Unbelizeable (June 13, 2011)

I felt it. The end is coming so as I sat down for breakfast I felt as though I should not leave the ship for the last port… Made plans with many people and just stayed. Joey, Meghan and I decided to go to the zoo together. I do not like zoos, never really had. Always thought it was cruel but we were told by the invited guest speaker that it is different. When we got into the tender (first port that we had done this) we found John who wanted to go cave tubing! We joined his plan. We went to cave branch and had the most amazing tour guide who was telling us about the limestone formations and the plants grown in the area. They have the Xata from which the green leaves are used dye the dollar bills and the bullhorn whose bark in a tea lowers blood pressure (mainly utilized when bitten by snake so venom wont spread).

Going into the caves was breathtaking. The Mayans call it Xibalba, where you would go back into the underworld. It was quite a journey. It was explained to us as the path for death. I wish it was still understood in this manner. The small pockets of light with water underneath as I was floating felt surreal. But it was real and wonderful. It felt too short, I decided to start swimming when we were already outside. I wish we could have stayed longer.

On our way to the zoo we stopped for food. Our driver, Rupert, joined us. He was very knowledgeable about the plants around us and was telling us about his life growing up in farmland at Teakettle, a little town outside of Belize City. He was telling me about the fear of the people when the first jet flew over them. He was very young and could not believe it. What a heart that of Rupert’s. You could see it through his eyes.

The zoo was good. I held a boa constrictor (as I always do when allowed to hold snakes).The idea of the zoo was great, taking care of animals that would otherwise be endangered. However, I still saw incarcerated animals. I wish humans would not have created the circumstances in which now the only choice is to put animals in a prison to protect them.

Anywho, back in Belize City the lights were dim and the lack of safety was visible. Joey, Meghan and I went into a bar and talked development for a long time. It was a great discussion! In the middle of it, a lady came to talk to Joey and he said I was his wife so the lady came to me and gave me the most obscene advice I have ever heard. We were laughing at first but then it got a little uncomfortable so we left back to the ship. I was sad I could not dance that night but I didn’t feel safe.

In the morning we went snorkeling and again I was in my element. The waves were fast and the reefs were moving along. The schools of fish were following the rhythm so I did too. I stopped swimming and move as much as I could away from the corals so that I could just let myself be there.

Kelsey and I stayed for lunch in one of the few places opened in town because it was Sunday. I was in a Garcia Marquez tale when the sky started falling with the rain as we were eating. It was beautiful. Got all my souvenirs and went back to the ship.

I had made arrangements with the voice (the assistant Dean who made the announcements twice a day) so that we could stargaze that night by turning off a few lights on the ship. Unfortunately, it was too windy on the front of the ship so it had to be cancelled. However, Alejandro, Perla and I still stargazed. It was Perla’s birthday so I serenaded her from Mana to Maroon 5. It was a wonderful night.