jeneric journeys

With less than 5 hours to go before our inaugural residency comes to a close, we have begun reflecting on our experiences and all the wonderment and memories the last 8 weeks have brought us.  

As some of you know, one of the reasons we chose Belize is that we are both scuba divers. We put our serious diving escapades on hold for 20+ years because they didn’t mesh well with the responsibilities of raising a family, and we saw this residency as a chance to get back to the ‘big blue’ and put in some serious bottom time. After more than 30 Belizean dives, we are once again smitten with the ocean and continue to be in awe and fascinated by what lies below. While the marine life is no longer as prolific, the reefs not as spectacular, and the corals not nearly as healthy and abundant as they were in our first incarnation as divers, we are still amazed. From diving nose to nose with sharks larger than us, watching the gracefulness of a hawksbill turtle or the enormity of a 200 pound loggerhead turtle gliding past, becoming just another ‘student’ in a school of fish, petting 6-foot sting rays, to descending 140 feet below the surface to explore the Great Blue Hole…the ocean captivates our souls. The coral canyons in Belize have a topography that rivals epic hikes, but in this instance, the hiker has defied gravity and is weightlessly floating among the canyons and precipices. And then there is the sense of adventure. Even though the oceans comprise the vast majority of the surface area of the Earth, we know so little, and surprises abound. Our fire for the oceans has been lit once again, as has our passion for doing what we can to help protect them. Surely, future travels to remote locations to find some of the healthier, less disturbed reefs and the huge leviathans of the deep will make for exciting blogs to come!

(These images are not ours, they are screen shots of some of the things we saw. Next on the list…purchasing an underwater camera.

The scuba diving did not disappoint, but as we reflect on the whole of this experience, we realize that the best part of this experience was the people we met and spent time with along the journey. 

The people we met along the way

During this journey, we crossed paths with many locals and fellow travelers, some of whom we hope to continue to build a friendship with – don’t be surprised if you hear stories of Eric working as a line cook for a weekend with Syd, who caters for bands at major music festivals in the Midwest. Or perhaps we will hook up with Sunshine again someday and help her in her mission to save the coral reefs. We will remember the night we were captivated by the pirate-like tales of adventure as told to us by a local ex-pat over beers and laughs. Tony and Samir, our trusty dive masters, along with Rene, Vlad, and all the folks at Amigos Del Mar, kept us safe underwater and laughing on the docks. There’s Tara, the beautiful, blue-eyed yoga instructor whose studio provides a sense of zen and belonging to all who cross the threshold. Jen will always remember the magical evening at Sattvaland, an ethereal jungle retreat center, with Alexis, Clauco, Glo, and friends, and the five rhythms dance that can only be described as spiritual (Thanks, Margo and Ethan). And, of course, there are our fellow lionfish hunters whom we met on Tom Owen’s Caye and hope to meet up with on the island again someday. 

We consider all of these people, our people.

The people who serve children

One of the most meaningful aspects of this trip for Jen was meeting and establishing a relationship with Principal Torres and Ms. Aisha at Holy Cross Primary School. The openness with which they shared about the Belizean education system (for students and teachers), Belizean culture, and the joys and challenges of teaching in/running a Belizean school was an eye-opening experience. (see Use Your Powers (and Privilege) for Good post) These women and their colleagues are so dedicated to the students they serve, and they maintain that commitment under some very difficult realities. Embracing with gratitude the convenience of virtual meetings, Jen will continue to coach and mentor these incredible educators from afar. 

We will always be in awe of the heart of gold and philanthropic commitment (and hilarious stories) of Rob, a local hotel/bar owner. One of the few Ohio State University fans who has earned our respect, Rob runs hermit crab races at the Nauti Crab to raise money to send local kids to school. He has donated almost $200,000 to pay for an education these children would otherwise not receive. He is a true mensch.

These, too, are our people.

