Here's a Belize map, finally! You can follow along. Charles was in the Chiquibul along the Macal River (find "CAYO" on the map and go south to the "Macal" and "Raspaculo" drainages) and I was south (find Punta Gorda on the map and go south for the villages of Barranco on the coast and Crique Sarco more inland.) Maya Mopan and Trio are more north on the Southern highway - WHICH is mostly paved. Remember our trip Dad, Kateri, Janie, Will, Tom, Elenor where we got 2 flat tires on the way out to maya villages many many years ago. Well, no more - it's paved now. Good and bad i guess.
Next photos below are of some participants in Crique Sarco, Maya Mopan and Barranco. Ernesto and I had some interesting experiences interviewing folks. He was really helpful in the community surveys - especially when explaining the idea of a gift card to them. I wanted to give each person I surveyed a small gift. So we went to the local shop, talked to the shop keeper. I made these little cards and printed them. REALLY interesting explaining this idea to the shop owner and the folks who received it - I'm probably changing the whole economic culture of these places (damn). At the Mayan communities, they wanted to share a meal and drink with us - we had awesome corn tortillas and a coffee tea drink. Also, a photo below of me trying a cocao drink with black pepper (?!) with ernesto showing digital camera images to folks. The village chairman took us to his cacao farm and we tried some fruit (little chocolate seeds in the fruit covered with white sweet 'goo'. You dry the seeds and then grind them up like the chairman's aunt is doing below. This was such a cool week.
Here are some photos of Crique Sarco (the teacher's mom made us lunch - corn tortillas and avacado with local red pepper sauce). Also I love this shop lady from Barranco - she really wanted to do her hair before the picture but I said she looked beautiful already!
So, yesterday (Friday) after Maya Mopan village surveys, Ernie and I high-tailed it to San Ignacio where I drove up to the Mountain Pine Ridge forest station to pick up the kayak trailer, then 1 hr more into the Chiquibul to pick up a VERY smelly Charles and Ed at the reservoir. Finally after a stop at the ranger station right by Caracol, back to town late. Thank you Elenita (Ernesto's wife) for keeping food hot for dinner at 10 p.m.! We love her.
It's nice to be back in San Ignacio "home" and see Charles on weekends. I'm really looking forward to helping him do his field work this winter (in the dry season). It looks and sounds really tought but I hear the Chiquibul is an excellent workout plan! I hope you are all OK. I miss you guys a lot, Kristi.
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