off the ground, I’ll be able to come back! Stay tuned! 

-Courtney Yancy 

Day Thirteen (Jessica Corson)

What a week!

 For the past few days we have been at the Stella Maris School – the whole reason we came to Belize in the first place. While some of us were uncertain what it would be like within the walls of Stella Maris, by the time we got into the school we all quickly came to realize that, just as Dr. Al told us, this would be the fun part. And he was right. Traveling to different cities in Belize and learning about the culture of the people was absolutely stunning – it’s difficult not to be amazed by the beautiful, picturesque landscape – but visiting the school was unquestionably the more satisfying part of the trip, and the most rewarding.

Unfortunately, today was our final day at Stella Maris, and the mixture of sadness and excitement that hung over the bus on the way to the school was apparent. But we didn’t let the former get to us as we stepped into the schoolyard; we were simply overjoyed to be there, and we were going to make the most of what little time we had left.

 Phonemic awareness played a huge part throughout all of my classroom’s lessons today. We watched a video on the projector, looked at pictures, sang a song, practiced writing the letters, did puzzles, and even practiced the letters in sign language. The diversity of language used at Stella Maris is clearly evident, and it really is a wonderful thing that so many different forms of communication are allowed and encouraged at the school. These teachers care so much, and the dynamic between them and the students really shows when they use any means necessary to get the child communicating, be it verbally or non-verbally. The way the teachers work together with the children really makes me wish I kept up with my sign language; I took two whole years of ASL during my undergraduate career, but I never practiced regularly so I have unfortunately forgotten a lot of it. And while I was still able to communicate with two of my hard of hearing students throughout my time here (which of course was very satisfying!), growing closer to these students has truly made me want to relearn everything I’ve forgotten.

After classes were winding down for the day, we all distributed important supplies behind with each teacher in hopes that they would get some good use out of updated schedules, new crayons, pencils, books, and more. Despite being stocked with a good amount of learning material, there is no doubt that one will see a sharp contrast between the learning materials here, and the ones available if you visit a public school back in the United States. The differences are rather staggering, and this was just one school in one small country. I can only imagine the sheer number of educational institutions throughout the rest world that are in need.

 An assembly was called later in the afternoon as a sendoff to all of us from TAMUK and TAMIU. Knowing that our time at the school was quickly drawing to a close, I could already feel myself getting emotional before we even started lining up at the door to go to the lunchroom, which was where the assembly was being held. Some of the students already knew what was going on, so they began waving and whispering, “Bye,” to me and my partner. It was more than difficult trying not to get teary eyed, especially when the students constantly grabbed our hands and pulled us into big bear hugs.

In the lunchroom was where each and every feeling finally bubbled over and the tears finally came, gradually rolling down so many peoples’ cheeks as the teachers and students all stood to give their thanks to us for coming to visit their school, even if it was for such a short amount of time. In succession, each teacher went to the front of the room, alongside her own class, and voiced her thanks to us, while the children presented whichever grad or undergrad student was in their classroom with a special gift or note of thanks. It was so uplifting to see the work and thought that the students put into the gifts, it really made my heart swell with emotion; I didn’t want to say anything aloud for fear that I would start bawling. Having various students coming up and hugging me didn’t exactly make things any easier! We came to the school to impact these children, and of course going into it we knew that they would impact us as well, but seeing them pull together despite having few resources of their own made everything much more significant.

 The things we were able to do, and the people we were able to meet at Stella Maris – it was all a truly special experience. It’s saddening to think that we may never get another opportunity quite like this in our lifetimes, but it is imperative to remember that what we have learned here – from both the therapy and the children – will be taken back with us. We can use our newfound knowledge and apply it to new situations that we find ourselves in down the road, and it will only make us that much more successful.

There’s no question that the whole experience is a bittersweet feeling; being around the children for only three days was such a difficult task – we all wish we could have stayed at the school for a much longer time, but even so, the time we did spend there left a huge impact that will last well after we have graduated and long into our careers.

Day 12: Stella Maris, Day 3 (Denise Hernandez) January 13, 2016

Last night each group worked hard preparing materials for today’s lesson. It was challenging using minimal resources to make our activities, but we were so glad we got it done. I don’t know how the teachers at Stella Maris do it. It made us realize we shouldn’t take what we have at home for granted. We made sure that the materials we used in our classrooms were functional and met the student’s needs. Our third day at the Stella Maris School began with the bus picking us up around 8:45 a.m. We were all pretty excited to show our materials to the teachers and students. As soon as we arrived, we picked up trash lying around the school then headed our way to the resource center to pick up materials for the class activities each group planned.

