The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

It seems as though after living here for almost 3 months, we have forgotten that we are still visitors in a strange country, and can be taken advantage of very easily. About a month ago we locked our bikes outside of a seaside bar just down the street from our apartment. When we were ready to take off, we were shocked to find that we would not be going for any joy rides that night. Katie’s seat was stolen, and Melissa’s handlebars mysteriously walked away. So this past weekend we were in Caye Caulker having breakfast on Sunday morning. Katie’s friend Steph met us there, so there were four of us. When we got the bill, we all pitched in our share, and left the money and bill sitting in the middle of the table. Amid our conversation, a man came and took the money off of the table right in front of us. We assumed that it was our server and since we were deep in a very intelligent conversation (I’m sure), we didn’t pay much attention. When we went to leave, the server stopped us and asked us for the money we owed. Some random guy came and stole our money right out from under our noses! Now that’s what I call bold (and stupid on our part). A third offense took place last night. Katie and I rode our bikes to the gym, which is about a 7 minute ride away. The owner has gotten to know us quite well, so he always leaves early and lets us lock up. So Katie and I are working up a sweat, singing away to some good tunes. Little do we know, our bikes are being thieved right outside the door. The door is always wide open and everyone always leaves their bikes parked right outside it. None of the locals would ever get theirs stolen, but once again, the ‘white girls’ as they call us, made an involuntary donation to the community. Bad things come in three’s….. so we’re done right?

As I said, we were in Caye Caulker this past weekend. It was a short visit, as we only stopped there on our way to San Pedro to visit a fellow Lethbridge intern who is teaching there. Laurie is teaching at a private school owned by an American. Apparently this lady moved to Belize, and did not appreciate the fact that her children were experiencing corporal punishment in the public education system. Since she had the means, she started up her own school. We are extremely happy that we visited The Island Academy. It was such a breath of fresh air to visit with teachers who use a variety of strategies and whose teaching styles are similar to our own. Although I have adapted to the teaching environment in PG, sometimes it is hard to feel like I am working at my full potential. Laurie is teaching Infant 1, and has 16 students in her class. Her teacher is from New York and is a wonderful mentor for Laurie. I’m sure that she has learned a lot! The school itself has about 80 students in it; most of which are American. It is a gorgeous school, and is situated right in front of the ocean on a beautiful white sand beach. Sunglasses are much needed! It is SO bright there because of the reflection off of the sand. The visit was a pleasant reminder and motivator to say the least, and we are very glad that our university supervisor encouraged us to make the trip!

San Pedro itself is completely different from Punta Gorda, which makes Laurie’s experience even more different from our own. It is a very touristy island and it reminded me of Mexico. I didn’t even feel like we were in Belize anymore! Everything is so expensive in San Pedro and it’s very easy to be anonymous. It is impossible to be anonymous in PG! Most people drive golf carts around the island, but there are vehicles as well. We stayed in an interesting hostel there (below) that reminded me of a horror movie at first, but it served its purpose and we had a good time. We enjoyed the shops and bustle for a short time, but as usual, we were happy to return home in PG. Thanks for having us Laurie!