Madre to Many: The Weight of the World...: Belize Students Going Global 2019: Day 7 - Ambergris Caye Exploration, A Secret Beach, Garifuna Lessons, and a Crab Race...

Belize Students Going Global 2019: Day 7 - Ambergris Caye Exploration, A Secret Beach and Garifuna Lessons:

Today was a free day in Ambergris Caye that we built into our itinerary! I asked the kids how they wanted to spend their day based on what they knew about the country, the island, and their experience thus far. They mentioned that they wanted to walk around town and explore, do last minute souvenir shopping and enjoy their last time on the beach. We did this and so much more!

We started the morning with a breakfast of eggs, potatoes and toast with butter and jelly. Next we headed on a journey around town to explore and visit the local artisan market. On our journey we stopped for coffee and juice, visited a craft shop of a wood and coral craftsman and tried our best to stay out of the way of all the 🚕 taxis and golf carts that make walking around the town a rather entertaining adventure with 12 students in tow. The craftsman created fascinating works of art with his talents and shared the history of the coral with us. Feel free to read the history of the coral and his shop in the image below!

I love taking students to artisan markets on tour for quite a few reasons. The students have a chance to barter which is a skill that is not commonly used in the United States, but is entertaining and takes a personality trait that there isn’t an app for. Students also have to ask questions about the items they are attempting to purchase which teaches them about the seller and the culture of the land. One of the sellers that I encountered at the market was a man named Rickie Nelson. Rickie was named after the singer, but isn’t a fan. Rickie has lived in Belize his entire life, both on the island and the mainland and really enjoys his crafting. He makes many of the items out of shells and was very excited to chat with me about the NFL (the Chiefs), and my experience learning the Spanish language and teaching in the U.S. He made sure to note that his items were created by hand and not made in China. The kids found a fair amount of souvenirs for their friends and family and we had a lot of fun in the process!

We finished our city adventure with a walk along the beach to get back to the hotel.

After our walk we enjoyed a box lunch with the choice of grilled or fried chicken sandwiches and fries. This box lunch came with wonderful news that EF had arranged for us to visit Secret Beach! 🏖 Although we have been at the beach several times along this journey, this experience was unlike any other. This beach was on the opposite side of the island, which means that it was an area not affected by sea grass. Below you can see pictures of what the beach looks like on the different sides of the island. These pictures show the real effects of climate change on both economy, tourism and marine life. Our tour guide has been in the business for a long time and he says that the sea grass has worsened over the past ten years. Temperatures in the ocean have changed which changes the currents and patterns in the ocean. This has pushed the sea grass to the costs and it sits there. It’s aesthetic appeal, as well as the fact that it suffocates the shore life, and creates a smell of dead fish when it is not removed, can turn away travelers, businesses and more. The lesson was clear and so was the Secret Beach! We enjoyed the beach and I hope that we can do something about climate change soon because I now have witnessed more effects firsthand. From water volleyball to fish searching and chicken tacos in the sand, this was a wonderful addition to our already incredible itinerary.

After the secret beach we went as a group to an El Salvadoran restaurant and enjoyed our first papusas. We had papusas with beans and cheese, chicken and shrimp! These were delicious and it really showed us a part of Belizean culture beyond what we had seen. It also showed us that immigration also has had a large impact on many aspects in Belize as well. As I rode with students around in taxis we met a driver who immigrated from Honduras and another from El Salvador. The culture of this nation is made up of the cultures of others, just like that of the United States. The opinions of people in Belize are varied on issues with immigration and the government has also been involved with Guatemala and land settlements as well. I plan to learn more about this subject as it is fascinating to me. All countries that I have visited/lived in have been involved in some form of border crisis based on history/wealth: Chile - Peru, Peru - Bolivia, U.S - Mexico, Costa Rica - Nicaragua, etc. I haven’t been to the Middle East, but there are similar issues there as well. Relationships, people, environments, bridges and cultures... one beautiful world with beautiful people.

Our cultural studies continued into the late evening with a night of Garifuna music and dance lessons at the Black and White Garifuna Cultural Entertainment Center! The Garifuna celebrate their heritage every day, but a special day in Belize is devoted to the celebration of the Garifuna culture. This day is November 19th every year. This is the day of settlement for the Garifuna people.

Prior to our music and dance lessons, we learned a lot about the Garifuna people and culture. Beginning with the flag, we learned what the colors represent. The black of the flag represents the color of the skin of the Garifuna people. The white represents peace and the yellow represents the hope for safety and the hope of their culture living on.

Main foods of the Garifuna are seafood, coconuts, plantains, bananas and cassava bread. This is the bread of their ancestors. The Garifuna arrived from Africa and were brought as slaves through the middle passage, starting in 1635. The were brought to St. Vincent to work on plantations. When the British claimed St. Vincent, 5,000 Garifuna were exiled to Roatan. 2,000 survived and continued west to settle in Belize. Many say this settlement included 4 nights of drumming which led to the settlement day celebration and the traditions of the Garifuna that are present in Belize to this day. I could not be prouder of a group of students. This group of students stood up tonight to learn to dance, play the drums, and play the turtle shells! They are full of talents and I am so proud of them for overcoming many fears and anxieties to participate in these activities!

We were very blessed to have this incredible opportunity to end the last night of our trip! I could not have asked for a better evening celebrating culture with some amazing students! Tomorrow we travel back to the U.S. to see our loved ones.

Late Update: We returned to our hotel at 10:38. The students were tired so they headed straight up to their rooms. We have had so many long days in a row. I went back to my room and it hit me like a brick wall. I had promised a crab hunt along the beach to my students. I sat in my bed thinking about the wonderful day that we had for about five minutes and the thought of leaving Belize without the crab hunt, was just unbearable. I had to go and let all of my students know that if they wanted to hunt crabs, it was time! All 12 kids were willing and excited to go out with cell phone flashlights to catch crabs! We ended up with over 14, and had a race! Check out pictures of the winners (I might have cheated) and a video of the race below! Goodnight.