Wow. What a weekend. Where do I start?
So this past week all the Peace Corps trainees went to Belmopan for a couple days of training and officially swearing in. On Thursday we got all dolled up and headed to the embassy for our ceremony. All forty of us swore in to official become Peace Corps Volunteers! After the ceremony we had a awesome lunch and chatted for a bit.
We went back to the garden city hotel and got ready for the annual second year vs first year futbol game. I thought I was best served as a cheerleader. Even with my remarkable sprit and enthusiasm the first years still lost 5-1.
That night we had our fancy dinner at the ambassador’s house. It was amazing. Delicious food and the best part was there was an open bar with American beer and wine. I don’t think I’ve ever been so pleased to have a beer before. There was also a nice slide show and we gave out superlatives. I had the honor of receiving ‘Most likely to fall down while standing still’ (Sarah I’m sure you can appreciate that award).
Later that night was the big fiesta in the Garden. Belikin donated a free keg to our cause. It was a great party. Many fell victim to Belikin and Panty rippas.
Parts of the activities were a limbo contest which Stephen won
and also a buns of steel competition which Stephen also won along with a second year, Heather.
It was a blast. It was nice to become more familiar with the second years since we had we only had a few interactions with them.
I think my favorite part of the evening was when Kristen put on a classic Nsync song and we all slow danced 7th grade style.
Friday Kristen, Emily, Christine, Heather, Kevin, and I took a five hour bus ride down and a quick watertaxi to Placencia for the weekend. It was AMAZING.
Finally we were able to step on a beach. What a beautiful beach it was. We got there after dark and found a small hostel which had a large room with six beds in it that we shared for 15BZ (7.50US) each. We immediately threw on our suits and headed to the beach right outside of the hostel. It was just amazing. There were about a million stars out and we all just sat on the beach for a while in our own little worlds. We went swimming for a bit but baby jellyfishes kept stinging us. After a while we got dressed and headed out to find some food. We then learned that during the off season everything is closed in Placencia after 9. We were able to find a bar that served chips and salsa. There was also and awful singer jamming out of the keyboard. Then a beautiful Belizean woman attempted to teach Kevin to punta dance. It was an interesting sight.
Saturday morning we dragged ourselves out of bed at 5:30 to watch the sunset. It was breath taking. We then went back to sleep for a couple hours and got up in search of breakfast. It was difficult but we finally found some place open and had an amazing breakfast. Kashay joined us after breakfast.
We then laid around the beach all day. (We each got sunburnt) Kristen, Kashay, and I then spent some amazing time in a hammock reading till we got kicked out by the owners of the hotel we weren’t staying at. That night we had the most amazing meal that I’ve head yet in Belize. We went to the owner of the hostel’s restaurant. I had lobster with rice and beans, garlic bread, and a plantain. It was so damn good. He said he caught the lobster that morning. It ran us 20BZ (10US). (Dad you would have LOVED it)
We then went out for drinks back at the bar. More punta dancing and then we dragged our tired butts to bed.
We got up Sunday and sat at the beach for a little while. Everyone was too burnt to hang out too long. We had a good lunch and at 2:30 we started our trip back to our respective homes. I got home at 8pm exhausted.
It was such a good weekend. It makes me excited for when my friends and family come to visit. They would have loved it.
Okay. I need sleep now.
Love you all!!
Christa
XOXO
