Tuesday, December 24, 2013

This morning we had breakfast during the down pour at the CPVR and then headed out in the rain to find a store --- we need to purchase a few items since tonight and tomorrow things will be closed for Christmas.  We found a Taiwanese grocery store, where the young lady only seemed to speak Chinese.  Then found a couple of others as we drove around San Ignacio.  While in the grocery, the bottom dropped out and we headed for the Green Iguana Conservation Project, located at the San Ignacio Resort.  For $34.50, we took a tour out into the safe, protected area of the property behind the resort.  There we met Gomez, the dominant male iguana, along with George (who was released a couple of years ago and comes to hang out on the outside of the enclosure during mating season…he has his hopes up, but they aren’t ever met) and Oscar and a host of female iguanas and babies.  See the photos.

Then we headed back up the steep hill to the smallest of all the Mayan ruins that have been excavated in Belize.  Cahal Pech.  It’s within a 2 minute walk about 1/8 of the way down the hill from the CP Village Resort.  There we explored the ancient ruins….no one was there when we began, but when we were heading out, there were 3 other families there.  We stopped at the gift shop, a little wooden shack there, and met Patricia and her daughter.  Timothy kept them laughing…trying to convince Glenn and me that he needed a decorative knife….beautiful….think miniature machete…the last thing this boy needs! Then when we finally peeled him away, we headed back up to the top of the hill for a snack --- we are going back to the San Ignacio Hotel Resort for dinner at 6:30 (they have a better selection on their menu)….for now, it’s relaxing by the pool and letting the boys swim.  The storm clouds are brewing again though….there are ominous black clouds across the mountains ahead, beginning to settle into the valley over the town.  It won’t be long….so, I’m packing it up for now!

(A little later....)

We did have dinner at another hotel resort just down the street tonight.  I had Relleno Negro -- a mole soup (that's MOH-lay, not mole like the animal!) with chicken legs, eggs, and meatballs in it served with small corn tortillas.  Glenn had stewed beef (organic might begin to grow on him after all) beans and rice and fried plantains.  Curtis had chicken and cheese quesadillas and Timothy went all out, enjoying Belizean style CHICKEN FINGERS and FRENCH FRIES!  Oh my goodness, what will I do with him?  He and Curtis are both asleep now....the trip is wearing them out.

Tomorrow, it's on to the King's Children's Orphanage.  Please pray that will go well.  We have little idea of what to expect....communication from the director, even in the presence of a multitude of questions on my part, has responded with very little information.  Maybe she thinks we aren't going to show up. I'm not sure, but we'll be there to share Jesus with some parentless children for several hours tomorrow.  What a great way to spend Christmas Day! So looking forward to it.  

Merry Christmas to all...photos will come later.  I can't seem to remember to upload photos and videos, and that's Curtis's department anyway!!! :)