This was our last full weekend in Belize and an amazing one. On Saturday a group of us just relaxed by the beach. It was a hot, beautiful weekend. Sunday was one of the best days here. We got on a boat around 9am and traveled for about 45 minutes up north to Mexico Rocks. We snorkeled here for about an hour and it was absolutely breath taking. Mexico Rocks is where the reef meets the shoreline. I saw stingrays, colorful fish, amazing coral (bright green and purple), and many things I didn’t even know what were called. After snorkeling, we took the boat for about 15 minutes further north but had to go slow because it was very shallow because of the reef. It was a private beach and we spent the day relaxing, playing volleyball and soccer, fishing, swimming, and ate a delicious meal. First we had some fresh pineapple and watermelon. Then the crew from “SEAduced” made us one of the best lunches I have had on the island. I had snapper and grouper fish in a curry sauce with peppers and onions, rice, plantains, and seasoned potatoes. It was phenomenal. We spent the rest of the day on the beach and then later in the afternoon took the boat to one more snorkeling spot where I saw sea turtles, more colorful fish and coral reef. This spot that we snorkeled at was very shallow and had a lot of coral reef. The current was also very strong and they called it a “drifting snorkel” because they dropped us off in one spot and picked us up further down where we drifted. I actually got pushed into some coral while I was snorkeling and scrapped up my arm and stomach, but all is fine. While snorkeling, I also swam to the bottom and picked up a few conch shells to bring back with me. After snorkeling, we took the boat back to San Pedro. It was an amazing day.
When we got back to Pedro’s Inn, where we have been staying, I met a girl named Lise, who is from Denmark. I talked with her for about 2 hours and learned so much about life and education in Denmark. First off, education in Denmark is free and if you are studying (going to college) Denmark will pay you $1000 a month, to cover for rent, food, living accommodations, etc. So not only are they not having to pay for school, but they are getting paid to go to school. Also, it is very common for students to take a couple years off after high school to travel and work. That is why she is here in Belize and is traveling all over Central America. After talking with her, it really made me want to travel more and see what life and education is like in different countries. But, in order to do that I need MONEY. This experience has been so transformative for me and I am so glad that I am able to have this opportunity.
lunch view of the ocean up in a tree house
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