Today was a very early departure from the hostel of the Weary Traveller; we had to be ready to leave at 5:40am. My alarm didn't go off, but luckily Melody's did. We only had about 10 mins. to get outside and head to the bus station. After our morning rush, we headed to the bus station and arrived around 5:53am. The bus was supposed to leave at 6am, but didn't come to the station until 6:50am. We were all very tired in the small station, but once we stepped onto the bust most of the group fell asleep for the 4hr. journey to Chetumal.
When we arrived at Chetumal we had to wait about 45 mins. to get onto our next bus to Corozal. The washrooms at the station were not very clean from what we are used to back home and luckily I brought my own toilet paper because there was none in the washrooms. As well, we had to finish all of our fruits since we were crossing the border into Belize. The bus ride took about an hour to get to Corozal. We had to get out of the bus twice to get our passports checked. The second time we had to unload all of our belongings and go through customs.
Once we arrived in Corozal we took all of our backpacks and walked a few blocks to the air conditioned bank, which was sooo nice! After most of us changed our traveller's cheques or American money to Belize currency we were ready to have lunch. We walked to the water where we had to get the boat to Sartenja and dropped our heavy bags off in the boat. The weather was very hot and humid so a few of us decided to stay and have something to eat at a small place right by the water. There was only 2 tables outside and a window that you ordered from. I had tostadas, which was a tortilla shell with chicken, tomatoe, cheese and mayonnaise - YUMMY!! After that, a few of us went exploring in the town but a lot of the places were closed probably because of siesta time. We waited around for another couple hours before we had to get on the boat, Thunderbolt! It is a speed boat that took about 25 mins. to get to Sartenja.
We walked off the boat and along the water for about 7 mins. with our backpacks to Fernando's Seaside Guest House. It is such an amazing place. There are four rooms with 2 double beds and a shower/bathroom in each room. The family that runs this place is so nice and welcoming to our group. This place was luxury compared to our last hostel that we stayed at. After checking our bags, Kim, Ebony, Carolyn, and I headed to the dock to go for a swim and it was sooo refreshing. Once I put my feet to the bottom to stand up I was surprised at the feeling I had on my feet - it was really muddy and squishy. As well, the water wasn't as salty as it was when we went swimming in Tulum. After a quick swim we headed back to have a shower and have some dinner. Since the guest house is a family run place, they made us dinner that night. For dinner we had fish (snapper), rice, beans, and carrots which was really good.
After travelling a few days with everyone I have gotten to know them better. Our group works really well together and it is interesting to have a diverse background of information come together.
This trip so far is a great experience and I am glad I am here with everyone. I am enjoying the nice hot weather and I know I will miss it when I return home, so I will have to take in as much as possible!!!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Erika's First Blog
Hello Everyone.
It is April 29, 2007 and today is our week anniversary of the field school and our third official day in Orange Walk Town. There is so much to tell family and friends back home, but today I will only limit myself to talking about our first day arriving in O. Town.
Alright, once again we had an early awakening at quarter to five in the morning. I woke up to the sound of about one hundred tropical birds and a very obnoxious rooster. After realizing where I was, we packed up our back packs and waited for our transportation to Orange Walk. We decided to take the early bus with most of the local Belizean workers to avoid extreme heat temperatures. This was quite the experience. The transportation system includes an extended school bus with local music pumped throughout the whole bus. Now let me tell you, these buses fly down those gravel, pot holey roads and do not slow down for anything...which makes things fairly risky . All I could do was grin and bare it:) Although the bus was painfully hot and crowded, I enjoyed riding with the locals and gazing at the passing scenery in the Orange Walk district.
Once we arrived in the town of approximately 17,000 people we checked into our lovely accommodation called Hotel de la Fuente. It is situated downtown Orange Walk and provides a pretty little place for us to call home for the six days that we will be spending here. First impressions of the town are very good. The people here are amazing. They are so friendly and they are always willing to talk to us and share information with us Canadians. Interacting with the locals has been the best part about this field school for me. I love learning about new cultures and getting a real perspective of what it is like living in Belize.
After settling in to our rooms, Larry Wolfe, a fellow Malaspina professor for the geography field school, arranged a quick informational tour of Orange Walk for our orientation to the town. The main purpose of our community tourism research is to gather qualitative information about what the locals think about tourism and what potential they see for Orange Walk in the tourism industry. We viewed the looked upon attractions in the area including the town plaza, the market place, and the New River. As we walked to a great restaurant, Lamanai Resort, I began to understand the impact we could have on the community with our strategic ideas and useful educational concepts to apply to Orange Walk's Official Community Plan. In addition, the people of Orange Walk give off a very welcoming vibe and we are happy to be here to talk with them more about their community.
That night, Carolyn, Ebony and I walked to a few places in town to buy some groceries from the "People's Store" to buy food that would last a us a few days. We also stopped by at a great little bakery and bought all sorts of goodies and even a pizza that we cooked in the hotel oven. I am still getting used to the Belizean food (Fried Chicken, Enchiladas and soooo much Rice and Beans....)
Later on we had a quick debrief of our day and discussed our game plan for the morning research approach. So overall, I am having a pretty great time on this field school even though I have a sore throat and sinus cold in 35 degree weather. It is pretty ironic that I would become sick in Belize, but really it is just my luck. Hopefully I can drug myself up on lots of vitamins and water to get better ASAP! I am really enjoying spending time with my fellow group members and I'm almost positive this will be a trip that I will never forget!
