AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums About Belize History Long ago Peace Corps Days, by Alan Jackson

When I first arrived in Belize City in August 1976 as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I was so overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, activity and odors coming from the streets that my perspective was distorted. That is, my consciousness was too cluttered with "background noise" to take in the whole scene. Of course, I eventually became accustomed to this environment and accepted it as normal; it was my new home. A couple of years after my Peace Corps service, I returned to Belize for a visit. It was only then that I became aware of how narrow the streets were and how close together the buildings stood. Albert Street was like Disneyland's Main Street USA, deceptively but pleasingly small scale.



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In 1977, the Canadian Government made a $10,000 donation of SCUBA gear, including an air compressor and Nikonos camera, to the Belize Fisheries Unit. None of us at Fisheries, however, knew how to dive with tanks. We arranged for an instructor from the British Forces to teach us. The instructor first gave us a couple of lectures and dry land demonstrations. Then he put us in the Fort George swimming pool for a lesson. We ended the week by doing a dive to 20-30 feet just outside the reef near St George's Caye.

The next week the instructor felt we were ready to safely do a deeper dive. We dove to 130 feet as a group, touched bottom and returned to the surface. After we got back in the boat and removed our facemasks, the instructor looked at Romie Badillo and said, "Who are you? I haven't seen you before."

Romie had missed all the lessons up to that point because he had been out from work sick with a bad cold. He knew that if he had told the instructor the truth, he would not be allowed to dive with us that day. He just kept quiet, put on the tanks, and got in the water with the rest of us undetected by the instructor. So, Romie's first ever SCUBA dive was to 130 feet!

The photo shows some of the gear donated to Fisheries by the Canadian Government.



Karl Villanueva
Just a funny story to share about Romie. In the 80's-90's he was the captain of the Fisheries boat and he and a small crew would monitor, patrol and manage Belizean waters. On a trip to Caye Caulker the crew settled in for the night to sleep on the boat. No beds, just find a spot on the cabin floor and goodnight Irene. On one particular night, Romie removed one crew member from the cabin and told him to sleep outside on the deck. Needless to say, the crew member complied. Found out when he slept his snoring sounded like an approaching ship. Romie was a great captain. The snorer was my beloved brother.

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Here is another story from my Peace Corps days in Belize. This one is from December 1976. As always, some or all the names may or may not have been changed to protect the guilty. If you were involved in this event, feel free to add to the story or correct any errors.

David, Denton, and I took the Fisheries skiff south from Belize City about 20 miles to Rendezvous Caye. We also brought along Colin, the husband of one of the fisheries officers, who was doing a study of the flora and fauna of Sergeants Caye. The skiff was fitted out with two 25 horsepower Evinrude outboard motors. The purpose of the trip was to catch some fish for our upcoming Fisheries Unit staff Christmas party.

On the way to Rendezvous Caye, at 9:00 AM, we dropped Colin off on Sergeants Caye. We told Colin that we would pick him up about 4:00 PM on our way back to Belize City. Sergeants Caye is little more than a high and dry sandbar close to the barrier reef, only about 50 by 100 feet in size, with its highest point maybe two feet above sea level. There are no trees and no shade on Sergeants Caye.

We planned to spearfish over the patch reefs by Rendezvous Caye. A patch reef is an outcropping or mesa of coral and rock that that lies just below surface of the water. As we were passing Rendezvous Caye we noticed a couple of people on the island waving for us to stop. We put into the caye to see what they wanted. It was a fisherman with his family. The fisherman wanted a ride back to the city. We told him we would be back to pick him up about 3:00 PM.

We headed to the patch reefs and began fishing. We fished all morning, spearing hogfish, snappers and barracuda, and then took a break for our lunch of sliced bread and canned sardines. Because fishing was particularly good, we kept at it until almost 5:00 PM. We were then about 3 or 4 miles north of Rendezvous Caye. The sun was low on the horizon, and that made it difficult for us to see the patch reefs lurking just inches below the surface of the water. David stood on the bow of the skiff to direct Denton who was at the outboard steering the boat. About two miles north of Rendezvous Caye, with both motors at full throttle, we ran up onto a patch reef. None of us was hurt as a result of the impact, but the propeller on one of the outboards was bent and jammed. We continued to Rendezvous Caye on one motor. There, the fisherman worked for about an hour on the damaged propeller, but it could not be repaired.