Photo: TAMUK and TAMIU working together to clean the school’s playground; we are all truly humbled to be a part of this journey and being able to give back to the school since they have given us so much.

Photo: Karina looking through the donated school supplies and therapy materials The past two days the students in Miss Elliott’s classroom have been practicing social skills such as how to greet a future employer and answering questions for a job interview. Well today, Miss Elliott had exciting news for one of the female students who had interviewed at a local restaurant yesterday; the good news is one of Miss Elliott’s students will be working at Miss Annette’s restaurant once she graduates! The whole class gave her a round of applause; I got teary eyed seeing how happy and supportive her classmates were and the look on her face when she was told she will start working come March was priceless. My partner and I, along with 3 other students, were able to join two classes on their field trip around Belize City. Several of the students mentioned they want to be a mechanic, construction worker, mail man, and cosmetologist. Prior to heading on out, my students practiced introducing themselves, and I made sure they each looked presentable with their shirts tucked in and hair nicely combed. The girls had a good time fixing their hair and putting on perfumed lotion; it is the simple and little things that make them happy. Our first stop was at a mechanic shop; the boys were the only ones interested in touring the shop and speaking to the mechanic, so the girls and I stayed on the bus. While waiting for the boys, one of the students invited me to play a hand clapping game with her and her friends. I felt honored being able to join in on the fun. By the third stop, some of the students started to get restless while waiting in the bus for the others. One of the students sitting next to me started hitting a classmate; I explained to her hitting is wrong and to use her words instead of her hands. Thankfully, one of my classmates had a social story targeting this issue. This was a perfect opportunity to make use of our time and provide some speech therapy in the bus! The student in trouble was happy to follow along while I was reading the social story and discuss what could have been done differently. For many of the students, this was a new experience, and they handled themselves well. Each student was well behaved at the job site using good listening skills and manners. The owners of the shops saw each child for who she/he truly is and didn’t see their disability. These students amaze me because they are each capable of so much more than others give them credit for. I’m so glad I was able to be a part of this beautiful and growing experience with the students. This trip with the students has made me laugh and filled my heart with love.

Photo: Students getting a tour of a construction site. Miss Elliott and Miss Charlesworth are amazing teachers and role models for their students. The amount of work they dedicate to each child is great to see, and I’m grateful for what they have taught me. The children and teachers have inspired me these past three days, I can’t wait to share this experience with my family and the girls from TAMUK. Tomorrow will be our last day at the Stella Maris School, and we all wished we could stay at the school for an extra day. We will be distributing the donated school supplies and materials to all the teachers. Smiling and connecting with the students, made everyone feel better about what we were doing and that is something you definitely cannot buy.

Photo: Beautiful artwork done by the students at Stella Maris

Photo: Students playing basketball during recess; the children had so much fun playing basketball, soccer, volleyball and drawing with chalk on the school playground. You can’t help but smile when you hear the children laughing and having a genuinely good time :)

Day Eleven (Valerie Garza)

The anticipation of working with the children at the Stella Maris School was what woke me up this morning as opposed to my alarm clock. I started the day off early, got ready and made my way downstairs to join some of my peers for breakfast. We soon gathered around the hotel lobby where a group of graduate students were working on last minute preparations for their first day in their classroom. We all sat around and talked about what to expect from our first day at Stella Maris while Dr. Al gave us a few words of wisdom as we soon made our way to the bus. Upon our arrival to the school, we rushed upstairs to the library to gather up and quickly made our way to our designated classrooms. However, one cannot help but to look at the beautiful art murals outside of the school. The art must bring a sense of warmth, comfort and excitement to the children.

As my partners and I walked towards the classroom, the teacher let us know that the children had gathered in the classroom next door for their Christian Assembly time where the children were singing along to This Little Light of Mine and If Your Happy and You Know It. We quickly gathered around the children and encouraged them to sing by singing along with them, clapping and dancing. With us were college students from New York who were helping at the Stella Maris School as well. Two of the students were music education majors and go around classrooms playing a guitar and singing to the children. The children absolutely love them; they are animated and encourage the children to express themselves by interacting with them through music. I thought it was beautiful to see them enjoying their Christian time as much as they were. The smiles on their face while they sang and clapped was wonderful; it was definitely a site worth traveling to a different country for.