Until next time. Adios Amigos!
Erika von Poser
It is April 29, 2007 and today is our week anniversary of the field school and our third official day in Orange Walk Town. There is so much to tell family and friends back home, but today I will only limit myself to talking about our first day arriving in O. Town.
Alright, once again we had an early awakening at quarter to five in the morning. I woke up to the sound of about one hundred tropical birds and a very obnoxious rooster. After realizing where I was, we packed up our back packs and waited for our transportation to Orange Walk. We decided to take the early bus with most of the local Belizean workers to avoid extreme heat temperatures. This was quite the experience. The transportation system includes an extended school bus with local music pumped throughout the whole bus. Now let me tell you, these buses fly down those gravel, pot holey roads and do not slow down for anything...which makes things fairly risky . All I could do was grin and bare it:) Although the bus was painfully hot and crowded, I enjoyed riding with the locals and gazing at the passing scenery in the Orange Walk district.
Once we arrived in the town of approximately 17,000 people we checked into our lovely accommodation called Hotel de la Fuente. It is situated downtown Orange Walk and provides a pretty little place for us to call home for the six days that we will be spending here. First impressions of the town are very good. The people here are amazing. They are so friendly and they are always willing to talk to us and share information with us Canadians. Interacting with the locals has been the best part about this field school for me. I love learning about new cultures and getting a real perspective of what it is like living in Belize.
After settling in to our rooms, Larry Wolfe, a fellow Malaspina professor for the geography field school, arranged a quick informational tour of Orange Walk for our orientation to the town. The main purpose of our community tourism research is to gather qualitative information about what the locals think about tourism and what potential they see for Orange Walk in the tourism industry. We viewed the looked upon attractions in the area including the town plaza, the market place, and the New River. As we walked to a great restaurant, Lamanai Resort, I began to understand the impact we could have on the community with our strategic ideas and useful educational concepts to apply to Orange Walk's Official Community Plan. In addition, the people of Orange Walk give off a very welcoming vibe and we are happy to be here to talk with them more about their community.
That night, Carolyn, Ebony and I walked to a few places in town to buy some groceries from the "People's Store" to buy food that would last a us a few days. We also stopped by at a great little bakery and bought all sorts of goodies and even a pizza that we cooked in the hotel oven. I am still getting used to the Belizean food (Fried Chicken, Enchiladas and soooo much Rice and Beans....)
Later on we had a quick debrief of our day and discussed our game plan for the morning research approach. So overall, I am having a pretty great time on this field school even though I have a sore throat and sinus cold in 35 degree weather. It is pretty ironic that I would become sick in Belize, but really it is just my luck. Hopefully I can drug myself up on lots of vitamins and water to get better ASAP! I am really enjoying spending time with my fellow group members and I'm almost positive this will be a trip that I will never forget!
Until next time. Adios Amigos!
Erika von Poser
Kim's First Blog
Hello Family, Friends, and other blog readers!
Since I haven't had a chance to sit down and blog until now - my posting is from April 25th. I have so much to tell in between, but I'm sure the rest of my group members will fill in the gaps up until now.
"Sar-ten-eh-ah"
Today was the big travel day! I was up and out of bed before my alarm and was outside of my room by 5:25am. I had just experienced a very interesting night on top of a very high bunk bed (without railings) in a room with more people then beds. Under the assumption that our bus left at 6:30am, I jumped on the communal computer to send an email home. In the middle of my email, at around 5:45am, I was informed that I was actually late as the bus departure time had apparently changed from 6:30am to 6:00am! Lucky for me, no one thought to inform me of this change as I had gone to bed early the night before. I stuffed my bag like a maniac while the rest of the group ran out of the courtyard towards the bus station. In my panic, I couldn't find my room key that I had likely put in a very "safe" place. After I ran (and by run I mean a brisk walk with my 50lb bag) to the bus station, the group sat down and waited for the bus that was to arrive within the next 10 minutes. Not to my surprise, the bus didn't actually show up until 6:30am as originally planned. Ahhh, budget travel at it's best!
The five hour bus ride left much to be desired, not because of the bus itself, but rather because there was no bathroom aboard. Although I drink at least 3 litres of water a day, and sweat the majority of it out, I was still concerned that I wouldn't have a place to go in case the need arrived. Of course my "in case" moment came and I took the opportunity to use the facilities at one of the bus stops along the way. After using the restroom I quickly realized that the bus bathroom I had seen before was a much better alternative to the seat-less/toiletpaper-less place I had just used. Enough bathroom talk...
This bus trip was particularly unique as we had to go through customs at 2 different places at the border between Mexico and Belize. The first time, still on the Mexico side of the border, we were required to file out of the bus and give our passports to an officer for inspection. Once we were checked through there, we got back into the bus and drove for not even 5 more minutes. At this next stop we were required to unload again and take all of our luggage through to the Belize customs office. As we checked in, the bus pulled through and met us on the Belize side of the border. We were finally in Belize! What a relief to know the bus ride was almost over.
Loading off at the bus station was a quick ordeal and we marched single file down the streets of Corozal. A quick bank stop and we were on our way to lunch! After an amazing lunch of my first chicken tostado, a group of us went on a mission to find at least 4 litres of bottled water. In the process of walking around town, we saw the type of community that we'd been waiting for. Small, quiet, and obviously very close knit. The town itself was sparse but the surrounding view more then compensated for the lack of signage.
