Day 6: Tabacco Caye

Leaders of the Day: Amanda and Will

This morning, we woke up at 7:30 and ate breakfast. While we were finishing, we were joined by Aurora, our hostess, who told us more about her culture and elaborated on the role of a healer in the Mayan community. She told us about the spiritual role of the healer and shared the story of her uncle, formerly one of the most renowned healers in Belize. She also talked about what a critical moment in our lives this was; where we had the choice to channel positive or negative energy towards our lives.

After breakfast, we got on our bus and drove down to the community school that we have been working with for the past 3 days. The children had to compete in an inter-school football (soccer) tournament so we did not have much time with them. However, we had enough time to show the students the completed library and kitchen. There faces lit up when they saw all the brand new dishes, utensils, and the sparkling new stove. Kids were relaxing and reading on their brand new mats and pillows in the library, and the smiles on their faces were priceless. Then we walked the older kids to the bus and passed out cookies and juice. Some of the students made bracelets and necklaces and gave them to their new friends (us). By the end of our farewell, many of us had tears of joy in our eyes.

Goodbyes were hard, but before we knew it we were on our way to a tropical paradise. The boat ride was beautiful, the water was a clear blue and the palm trees swayed calmingly in the distance. Without Juan, our guide for the whole trip, we felt lost, but when we got to Tobacco Caye, we made ourselves at home. The island is so small, you can see both coastlines while chilling in a hammock by the coconut trees. Volleyball and frisbee made up our free time, and for lunch we had rice and soup, a basic Belizean meal. We were all covered in sun tan lotion, and we were ready for the reefs.

For some of us, it was our first time snorkeling, and we learned the ropes from our instructors - Matt, Michelle, and Sarah. Once we were out on the reefs, we tested our gear, and saw many different types of coral and fish. We used the buddy system and were able to explore all around the reef, seeing manta rays, barracudas, and sea urchins. We took a short break to adjust any problems with the masks or fins and then went back into the water. We brought underwater cameras and took pictures of unique types of coral. Tired and salty, we walked back to the cabins.

Before dinner, we did an exercise about mapping out our own goals, and identified the coral from our pictures. We had a great time today, and will see all of you on Saturday.

Miss you guys, have fun in Florida, see you guys on Saturday!- Will

I love ya so much and can't wait to see y'all when we get home :-) - Amanda