As we walked back to the classroom, I formally introduced myself to the teachers and the student from State University of New York at Fredonia who will also be joining our class for the rest of the week. Our teacher's names were Ms. Malil and Ms. Tania as well as a social work undergraduate student from Ferdonia (Jenn) who is also absolutely wonderful with the children. My group and I were assigned to an Autism classroom of all boys; however, we were actually missing a number of students today. Out of the 9 students who are enrolled in the class, only 4 came to class today. Since there were four of us in the classroom, we were able to work one on one with each student. We were there to facilitate and accommodate the teacher as she let us know it was time for math time and they were focusing on numbers from 1 to 10. The teachers were flabbergasted as they immediately noticed a change in the children's abilities. My partner, Alejandra, managed to get a little boy to sit down and actually work when he typically does not do focus fairly easily as he did this morning. Ms. Malil explained how the little boy is extremely active. On the other hand, there was a little boy whom I worked with who I was told the teachers had difficulty getting him to talk. The teachers were also shocked and extremely excited when they heard him talking when given visual cues such as lip shaping and tongue and teeth placement. It was very exciting to see how we made such a difference in only a couple of minutes of being there. The class also has a child who is nonverbal, however, he was not feeling very well today which made it even more difficult to get him to produce. Hopefully we will get him to minimally begin to produce during our time there possibly by starting to answer yes or no questions. The next thing on the student's schedules was break time so they immediately ran outside to the monkey bars as soon as they heard the bell ring. We also followed and walked around talking to the children and meeting new students. As soon as break time was over and they heard the bell they quickly ran back to their designated classrooms without the teachers having to instruct them to return. When we returned and settled back down, Ms. Malil directed us to the kitchen because food preparation was on the student's schedule for today where they learned how to make toast bread. It was such an adventure from walking the children to the kitchen, sitting them down, and having them practice patience because there was only one toaster which meant that each child would have to wait their turn to make their own toast. I waited with a student until it was his turn and made sure to count the slices of bread on his plate. I used hand over hand assistance when having him count the number of slices. We also talked about the different dishes needed to make toast in order to keep him stimulated while waiting for his turn. When it was finally his turn, we also practiced the different steps needed to actually make the toast and prepare it with butter. Once finished eating the toast, the students helped to clean up as we soon made our way back to the classroom.

Ms. Malil told us that we could read a book with them considering we had a couple of minutes to spare before lunch time. Since we all focused on one individual child while being there because there were only 4 children in the entire class, she thought it would be a good idea to read a book with each individual child. I read a book about colors with the student I was with; we looked at the pictures and associated the color with the pictures. He seemed a bit over stimulated so I gave him a break throughout by providing him with a marker and construction paper where I dotted out the names of the colors that we were covering so he could trace the word as we continued to target the colors. As soon as it was lunch time and the children heard the bell, they quickly ran out to their lunch room and we made our way upstairs to the library to await our lunch. Once debriefing and lunch was over, we made our way back to the classroom where it was rest time, but we continued to stimulate the children throughout to keep them entertained. The rest of the day was a bit unorganized as a child form our class was sent home because he was feeling sick so we were left with a class room of three; however, one of kids had to go to a meeting so I was left there with one of my partners and two kids along with Ms. Malil, Ms. Tania, and Jenn. For the rest of the afternoon, we worked on reviewing and reciting the alphabet as well as singing nursery rhymes. Their last task of the day was to clean up; while one child washed dishes, the other wiped down the tables and the teachers swept the floors. This was the end of the day for us as well so we followed by thanking the teachers for allowing our presence and welcoming us with open arms. I talked to the teacher about the activities for tomorrow and suggested to create a group activity for functional reading which is in their schedule for tomorrow. She mentioned she usually recites the ABC's and this week they would focus on the letter J. We will also be planning for a social story for tomorrow which will relate to daily living skills such as washing hands or brushing teeth.

I noticed that the school here is extremely different than what we are used to from the United States. The overall structure of the classroom is extremely different. The teachers had a small picture schedule and a daily chart to help guide the children throughout the day; however, it seems there is a lack of compliance with the schedule which will affect the children's focus throughout the day, especially in an Autism classroom. However, the classroom was nicely organized and appropriately decorated to stimulate learning which is greatly encouraged as far as the ABC's, months of the year and colors. As we said our goodbyes, we called it a day at the Stella Maris School. Tomorrow, a new adventure awaits. Although we had a small group today, we might have a larger group tomorrow and I am excited to see what they have in store for us for tomorrow as today was such an amazing first day of interacting with such a wonderful group of children.