After a quick meeting in the small patch of shade we found, we loaded on our transportation to Sarteneja - the Thunderbolt. The ride was a nice change from the heat on the dock and we all enjoyed the cool ocean breeze. The boat picked up speed in no time as the boat sported three 250 horsepower motors. I actually took a video to show where the colour "sea foam green" came from. After about 25 minutes we landed on the main pier of Sarteneja and began our hunt for Fernando's Guest House. As we walked down the road we watched the children playing at their beach side playgrounds with palm trees swaying in the background. What an amazing sight!
About 500 metres down the dusty road, we found Fernando's and were greeted by one of the guest house staff, Ronnie. After spending time at the Weary Traveller Hostel, Fernando's was literally a breathe of fresh air. Without a doubt, this guest house was one of the most hospitable and homey places I have ever stayed. The rooms were amazing as was the home cooked snapper dinner that was baked by Fernando's mother. We were served as if we were part of the family and sat at a long table that surprisingly held all of us! I couldn't get over the feeling of this place...it was like everything came to a speeding halt and we were able to finally relax. A must-visit on the next Belize trip.
Hope all is well at home. I'm trying to enjoy the 35 plus weather for when I come back to rainy Nanaimo!
Kim Harrison
Since I haven't had a chance to sit down and blog until now - my posting is from April 25th. I have so much to tell in between, but I'm sure the rest of my group members will fill in the gaps up until now.
"Sar-ten-eh-ah"
Today was the big travel day! I was up and out of bed before my alarm and was outside of my room by 5:25am. I had just experienced a very interesting night on top of a very high bunk bed (without railings) in a room with more people then beds. Under the assumption that our bus left at 6:30am, I jumped on the communal computer to send an email home. In the middle of my email, at around 5:45am, I was informed that I was actually late as the bus departure time had apparently changed from 6:30am to 6:00am! Lucky for me, no one thought to inform me of this change as I had gone to bed early the night before. I stuffed my bag like a maniac while the rest of the group ran out of the courtyard towards the bus station. In my panic, I couldn't find my room key that I had likely put in a very "safe" place. After I ran (and by run I mean a brisk walk with my 50lb bag) to the bus station, the group sat down and waited for the bus that was to arrive within the next 10 minutes. Not to my surprise, the bus didn't actually show up until 6:30am as originally planned. Ahhh, budget travel at it's best!
The five hour bus ride left much to be desired, not because of the bus itself, but rather because there was no bathroom aboard. Although I drink at least 3 litres of water a day, and sweat the majority of it out, I was still concerned that I wouldn't have a place to go in case the need arrived. Of course my "in case" moment came and I took the opportunity to use the facilities at one of the bus stops along the way. After using the restroom I quickly realized that the bus bathroom I had seen before was a much better alternative to the seat-less/toiletpaper-less place I had just used. Enough bathroom talk...
This bus trip was particularly unique as we had to go through customs at 2 different places at the border between Mexico and Belize. The first time, still on the Mexico side of the border, we were required to file out of the bus and give our passports to an officer for inspection. Once we were checked through there, we got back into the bus and drove for not even 5 more minutes. At this next stop we were required to unload again and take all of our luggage through to the Belize customs office. As we checked in, the bus pulled through and met us on the Belize side of the border. We were finally in Belize! What a relief to know the bus ride was almost over.
Loading off at the bus station was a quick ordeal and we marched single file down the streets of Corozal. A quick bank stop and we were on our way to lunch! After an amazing lunch of my first chicken tostado, a group of us went on a mission to find at least 4 litres of bottled water. In the process of walking around town, we saw the type of community that we'd been waiting for. Small, quiet, and obviously very close knit. The town itself was sparse but the surrounding view more then compensated for the lack of signage.
After a quick meeting in the small patch of shade we found, we loaded on our transportation to Sarteneja - the Thunderbolt. The ride was a nice change from the heat on the dock and we all enjoyed the cool ocean breeze. The boat picked up speed in no time as the boat sported three 250 horsepower motors. I actually took a video to show where the colour "sea foam green" came from. After about 25 minutes we landed on the main pier of Sarteneja and began our hunt for Fernando's Guest House. As we walked down the road we watched the children playing at their beach side playgrounds with palm trees swaying in the background. What an amazing sight!
About 500 metres down the dusty road, we found Fernando's and were greeted by one of the guest house staff, Ronnie. After spending time at the Weary Traveller Hostel, Fernando's was literally a breathe of fresh air. Without a doubt, this guest house was one of the most hospitable and homey places I have ever stayed. The rooms were amazing as was the home cooked snapper dinner that was baked by Fernando's mother. We were served as if we were part of the family and sat at a long table that surprisingly held all of us! I couldn't get over the feeling of this place...it was like everything came to a speeding halt and we were able to finally relax. A must-visit on the next Belize trip.
Hope all is well at home. I'm trying to enjoy the 35 plus weather for when I come back to rainy Nanaimo!
Kim Harrison
Terin's First Blog from April 24th
Now that I am on Aggie's account ( I may have forgotten my account information) I can finally write the blog I had hand written on April 24 th.
Today was our first day of activity and travel, and what an experience! The morning started off a bit shaky when I realized as soon as our cab starting pulling away from the hotel that I had left my money belt ( which had all my good stuff, like passport, lots of travelers cheques, the customs card that allows me back into the country and lots of American money) in the hotel room. Unfortunately, we decided that because we were in 4 taxis we must carry on because it would be more stressful for everyone else if we did not show up at the same time as them... they would probably think we crashed because those roads in Mexico are a little sketchy. Once we got to the bus station I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't get beat up, and told Laura that I had left my money belt behind. So we hoped back into the taxi and retrieved my stuff from the hotel and made it back in time for the bus to Chetumal, with no harm done besides a few skipped heartbeats and a few grey hairs.