The four of us, including the fisherman from Rendezvous Caye, set out in the dark with no lights and only one working motor, hoping to find Sergeants Caye about 10 miles away. The fisherman knew the waters better than we did, so he guided us along. It was a dark, moonless night, and the sea was dead calm. There was no horizon; it was not possible to distinguish the sea from the sky. "How would we ever find Sergeants Caye?" I wondered.

We felt sorry about leaving Colin on that sandbar for so long. We were sure that he would be sunburnt and swollen from battling sandflies and mosquitoes all day. Colin was a proper gentleman, understated and very British "stiff upper lip" by nature, but we knew he would be hopping mad at us when we finally rescued him. We expected and deserved a good cussing out from him.

About 8:00 PM the fisherman told us to stop the motor and listen. He turned his head slightly to the left and right, and then he pointed out something which he said was Sergeants Caye. None of us could see it. We restarted the motor, and the fisherman guided us slowly ahead. Then, when we were about 200 feet from it, we could barely see Sergeants Caye.

We shouted, "Colin, Colin, you okay?" There was no reply. We shouted again. No reply.

Finally, in a calm, English-accented voice we heard, "Who's there?"

"Colin, da wi."

"My, it's quite kind of you to stop by," Colin said. "I was about to become a bit distressed."

Colin got in the skiff and did not say another word to us about leaving him stranded. In that moment he had become one of us, an honorary member of the Fisheries Unit. We all had a good laugh and then turned our attention to making our way back to Belize City safely.

The stars were beautiful in the black sky and were reflected just as brilliantly by the glass smooth surface of the water. There was a blue-green luminescence in our wake. We had torn a hole in the bottom of the skiff on the patch reef and had to bail out water the whole way. We got back to the Fisheries Laboratory about 10:00 PM. For us, it seemed like it was just another day at the office.

It seems like every Fisheries trip turned into an adventure. The weekend trip of May 6-7, 1978, to Dangriga was no exception.

I woke up late Saturday morning and didn't have time to eat breakfast before going to work. When I got to the Fisheries Unit Laboratory, Mr. Miller asked me if I would go to Stann Creek. Belize Customs had confiscated a 25-foot sloop-rigged smack from some Hondurans fishing illegally in Belize waters. The sailboat was being temporarily anchored off Pelican Beach. So, Romie, Dwight, LeRoy and I took the Fisheries' boat, Panulirus Argus, to Dangriga that morning to tow the Honduran sailboat to Belize City by that same afternoon.



The sea was choppy, but we didn't have any trouble on the way to Pelican Beach. By the time we reached the sailboat, however, the seas had picked up so much that it would be nearly impossible to tow it back to Belize City that afternoon. We decided to head back to Belize without the sailboat and return for it on Monday. But as Romie was preparing the P.A. to get underway, one of the cables that controls the rudder broke. There was nothing else to do but spend the night in Dangriga and try to locate someone at the nearby Melinda Forest Station who might be able to help us fix the cable.

We had no money, no shoes and no street clothes because we had not planned on an overnight trip. That night we found Avington Lopez from Forestry who said he could repair the cable in the morning. We spent the night sleeping aboard the P.A.

ln the morning Avington fixed the cable, and since the sea was not quite as rough as the day before, we headed back to Belize City. The P.A. towed the sailboat, and behind the sailboat we towed our skiff. It was my job to sit at the tiller of the sailboat to keep it straight. But the seas picked up right away and became rougher than the previous day. It was difficult to hold the tiller straight against the surging waves, and my perch at the tiller was precarious and uncomfortable. The stern of the sailboat was little more than a flat deck without rails of any kind. It stood only about 12 inches out of the water, so each wave broke over the stern and onto me.



About three hours out of Dangriga the combination of a crashing wave and the sudden jerk from the tightening of a momentary slack in the towline threw me right off the sailboat and into the sea.

I immediately yelled at Dwight who was on the bow of the sailboat. He heard me and then shouted for Romie who was in the pilothouse of the P.A. and unable to hear the shouting. We were going fast enough that I thought that if I grabbed at the towline to the skiff and missed or could not hold on, I might be hit by the skiff. So, I swam to the side and out of the way of the skiff.

Each time a wave lifted me up high enough to see, I could catch a glimpse of the P.A. moving farther and farther away. I hoped that sooner or later Romie would see that the sailboat was not towing straight and notice that I wasn't at the tiller. My real concern was that the sea was so choppy that they might not be able to spot me, and I'd have to swim the mile or so to shore (all mangrove) and battle the mosquitoes and sandflies.