Belize: Day Ten (Karina Uribe)

Today is finally the day we get to visit the children of the Stella Maris School where we are scheduled to provide speech therapy for the remainder of the week. I woke up to my alarm at 7:30 a.m and was filled with excitement. Belize has been very good to us thus far. We have all had the opportunity to do amazing things that I personally have never done before such as snorkeling, zip lining, and climbing the Mayan ruins. I have truly made memories that I will cherish forever. However, the main reason our organization traveled hundreds of miles into this beautiful country was to put our knowledge as future speech therapists to use. I opened the curtains to reveal the gorgeous view of the Caribbean Sea. I stopped for a minute to appreciate where I was in time and space. I have been here almost a week now and every day I am more and more grateful for this things I have been able to experience and see. My roommate and I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast where we had agreed to meet with our partners to review our upcoming presentations that we were scheduled to give to the teachers of Stella Maris. Breakfast at The Ramada Princess never disappoints. I had a made-to-order omelet with ham, onions, bell pepper, mozzarella cheese and a side of fresh fruit. I sat with my partner at one of the tables closest to the window so that I could enjoy my delicious breakfast with a view. My partner Megan and I briefly discussed our presentation and made changes where appropriate. After eating, we headed to the main lobby where the other girls were slowly gathering to prepare for our departure. There was a mixture of nervousness and excitement amongst us all. Girls could be seen holding their respective materials, reciting speeches and reading notecards, and taking pictures in small groups to showcase the customized shirts we had designed for our first day. 

We loaded the bus at approximately 8:45 a.m and made it to the school within five minutes. The Stella Maris School is the definition of simplicity. The school is comprised of approximately five small buildings all painted light blue which are organized around a square courtyard.  A single sign hung in the center of the main building reads “Stella Maris School Belize Academy for the Deaf” and windows on the second floor are barred with iron rods. The courtyard itself had a small basketball court, volleyball net, swing set, and a few long wooden tables. Upon our arrival, the children were gathered around a central location where a morning speech was being delivered to the parents, children, and educators of the school. Boys were seen wearing khaki pants with light blue button up t-shirts and the girls were wearing khaki dresses with light blue button ups underneath. The grounds were buzzing with commotion. Children could be heard crying, laughing, and screaming and parents and educators were busy trying to settle them down.  I received many warm smiles and waves as the children appeared fascinated by the large group of women suddenly showing up at their school. The female speaker made a few morning announcements and had another woman translating for her in sign language.  The school was originally a school for the deaf but has since become a school that caters to the needs of the special education population. 

We were then welcomed with a large round of applause and instructed to proceed to the Hector Hoarse Resource Center, which serves as the school’s library, where our presentations would be conducted.  The library was small but inviting. The walls were painted light blue to match the building’s exterior and a variety of textbooks, academic posters, bookshelves, wall murals, and desktop computers surround the enclosed space.  We were all scheduled to present educational lessons on various speech and literacy related topics that the teachers could incorporate into the classroom to facilitate the curriculum.  

We had a few minutes before the teachers arrived to make last minute preparations.  Personally, this is when slight nerves finally kicked in. This was my first time having less than 24 hours to prepare for a presentation that was to be received by a fairly large audience. The library was filled with commotion as groups were reading notecards, practicing speeches, and fumbling with therapy materials that would be used during their physical demonstrations. Building blocks, play food, construction paper, alphabet letters, and markers were throughout. I remember thinking to myself how lucky I was to be surrounded by so many intelligent and aspiring women with whom I shared the same desire to make a difference in children’s lives. The teachers slowly began to take their place around the main table and then it was time for presentations to begin. A total of ten presentations were given in groups of two. They included Pragmatics for the Preschool Child, Early Literacy Skills, Rhyming and Alliteration, Social Stories at the Elementary Level, Semantics, Pragmatics and Social Stories for Middle School Children, Pragmatics And Attention, Syntax, and Second Language Acquisition. The teachers were thoroughly engaged and genuinely made the effort to ask questions on the presenting topics. Because there is no air condition in the school, all of the windows and doors were open in each building. I looked around to see our girls fanning themselves attempting to cool down and noted how the teachers remained unbothered because they were accustomed to the heat. As we presented, children could be heard playing and laughing in the courtyard below.  I occasionally walked to the window to gaze out at the beautiful sight below. I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to wake up tomorrow knowing I’d actually get to be working with these children in their naturalistic classroom setting. With each presentation running approximately fifteen minutes long, we finished around noon and were kindly thanked for our hard work and educational information. 
I was elated to hear that many teachers were interested in applying what we had taught in their classrooms. 