When we reached our destinations of Tulum we checked into our interesting hostel and carried on to the Mayan Ruins. I find cultural history very intriguing so I really enjoyed seeing the various structures and learning about their purpose and a little bit about Mayan culture. I had done an English presentation on the destinations we would be visiting, so it was really neat to see them in person. A picture says a thousand words, but real live is like two thousand pictures.
After exploring the whole site quite thoroughly, we headed down for a dip in the pristine blue-green ocean. I am not a bit ocean swimmer, so I chose to tan on the beach. The water looked so amazing, I cant wait to show everyone pictures of it! The breeze of the ocean was really nice too, kept the sweating down a little bit.
All in all today was quite successful minus a near heart attack and a mild sunburn! I cant wait for the rest of our journey. Keep checking for further updates from the rest of the team. Hugs and Kisses.... GO CANUCKS!!
Terin Sisler
Today was our first day of activity and travel, and what an experience! The morning started off a bit shaky when I realized as soon as our cab starting pulling away from the hotel that I had left my money belt ( which had all my good stuff, like passport, lots of travelers cheques, the customs card that allows me back into the country and lots of American money) in the hotel room. Unfortunately, we decided that because we were in 4 taxis we must carry on because it would be more stressful for everyone else if we did not show up at the same time as them... they would probably think we crashed because those roads in Mexico are a little sketchy. Once we got to the bus station I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't get beat up, and told Laura that I had left my money belt behind. So we hoped back into the taxi and retrieved my stuff from the hotel and made it back in time for the bus to Chetumal, with no harm done besides a few skipped heartbeats and a few grey hairs.
When we reached our destinations of Tulum we checked into our interesting hostel and carried on to the Mayan Ruins. I find cultural history very intriguing so I really enjoyed seeing the various structures and learning about their purpose and a little bit about Mayan culture. I had done an English presentation on the destinations we would be visiting, so it was really neat to see them in person. A picture says a thousand words, but real live is like two thousand pictures.
After exploring the whole site quite thoroughly, we headed down for a dip in the pristine blue-green ocean. I am not a bit ocean swimmer, so I chose to tan on the beach. The water looked so amazing, I cant wait to show everyone pictures of it! The breeze of the ocean was really nice too, kept the sweating down a little bit.
All in all today was quite successful minus a near heart attack and a mild sunburn! I cant wait for the rest of our journey. Keep checking for further updates from the rest of the team. Hugs and Kisses.... GO CANUCKS!!
Terin Sisler
Ebony's First Blog
April 26th (Thursday)
Day Trip to Shipstern Nature Reserve in Sarteneja (pronounced Sartenayah)
It was strange to sleep in the jungle. Some of us had a hard time sleeping because of the birds chirping, and dogs barking. I woke up at 5:30 am and sat outside, just listening to the strange sights and sounds. Melody and I went for a walk in the morning to find a place to have dinner, an came across a cemetary, plantaine trees, a couple of horses (one, a week old, for sale for $400 Belize) and a woman who talked to us for quite some time about international development in the village. Everyone in the town is so friendly, interested in who we were, and loved their country. Fernando's made us a great breakfast or eggs and beans and freshly squeezed sour orange juice. After breakfast, we jumped in the back of a Ford Ranger and drove way too fast down a dirt road covered in potholes- it proved to be a great bondig experience. It got so bumpy that one of the lights on the truck shook right off! We arrived at the reserve and met our guide, Damien. There were so many options for trails at Shipstern, and we decided to take a 3 hour tour through the jungle that leads to a lake with crocodiles. It was another half hour drive in the bak of the truck, but Damien kept us entertained with his many riddles. The jungle was hot. As we walked towards the lake, Damien pointed out many trees and plants. Some were poisoness, like the Give and Take tree, that was covered in spikes that stuck into your skin and irritated it if you run into it. Luckily, we were told, the antidote is in the tree itself and could be easily collected with the chop of a maschette (sp?). There was another tree which, as legend tells, cures asthma if you chop it down at your exact hight and walk away, never to return to the tree again. Others were used locally to make boats and thatch roofs. There was also a small potatoe plant that grows a potatoe underground that can be fatal if eaten. We arrived at the lake where there was a lookout where we stopped for a snack, and then continued on our jungle tour around the lake. You will see the pictures when we return, but it is amazing to see the change in flora within 10 feet. It seems to go from desert to jungle immediately. We didn't get to see a crock, but we did see the equivalent of a Canadian Bluejay, Snail Kites (look like eagles, and feed on the lake's gigantic freshwater snails), and jaguar and tapir footprints that had been made earlier that morning. At the end of the trip, every one was extremely exhausted and I'm sure that a few more cases of heat rash arose from the adventure. Back at the guesthouse, some of us went for a swin in the ocean, which is seafoam green and barely salty. We also met some people from the US and the UK who were working on a tourism plan similar to what we are doing in Orange Walk. A few of us were interviewd on camera for a video that will potentially be on the Sarteneja website they are developing. Damien stopped by too, for lobster dinner (we were told later that lobster was out of season) and Aggie's birthday celebration. The guesthouse made a very nice cake that was made with many different kinds of milk and was very moist. We went to bed soon after, as we had to get up at 5:30am to catch the only bus at 6am to Orange Walk. That's all for now, and I will update again later...
