Clark-Peterek Belize

St. Benedict Butterflies

Miss Damiana, one of the St. Benedict Butterflies’ mother, is a member of a local women’s craft group in the Indianville area.  I asked Miss Damiana to come and show the St. Benedict Butterflies how to make bracelets out of colored string.  The girls were so excited to have Miss Damiana and couldn’t wait to learn how to make these bracelets.  As soon as she arrived, Miss Damiana was ready to go.  We quickly got the string ready for the girls, and she showed them how to prepare the knots and begin.  Miss Damiana was very patient with the girls and seemed to enjoy working with them.  We helped each girl start out her bracelet, so she could take it home and finish it.  I have had several girls bring back their completed bracelets, ready for more string to start another.  It was a great activity, and the girls really enjoyed themselves. 

Marimba & Harp Competition

“Celebrating Our Identity” is this year’s theme of the annual Maya Day sponsored by Tumul K’in Center of Learning located in Blue Creek.  Tumul K’in is a secondary school that integrates the fundamental elements of the Maya culture into education.  Last year we attended several Maya Day activities and very much enjoyed ourselves.

The Maya Day celebrations began on March 16, with a torch run from Lubaantun to Blue Creek.  The torch run symbolized the borrowing of the fire of passion from Maya ancestors who reignited the desire for the Maya to exist as a people. 

On Saturday, I attended the Harp and Marimba Competition at Central Park in Punta Gorda.  The marimba looks much like the xylophone.  The harp was homemade and several musicians on other instruments accompanied the harp.  Several groups of musicians competed against each other.  The judging was intense, and scores were tabulated using corn kernels.  It was an interesting look into the traditions of the Maya, and I enjoyed myself. 

Other activities leading up to Maya Day on March 29, in Blue Creek, include the Maya Fireball Game, Maya Ceremonies, and the Maya Ballgame,  which we attended last year.  On Maya Day in Blue Creek there will be several presentations including student exhibitions, cultural exhibitions, the traditional Maya Cortes Dance, and competitions like marimba and harp dancing, best traditionally dressed, firewood splitting, corn husking, corn grinding, and caldo eating. 

We had a great time at last year’s Maya Day activities and celebrations, and I am sure this year will not disappoint.

St. Benedict Butterflies

It’s never too early to begin thinking about what’s next after Primary School, and the St. Benedict Butterflies recently took a tour of Toledo Community College.

Toledo Community College, or TCC, is one of the few high schools in the District.  TCC offers six program tracts that include the following:  Business Department, Arts Department, Physical Education Department, Science Department, Vocational & Technical Department, General Studies Department.  Students take courses that help prepare them for a career or college.  TCC has 884 students from all over the Toledo District and is celebrating it’s 25th year.  Many of the St. Benedict Butterflies had sister, brothers, cousins, and parents who graduated from TCC. 

The girls toured the campus learning about the various programs, departments, and services offered to students.  The computer lab and agriculture department were the highlight of the trip, and our tour guide, the Assistant Principal and mother to one of the St. Benedict Butterflies treated the girls to orange after the tour.  

It was a successful afternoon, and the girls enjoyed their visit to TCC. 

4th Annual Toledo Food Fair

On Friday, schools, businesses, and organizations from all over Toledo celebrated the 4th Annual Toledo Food Fair, celebrating healthy minds, healthy bodies, and a healthy Belize.  The Food Fair was sponsored by Coca-Cola and Crystal Water, Plenty Belize, and the Ministry of Education.  Over 300 people gathered at Union Field to eat, learn, and play.  Several schools and organizations set up booths and stalls selling healthy and delicious food, snacks, and drinks.  Others set up demonstration booths.  Barranco School demostrated how to make cassava bread and Golden Stream Government School prepared corn.  BCVI and the HIV/AIDS Committee also set up booths and handed out information.  Plenty Belize also announced the winners of the Home Garden Contest.  We both had several students receive awards including Most Variety of Plants, Most Beautiful, and  3rd Place Overall.

The Food Fair was a huge success.  Everyone had a great time.      

John, Mitchell, and Zander answering questions at the Toledo HIV/AIDS Committee Booth.

Forest Home Methodist School's "Healthy Eating" presentation. 

Winners of the 'Most Variety of Plants Award' from Forest Home Methodist School. 

Makind cassave bread. 

St. Benedict School studnets at the BCVI both learning about eye care. 

   

St. Benedict Butterflies

The St. Benedict Butterflies recently made tear art picture frames from cereal boxes and scraps of construction paper.  The girls were a bit confused as to why I wouldn’t let them just use scissors, but soon got the hang of it and came up with some creative designs.  They were very excited about the group pictures I had printed when we visited Texas in December.  Another easy and enjoyable craft!

Rachel & Todd Visit Belize

Rachel & Todd, our good friends from back home, spent a week with us touring the country and getting to know about our lives here in Belize.  We started out the week in the Belize River Valley, as Todd & Rachel were part of the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge Machaca Hill Jaquars Support Crew.  Little did they know, we would be driving all over the country and putting them to work.  Rachel & Todd were great sports and a huge help during the race. 