We were soon delivered a hearty lunch of chicken curry with a side of rice and fried plantains. I had never tried curry but have been meaning to do so for a very long time. It did not disappoint! We had about half an hour of downtime before we were scheduled to give a second round of presentations to another group of teachers. I took this time to really explore the grounds and observe the children in their least restrictive environment. The children had just finished lunch and had a few minutes of free time before returning to their classrooms. The playground was flooded with activity. I observed children who were conversing in sign, playing basketball and tag, and swinging on the playset. A noteworthy sight was a young group of three boys sitting on a long wooden table who were creating music with the palms of their hands and large stones. Each boy was playing a different beat and together they created a beautiful blended harmony. Their music was influenced by cultural Garifuna music which relies heavily on the drum and usually has one drummer who plays a fixed consistent pattern with a second drummer who plays a series of more intricate cross-patterns. There was one boy in the group who quickly took on the role of conductor as he directed the other two boys on which fixed patterns to play as he played the more intricate pattern. They were clearly putting on a show for us. The boys would look at us occasionally to see if we were watching and would signal to each other to keep playing if they saw that they still had our attention. This was one of my favorite moments of the day. The children of Stella Maris were enamored with us. I received many smiles, hugs, and even had an adorable little girl tug down at me so that she could give me a kiss on the cheek.  I already know that four days with these angels is not going to be enough. We finished our second round of presentations close to 3:00pm and then thanked the staff for their hospitality and loaded the bus for departure. 


We returned to our hotel and after settling in, I went for a run outside with Gaby along the beach. We ran for approximately two and a half miles before heading inside to work out in the weight room. Running along the beach was refreshing and exhilarating as the seaside air filled my lungs. After our workout I headed upstairs where I relaxed for the rest of the day before heading down to dinner at Calypso restaurant. Tonight’s menu consisted of fried fish in a marinara sauce with a side of white rice and key lime pie for dessert. Dinner was absolutely delicious! 


I will now start preparing my therapy materials for our big day tomorrow. I am assigned to work in a classroom of 11-14 year old children and will soon find out how I plan to tailor therapy to each child’s needs. This experience is truly a future speech therapist’s dream. We are being given the opportunity to provide speech therapy to children who otherwise may have never been given this specialized attention. Furthermore, we are also providing the teachers with information and instruction that will hopefully have long lasting effects in the way they educate children with special needs. 

Belize Day 9 (Celina Garcia)

Sunday, January 10, 2016

As a final adventure in San Pedro, Belize my girlfriends and I decided to go on an early morning kayaking trip. At around 7:30 am we walked across from our hotel to a tourist stand that offered a lot of tourist attractions. From scuba diving to snorkeling and from renting jet skis to kayaks, this place had it all. To our surprise the trip only cost us $10 Belize each which is equivalent to only $5 US (I know, what an amazing price!). Prior to then, neither one of my friends had used a kayak as a form of transportation or just for fun so, needless to say, some of my friends struggled to paddle out of the docking area. The rest of us initially had difficulty to get the hang of paddling but soon became one with the ocean as we paddled further into the sea. As I waited for my friends to catch up I wandered into the ocean and I could not help but think that I was miles away from home and kayaking in the Caribbean Sea. I thought about these past few days in Belize and how I’ve had such an amazing experience. I could not thank God and the people who have continuously supported me enough for the opportunity of a lifetime. The water of the Caribbean Sea is extraordinary. From the dark patches of royal blue to the lightest color of teal one can imagine for the sea, I took all the beauty in and enjoyed as the salty water splashed my face as I paddled.

We returned to the dock about an hour later and headed back to the hotel for the breakfast that awaited us. I could not wait to see and taste what the hotel restaurant had prepared for breakfast today. The hotel was decorated with Mexican culture from the green plants and colorful pots with flowers to the name of the hotel restaurant, Caliente.