Just when I thought I might have to start swimming to shore I saw the P.A. circle back. They passed alongside me, and Dwight threw me a line. I pulled myself aboard the sailboat, and we continued on our way. Dwight volunteered to take the tiller for a while, and I gladly let him. By the time we got back to Fisheries I had been over 40 hours with only one hamburger to eat. l was also pretty thirsty, having only drunk a couple of soft drinks and a glass of water. It was quite a trip. The sight I had from the stormy sea of the P.A. disappearing in the distance will be something that I will never forget.

THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN

The Suarez Brothers Circus came to Belize City in February 1977 and pitched their Big Top where the Civic Center stands today. The road manager gave complimentary VIP tickets to Premier George Price. Some of those tickets were given back to the community, and I ended up with one. I had never been to a circus before, so I really did not know what to expect. It was a good show, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I don't know whether the circus used to come to Belize every year, or whether it was always the Suarez Brothers Circus. Maybe someone will know.



Comments...

Wilhelm T Henry
If i remember correctly, it was the only time. The biggest circus ever come to Belize was "Bell Bros." In the 60's. They set up in Edwards Park, (Rogers Stadium).They brought one of the biggest zoos Belize have ever seen. I remember they had polar bears in tanks of water, big black bears, camels etc.

Richard M Griffith
I recall a circus that came to town and they set up at Barracks, during the night, a rain and wind storm came and blew their tents down and some of the animals escaped...This was in the 60s. That was a Mexican circus named "American Circus"

Thomas Tate
I remember the Suarez brothers circus came to San Ignacio in late 1986 or early 1987.

Dawn Anderson
The circus came to Stann Creek ( now Dangriga) many times when I was growing up in the 1960's . It was called Circus Modelo, if I remember right. It was such a thrill for us kids. The merry-go-round, Ferris wheel etc. use to come also but at different times. Both use to set up on the front field where the stadium is now. In those days, this is where we played football and cricket.

Neddy Urbina
I remember the 70s and the 80s brought the biggest Circus that were complete.The globo de la muerte was one that I will never forget.Scary yet thrilling.A few of these cyclist died in their line of duty.



Alda Bevans
I remember walking to Barracks for circus...we went with school. Then there was a circus by the little park close to the Health center in Jihnsin street.

The circus arriving by train...



Michelle Rivana Buckley
The circus used to come and set at the lot that became the Gilharry Bus Terminal in the early 70s. It was my first circus. The animals such as the lioness were tied to stumps that were placed on the lot and the they had basic chicken wires like a pen for the lions. They were not in cages. How I know was i would goal look at them in the lot then attend the show. The clown was scarier than that white lioness.
The Evangelical from Billy Graham would come and set up a large tent in the same lot.

Jennifer Arzu-Williams
Circus came in the same night of a Patra concert at civic. People chose circus so the concert was a flop. Mid 1990s.

Several weeks ago Albert Avila encouraged me to write about my Peace Corps experience in Belize in the 1970s. I was hesitant to do so because I cannot trust my memory to accurately describe events and activities of almost 45 years ago. Fortunately, I just came across more than 100 letters that I wrote home during that time. These letters, when taken chronologically, form a journal or diary of my daily experiences. Based on these letters, I will post a weekly recap of my Belize struggles, triumphs and misadventures. Some of these dispatches will be mundane, while others will be more interesting. I hope you enjoy this as much as I am enjoying reliving some of the best times of my life.

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Journal Entry 1

August 5, 1976 / Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, Miami, Florida:

So far, this has been an interesting trip. Glenn [my brother] drove me to Ontario International Airport in time to catch Golden West Airlines to Los Angeles. My suitcase was checked through to Miami, and I carried my shoulder bag and typewriter. I was the only passenger on the 18-seat plane. We flew low enough that I could clearly see the features of the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys and the L.A. Basin. At LAX I struggled with my typewriter and shoulder bag to the National Airlines terminal. While waiting in line for my seat assignment, I stood next to a woman who was the Peace Corps Director for the Kingdom of Tonga. She was very pleasant and patiently answered my questions about being a new Peace Corps Volunteer.

I was upgraded to first class and was assigned a seat in the center two-seat section, so I couldn't look out the window very well. However, I did see the sunrise at 3:13 a.m. Pacific time. It was quite impressive. First class was not that special; we were served the same meal as coach, except that we were provided white linen tablecloths and napkins. The plane stopped briefly in Tampa and finally arrived in Miami at about 8:15 a.m. (local time), a few minutes late. I only got about 20 minutes sleep-too excited.