After the La Ruta Maya, we headed south, so Rachel & Todd could see our sites.  The weather in Punta Gorda was beautiful.  Rachel & Todd got to know our town, and checked out the schools where we work.  I even put Todd to work conferring with students during Writer’s Workshop and selling snack.  He was a big hit with the Infant I students. 

After a few days of getting to know our sites a little better, we took the James Bus and headed north to Placencia for some time on the beach.  Placencia is one of our favorite places in Belize.  It is calm and relaxing, with some great places to eat and hang out.  We had lots of fun on the beach and ate some fantastic food. 

Before we knew it, Rachel & Todd’s visit had just about come to an end.  Early Saturday morning we took the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi back across the lagoon and headed north to Belize City.  We still had a few stops to make before their plane departed. 

 

During the La Ruta Maya John injured his foot, stepping on a thorn.  This caused him a quite a bit of pain and swelling.  After convincing him to contact our Peace Corps Medical Officer, John had an appointment in Belize City.  Rachel & Todd really got to see what the life of a PCV is like when we headed to the Doctor’s Office.  After fifteen minutes with the Dr. John was healed, and even saved the thorn that was lodged in his toe to show us.

 

We ended Rachel & Todd's visit with lunch at the Riverside Tavern, one of our favorite places to eat in the city.  We had some fantastic appetizers and killer burgers.  It was the perfect way to end our adventure together. 

 

We had a great time with Rachel & Todd, and we are so glad that they came to visit!  They got a good taste of a life as a PCV and got to see Belize like no other. 

Thanks guys for coming!

La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge - Day 4

The final leg of the race started at 9:00 a.m. Monday morning with 88 boats. By the last day a few teams had unfortunately dropped out of the race, due to injury, equipment failure, or illness.  We packed up camp, and cheered on the teams as the race continued on.  We headed in to Belize City to do a little shopping and find a parking place.  March 9th, Baron Bliss Day, is a National Belizean Holiday, so there were many spectators along the route and at the finish line. 

 

The first boats arrived 2 ½ hours after the start of the race in Burrell Boom.  The crowd roared as the first three boats paddled ferociously towards the finish line at the Belcan Bridge.  Tek It Bak, the Belize Bank boat, was neck and neck with Koop Sheet Metal, but managed to pull ahead, claiming victory with a total race time of 17:54.  Check out the Channel 7 News Report on Belize Bank's reclaiming of the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge Title here.

More and more boats paddled towards the finish line as the crowd cheered on.  The Machaca Hill Jaguars came in a few hours later making the 25 mile journey in 4:44.  The team came off of the river exhausted and happy to have finished the race.  The Machaca Hill Jaguars came in 82th place out of 88 boats overall and 28th place out of 31 boats in their division.  Check out the final results here. 

Los Veteranos crossing the finishing line. 


Approaching the finish line.

What a great accomplishment this was for John, Mitchell, and Eric, all of the other Peace Corps Volunteers who participated, and the rest of the race participants.  We had a great time on support crew.  Thanks Liz for putting up with me and always being so patient!  Todd, Rachel, and Alex were a great help and got to see the Belize River Valley like no other.  A special thanks to Jimmy & Toni Clark, Penny Christian, Doug Peterek, and Greg and Nona Phillips for providing support, supplies, and transportation for the team.  It was a big help, and we couldn’t have done it without you.  Finally, thanks so much to Machaca Hill Rainforest Canopy Lodge for sponsoring the team and providing equipment. We really appreciate all of your support. 

La Ruta Maya River Challenge - Day 2 & 3

We woke up around 4:30a.m. to prepare for the longest day of the La Ruta Maya.  We prepared food and water for the paddlers and headed to the riverbank for the 60 mile journey.  After we cheered everyone on at the start, we packed up camp and headed to the first drop site.  We met the teams at Never Delay, a small village off the Western Highway.  From there, I headed to the airport to pick up our friends Todd and Rachel.  While I was at the airport, Liz headed to the next stop with a fellow Peace Corps Support Crew, and met the team at Double Head Cabbage. 

After our quick trip to the airport, we set up camp at Bermudian Landing in the school yard.  Bermudian Landing is inside the Community Baboon Sanctuary.  Often called baboons, black howler monkeys can be heard for miles around.  The team saw a few on the river, and we heard them throughout the night!  Later that evening, we stood on the river bank and cheered as the Machaca Hill Jaguars finished the day with a time of 11:02.  The boys were tired and ready for some rest. 
 

On Sunday morning we woke up bright and early, ready to get going.  Todd & Rachel brought down a few items sent by my parents.  The energy gel, electrolytes, gloves, muscle cream, and snacks were a huge hit and gave the team the extra push they needed for the 35 miles.  Day 2 was definitely the most challenging day for the Machaca Hill Jaguars, but they did their best to make up time on Day 3.