 I could not help but to miss my family more.  As much as I have enjoyed the food of Belize, I have missed the homemade Mexican food of my mother. Breakfast did not disappoint. They served us, what I would consider ‘Huevo a la Mexicana’, which is egg scrambled with tomatoes, onion, and green peppers. On my plate I also found some refried beans, crispy bacon strips, a side of “pico de gallo”, and some homemade tortillas. I had never been so eager to enjoy my breakfast. To top it off the food tasted amazing. It felt like I was home.

After breakfast, some friends and I headed out into the streets of San Pedro once more before heading back to Belize City. As we roamed the streets and stopped at shops along the way I noticed how rich in diversity San Pedro is. I met people from Taiwan, people from Guatemala, and even Caucasians from America who called Belize home. At one of the beach stands a man stopped my friends and I to ask where we were from. He asked if he could guess and did so, for the most part, correctly. We told him our ethnicities were correct but we that we were all born in the United States, so we were also Americans. He then proceeded to ask about our thoughts on the US allowing refugees to enter. The conversation went on and I noticed the man was smoking. I was in awe at how freely this man smoked something that did not look like a typical cigarette. We said goodbye to him and continued our walk back to the hotel. I noticed that when I would say thank you to a local after they would offer some of their merchandise or taxi services, many of them would respond “No, don’t thank me, always thank God”. This is something I would like to take back with me. Typically, if someone would thank me I would just respond with a “you’re welcome”. I didn’t think much of this until now but I feel that it was as I was entitled to a thanks after doing a favor or doing something kind to someone else. But now, I would like to try and respond the way some of the people of Belize would.

After checkout we ate lunch and then walked over to the dock of the water taxi. I was able to sit at the top of the water taxi with a friend on an hour and a half boat ride back to Belize City. The view was phenomenal. We were able to clearly see the natural “white line” that bordered the reef and even a caught a glimpse of some dolphins. I felt so relaxed on this water taxi that halfway through I caught myself fighting my sleep. 

Upon our return into Belize City, we were greeted by our bus driver. I was sad when I first looked up at the bus driver because it wasn’t Victor (our original bus driver that has taken us to majority of our locations this first week in Belize and whom I’ve had the pleasure to get to know). However, our new bus driver gave us a warm welcoming and spoke to us as if he had been our bus driver all along. The bus driver was so kind and charismatic. So much so that he helped calm the chaos of traffic inside the city by singing a song about “La Isla Bonita”. After we settled back into the Princess hotel, we had dinner and met in our groups to finalize our presentations for the teachers of Stella Maris. I enjoyed seeing how hard a lot of the girls were working to create their PowerPoints and props for their designated demonstrations. My partner and I finished our presentation and then talked about how excited we were to begin our service learning tomorrow. Even though we were happy about tomorrow meeting with the teachers and kids at Stella Maris, we were also sad about how little time we are given to help at the school. Nevertheless, I am so ecstatic that for the next few days I will be a part of a group that may impact Stela Maris and contribute to development of some children in Belize.  

Belize day 8 (Lindie Dollery):

Today was unbelizeable!  The other students and I started the day with breakfast at Caliente restaurant in San Pedro Belize at 7 am.  Since we didn’t want to be late for snorkeling, we all had the same breakfast which consisted of eggs, bacon, tortillas, and salsa.  The bacon was my favorite part of course and it was amazing.  Once we were finished eating breakfast, all of the students and supervisors that were going to get in the water on the expedition were fitted for flippers and given snorkel masks. 

This snorkeling trip was the highlight of the trip for me and took place at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.  The first location was one of the most restricted parts of the reserve and we were instructed not to step on the coral.  After I had first jumped in, I put on my snorkeling gear and looked into the water.  The first thing I saw was some sort of fish less than a foot away from me!  We traveled around the coral reef in two groups.  The first consisted of 6 people plus the tour guide and the second consisted of 8 people.  I was in the second group.  Our snorkeling guide directed us around the Hol Chan Cut.  Because the “cut” is protected, the populations of different fish are plentiful and we were able to see big schools of fish including snapper.  Most of the time, the fish would just swim underneath or around you.  There were also lots of jellyfish that do not sting people.  We were able to touch these and play with them.  They felt really squishy.  The snorkeling lasted around an hour until we were on the boat once again and headed to the second spot of the trip.