While waiting at the airport for the shuttle ride to the Howard Johnson's Hotel, I met Keith, a new Peace Corps Volunteer who was also heading to Belize. There were four of us new PCVs on the plane-three going to Belize and one to Guatemala. Keith, Mark, another PCV and I got a room together. Both Keith and Mark are agriculturalists and will be assigned to Punta Gorda and San Antonio in the south of Belize. They are both easy to get along with, as is everyone I've met so far.

We had a meeting at 3:00 p.m. that first day. It was an introductory exercise where everyone was encouraged to get to know each other. Most of the PCVs (about 30 of us-15 to Belize, 15 to Guatemala) are young (early 20s) except for two middle aged couples. We broke at 5:00 p.m. for dinner. Keith, Mark and I took the bus to a cafeteria. I had chicken and biscuits which was the first thing I'd had to eat since leaving home-too excited [nervous stomach] to eat before. Before the dinner break, we were all issued a government check for $65 which was to cover hotel bill, meals and incidentals while in Miami. My room is $18 for the two nights, which leaves me with $47 for meals. I don't think I'll be spending it all.

After dinner we reconvened in the meeting room at the hotel for medical orientation-more forms and a few words about getting shots the next day. We then got together with the country director, Reggie Ingram, for a few introductory remarks and an hour-long film on Belize. I was so tired I fell asleep during the film. What I saw of it, however, was interesting. We were dismissed at 9:00 p.m., but Mark, Keith and I stayed an extra half-hour to talk to Reggie. He's a large African American, ex-military, raised in Brooklyn, and has only been assigned to Belize since April. He's excited about the country and will gladly talk hours about it. I got to bed around 10:00 p.m. and slept well.

The next day we were up at 6:30 a.m., had breakfast at the hotel, then walked to the Federal Building for our shots. We got typhoid, smallpox, and yellow fever immunizations and were issued a World Health Organization booklet which we must have as proof of our immunizations to get into the country. (Can't go swimming today or the smallpox vaccination won't take.) We are to get more shots when we get to Belize.

At 11:00 a.m. today we will have a lecture on "Training Lifestyle." Lunch at 12:00. I have an interview with Reggie at 4:30 p.m., and then there is a slide presentation at 7:00 p.m. This will be a slow day.

Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. there will be a meeting regarding Peace Corps policy/forms/airline tickets/passports and an evaluation of the staging process. We leave for the airport at 12:00 noon and depart on TACA Airlines Flight 311 for Belize at 3:35 p.m.

Right now, I've got to go to the bank to cash my check.

Journal Entry 2

August 7, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I wrote my last journal entry just after getting my shots at the Federal Building in Miami. The only reaction I had from the shots was a sore left arm from the typhoid shot. Since then, quite a lot has happened. That night we met for a short time and were given forms for life insurance ($1.50 per month), personal articles insurance ($45/$1,000 per year), and we were given our passports to fill out, sign and return. I had the rest of the evening to myself.

I got up next morning, Friday, sticky from not having showered (not supposed to shower for 24 hours or the smallpox vaccination won't take) and got my luggage (now minus the typewriter, which is on the Greyhound bus to the Claremont, CA, depot) down to the lobby. We boarded a bus at noon for the trip to the airport. We left on TACA Flight #311 at 3:30 p.m. Everyone was quite excited. The plane was a small fanjet with two seats on the left side of the aisle and three on the right. The flight lasted about two hours. I had an aisle seat on the right side so did not get to see much of the scenery. I did see Cuba, however, and Cozumel. We were given complimentary drinks and a sandwich which I forced down into my nervous stomach.

From about 1,000 feet in the air, the Belize River and landscape looked just like the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. Getting off the plane, I found the heat and humidity to be much worse than Miami, and certainly like nothing I had ever experienced in Southern California.

We were met at the Belize International Airport by the Peace Corps Training Director, Mr. Yorke, a Belizean; Peace Corps Administrative Assistant, Barbara Harris, a Belizean; and Russ, a PCV who just finished his two years and is staying on to help with our training. Our baggage was spot-checked, and three Peace Corps vehicles transported us the nine miles to the Peace Corps office on Cork Street in Belize City.

