Friday was spent driving to Belize City with Fabian, to pick up his two daughters and 7-month-old granddaughter. They were landing between 3:30- 4:00 pm. Fabian had a few things to do so we left nice and early. On the way we stopped off in Belmopan for fried Jacks ?which are basically pancakes ? then onto Belize City. We picked up Sebastian Cayatano first, Fabian's twin brother. They went to do some business while I tried to find the Registration Office to pick up some birth certificates I ordered a couple of weeks ago. I got lost, drove round for ? hour trying to find my way back to Fabian. After picking them up I was directed to the registry and told they closed at 2pm, it was 2:05. I will have to go back after Tuesday. We then had a quick look round the shops; quick because everywhere seemed to close at 2:30, but I managed to get some work boots for when we start the convent roof.
We then went to Sebastian's house in Belize City. This is the site of the first Garifuna Cultural museum, still the only one in Belize City, though he did help open one in Dangriga recently. I was given a private tour, the museum is only 2 small rooms but very informative, the Cayetano's have a very successful family. Fabian, Sebastian and Roy all set up the Garifuna Cultural Ministry, which was formed to avoid loosing the Garifuna traditions, language and way of life. Through this the museums were set up, Garifuna history taught to children in schools, as well as other groups such as the Mayans etc. There is also Pen Cayetano, who is one of Belize's first great Punta guitarists, and a fine artist. I saw a couple of his works at the museum, and they were bright and colourful depicting traditional scenes from Garifuna life. Joseph Cayatano was the Minister of Transport. There are many more but you get the picture, a very productive family. The museum didn't honestly impress me when I first saw it, but after Sebastian sat down and talked about the history, he had in those 2 rooms, it was a lot more impressive. We then went to the airport to meet his family.
Saturday was a quiet day, a chance to relax a bit and take a breather. I decided to climb Antelope Falls again, it was an effort but once you're at the top and jump in the pool it is well worth it. I was knackered this time, but it was a lot hotter. Fr Chris Newman celebrated his birthday today, which meant he had 3 masses that day and one at 6am New Years Day, never a moment's peace.
Sunday again not much happened, we went to Pelican Beach for lunch, to celebrate Fr Newman's birthday, the menu was exactly the same so we had the same. I did try the fruit salad instead of the garden salad, thinking it would be exotic but I was given a bowel of nicely diced water melon and a chopped apple, the core and skin still left on it. Very tropical! Fr Cutler went to Punta Gorda by bus so as to travel across to Guatemala on Monday to visit his old parish for a week.
Monday was the last day before work started, so Fr Newman and I decided to find Big Drop Falls. We left at 10:30am, nice and early to allow for getting lost. I did think we?d avoid this as Fr Chris had his GPS navigation kit. How wrong I was. After an hour wandering round, we finally found the start point. We then continued to wander round, eventually bumping into 5 locals out on a search for some other lost hikers. They pointed us in the right direction. After that it was a simple 1? hour ?ish? hike down to Big Drop Falls. Towards the end of the hike you pass by the bottom of the falls as the top is impassable. So that means a steep climb down, there are ropes tied like a rail to hold onto, but all I could think is I have got climb up again soon. Big Falls is as it suggests, pretty big, but you can't get down to the water to swim ? the only reason I find hiking to water falls fun! So we headed back after a quick rest, and yet again got lost for about 2 hours, only on the last kilometre or so, but by the end we were climbing under thick branches bunched together, stepping in rotten wood up to our knees, slipping on wet rocks in streams, generally getting filthy! I learnt two valuable lessons that day, Hiking through jungle is ONLY fun when you've finished! And not to wear steel toe capped boots hiking ever, I had a couple of mediocre blisters! Also I learned not to trust Fr Chris with directions, though I knew that already. We do always find our way out, just at the right time, he actually guessed we'd be out by 4:30, we actually got out at 4:20, Coincidence?!(I think not)
Tuesday was back to work on the kitchen. Felix was finishing the rendering. Fish and I were getting the door ready to be hung. The door we got that was closest to not being warped was still slightly out. So Fish hung it then braced it over night to straighten it out.
Wednesday I drove into Belize City to pick up the papers I ordered, also to see Billy Valdez who is taking care of getting the new car from England out of customs, and 5000 T-shirts donated by Thompson's travel company. He has been taken care of this for nearly 6 weeks! I had better luck at the Registration Office, it was open this time and they had 2 of the papers I ordered, I picked up the Late Registration Forms for the other certificates, so next time I am in Red Bank I can get them filled in and hopefully that should be the end of the running around. After a great lunch in Belize's only Subway ? they have a Subway and no Mc Donald's! ? I went to ?Spanish Lookout? to get two new tyres for the green truck. Spanish Lookout is a Mennonite settlement, as I said before they are the best and most skilled workers in Belize; they are greatly respected, if not imitated. The tyres were bought and fitted in under 20 minutes. Some of the Mennonites do not use cars or machines, you sometimes still see them on horse and cart in and around Belize.
Thursday Felix carried on the rendering while myself and Fish started to clear up the hall, chipping all the splashed concrete off the floor. This took near enough all day.
Friday the door was sanded down and varnished, the wall was smoothened ready for priming on Monday. There was still a lot of clearing up to do as well, the last two days may sound a bit lazy but they weren't.
Cheers, Stephen
(Stephen is a parishioner from Hayes and volunteered his time and talents to work out in Belize, supporting the community there.)