Shark Ray Alley was the second sport on our snorkeling trip and has previously been voted as one of the seven best animal dives in the Caribbean Sea.  This dive site was previously used by fishermen to throw out the left over parts of the fish that they had caught and cleaned.  After years of this, Shark Ray Alley was born.  The Nurse sharks and stingrays circle the boats in anticipation of food.  Even though these animals are looking for food, they were very docile and careful with the snorkelers.  The dive instructor would even grab a stingray and bring it to the surface so that we would be able to touch and feel it.  Stingrays apparently feel really soft and squishy.  We were also able to pet one of the smaller nurse sharks.  Nurse shark’s skin felt similar to sandpaper.  There were also other schools of fish at this location that would swim among us and were all around us. 

The dive instructors were incredibly knowledgeable about the marine life that we saw as well as the different corrals that we passed by.  The skill that it takes to memorize all of this information and be able to tell you what they eat and which animals and plants are safe is impressive.  When we left Shark Ray Alley, we traveled the 15 minutes back to San Pedro and had made it back by 11 am.

When we arrived back at the Spindrift Hotel, we were tired and ready for lunch and a nap, but had to wait until noon for lunch.  We all went back to our rooms and took a shower and then waited for lunch.  Lunch at Caliente was once again amazing and I personally had the Shrimp Tacos.  They were amazing and definitely the right choice of food.  After lunch, we went on another stroll through the town and found a spot on the beach that was full of vendors.  One lady was selling bracelets and jewelry and was the highlight of the shopping.  She travels to different places to get beads for her to design jewelry with.  The turquoise came from Arizona and the pearls came from a freshwater clam farm in Belmopan.  The vendor made some of the girl’s bracelets and adjusted other ones to fit better.  Her prices were still low too.  There were also seashell salsa bowls.  The vendors would have a conch shell and then cut it to make it into a little bowl.  I thought this was cool and had never seen anything like it

When we were once again back at the hotel, 4 other girls and I decided to go back out in the ocean.  This time, the 4 other girls were kayaking while I was paddle boarding.  The area were we started this trip at was right in front of the hotel and there were boat docks all around us.  While we were out, the boats continued going out to a tourist destination or coming in from one.  We saw fishermen and other boats passing by us.  For the girls in the kayak, it wasn’t a problem.  I on the other hand, was standing on a board similar to a surfboard with only a paddle.  It was definitely a test of my balance when the wakes from the boats came towards me.  I am proud to say I only fell down four times in the one hour that we were out in the water.  While we were out there, we were only a short distance from the shore, but we still saw a Spotted Eagle Ray or 2 and possibly a shark.  I am thankful that I did not fall on top of the shark. 

Once we were done paddle boarding and kayaking, we had a 2-hour break until dinner and decided on a short nap before we began our homework for the night.  When it was time for dinner, we sat down and ate the delicious food.  After eating, we went back up to our rooms to work on homework and to get ready for presentations for Monday.  Tomorrow, we can have a lazy morning and then we are headed back to Belize City to prepare for another busy and fun week. 

Day 7:January 8, 2016 [San Pedro] (Nancy Juarez)

Today I was determined to watch the sunrise before leaving Placencia even if that meant watching it from my room. Therefore, my day started at 6:00am (which I consider to be early but I knew that the sunrise would make it all worth it). I was right! The sunrise was just as beautiful as I imagined it to be. I honestly believe that the people who get to wake up to this everyday are very lucky. As I watched the sun rise, I couldn’t help but feel very fortunate to be here. It amazes me that this place exists and I knew nothing about it.

After I watched the sunrise, I headed back to the room to get ready for the day. Today our itinerary included: breakfast at the Cozy Corner, traveling to Belize city to take a ferry (water taxi) to San Pedro and exploring San Pedro. At around 7:15 A.M, we headed to have breakfast at Cozy Corner. The restaurant was full and very busy. However, the waiters tried their best to get everyone’s order and food out on time. Unfortunately, not everyone received their food on time and we had to take our breakfast to go. Nonetheless, eating breakfast in the bus didn’t stop me from enjoying the delicious waffles. Although, we were all so sad to leave Placencia, we were excited to arrive at San Pedro. The drive from Placencia to Belize City was about a 3-hour drive, however, the amazing views throughout the ride made the trip go a lot faster. This is the second time I saw all of today’s beautiful scenic road but today I noticed different things that I didn’t notice the first time. We passed through a school and saw children having lunch outside. It is so interesting to see how different schools are here than back home. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone in the U.S have lunch outside except when we went on field trips. I am glad the children here in Belize get to appreciate the nature and the beauty of Gods creations while having lunch.