At the office we were given some reading material and spending money. I received BZ$37.50 (US$18.75) for myself for one week, and BZ$56 to give to my "host family" for one week. I was then dropped off at my host family's house on Prince Street between Albert and Canal streets. It is a large, wooden, unpainted two-story house standing on posts that elevate it about seven feet off the ground. My host is Miss Pepitune. She has lived in Belize her entire life but is of Italian extraction. She is about 55 to 60 years old.

Journal Entry 3

August 9th, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I have not written a word for two days because I have been experiencing what is commonly called "culture shock." It manifests itself in a deep depression. I did not sleep at all Friday or Saturday night. Also, I could not eat anything. I was quite miserable for those two days. Sunday morning, I called Barbara Harris, the Peace Corps Administrative Assistant, to inform her of my condition. She drove by, picked me up and took me to her house where I visited with her husband and her father-in-law out on their veranda. They understood the problem and tried to console me. She said that "culture shock" is common and that it would pass with time. While at her house, Reggie (Peace Corps Director) stopped by to borrow a tub for cold drinks for a reception at his house that evening. Reggie invited me to go along with him while he did various errands. He took time to introduce me to three or four volunteers who encouraged me.

That evening I attended the reception that Reggie hosted for us new volunteers. I tried to mingle but was not in a party mood. It was a bit of a "stuffy" affair, and that was not what I really needed at the time.

I slept reasonably well that night for the first time, and I woke up in the morning feeling better. I ate a substantial breakfast and reported to the Peace Corps office at 8:15 a.m. to begin training. Later, I enjoyed lunch and ate a good dinner. Maybe I have suffered the last of the "culture shock."

I am staying with a Miss Pepitune who runs a small boarding house on Prince Street. She is nice and was quite concerned while I was feeling so poorly. There are two other boarders here. One, Olivia, is a girl about 20 years old who is a secretary at the Coca Cola Company. She will be leaving in a month for Miami where she is to train as an airline stewardess for a new Belizean airline. The other boarder is a young man, Manuel, about 23 years old, who just graduated from law school in Jamaica. He graduated #1 in his class (I saw it in the newspapers) and is working in the public prosecutor's office. He is a knowledgeable person and is interesting to talk to.

Today we had our first full day of training. We are holding our classes at a school, Belize Secondary School Number One [E.P. Yorke High School], out on Princess Margaret Drive, about three miles from where I am staying. Today's agenda consisted of a brief lecture on training in general, personal interviews, an interesting lecture on the history of the Creole language, and two hours of Spanish language training. I did not learn much from the interview-I still do not know where I will be serving in Belize. Colville Young, PhD, spoke about the history of the Creole language. Creole is the one language all people of Belize speak. We have two Spanish instructors-one for those with some Spanish ability (some volunteers can speak it quite well) and one for the rest of us with little or no knowledge of the language. I was placed in the latter group. The instruction is strictly conversational and quite frustrating for some. I did okay. Training was over for the day at 4:00 p.m. I was driven home and ate dinner about 5:30 p.m.

I was shocked at what I saw when I first arrived in Belize City. I had never seen such apparent squalor. Neighborhoods consist of mostly ramshackle, unpainted, wooden houses and shops that stand right on the edge of the street with virtually no setback or front yard. The house where I am staying (Miss Pepitune's) is better than average and is quite clean and tidy on the inside. We are experiencing an extremely hot spell, and even the locals are complaining. My bedroom is a six by eight-foot cell with one small window. No breeze blows through the house, and it is quite uncomfortable at night. Most of the new PCVs were placed in homes in pairs. I, however, am the lone PCV in my home. I am sure it is harder for me that way.

The pace of life is quite slow here, and I think it will take me a while to adjust. Today I experienced my first bout of diarrhea. I do not know if Miss Pepitune boils her water, as Peace Corps insists, and I do not want to ask her. The male volunteers are basically a good group of regular guys. Some of the women, however, especially when compared to the local young women who tend to fix themselves up nicely, seem to be a bit plain-Earth Mother types. Manuel has told me that he has also observed that.

I am listening now to Radio Belize. It is a medium wave station, about 80 KHz. It is fairly entertaining-some U.S. music. There are forty thousand people in this city. Although that is not a large number, they are packed together quite closely. So, with only 40,000 people, Belize City, the cultural and commercial hub of the country, has all the problems of a much larger city. Many Peace Corps Volunteers eat at Mom's Restaurant. It serves hamburgers! Nights do not cool off. We are in the dry season. We have electricity and cold water that runs intermittently. When there is not adequate water pressure, we manually pump the water into a barrel on the roof, and it flows through the pipes by gravity. Nobody, however, completely fills the barrel, so timing a shower is vital. There are many barking dogs in the neighborhood and roosters that crow at 5:00 a.m.