Ebony Logins
Day Trip to Shipstern Nature Reserve in Sarteneja (pronounced Sartenayah)
It was strange to sleep in the jungle. Some of us had a hard time sleeping because of the birds chirping, and dogs barking. I woke up at 5:30 am and sat outside, just listening to the strange sights and sounds. Melody and I went for a walk in the morning to find a place to have dinner, an came across a cemetary, plantaine trees, a couple of horses (one, a week old, for sale for $400 Belize) and a woman who talked to us for quite some time about international development in the village. Everyone in the town is so friendly, interested in who we were, and loved their country. Fernando's made us a great breakfast or eggs and beans and freshly squeezed sour orange juice. After breakfast, we jumped in the back of a Ford Ranger and drove way too fast down a dirt road covered in potholes- it proved to be a great bondig experience. It got so bumpy that one of the lights on the truck shook right off! We arrived at the reserve and met our guide, Damien. There were so many options for trails at Shipstern, and we decided to take a 3 hour tour through the jungle that leads to a lake with crocodiles. It was another half hour drive in the bak of the truck, but Damien kept us entertained with his many riddles. The jungle was hot. As we walked towards the lake, Damien pointed out many trees and plants. Some were poisoness, like the Give and Take tree, that was covered in spikes that stuck into your skin and irritated it if you run into it. Luckily, we were told, the antidote is in the tree itself and could be easily collected with the chop of a maschette (sp?). There was another tree which, as legend tells, cures asthma if you chop it down at your exact hight and walk away, never to return to the tree again. Others were used locally to make boats and thatch roofs. There was also a small potatoe plant that grows a potatoe underground that can be fatal if eaten. We arrived at the lake where there was a lookout where we stopped for a snack, and then continued on our jungle tour around the lake. You will see the pictures when we return, but it is amazing to see the change in flora within 10 feet. It seems to go from desert to jungle immediately. We didn't get to see a crock, but we did see the equivalent of a Canadian Bluejay, Snail Kites (look like eagles, and feed on the lake's gigantic freshwater snails), and jaguar and tapir footprints that had been made earlier that morning. At the end of the trip, every one was extremely exhausted and I'm sure that a few more cases of heat rash arose from the adventure. Back at the guesthouse, some of us went for a swin in the ocean, which is seafoam green and barely salty. We also met some people from the US and the UK who were working on a tourism plan similar to what we are doing in Orange Walk. A few of us were interviewd on camera for a video that will potentially be on the Sarteneja website they are developing. Damien stopped by too, for lobster dinner (we were told later that lobster was out of season) and Aggie's birthday celebration. The guesthouse made a very nice cake that was made with many different kinds of milk and was very moist. We went to bed soon after, as we had to get up at 5:30am to catch the only bus at 6am to Orange Walk. That's all for now, and I will update again later...
Ebony Logins
Kelly's First Blog
April 24, 2007
Olla to our friends, family, fellow students, and malo staff from Tulum, Mexico. Our group of twelve left Vancouver yesterday, arriving in Cancun, Mexico that evening around 4:30p.m. Overall it was an uneventful first day that saw us all taking a referesing dip in the pool immediately after arriving. After that we found a great local place to eat and watched a gorgeous sunset go down over the bay.
First thing the next morning we were up to eat a quick breakfast of fruit eggs, granola, yogurt and hot sauce. Druing breakfast, our very charming host tried to fool Melody into going to his "casa", but her Spainish was up to the task and she declined with a smile. We were picked up shortly after that by three cabs that took us on a mad dash to the bus depot. The bus ride to Tulum was about two hours and took us past many resorts located on the ocean side of the highway. It was interesting that there was almost nothing on the other side of the highway except a few very old businesses, ramshackle homes and large tracts of undeveloped land. There was, however on this 'other' side a particularly beautiful little chapel with beaugainvilla's (sp?) cascading over oneside of the building.
Once we arrived we arrived in Tulum we went to the Weary Traveler Inn where we spent the night. It is a reasonably nice place, but not for the faint of heart or those requiring finer things such as bell hops or clean bathrooms. It's all good though and we were assigned to several rooms with three sets of bnk beds in each. I got the top bunk, which is good - I think. Some downtime allowed us to get some lunch and check out the sights and sounds of this little Mexican town. Lots of fun and we wandered the streets in out shorts and sandals looking for that perfect gift for that special somone back home.
By 1:30p.m. were ready to catch the bus to the Tulum ruins. Kim and Roslyn were our tour guides and they gave us some background on the history and culture of this wonderful place. Many of the ruins are still substanial in appearance and it is easy to get some idea of what it may have looked like so long ao. My favourite was the "Temple of the Wind". I think it is a beauiful name and when you stand on the cliffs nearby the wind carries the spray of the ocean to your face.
I particularly enjoyed our time on the beach which is just below the ruins and cliffs. The sand is soft and white and squishes up between your toes. People are laughing and giggling children run up to the waves and run back to the safety of the shore as quickely as they can. I have never swam in the warm Caribbean ocean before, I waited before going in just to take in the moment and appreciate the experience. The water is warm and the waves crash against you and pull you back at the same time. Several of us swam way out to where the water was more clear and floated on our backs. I didnt want to get out and played in the water as long as I could. Alas, we hand to leave and had to walk a fair distance to catch the "free bus" back to town. Of course there is a reason it is free - because it's crowded and hot and just when you think they couldn't possibly fit another body on, five more show up. So our trip back toTulum was an adventure all its own. It was a wondeful first day and we are all smiling and having fun. Back in town we shower, change and go for more shopping, eating, and exploring. Soon we will be off to bed with our "strange bed fellows" and up bright and early for another bus ride. I can't wait to see what we will be up to tomorrow and where we will end up......