We then arrived at Belmopan for a quick restroom break. As we were leaving Belmopan and headed to Belize City, I noticed a young man carrying what seemed to be a weed eater while riding a bike. I will continue to say in every blog, that I admire so much the Belizean’s who find nothing impossible. I have no idea how he managed to balance himself on that bike with only one hand but it was nice to witness that it is possible.

An interesting thing we learned during the bus ride was that Belize used to have 3-4 stoplights years ago and now only 1 exists, that is located in San Ignacio. I couldn’t believe it. I can only imagine how crazy it would be if the United States had no stoplights.

About 3 hours later, we finally arrived to Belize City where we planned to take a water taxi to San Pedro. As soon as we got off the bus, a lot of tour guides and taxi drivers were trying to convince us to get a tour or a taxi with them. This city is very big on tourism so that explains why so many people are in that business. We were stamped on our arms in order to be able to get on the water taxi. As we entered the water taxi, I noticed a lot of people were traveling with our group. I believe a total of 50 or more were in the water taxi (I know! I didn’t think that would be possible). As the water taxi passed through the sea, I couldn’t help but snap a few photos of the gorgeous bluest water I have seen so far. The breeze coming through the window came perfect with the hot weather. As we continued with the ride, the water got more beautiful and bluer. The water was so perfect that we were able to see what was underwater. Being able to see and experience this is invaluable. The water taxi’s first stop was at Caye Caulker where everything looked beautiful. About half of the people who were in the water taxi got off here. Something interesting we were able to see was how fast two young men were at unloading luggage’s and packages from the water taxi.

 

After people were dropped off at Caye Caulker, the water taxi headed to San Pedro, which was about a 30-minute ride. Again, the water continued to get more and more beautiful and indescribable.

 

We finally arrived at San Pedro, which is the biggest tourist area in Belize. Everything about San Pedro is beautiful. Belize City, Placencia and San Pedro really do not disappoint. As soon as we got off the water taxi, we headed to have lunch at Caliente Restaurant. Today’s lunch consisted of enchiladas de mole (chicken). I must say that those enchiladas were delicious. It reminded me of my Grandma’s mole, so I was very pleased with it. After we ate, we headed to our rooms to get ready to explore San Pedro.

A group of 5 of us headed to shop at the gift shops for souvenirs and to see what San Pedro had to offer. Like Placencia, San Pedro is full of little shops perfect for buying our loved ones souvenirs. My favorite part about entering a shop is being able to admire handmade items (wood carvings, bracelets, seashell plates and spoons and etc.). While wandering around San Pedro we noticed a lot of commotion. The streets were filled with people running around, walking fast, people driving their golf carts (I assume it’s the main form of transportation here in San Pedro) full speed and streets being closed down. I immediately began to wonder if something special was occurring or if maybe something wrong had occurred. As we were still walking through the streets confused, I decided to ask 3 boys what was going on. They informed us that there was a bomb threat and that everyone was trying to leave as fast as possible. We quickly decided to follow the route in which the majority of the people were taking to escape this bomb threat. We then arrived on the other side of the street and saw a beautiful spot. A perfect sunset and perfect timing.

As we walked into more shops and wandered around some more, I noticed so many people speak Spanish. I really enjoy knowing that I can speak my dominant language with people from a different country. We then stopped at one particular shop located on the side of the street where a man sold his handmade items. He was very nice and negotiated with us letting us have handmade bracelets (that looked like they took a lot of time to do) for only $2 US. I didn’t anticipate buying any bracelets but for some reason my heart told me to buy from him. My friends and I ended up buying a total of about 13 bracelets and he was very grateful. I am very weak when it comes to people who I see working so hard for a living, so this man really touched my heart. I am glad that we were all able to contribute to his earnings today

We then ended up at a place close to the sea that looked like a Plaza filled with food stands. Everything looked so yummy and reminded me so much of Mexico.

After we finished shopping, we headed back to the hotel where we arrived to a surprise. The hotel was closed due to the bomb threat and the guy at the entrance was not allowing anyone in for safety reasons. For that reason, we were advised to stay away from the hotel and were directed to a local bar close by. We ended up having our dinner at the Bar to ensure that we were safe. The people at the Caliente made all of the dinners we had preordered to go. My dinner for today consisted of Coconut rice and Chicken Jacinto, which was basically chicken with peppers, a slight amount of tequila and chipotle. It was delicious. 

Overall, today was an interesting day filled with a lot of exploring and traveling. I am excited to see what other things San Pedro has to offer.

-Nancy Juarez