[Photo is of Hydes Lane, not Prince Street, but you get the idea.]

Journal Entry 4

August 10, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Training has started in earnest. We report each day to Junior Secondary School #1 at 8:15 a.m. and remain until 4:30-5:00 in the afternoon. Experts on various topics come to lecture to us. Today we were lectured on the demographics of Belize by Leo Bradley, the city librarian and local expert on Belizean history. Tom Tracy, an officer at the U.S. Consulate, spoke, as did Dr. Lizama, a local medical doctor who has been the Peace Corps physician in Belize for several years. Also, we had two hours of Spanish language instruction.

There are four major ethnic groups in Belize: Creole (51%), Mestizo (22%), Maya (13%), and Garinagu (7%.) There are also Chinese, East Indians and Mennonites in the country. Belize City is predominantly Creole, descendants of enslaved Africans and European settlers. There seem to be no racial barriers in Belize.

The American Consular officer, Tom Furey, spoke about how Belize is losing its young men to the U.S. Many Belizeans enter the U.S. either of two ways: (1) they travel up through Mexico and cross into the U.S. at the San Ysidro-Tijuana border. These Belizeans tend to be Black, speak "Americanized" English and are often mistaken by border guards as U.S. citizens and allowed to enter; and (2) they receive tourist visas to the U.S. and just never return. So many Belizeans are illegally entering the U.S., in fact, that even with a high birth rate, the population of Belize has decreased since 1971. Over $1,000,000 annually is sent to Belize by relatives in the U.S.

Dr. Lizama spoke briefly on tropical diseases and Peace Corps medical procedures. He also gave each of us a tuberculin skin test. Still to come, within the next couple of weeks, are shots for tetanus, polio, rabies, and infectious hepatitis (gamma globulin.) Upon swearing in at the end of training we will be issued a medical kit (malaria tablets, insect repellent, vitamins, water purifier, etc.) No matter where in the country a PCV is stationed, he must come to Belize City every four months to check in with Dr. Lizama.

Spanish lessons continue as usual. Of the non-Spanish speakers, I seem to be one of the better students. I guess growing up in Southern California gives me a slight advantage. Peace Corps still has not indicated, but I believe I will probably be stationed in Orange Walk. Next week I will begin to teach summer school. It is a 2-week session, and I think I will be teaching math-don't know at what level. That is just rumor.

We had our first rain today, a storm lasting about 15 minutes. It was quite forceful, however. Miss Pepitune's cooking is quite plain, but nutritious. One PCV couple, William and Isabella, aged about 50, formerly of England, and terribly British, have complained quite adamantly about the meals their host serves-nothing but rice and beans, and the instant tea is "bloody awful." This couple had previously spent two years as PCVs in Kenya. There is one other couple among us, Einar and Debbie, about 27, from Michigan. Also in our group are volunteers from Dallas, Lubbock, Michigan, Long Beach, CA, Minnesota, and Claremont CA.

Tonight, we saw a film about the barrier reef and cayes. This Sunday I think I will have a chance to go out to Goff's Caye. Two PCVs, Keith and Roger, are staying with a family that has access to a small caye and have already been out to it. Their host family is planning a weekend out there this weekend. They are quite lucky.

I believe I have weathered the storm of my first experience with culture shock. I feel much better and have even grown to like it here. I guess there is no way to prepare one for the experience of being transported from the wealth and excesses of Southern California to the rough conditions of Belize City.

Many Belizean houses have behind it a huge wooden cask [vat] which catches the rain runoff from the corrugated zinc roof. This water is used instead of pipe water during the rainy season. Dr. Lizama explained that any bird droppings or other organic matter that might be on the roof will be well-sterilized by the tropical sun, so the rainwater collected off the roof is clean to drink.

A branch of the Belize River, Haulover Creek, runs through the middle of town. Two Bridges, one on the west edge of town and one right downtown, span it. These bridges swing twice a day. At about 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. the bridges rotate 90 degrees to allow boats to pass. This backs up traffic for about a half hour. It is not uncommon for one or the other bridge to jam causing a long delay. Occasionally both bridges will jam. When that happens, it is impossible to cross the river-you think of something else to do.