Kelly Whitney-Squire
Olla to our friends, family, fellow students, and malo staff from Tulum, Mexico. Our group of twelve left Vancouver yesterday, arriving in Cancun, Mexico that evening around 4:30p.m. Overall it was an uneventful first day that saw us all taking a referesing dip in the pool immediately after arriving. After that we found a great local place to eat and watched a gorgeous sunset go down over the bay.
First thing the next morning we were up to eat a quick breakfast of fruit eggs, granola, yogurt and hot sauce. Druing breakfast, our very charming host tried to fool Melody into going to his "casa", but her Spainish was up to the task and she declined with a smile. We were picked up shortly after that by three cabs that took us on a mad dash to the bus depot. The bus ride to Tulum was about two hours and took us past many resorts located on the ocean side of the highway. It was interesting that there was almost nothing on the other side of the highway except a few very old businesses, ramshackle homes and large tracts of undeveloped land. There was, however on this 'other' side a particularly beautiful little chapel with beaugainvilla's (sp?) cascading over oneside of the building.
Once we arrived we arrived in Tulum we went to the Weary Traveler Inn where we spent the night. It is a reasonably nice place, but not for the faint of heart or those requiring finer things such as bell hops or clean bathrooms. It's all good though and we were assigned to several rooms with three sets of bnk beds in each. I got the top bunk, which is good - I think. Some downtime allowed us to get some lunch and check out the sights and sounds of this little Mexican town. Lots of fun and we wandered the streets in out shorts and sandals looking for that perfect gift for that special somone back home.
By 1:30p.m. were ready to catch the bus to the Tulum ruins. Kim and Roslyn were our tour guides and they gave us some background on the history and culture of this wonderful place. Many of the ruins are still substanial in appearance and it is easy to get some idea of what it may have looked like so long ao. My favourite was the "Temple of the Wind". I think it is a beauiful name and when you stand on the cliffs nearby the wind carries the spray of the ocean to your face.
I particularly enjoyed our time on the beach which is just below the ruins and cliffs. The sand is soft and white and squishes up between your toes. People are laughing and giggling children run up to the waves and run back to the safety of the shore as quickely as they can. I have never swam in the warm Caribbean ocean before, I waited before going in just to take in the moment and appreciate the experience. The water is warm and the waves crash against you and pull you back at the same time. Several of us swam way out to where the water was more clear and floated on our backs. I didnt want to get out and played in the water as long as I could. Alas, we hand to leave and had to walk a fair distance to catch the "free bus" back to town. Of course there is a reason it is free - because it's crowded and hot and just when you think they couldn't possibly fit another body on, five more show up. So our trip back toTulum was an adventure all its own. It was a wondeful first day and we are all smiling and having fun. Back in town we shower, change and go for more shopping, eating, and exploring. Soon we will be off to bed with our "strange bed fellows" and up bright and early for another bus ride. I can't wait to see what we will be up to tomorrow and where we will end up......
Kelly Whitney-Squire
More Blogging Problems!
Hey everyone - we are now in Orange Walk and working on the community tourism project. Things are going extremely well and the people of Belize continue to be the most welcoming I've ever encountered.
We are all still adjusting to the heat and about 1/2 of us have heat rashes but we've go it under control! Now that this is working I'm going to send a couple of students in to post so you'll all have more interesting things to read!
Aggie
We are all still adjusting to the heat and about 1/2 of us have heat rashes but we've go it under control! Now that this is working I'm going to send a couple of students in to post so you'll all have more interesting things to read!
Aggie
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
We are Here!
Just a quick up-date as the spanish keyboard is somewhat of a challenge! We all made it safe and sound and are currently in Tulum. The flight down from Vancouver was relatively uneventful and the bus ride into Cancun was quick, painless, and cheaper than expected. We met up with Laura at the Holiday Inn and held our first in-country study tour meeting in the pool!
The big challenge of the night was finding affordable food as we were firmly in the tourist district of the City. Terin and Britt were challenged with the task of finding us some place cheap and quick to eat and despite the map issues (I didn´t help with this process) as Melody would say we finally found some great ¨street meat¨!
We left the city of Cancun this morning at 9 this morning to head to Tulum. The morning started out with a bit of excitement as Terin left the hotel without her passport and money!! It all worked out in the end as a quick (and thankfully cheap) cab ride back to the hotel solved the problem - She and Laura made it back with 15 minutes to spare before catching the bus.
After have a quick lunch break in Tulum we headed off to the Tulum Mayan City ruins where Kim and Rosalyn provided a great guided tour. The iguanas were as plentiful as I remember as were the tourists! After the tour we spent a couple of hours enjoying the beautiful and warm ocean waters - and of course getting a little sun!
We are staying at the Weary traveller Hostel and it is proving to be an expereince for some as we are staying in rooms that are not at all private - this is a new experience for some of the students. We´ve met some interesting people - one of the people in my room rode is bike from Vancouver!
That´s it for now - off to buy bus tickets for tomorrow. May not have internet access for a couple of days so don´´t worry if you do not hear from us.
