July 4th 2010 Sarteneja

July 4th, 2010!!!!! Well again just trying to catch up on the blog. We have been so busy and involved in so many activities we have not had a chance to write about them. So I bet you all are wondering how we spent our July 4th this year. Those of you who know us know we are very patriotic and usually host a July 4th party every year. We were worried that we would not have an opportunity to celebrate this year being so far from our homeland, but we had an awesome 4th! One of our fellow volunteers hosted a weekend of fun and celebration Belizean style! We went to the village of Sarteneja located in Corozal district. It is a small fishing village located in the north. It is so far north you can see the border of Mexico just across the bay. It is absolutely beautiful there. Our fellow PCV there is assisting the Sarteneja Alliance for conservation and Development Group in developing the Sarteneja tourism industry as an alternative to fishing. The village has grown to a size that the fishing industry is unable to support the village and to conserve their natural resources they are looking at alternatives. The local tour guide association is trying to develop their tours of the reserve and so several of the PCV’s came up to assist in piloting their tours. It was awesome! We took a bus up to the village the night before. This can be kind of tricky because there are only one or two buses a day into and out of the village. If you visit plan on staying the night. We arrived the night before and hung out with our fellow PCV’s. We went out to a little restaurant in the village, and called it an early night so we could be up early for our tour. The next morning we went down to the dock and took an hour boat ride to our first stop. We went to a small island that is part of the reserve. They have a museum on the island that explains the history and formation of the park. The guide also discussed the damage to the reef caused by the cruise ships. Evidently, they dump large amounts of waste into the bay right off from the reserve. There are a large number of cruise ships crossing daily and this is damaging the reef and effecting other wildlife. Next we were off for another hour boat ride to snorkel the reef. The tour guides did a great job explaining the different types of mangroves and discussing the reef. They did a great job touring us around the reef and pointing out various species of fish, conch, and lobster. It was amazing the amount of fish and wildlife we saw on the reef. The boat ride through the mangroves was also really cool. We then took a break for lunch. We had a good old American cook out of hotdogs, potato chips, and potato salad. It would not be a cook out in Belize without the famous Belizean rum punch made with fruit squash. After lunch a conservation group on the island doing research and counting species gave us a presentation. We then went out for another snorkel to a different location. It was amazing. We then headed back to the village. When we arrived at the village the women’s group who manage the home stay program had arranged a 4th of July feast for us. They decorated the yard and had all kinds of food including Ceviche, chips, beans & rice, stewed chicken, and a wonderful pineapple upside down cake. The ladies also made a wonderful American flag cake as seen pictured. The children came and set of fireworks. It was a wonderful time had by all. Our fellow PCV is doing an amazing job in the village and you can tell she is loved dearly by the villagers. If you would like to read more about Sarteneja Village go to here. Look out for our next adventure coming to our blog soon!