The people who invited, fed, and guided us

The people of Belize, in general, continue to amaze us with their friendliness, helpfulness, generosity, and respect. These dispositions came through so strongly in everyone we met. During our time on the mainland, in addition to San Ignacio and Tikal (see Inland, Ho post), we visited the beach towns of Hopkins and Placencia. Both are showing signs of tourism growth such as larger hotels and larger private beach homes, but for now, they are still relatively rustic and enjoy a laid-back beach vibe where tourists and locals seem to happily co-exist. 

Hopkins, especially the northern part of the town, sits on an unspoiled stretch of beach where it’s easy to lose track of time as you sway in a hammock and are mesmerized by the colors and sounds of the lapping water. The majority of the population of this town is Garifuna, and one is constantly serenaded by the afro-Carribean beats emanating from one of the many persussion circles on the beach. It’s almost impossible not to move your body and bob along. These people are so proud of their heritage and so pleased to be able to share it with visitors. They will warmly invite you to give the drum or tortoise shell a try, and will patiently teach you the musical patterns so you can participate. Delicious smells waft in every direction from the food that is always being freshly cooked up by an auntie or a grandma in the back. They peek their heads out and smile with pride as you devour their tasty food, always inviting you back for more.

An hour’s drive south, we ventured to Placencia for a few days. If Hopkins captivates one with the sense of a child without a care in the world, Placencia is its adolescent cousin who wants to show off a bit more. Still a gem, Placencia was among the most touristry town we encountered in Belize, but still a far cry from Nassau or Cancun.  Even though there were now many tourists and vendors (some with really cool stuff) along a central sidewalk that meandered through town, Placencia was still vibrant with its own authenticity. In a bar with sand floors and the ocean as a backdrop, we laughed and danced with our new-found friends from ‘the Island’ (see Land of Pure Imagination post), and it felt like Belize once again gave us a big hug. Of course, we had to stop at the roadside stand that shared the name of our youngest..Levi’s BBQ did not disappoint. We ate at Levi’s multiple times because Levi, the convivial owner, made us feel right at home. He sat with us on the single picnic table and shared his story and asked about ours. When not rendered mute by Levi’s spicy homemade hot sauce, Eric peppered Levi with questions about his BBQ techniques, and the two traded tips and secrets. 

All of these people who welcomed us, filled our bellies, and guided us safely on our way are our people.

The people who came to visit

After our sojourn to the mainland, we headed back to where it all began, Ambergris Caye, for the final leg of this magnificent escapade. We were thrilled to be joined for the first five days of our return by our dear friends Eric and Jess, who took us up on our spontaneous offer to come down to Belize. The Erics have been friends for over 50 years and have seen each other through some thick and some thin. The four of us were excellent travel companions…everything was easy and low maintenance. We chilled at the pool, took a day trip to Caye Caulker, and got to show them some of our favorite spots and explore new ones together. Drunk on the rays of the sun and high off ocean breezes, with old memories as the cornerstone, new bonds were formed through days overflowing with good food, laughter, frolicking, and games. 

These are definitely our people.

And then there’s us

We spent the final five days in Belize on our own. While so much of this experience was about connecting with others, by far the most important connection was the one we had, and deepened, with each other. In August, we will celebrate 30 years of marriage, and like all marriages, it has seen its share of ups and downs. Before we left on this trip, we wondered aloud and to ourselves…will we really enjoy being together essentially 24/7 for 2 months straight? Won’t we get bored or sick of each other? Won’t we annoy each other? Nope. No problem. The truth is, we’ve never felt better about our relationship, our connection, or more sure of our continued happiness together. Not only do we love each other, we really like each other, and we love experiencing life together. We are so fortunate.

We are our people.

As we prepare to say goodbye to this beautiful country and its people, we are excited to return to more of our people whom we’ve deeply missed back home. This first residency is now one for the memory books, but it provided the perfect building block for our future travels through time, space, and cultures. There will be one more post in this series that is intended to help anyone who might be planning a trip to Belize. In it, we will share our logistics and reviews for lodging, food, and adventures. We hope you have enjoyed vicariously travelling with us through Belize, and we invite you to continue with us through the most valuable journey of all – friendship.