Aggie
The big challenge of the night was finding affordable food as we were firmly in the tourist district of the City. Terin and Britt were challenged with the task of finding us some place cheap and quick to eat and despite the map issues (I didn´t help with this process) as Melody would say we finally found some great ¨street meat¨!
We left the city of Cancun this morning at 9 this morning to head to Tulum. The morning started out with a bit of excitement as Terin left the hotel without her passport and money!! It all worked out in the end as a quick (and thankfully cheap) cab ride back to the hotel solved the problem - She and Laura made it back with 15 minutes to spare before catching the bus.
After have a quick lunch break in Tulum we headed off to the Tulum Mayan City ruins where Kim and Rosalyn provided a great guided tour. The iguanas were as plentiful as I remember as were the tourists! After the tour we spent a couple of hours enjoying the beautiful and warm ocean waters - and of course getting a little sun!
We are staying at the Weary traveller Hostel and it is proving to be an expereince for some as we are staying in rooms that are not at all private - this is a new experience for some of the students. We´ve met some interesting people - one of the people in my room rode is bike from Vancouver!
That´s it for now - off to buy bus tickets for tomorrow. May not have internet access for a couple of days so don´´t worry if you do not hear from us.
Aggie
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Our Itinerary
April 22nd
Vancouver/Richmond
Holiday Inn Express Vancouver Airport
Phone: 1.877.273.8080
April 23rd
Cancun, MX – Travel Day
Meet at Alaska Airlines in International Departures 3:30 am – STUDY TOUR BEGINS
Arrive Cancun 4:00 pm
Free evening
Holiday Inn Express Cancun Zona Hotelera.
Phone: 011.52.998.883.2200
April 24th
Tulum, MX – Travel/Activity Day
Morning bus to Tulum
Activity: Xel-Ha Ecological Marine Park
Activity: Tulum Ruins
Xel-Ha: Tulum:
Weary Traveler Hostel
Phone: 011.52.984.871.2390
Email: weary@intulum.com
April 25th
Sartenja, BZ – Travel Day
Morning bus to Chetumal
Connections to Corozal
Boat to Sartenja
Fernando’s Seaside Guest House
Phone: 011.501.423.2085
Email: sartenjabelize@hotmail.com
April 26th
Sartenja, BZ – Activity Day
Tour of Shipstern Nature Reserve
Evening – preparing for Orange Walk
Shipstern Nature Reserve
April 27th
Orange Walk Town, BZ – Travel/Activity Day
Morning bus to Orange Walk
Make contact with Larry & Jamil Matar
Tour town – get first impressions for start of research project.
Hotel de la Fuente
Phone: 011.501.332.2290
Email: info@hoteldelafuente.com
April 28th – May 1st
Orange Walk Town, BZ – Community Project
Hotel de la Fuente
Phone: 011.501.332.2290
Email: info@hoteldelafuente.com
May 2nd
Orange Walk Town, BZ – Free Day
Hotel de la Fuente
Phone: 011.501.332.2290
Email: info@hoteldelafuente.com
May 3rd
Bermudian Landing, BZ – Travel/Activity Day
Travel to Bermudian Landing
Jungle Hike
Howler Monkey Lodge
Phone: 011.501.220.2158
Email: mel@howlermonkeylodge.com
May 4th
Bermudian Landing, BZ – Activity/Meeting
Canoe Trip on Belize River
Meeting with Malaspina Geography Students.
Howler Monkey Lodge
Phone: 011.501.220.2158
Email: mel@howlermonkeylodge.com
May 5th
Belmopan, BZ – Travel/Activity
Belize Zoo (transport: HML)
Horseback Riding
Private residence
Activity: Green Dragon Adventure Travel
May 6th
Belmopan, BZ – Free Day
Students are able to set own agenda for the day.
Private residence
May 7th
Belmopan, BZ – Activity Day
Cave Tubing
Ariel Canopy Zip-Tour
Private residence
Activity: Green Dragon Adventure Travel
May 8th
El Remate, GQ – Travel Day
Bus to El Remate
La Casa De Don David
Phone: 011.502.7928.8469
Email: info@lacasadedondavid.com
May 9th
El Remate, GQ – Activity Day
Tour of Tikal National Park – Mayan City
La Casa De Don David
Phone: 011.502.7928.8469
Email: info@lacasadedondavid.com
May 10th
Belize City, BZ – Travel Day
Early bus from El Remate to Belize City
Evening free
Seaside Guest House (no website)
Phone: 011.501.227.8339
Email: seasidebelize@btl.net
May 11th
Belize City, BZ – Meetings (tentative)
Tourism officials and/or University Representatives.
Seaside Guest House (no website)
Phone: 011.501.227.8339
Email: seasidebelize@btl.net
May 12th
Caye Caulker, BZ – Travel/Free Day
Mid-morning boat to Caye Caluker
Trends Beachfront Hotel
Phone: 011.501.0094.0307
Email: trendsbze@blt.net
May 13th
Caye Caulker, BZ – Activity Day
Snorkelling
Trends Beachfront Hotel
Phone: 011.501.0094.0307
Email: trendsbze@blt.net
May 14th
Caye Caulker, BZ – Celebration & Debrief
Travel journals and trip reflections due
Individual debrief interviews
Group debrief and dinner
Trends Beachfront Hotel
Phone: 011.501.0094.0307
Email: trendsbze@blt.net
May 15th
Cancun, MX – Travel Day
Early boat off Caye Caulker – boat/bus back to Cancun.
