Act 13 | Belize

A week of volunteer work was promptly arranged for me in Belize after the Guatemalan plan fell through; Jerson was able to join me for the first half of the week (before returning home to the States).

---

Our arrival coincided with the weekend (how ‘bout that?); which meant we had a couple of days to kill before the earnest work began.


We spent Saturday in the city - which looks every bit as poor as it is.

---

The next day we went to Caye Caulker, a small island with a coral reef just off the Coast.

We broke two boats before we were out of sight of the city; the third boat made to it to the island but not before the first half of the day had passed away.

It rained heavy in the afternoon which didn’t worry us at all because we were already as wet as we could be.

It was a bizarre sensation to be in the warm sea water having much colder drops of rain failing on my head.

I was in the right place at the right time to see a Manatee (sea-cow) underwater, apparently I didn’t get close enough to see the udders (it must be hard getting the milk in the bucket while submerged).

The day of snorkelling also presented me and all the other gathered snorklers with the opportunity to forgive the sting rays for what was done to one of Australia’s finest ambassadors, Steve Irwin.

I took my turn at hugging a sting ray after Jerson.

Having reconciled with the rays I thought I'd try my luck at riding one like a magic carpet.

---

The work that was arranged for me to do was really ideal; I was travel around the country with Freddie, a young local optometrist, and mentor him.

I also straightened out some of the equipment that had become crooked.

I am preferring teaching to practicing while in these parts, I like the fact that when I involve myself in training others all my knowledge doesn’t leave the country when I do.

Working in other countries often gives you the opportunity to do things that you don’t get to do in your own context, like wearing a cap backwards at work (and sticking a needle in a mans eye).

Jackie organises the lab where the glasses are made and is a seemingly inexhaustible source of energy and insight; She also double dared me to eat gibnut …

… A gibnut is a large rodent and a local delicacy (which they tell me they served to the Queen last time they she was in town (being treated like royalty in Belize is a little different to being treated like royalty elsewhere)), it tastes like beef.