Tuesday, July 24 and Wednesday July 25, 2018
Tuesday — The day begins at “0-dark 30.” Even thought most of us were up before 4am, everyone seemed to be awake and cheery. Liz saved the day on our first flight by responding to a medical emergency. GO LIZ! Happy to report the passenger who fainted is fine.
We landed in Belize, met Nathan (our guide), Bruce (our bus driver) and Nora and Armin (our Belizean educators). Our first stop was to meet former participant Ryan Elijio!
The group with Ryan.
On to the Community Baboon Sanctuary, where we saw a mom and baby Howler Monkey. They came to say “Hi.” Mom came first and we were amazed that she came close enough to touch, BUT THEN the baby followed in her exact same path, and we were so close we felt as if it saw our souls! We learned the names of many plants and tasted cashew fruit. We also learned they make wine from it!
We went on to duPlooy’s Jungle Lodge where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and a night walk where we found a sleeping Basilisk Lizard down by the Macal River.
Peanut-headed Bug.
Wednesday — We took a bird walk where we spent much of time looking at plants and insects. We tasted Velvet Apples (Diospyros discolor) and had fry jacks for breakfast. We then drove to the Mountain Pine Ridge where we hiked to the Domingo Ruiz Cave. We found a Peanut-headed bug on a tree and got to see its beautiful eye spots.
The eye spots of the Peanut-headed Bug.
Jason was “done for the day” with that find!
Group in Domingo Ruiz Cave.
Later in the cave we saw a baby bat snuggled next to its mom and we could hear their wings when we sat in the pitch dark. We later sang in the dark because it sounds so good in the cave!
Rio Frio Cave.
The Rio Frio Cave was an amazing experience and contrast to Domingo Ruiz Cave. Rather than being deep and subterranean, it was huge and open to a river on both ends! And we watched in amazement as a katydid ATE a cicada!
Katydid eating a cicada!
We finished out the day playing in the waterfalls at the Rio On Pools, and returned to duPlooy’s in time for quick showers and a meeting before dinner. Then, off to a night walk topped off by looking at insects attracted to a sheet and bright light that Jason set up.
And RACHEL wanted to send a BIG birthday greeting to her mom!
Happy Birthday Mom!