Suites Albatros
Phone: 011.52.998.884.2242
Email: pepe@albatroscancun.com
May 16/17th
Vancouver, CA – Travel Day(s)
Vancouver/Richmond
Holiday Inn Express Vancouver Airport
Phone: 1.877.273.8080
April 23rd
Cancun, MX – Travel Day
Meet at Alaska Airlines in International Departures 3:30 am – STUDY TOUR BEGINS
Arrive Cancun 4:00 pm
Free evening
Holiday Inn Express Cancun Zona Hotelera.
Phone: 011.52.998.883.2200
April 24th
Tulum, MX – Travel/Activity Day
Morning bus to Tulum
Activity: Xel-Ha Ecological Marine Park
Activity: Tulum Ruins
Xel-Ha: Tulum:
Weary Traveler Hostel
Phone: 011.52.984.871.2390
Email: weary@intulum.com
April 25th
Sartenja, BZ – Travel Day
Morning bus to Chetumal
Connections to Corozal
Boat to Sartenja
Fernando’s Seaside Guest House
Phone: 011.501.423.2085
Email: sartenjabelize@hotmail.com
April 26th
Sartenja, BZ – Activity Day
Tour of Shipstern Nature Reserve
Evening – preparing for Orange Walk
Shipstern Nature Reserve
April 27th
Orange Walk Town, BZ – Travel/Activity Day
Morning bus to Orange Walk
Make contact with Larry & Jamil Matar
Tour town – get first impressions for start of research project.
Hotel de la Fuente
Phone: 011.501.332.2290
Email: info@hoteldelafuente.com
April 28th – May 1st
Orange Walk Town, BZ – Community Project
Hotel de la Fuente
Phone: 011.501.332.2290
Email: info@hoteldelafuente.com
May 2nd
Orange Walk Town, BZ – Free Day
Hotel de la Fuente
Phone: 011.501.332.2290
Email: info@hoteldelafuente.com
May 3rd
Bermudian Landing, BZ – Travel/Activity Day
Travel to Bermudian Landing
Jungle Hike
Howler Monkey Lodge
Phone: 011.501.220.2158
Email: mel@howlermonkeylodge.com
May 4th
Bermudian Landing, BZ – Activity/Meeting
Canoe Trip on Belize River
Meeting with Malaspina Geography Students.
Howler Monkey Lodge
Phone: 011.501.220.2158
Email: mel@howlermonkeylodge.com
May 5th
Belmopan, BZ – Travel/Activity
Belize Zoo (transport: HML)
Horseback Riding
Private residence
Activity: Green Dragon Adventure Travel
May 6th
Belmopan, BZ – Free Day
Students are able to set own agenda for the day.
Private residence
May 7th
Belmopan, BZ – Activity Day
Cave Tubing
Ariel Canopy Zip-Tour
Private residence
Activity: Green Dragon Adventure Travel
May 8th
El Remate, GQ – Travel Day
Bus to El Remate
La Casa De Don David
Phone: 011.502.7928.8469
Email: info@lacasadedondavid.com
May 9th
El Remate, GQ – Activity Day
Tour of Tikal National Park – Mayan City
La Casa De Don David
Phone: 011.502.7928.8469
Email: info@lacasadedondavid.com
May 10th
Belize City, BZ – Travel Day
Early bus from El Remate to Belize City
Evening free
Seaside Guest House (no website)
Phone: 011.501.227.8339
Email: seasidebelize@btl.net
May 11th
Belize City, BZ – Meetings (tentative)
Tourism officials and/or University Representatives.
Seaside Guest House (no website)
Phone: 011.501.227.8339
Email: seasidebelize@btl.net
May 12th
Caye Caulker, BZ – Travel/Free Day
Mid-morning boat to Caye Caluker
Trends Beachfront Hotel
Phone: 011.501.0094.0307
Email: trendsbze@blt.net
May 13th
Caye Caulker, BZ – Activity Day
Snorkelling
Trends Beachfront Hotel
Phone: 011.501.0094.0307
Email: trendsbze@blt.net
May 14th
Caye Caulker, BZ – Celebration & Debrief
Travel journals and trip reflections due
Individual debrief interviews
Group debrief and dinner
Trends Beachfront Hotel
Phone: 011.501.0094.0307
Email: trendsbze@blt.net
May 15th
Cancun, MX – Travel Day
Early boat off Caye Caulker – boat/bus back to Cancun.
Suites Albatros
Phone: 011.52.998.884.2242
Email: pepe@albatroscancun.com
May 16/17th
Vancouver, CA – Travel Day(s)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Welcome to our Belize Blog!
This site will be used to document the experiences of students from Malaspina University-College's Recreation & Tourism Management program who will be on a Study Tour from April 23 - May 17, 2007.
The students and two instructors will be travelling from Vancouver (and Montreal) to Cancun on May 23. Upon arrival we will spend two days in Mexico before heading to Belize where we will spend the majority of the trip; however, we will also make a quick trip in Guatemala to visit the Mayan City of Tikal.
This site should be up-dated every day or so once we arrive in Mexico so keep checking back and read about all the fun and adventure!
Aggie
The students and two instructors will be travelling from Vancouver (and Montreal) to Cancun on May 23. Upon arrival we will spend two days in Mexico before heading to Belize where we will spend the majority of the trip; however, we will also make a quick trip in Guatemala to visit the Mayan City of Tikal.
This site should be up-dated every day or so once we arrive in Mexico so keep checking back and read about all the fun and adventure!
Aggie
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