Weekly Update and Zoo at Night

Sunday - We got back from our weekend trip around 6:30. A bunch of people got together to watch the superbowl, but we had an exam the next day, so I stayed in and studied all night.

Monday – woke up extra early to study some more, only to find out once I got to school that the test was moved to the following Monday.

Tuesday – A yoga instructor came to the Inn and about half our group had an hour and a half yoga class, which we will be doing every Tuesday from now on. It only costs $10 (BZE), how could you go wrong?

Wednesday – I had my first exam in Ecotourism and it was all short answer and detailed, but I think it went alright…The girls put together Galen’s very first girl’s soccer/football team and we had our first scrimmage after class that night. Everybody in the UVM program is playing soccer, even though more than half of us have no idea what we’re doing, including me. Sunday we are having a practice in the morning, since there’s a tournament already next weekend. It should be interesting.


Most of the Soccer Team

We also found out that in order to participate in La Ruta Maya, the canoe race, it’s going to cost over $500 to register and for everything, which nobody had told us. Almost all the girls are not going to do the race anymore because of the money, but all the guys in our group are still really determined to do it. I’m still going to be on support crew helping with food and beverages and don’t have to pay anything to be involved. Looks like I chose the right thing the first time around.

Thursday – went to the pool all morning, and then came back around 2 to meet with my project partner, Heather, for the humane society. I found out that there actually is no humane society. It is just a bunch of members who take in strays into their own homes and basically rehabilitate and get them treatment, etc. until they get adopted by somebody. My goals for the project right now are to make a brochure geared towards younger children on the importance of spay/neutering your pet, teach about mange and vaccines, fix the adult brochures, and design a presentation that could be given to a group of primary students (elementary) and be used by the members of the humane society for future presentations. I was told that mange and CTVT, a type of tumor, are the most common things they see here in Belize. The owners of these dogs typically abandon them once this happens, since they think it is untreatable or do not want to spend the money on their pets. She also suggested that if we get through with all the work she assigned us and still have time at the end, we may plan a dog show for San Ignacio, which would be a lot of fun.

Friday – I woke up and went to breakfast, where there was a stray cat roaming around us. She was really sweet and her belly was sticking out, like she was pregnant, but it was hard for me to tell for sure. I was petting her the entire time while I waited for my food and she let me even examine her and basically do whatever I wanted with her. Once my food came, I stopped petting her and let her be. About 2 hours later, right when I was about to jump in the shower, I get a call from Alex, one of the guys that lives next to me, saying the cat is giving birth right now downstairs and then Meg, my program leader, starts banging on my door to tell me the same thing. I quickly turn off the water, throw clothes on, and run downstairs to the restaurant. I missed her giving birth, but the people at the restaurant downstairs moved her in a crate under the abandoned house next door. I then watched her for at least an hour. I saw her cut the umbilical cord off and just watched her to make sure everything was alright. I only see one kitten so far, but I’m going to continue to keep an eye on both the mother and kitten. I went out and bought a few cans of wet food for the mother and hopefully she is able to produce enough milk for the kitten. If not, I may try to find milk replacer to give the kitten. When Heather comes back on Monday, I’m going to talk to her to figure out what she thinks the best thing to do is, but I am seriously considering adopting the kitten and possibly taking it back with me to the states and go from there. I already know of several people who may be interested in taking in the kitten, since I can’t keep one in my apartment, but we’ll see what happens.


mother and kitten

Later that day, we left for the Belize Zoo for a night tour, since many of the animals are nocturnal and are easier to see at night. Comparing when I went during the day to the zoo, the animals, especially the big cats, were a lot more active and came right up to the fences. Many of the people in our group got the chance to hold the boa constrictor that was there, but since not all of us could and I had held scar at the animal hospital before, I skipped that step and was able to be in the first group for the tour. I added more pictures to my Belize Zoo album and I think they’re definitely a lot better than some of the ones taken during the day. Here are my two favorite animals...Junior and Olly.


Junior the jaguar


Olly the oselet

Saturday – market day and other food shopping. We also figured out as a group to only move once while here, so at the end of February/beginning of March, I will be moving from the guesthouse to the Inn. After we settled that debate, the four of us that live at the guesthouse came back and cooked dinner together. We spent the rest of the night just hanging out and all went to bed early.

Sunday – woke up at 9:30 for soccer practice. Soccer practice lasted about 2 hours and was a lot of fun. It was pouring all night, however, so the field was extremely muddy and for those of us who don’t have cleats (including myself), it was extremely slippery. By the end of practice, I was covered in mud. My socks and ankles were black and I’m pretty sure I ruined the shirt I was wearing as well. I tried washing it myself, but the dirt won’t come out…and it’s white. I hand-washed a bunch of clothing yesterday, since the laundry here is starting to shred, shrink, and take away the nice feeling of my clothes. I’m even going to have to sew some shirts…and both Meg and I don’t have a sewing kit here, but Andrew next door does. I found it a little ironic that the boy of the group has one and we don’t.

I also went down to check on the kitten and cat a little earlier and both of them are gone, which could be a good or bad thing, but I’m going to check again later.

I have a test in Ecology of a Tropical Rainforest tomorrow, so I’m off to study…check out the new pictures on photobucket if you have a chance.