[Photo of Swing Bridge approached from the Southside, 1977. Also Old Paslow building]

I am thoroughly enjoying this series - I hope it has many more chapters.

Journal Entry 5

August 18, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

There have been some recent developments here which have kept me quite busy and somewhat unsure of the future. As things stand now, however, it looks like I will be working as a biologist at the Fisheries Unit Laboratory in Belize City, instead of teaching. I am quite excited about this. I will be working under another PCV, Howard, who has a master's degree in marine biology. I am going over to Howard's tonight to find out more about the job. I will be going out to sea 1-2 times a week to collect data and specimens. It will also involve some laboratory work. I came down here partly to get some teaching experience, but I believe a chance to apply my background in biology may prove to be just as valuable.

It is now 5:15 p.m. and I'm sitting on the veranda, sweating like mad. Dinner will be served in about 15 minutes. Miss "Pep" is not an exceptionally good cook. She cooks quite American, possibly to accommodate me, and quite plain. However, the meals are well-balanced, if not tasty.

I just came from seeing Dr. Lizama who treated my ear infection. Ear infections, I am told, are quite common to new PCVs down here. Dr. Lizama seems to be quite competent. He received his training at the University of the West Indies and really knows tropical medicine. The ear had been bothering me the past 3 days-pain and dizziness.

Tomorrow, I report for the first time to Fisheries. I must be there by 8:00 a.m. Russ, the Peace Corps training assistant, drives around town in the mornings giving rides to us trainees, so I expect he will give me a ride the three miles out there.

I had last Sunday off, so I went to the boxing matches. They were held on Bird's Isle, a small man-made island connected to Belize City by a hundred-yard, wooden walkway over the water. The venue is open-air and serves as a sports arena, convention center, discotheque, etc. The fights started at 11:00 a.m. and the preliminary bouts were all amateur. One fighter was to have gone to Montreal for the Olympics, but the Belize Government decided at the last minute not to send any boxers. The main event was a professional bout featuring a local fighter, Fitzroy Giuseppe, against a Salvadoran. Giuseppe is rated as the Number 3 Lightweight in the British Commonwealth and is very good. Giuseppe knocked out the Salvadoran in the fourth round. It was quite a colorful event.

I had taken my laundry to be done (BZ$1.50 for 8 lbs.) and stopped by today to pick it up on my way home, only to learn that on Wednesdays shops and businesses close for the day at noon.

Tomorrow, we trainees are invited to American Consular officer Tom Furey's home for lunch. His wife, Dorothy, is a PCV he met here last year.

The following are the trainees I came down with: (1) Keith, cooperative officer, from Long Beach, CA; (2) Roger, math teacher, will be teaching here in Belize City; (3) Tom, chemistry teacher, from Claremont, CA, will be going to Dangriga; (4) Lon, entomologist, from Lubbock, Texas, will be in Central Farm near San Ignacio; (5&6) Debbie and Einar, young couple from Michigan, she is to be a science lecturer at the Teachers Training College, he will be supervising student teachers there; (7) Nancy, biology teacher; (Beverly, from Minnesota, will be in Orange Walk District; (9) Judy, nurse, from Montana, will be in Belize City; (10) Jackie, from Kansas City, Missouri, biology teacher assigned to Junior Secondary School Number One in Belize City; (11&12) Leonard and Frances, an older couple from 70 miles north of Dallas, Texas, he is an electrician, she is still unplaced; (13&14) William and Isabella, middle aged couple formerly of Great Britain, they previously served two years as PCVs in Kenya and are amazed at how undeveloped Belize is.



Journal Entry 6

August 20, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

The first week of training consisted of lectures on various aspects of the country. The second and third weeks are to be spent on prospective job sites. So, this week and next I'll be at the Fisheries Unit Laboratory. I'm at Fisheries from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., so will have to discontinue Spanish lessons until this fall. The fourth week of training will be much like the first, with all of us meeting together at Belize Junior Secondary School Number One for lectures, etc.

The work at the Fisheries Unit sounds interesting. Most of the research currently is on conch. Conch export is big business here in Belize; however, conch catches have been in decline the past 3 to 4 years. Not much is known about conch, so Fisheries is engaged in studies to try to determine why the conch catch has slowed down. I was to have gone out to the reef with Howard today, but my infected ear had not yet healed completely.

