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Sunday: Orientation Running on a flat tire, our school bus limped into the Chiclero Camp lodge on the outskirts of San Ignacio late Saturday evening. We were all tired from our long journey but also excited about our upcoming adventure. After we unloaded our gear, I paired up with my new roommate, Bernie, an affable fellow 72 years young who had recently retired from a career in the gaming industry.
I didn’t tell Bernie that many years ago, back in the 1980s, I spent several months teaching myself how to beat the casinos at blackjack (yes, it is possible) and during that time, pit bosses like him became my nemesis. My system worked pretty well and I did o.k. at the tables in Reno, but I also learned that playing blackjack is a really tough way to make a living, so I decided to get a "real job" instead.
Bernie was a great roommate, though. He had done a lot of volunteer work in Portland, he told me. But I especially liked him since he called me “kid.” At my age, anyone who calls me “kid” is an instant pal.
On Sunday morning, our group of 23 ate breakfast at Chiclero and started orientation promptly at 9 a.m. I figured that we’d get maybe an hour of orientation. No, more like five. First each of us introduced ourselves, then we got a thorough lesson in Belize’s history and geography from Alexis, a teacher in a high school near Belmopan, the country's capital. After a lunch break, Jonny gave us two more hours of orientation. As Jonny explained, ProWorld makes sure its participants are well-versed in the country and its customs. Hopefully no "ugly Americans" here!
So if you're wondering about Belize, here’s a crash course. Belize is about as big as Massachusetts and has around 250,000 people, a quarter of whom live in Belize City, which is the country’s largest city. Belize was an English colony called British Honduras until 1981 when it became independent. Due to its British connection though, it's the only country in Latin America with English as the official language and most folks speak English or at least understand it, so it's easy for mono-linguistic Americans to get around. However, Spanish, Mayan, and a Caribbean language called Creole are also spoken widely in Belize.
The country is a cultural melting pot but everyone apparently gets along pretty well and politically the country is stable. The average family income is about $8,000 U.S., putting it in the middle of Central American countries. The Belizean dollar is tied to the American dollar at a fixed 2:1 ratio and you can use either or both currencies in the stores. And most importantly, the national beer of Belize, called Belikin, is really good – especially after a hard day’s work, as we would soon learn.
Our orientation class ended in mid-afternoon and we had the rest of Sunday to relax. I joined up with Bernie, Tamera, Doris and Urban and walked over to the Mayan ruins at Cahal Pech, located in the jungle next to Chiclero Camp. From around 2,000 B.C. to 1,000 A.D., the Mayans thrived in Central America and developed an extensive culture with a complex written language and a thorough understanding of math and astronomy.
The Mayans established several large communities from southern Mexico to Nicaragua, including the one at Cahal Pech. When Jonny told us about the jungle Mayan ruins earlier that day, I figured they were a few small mounds. Nope. These ruins were extensive and massive, covering several acres with intricate and lofty temples over 75 feet high. I was especially intrigued with the ball court, where Mayans played a form of basketball with the winning captain having the "honor" of being sacrificed. Considering my limited court skills, I probably would've had a long career in the Mayan NBA.
During my week in Belize, I was struck by the pervasiveness of the Mayan heritage. There are likely many sites such as Cahal Pech deep in the jungles of Belize that haven’t yet been discovered and Mayan artifacts are everywhere. In fact, the next day while we were the digging the library foundation at Succotz, we unearthed some Mayan pottery shards. Taking artifacts out of the country is punishable by serious jail time though, so we left them there.
On Sunday evening after our five-hour orientation and tour of the Cahal Pech ruins, we ate dinner at Chiclero, then a small group walked down the hill to an ice cream store. As for me, I pulled up a chair, sat on the veranda, and watched the lights of San Ignacio twinkle in the distance as the sun went down. It was a warm and pleasant evening and though I was thousands of miles from Oregon, I felt more at home than I had been in a long time. I knew I was going to enjoy my week in Belize.
Above left: This was our home for the week, Chiclero Camp, on the outskirts of San Ignacio. The restaurant was upstairs and our rooms were downstairs. Above right: Sunday was Orientation Day for our group at Chiclero.
Above left: The medical and hygiene donations we brought from the U.S. filled the back seat. Above center: After orientation several of us went next door to the Mayan ruins at Cahal Pech. Above right: The Cahal Pech Visitor Center.
Above left: We learned about the Mayan Indians from the helpful guide at the Visitor Center. Above right: This is an illustration of what Cahal Pech may have looked like a thousand years ago.
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