We caught up with the teams at Flowers Bank.  They were making great time and feeling good.  Next we made another trip to the airport to drop off Alex, while our fellow Peace Corps Support Team cheered on the Machaca Hill Jaguars and the other Peace Corps boats at Davis Bank.  We set up camp on the grounds of the Black Orchid Resort in Burrell Boom. 

Burrell Boom had quite the party, with people from all over the surrounding area joining in the fun.  The Peace Corps HIV/AIDS Committee had a table set up and were passing out information.  Everyone was excited to see the boats finish for the day. 

We met our team at the finish line, and helped carry their gear to camp.  The Machaca Hill Jaguars finished the day in 6:38, coming in 78th out of eighty-eight boats. We got a good night’s rest to prepare for the final day of the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. 

La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge- Day 1

Early Thursday morning we loaded up the car with our canoe, gear, and supplies and headed north towards the Cayo District for the 12th Annual La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge.  It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed the drive on the Hummingbird Highway.  Once we reached San Ignacio it was straight to the San Ignacio Hotel for team registration and informational meeting.  The Machaca Hill Jaguars registered in the Pleasure Craft Division, and PL50 was their official assigned boat number. The rules were made clear, and B-DARRT, the Belize Disaster and Response Rescue Team, talked about the hazards of the Belize River and safety on the water.  After the meeting, we unpacked and got a good night’s rest for the start of the race early the next morning. 

This year twenty-one Peace Corps Volunteers competed in the La Ruta Maya in eight boats.  The Machaca Hill Jaguars were sponsored by the Machaca Hill Rainforest Canopy Lodge.  The Los Veteranos, sponsored by Youth Business Trust in Belize City, had the only Volunteers who competed in last year’s race.  The other teams were Team Tortoise, sponsored by Aleman’s Store in Big Falls, The Three Little Pigs, sponsored by 4-H, CARE Belize Boat, The Conerstone Cat, sponsored by Cornerstone Foundation, Lord of the Flies, sponsored by Lamanai Eco-Tours, and Mek Wi Finish, a boat with two Volunteers from Jesuit Volunteer International and one PCV.  

We were down by the river by 6:30 Friday morning in the rain, and began preparing the canoe for the race, adjusting seat cushions and tying down supplies. The Machaca Hill Jaguars loaded their canoe and headed for the starting line.  Although it was raining, quite a crowd had gathered, everyone cheered as the horn sounded and 98 boats paddled down the river.  The race began at the Hawksworth Bridge, and was quite intense.  The first team to reach the Lowbridge, about 200 yards away, won a cash prize.  Our team started out strong as other boats crashed, flipped over, and ran off course. As soon as the boats were out of site, we packed up the car and went to meet the Machaca Hill Jaguars and the other Peace Corps Boats at the first stop along the river, the ferry near Central Farm. 

A few hours later, the Machaca Hill Jaguars were the first team to round the bend and we dropped oranges and water to the guys.  The other Peace Corps paddlers weren’t far behind, and it was on to the next stop.  We missed Red Bank in Floral Park and ended up in the middle of an orange orchard.  Luckily the owner of the orchard caught up to us before we got too far.  We made it to the riverside, just in time to see the Jaguars and throw them some bags of water and bananas.  The next stop was at the Iguana Creek Bridge in the Mennonite Community of Spanish Lookout. As the team paddled under the bridge they had switched seat positions and seemed to be in good spirits.  We met the team at Roaring Creek, where our third Support Crew team member Alex, swam out to the boat and dropped water and snacks.  Finally it was on to Banana Bank, the final stop of the day.   We had camp just about set up when the team walked up from the river.  It was an exciting and hectic day and the team was looking forward to getting the next 60 miles over with.   Their time for Day 1, 49 miles, was 8:43.

Rounding the bend at the ferry crossing.


Los Veteranos at the ferry crossing.

Red Bank in Floral Park.

 

Iguana Creek Bridge


Roaring Creek

La Ruta Maya River Challenge

Over the last few weeks we have been preparing for the 11th Annual La Ruta Maya River Challenge.  This four-day canoe race across Belize began in March 1998, and was the idea of Big H Enterprise, organized to launch Vida Purified Water and to promote natural products identified with sports, endurance, nutrition, and well-being. Today the La Ruta Maya River Challenge continues to assist in the development of tourism and raise awareness of Belize’s natural resources.  The 170 mile race will begin on Friday morning in San Ignacio at the Hawksworth Bridge, the only suspension bridge in Belize.  Each night, paddlers and their support crew will camp at various locations along the river. The race ends at the Belcan Bridge in Belize City on Monday, March 9th, Baron Bliss Day, celebrating Belize’s greatest benefactor, Henry Edward Victor Edward Bliss.  

Machaca Hill is our sponsor, and the Machaca Hill Jaguars is one of the many Peace Corps Belize teams participating in this year’s canoe race. John, Mitchell, and Eric will be paddling, while Liz and I will be support crew, checking in with the paddlers, providing food and water, and setting up camp each day. 

We are ready and excited for the next few days.  Check back for race news and updates.