what fun we're having in belize! (title courtesy of Tom Fahey)

Whats goin on people?! Thought it was about time to update the blog. It’s a gorgeous sunny day here in Carmelita. Last night another volunteer and her visiting boyfriend came over to hang with Susannah and me. Had a pleasant afternoon and evening of storytelling, stargazing and relaxation. Elisha (the other volunteer) and I got to hang out on the couch as our significant others cooked up a nice stir fry dinner for us. The most interesting part of the evening occurred around 830 as I made my way to the store to buy a few bottles of soda. Now, riding your bike at night in the village can be slightly treacherous. Your petal strokes are far from smooth as you encounter softball sized rocks, two foot potholes and the occasional spot of loose sand. (remember folks, these roads are not paved!) So all of this stuff has become routine, I know where the dips and drops are, which roads stay muddy year round and so forth. Well, last night I encountered an obstacle for which I was not quite prepared. Villagers often leave their horses and cattle and sheep tied in different areas to graze. As I was trucking along a side path/shortcut I saw a horse off to one side of the trail. No big deal, me an him are buddies. Figures that tonight he spooks as he sees my bike coming out of nowhere, coke bottles clanking the frame and he darts across the trail. The end result is that I end up clotheslined by this horse’s tether and go ass over teakettle, a perfect rendition of a superman takeoff (minus the proper landing) and end up sprawled in the dirt to the sounds of laughter. How wonderful is it that my grace was witnessed by half a dozen locals. Chalk another one up to Supervolunteer Jake.

In other news, We spent Valentines Day on Caye Caulker. Go there. Seriously. There are very few places in this world that I have felt so instantly attached to. The island is tiny, funky, and gorgeous. We spent our days lounging at the Lazy Lizard, swimming in water that went from the brightest turquoise to a dark sapphire blue. Pictures will be posted shortly. What really made the trip for us was the locals. There’s the giant muscley dude who weaves palm frond hats and puts sardines in his mouth for gulls to swoop in and pick out, there was Rasta Jimmy, who Jah Loved and one worlded us as we would make our way down the car free street. Lets also not forget about his wife, who became the first person I have met whose given name was Delicious. Seriously. Next we shared a sunset with a gentleman whose dreadlocks brushed his back as he unceremoniously split live lobsters in half. For who are the lobsters we asked? “Ai meh split ahn fu di Jolly Rogah.” Oh ok. Well, why not eat Valentines Dinner at the Jolly Roger? Sounds nice, plus it’s the last night of lobster season! The Restaurant turned out to be a shack on the beach and Roger turned out to be quite Jolly (of course he was, he weighed 300 lbs!!!) The lobster was grilled, the garlic bread was about as tasty as it gets and we were happy. All in all Caye Caulker seems to have an amazing combination of scenic beauty, cheap rooms ($15 US with hot water in our private bathroom!!!) genuinely kind locals and great vibes. Highly recommend a trip there!

So yeah, as I pull this here entry to a close Ill brief all on whats going on for me the next few weeks; On Monday I head to Belmopan for the All Volunteer Conference. That will be five days of lectures and learnin. Then March 6-9 will be spent paddling from San Ignacio to Belize City as I compete in La Ruta Maya, a 160 mile canoe race. Chris, Joel and I will be pushin a battered old canoe down the stretch of river as we scream out our team name: LORD OF THE FLIES!!! (yes I know how the book ends people…) Just one day after that my lil bro Josh comes to visit!!! Hooray!

In sad sad news, Susannah will be heading back to the states in the next week. It has been such a wonderful visit and having her here has made me incredibly happy. Ill miss you Suzy!

So that’s the story morning glory. Ill post some pics soon.
jake