Dios
The casual greeting for the Ke'ekchi. You have to love it.
We are settling in our new home nicely. It is very humble indeed...but many are living with even less. Considering our host family took time to build it for us (something they will be able to use when we leave) makes it even more special. We are liking our new village very much. It is cleaner, smaller and closer to the are we want to be.
Our day consists of school in the am- 3 hour bank when we hit the river-then back to school til 4pm. Then it is back to the river for bathing and washing clothes on the stones. We do a little wash each day to keep up. We are learning to live with very few clothes. This way maybe what we brought will last for the whole 2 years we are here.
The rains are starting to come mostly at night. No rain occurs without the perverbial thunderstorms which are so amazing. You can't imagine the deep-throated roar it creates and when it is dark the brilliant lightning is endless. Lightning bug light the ground around us. The rain is so intense it is impossible to sleep when it pours. It can fill a 5 gallon bucket in no time at all. Along with the rain comes the frogs. One has never heard such a screaming chorus!!! It is very difficult to sleep thru it all. Our roof happens to be tin-we are grateful as critters live in the thatch-which will come. You have to experience the decibel level. Don't which is louder the rain or frogs. If frogs, as some believe are becoming extinct, we think they just moved to Toledo in Belize. Some of the PC trainees here are expeiencing rats - every so grateful that hasn't been our experience yet. Our family has a cat and dogs. MJ you wouldn't be able to handle the treatment they get. It's hard for all us sac i cuinks. White people! However, the lack of rats, turantulas and scorpions is a wonderful benefit.
Every family in Belize has many chickens - along which come many roosters. They are the earliest alarm clock, but we are managing to sleep thru their song. Tough when it's outside your window.
Our family here had 13 children....they have 46 grandchildren, one on the way and hoping to make 50!
We are rubber boot wearin', river washin' , bush (they never say jungle) lovin' folk. We had our first 'halau' yesterday which is a critter hunted in the bush called gibnut. Have been told it looks a bit like a dog. Glad we didn't see it. Our family hunted for about 8 hours to get it and made a not too bad soup with it. Soon we will be getting armadillo we are told. Guess what it all basically tastes like???
It is tough here and now that the river is rising it is muddy. There is a spring close by that remains clear as the muddy waters pass but it is muddy getting to it. We still haven't figured out now how to wash our clothes as all washing stones are covered up but we can bathe ever so carefully.
So, if you weren't grateful before be grateful now!!!
We hope to be getting to Palencia (sp?) about half way down the coast of Belize on a Peninsula during our training. It is supposed to be a beautiful new area being built with lovely sandy beaches. Check it out if you are thinking of visiting in the next two years. San Pedro in the northern Cayes is the most popular but hearing that Palencia is much better.
Have to say goodbye for now. We love hearing from y'all.
howan xic (til later - )no formal word for good-bye
hugs
