All is well in San Antonio, Belize where the group has settled into their homestays and getting started on the worksite. The group set a schedule for the cafeteria project and after just two days are reportedly well on their way ahead of schedule! With help from various community members as well as a hard working group, cement is setting, wheelbarrows are rolling, and the project is happening!
Yesterday, because the group was ahead of schedule, they headed out on a hike from San Antonio to a waterfall. Soon they will also be meeting with Vice Principal of the school to discuss possible secondary projects that the group could pursue during their time in the community.
Everyone is enjoying their homestays, they are challenging each other to use Spanish, coming up with nicknames for each other and their host siblings, and learning about life in Belize.
Just before the arrived to the community, the group visited the Barton Creek Caves. Here they enjoyed a lunch of chicken, rice, beans and fried plantains and then loaded into the canoes. Three to a canoe, everyone paddled slowly into the caves where they were guided by Carlos and José. José shared about the Caves and that they were a place for the ancient Mayans to practice rituals. The group wrote in their journal “we looking in awe and wonder of the artifacts in the caves”. At one point the guides asked everyone to turn off their flashlights and the group sat in canoes, floating in complete darkness. So dark that you could not even see your hand in front of your face! José and Carlos pointed out the naturally formed “Mayan bridges” and then once the group canoes out of the caves, everyone got to jump in and swim around.
We will be posting another group soon with more updates on the progress of the project and stories from San Antonio.
