Belize Post 1!!!

Belize Blog Update 1

Hey Blog Buddies, I am blogging from the jungles of Belize right now !!!!!! Sorry, for not updating earlier, but I've been rocking 12-14 hour days and I've been falling asleep with my computer on my lap.

We're staying at an eco lodge outside of San Ignacio, Belize. Seeing as this is my first post from the experience itself I shall recount the story from its debut.

Last Thursday, May 20th, I flew from Grenoble, France to New Jersey via Frankfurt Germany. I arrived in Newark around 4pm with all of my belongings, including 5 bottles of wine, in tact. Long story short, got home around 5:30 drank tea, went out for a steak, drank tea again, unpacked, repacked, drank tea again, slept 4 hours, drank tea, and headed back to the airport to catch my flight to Belize.

I spent Friday from 6:45am to 4:30pm EST traveling to Belize. The NEU group flight landed in Belize about 20 minutes after mine. I hooked up with them, and we started our three hour drive to San Ignacio. Something important to note is had the roads not been horrible, and had there not been speed bumps (the 3rd world's version of speed limits because the police don't patrol the roads for speeders) every 100 meters the trip would have taken about 40 mins seeing as the country is about the size of Massachusetts, but it's not so c'est la vie. We made a stop at the local supermarket (all owned by Chinese immigrants), and around 7:30pm Belize time (-2 hrs so 9:30 pm EST), in total darkness we arrive at our jungle lodge, and after some room confusion and dinner, we finally settle into our rooms around 9pm. I shower, then die.

As we get university credit for this program, we are assigned readings and outside work to do. One of the books we had to read, "The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw" (amazing and I highly recommend it regardless of your interests) chronicles the struggle of the "Zoo Lady," Sharon Matola, efforts to stop the building of an unnecessary dam at Chalilo on the Macal River. The dam's building would lead to the extinction of the Belizean Scarlet Macaw by flooding their only remaining nesting sites. The dam would obviously interrupt the river's natural flow, which is the essential component in maintaining the happy balance that ecosystem enjoyed.

Unfortunately, on Saturday we went and visited the dam. The devastation is total. No life remains on either side. Some ecologists believed that some of the animals that previous inhabited the area would be able to adapt to the new environment, but the impact was much more far-reaching than initially anticipated. Not only have the Belizean Scarlet Macaws gone extinct, but Jaguars and Tapirs, Belize's national animal also known as the mountain cow, have moved out of the area, fish specific to this river have gone extinct, plant species that have adapted to the seasonal floods have gone extinct. The dam has even had an impact on the migration patterns of birds heading south for the winter. These are only some of the tangible effects of the dam, the real, long-term, implications have yet to be realized.

The dam at Chalilo is only one example of how the decisions of a few corrupt officials can forever impact the world. The Belizean government promised that the Chalilo dam, owned by Fortis Energy based in New Foundland, Canada, would lower energy costs by reducing their reliance on Mexico's energy. Energy costs in Belize have risen because the dam was so wildly over-budget, and according to the contract, as explained by the book, the government, meaning Belize's 75,000 taxpayers, would pay if the dam went over-budget, for any of Fortis' lawyer fees, and the most shocking and infuriating of all, THEY WOULD GUARANTEE $9.2 MILLION PER YEAR TO FORTIS REGARDLESS IF THE DAM EVER PRODUCED ONE MEGAWATT OF POWER ! Meanwhile an expected $80 million was pocketed by all of the Belizean ministers involved in the project.

What's more is that the dam is built on sedimentary rock, not granite as Fortis claims, and a mere 550 meters from Central America's most active fault line. If the dam breaks everything downstream would be obliterated, even the place where I am blogging from now.

Chalilo Dam and the Macal River today. The day we went the river was the width of just the blue house on the left.

I highly recommend you read the book for yourself, "The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw" by Bruce Barcott, it is brilliantly written and it really gives you an intimate look into the extent people are willing to go to make a buck.

Sorry about that being a little lengthy, but I had to get it out :)

On Sunday, we rose again at the crack of dawn to go to Tikal, the Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Hands down, one of the top 5 coolest things I've ever seen in my life. In order to save you from reading another novel, I'm just going to say that the Mayans were pretty incredible at everything, but I still don't think the world is going to end December 21, 2010. However, that day signifies that we move from the era of Aquarius to the era of Pices. If you're ever in the area, it's definitely worth paying a visit, and hey you may even see a jaguar ! Probably not, but they'll most likely see you.

On Monday we visited Kings Children's Home, a sort of refuge for orphans, children who have been abandoned, abused, or anything else for that matter. There we took them out for lunch, and a little 14 year old boy named Oscar sat himself down next to me. He looked to be about 10 years old, but he acted like a 20 year old, and fondly referred to the other 47 children he lived with as his brothers and sisters, and that he was quite happy in his enormous family, and really loved that they were able to find happiness out of a seemingly dire situation. After lunch, we went to the Belize Zoo, founded by none other than Sharon Matola, the Zoo Lady. There we saw some beautiful scarlet macaws, jaguars, a puma, spider and howler monkeys, and even a few mountain cows! Oscar, Lia, and I held a boa constrictor around our necks, and I misidentified a grotesquely huge squirrel for a wild monkey...Oscar got a good laugh out of my excitement and ensuing disappointment (nothing against squirrels I think they are marvelous creatures). Although it was interesting to see, for the first time, white tailed deer and turkeys in the zoo. Some of the younger kids couldn't believe that we "at that giant bird all in one day...No wonder gringos are so fat !" Oh the oversimplifications of an overweight 7 year old.

Today, Tuesday, was our first day of class. They were mostly introductory and served to help orient us on Belizean culture and history, and our parters at Galen University on what the goals of our mission here are. We went out to dinner where we were supposed to mingle and get to know the Belizean students and, BEST (our microfinance affiliate). However, only one Belizean student came because, the others either had more classes, or had to catch the bus back home by a certain time. I spent the time with Professor Shaughnessy and my roommate Uli about the history of this program, his business life, and other things. It was a very beneficial 2 hours, and I learned A LOT!

I have to say, even though I haven't experienced this kind of intensity since teaching English in China a few years ago,at the end of the day, with barely enough energy to make it though dinner, reflections, and my shower, it's a good tired that leaves me feeling accomplished and excited for what's to come.

Tomorrow we head to the field for the first time to interview recipients of micro-grants (a sum of money given to people to start businesses but fall too far below the poverty line and cant even qualify for a micro-loan. They don't have to repay it).

Thanks for hanging in there with this enormous post and remember to check back frequently to stay updated with whats going on here in Belize.

The photos are currently trapped on my camera, but as soon as find the cord I'll update this post with them.

Peace out !

Jahan

P.S. You can still donate !