Day 1- Feminazi

If it gets absolutely boring or whatever you can just stop reading- I know I have a lot to share and with no phone it is grating that I am so bubbly with information on the inside and cannot share it with anyone.  So, please imagine that I am telling you this in an animated manner as always.  I survived :D

So, I will start with getting to Belize, since the airport stuff is second nature to most of you, just a problem of me not knowing where in the world I am going or what I am doing.  But, I was lucky that another field school girl, Kayla, went with me the entire way, so, she helped keep me straight.  She actually was on top of everything and, since I never ever am, I ended up asking her tons of questions which she knew.  It was very helpful.  We all met up at the airport in Dallas, and we had a long trip on the Skyline automated train-like thingy.  I called Steve to figure out where he was.  He was very helpful with directions: we are buy the candy store.  As it turns out, Dallas airport is stocked with places selling candy.  So, I asked for further clarification.  Kayla and I finally found everyone and we ate lunch at the Popeyes in the airport.  After being delayed until after 1 (we were supposed to take off before 1, we finally boarded, with everyone!  Belize airport was very backwoodsy if I do say so myself.  I was not prepared for that aspect of it so much as I should have been.  We went through customs and the lady opened my bag, making me tell her what the plant press was and such.  We took a taxi from the airport to a bus terminal, which was even more "primitive".  There must have been 10 old, not-taken-a-bath-in-a-week guys waiting to try to grab our luggage and make us pay for toting it.  I did my best to secure my 2 luggages and 2 carryons, weighing in at a little under my total weight, before they got to them.  The bus was packed so I squeezed in next to a guy and he let me have the window seat!  I rode almost 2 hours with both my carryons on my lap and I was over the wheel, so, my feet were already almost in my face!  But, with no air, I was grateful for the wind constantly blowing in my face.  I cannot describe to you the housing conditions that people live in here.  I would have taken pics but I didn't want to pull out my camera.  Third world country will not begin to cut it.  It made me feel very very upset at myself for ever worrying about money or comparing myself to others, which I seldom do, but also for not being grateful for what I have.  I am really really rich- did you know that?? :)  Belize City, which is the only city in Belize with a big airport, has mostly closed old buildings.  The houses are mostly bright colors (like Florida for my fam who went there with me).  And made of adobe or something like that.  Most people were just sitting around or walking/riding bikes down the street.  Trash everywhere, broken down cars everywhere, and houses were mostly open-air.  After you left the city, there were patches of miles with straight vegetation sprinkled with old, run-down houses with people sitting on the porch every mile or less.  I encountered a sign that literally said "Trespassers will be shot", and another place with a guy with a rifle pacing back and forth in front of the gate.  We traveled this way to Belapan, Belize, where we waited at the bus terminal for cabs.  Cabs are whatever vehicle the driver has, mainly SUVs, large cars, and vans of at least 10 year vintage.  We had them drive us to basically the end of a long stretch of gravel road with palms hanging everywhere and a river with alligators to cross.  We trekked our luggage down the ravine to get to the river, and then waiting for a guy with an old boat and a canoe hooked to it to pull himself across the river(this was a small part of the river), and pick us up in 2 loads.  One girl was already motion-sick from our many excursions.  We then had to pull the luggage back up the other side of the ravine- basically straight up.  It was not an easy chore to say the least and we hadn't eaten supper and were already worn out.  Steve single-handedly carried 3 luggages and his backpack up the ravine and wouldn't take help.  We then drug our luggage to the place we were staying.  The boys are downstairs and the girls have 2 rooms upstairs (more dragging luggages.  Yay!)  We got settled in, changed into shorts because we were all drenched with sweat (I lied when I said I never sweat!  It takes a lot, but I was drenched :P)  We had supper at 7: salad, amazing ice-tea (which steve downed in 5 seconds and had to have a refill), amazing zucchini dish, rice dish, dessert and chicken that I didn't eat.  Luckily, we have a fan :)  And it actually got cool in the dining hut (literally), and we have a bathroom in each room.  Lukewarm, not cold, water.  I also have a mosquito net around my bed- which is sooooo awesome!  Tomorrow, we get to turn in our lunch boxes for lunches on Tuesday, go to Belapan, clean out the shed, and then actually start work Tuesday!!!!