There appears to be a housing shortage in Belize City, so it may be hard to find a flat to rent. There are eleven of us new PCVs who are going to stay in Belize City. Probably Roger and I will try to find a place together. We can afford about BZ$70 apiece per month for rent. My Peace Corps pay [allowance] will be BZ$300 a month. Prices here for certain goods (imports) are about the same, or higher, than in the U.S. The cheapest bar of soap I could find was BZ$0.50. A hamburger is a dollar-fifty. Although prices are about the same as in the U.S., the average Belizean earns about BZ$950 annually. So, you can see his purchasing power is limited. Relatively speaking then, the purchase of a bar of soap is like making a $5 purchase in the U.S. Whenever two or more PCVs get together, especially if one of them has been in the country for some time, the conversation eventually gets around to money and how far can you stretch BZ$300. Today is payday. Once again, I managed to save BZ$10. That means for the last week I spent $28 on lunches, laundry, sodas and a bar of soap and the boxing matches.

Einar, Debbie and Roger just stopped by to let me know I was welcome to go along with them after dinner to a movie. I hope I can get up to one of the smaller towns this weekend. The Peace Corps will reimburse me for traveling expenses during training. I had a leisurely lunch (no such thing as quick service here) today at Mom's Restaurant, and I had the time to people watch. I have never seen such a diverse mixture of people in one place at one time. Mom's attracts tourists, mostly European young people with backpacks, PCVs, as well as locals.

I think I'm starting to adjust to this country. Yesterday, Tom Furey, American Consular officer, and his wife, Dorothy, a PCV, had us trainees over for lunch. It was nice-and air conditioned. We had ham sandwiches, deviled eggs, fruit salad-a nice break from Mom's Restaurant. Not much American News down here. Did hear that Gerald Ford won the Republican nomination. Rumor has it that a Senator Dole from Kansas is his running mate. I'll have to get a Time Magazine next week. It seems like everyone in Belize City has a radio and plays it loud 24 hours a day. I understand that to receive Armed Forces Radio, Voice of America, etc., it requires quite a good multi-band radio. I just had dinner and was served breadfruit and plantains for the first time. Neither one was terrific. I had quite a spell of diarrhea this morning. I think it was the panadas-shark and beans wrapped in fried masa-sold out of a bucket by someone pedaling around on a bicycle.

September 10th is the big national holiday. Both political parties try to outdo each other. Last year the opposition party put on the better festivities, so this year the PUP has vowed to have a celebration to end all celebrations. The bands are already practicing marching in the streets.

It is now 6:00 p.m. and just starting to cool off. In fact, it's rather pleasant here in the evenings. I'll just sit here awhile watching the lizards scurrying on the veranda.

Journal Entry 7

August 25, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I've been busy for the past two weeks from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It will be my job at Fisheries to take a survey of commercially important finfish found off the coast of Belize inside the barrier reef. This has never been done before, and my work will probably be published for distribution. I am excited about the new assignment. What I'll be doing, essentially, is spearing fish, mostly groupers, snappers and jacks, and measuring their length, weight, gut length, gut contents, and record where it was taken. I will also be tagging live fish and hope to record growth and migration. There are presently seven of us at Fisheries: Mr. Winston Miller, Administrator; Silvano, fisheries biologist; Denton, technician; David, naturalist; and Romie, boat captain. Howard is a PCV assigned there, and he is helping me get started with my project.

On Monday we went out to Ambergris Caye and to the reef to collect and tag conch. That was my first chance to do any diving. It was quite interesting as well as exciting. The reef is more spectacular than any Jacques Cousteau film. I had some trouble getting used to water entering my facemask. I saw hundreds of colorful fish, corals of all kinds, lobster and conch. I also saw what Howard told me was about as big a barracuda as I will see. It was about 5 foot and rather menacing looking. I understand there are some sharks, but I didn't see any.

Life at the Fisheries Unit so far is a lot of fun. Of course, all the Belizeans speak Creole. When they see a blank look on my face, they speak a little less broadly. The sooner I learn Creole, the better. The work ethic here is a little different from the States, and we seem to be easily sidetracked from the work at hand. For example, a trip into town to buy me a facemask, snorkel and fins, which should have taken about half an hour, lasted two and a half hours after stopping to visit friends, price used cars, get some ice cream, etc.

Next week Fisheries must put up an exhibit for the Grand Market Festival at the Teacher's College, so the next few days will be geared toward that. Tomorrow we will go out to the reef to collect fish, sand and seawater for an aquarium display. Then we will go out West to collect freshwater fish.

I hope to get out to sea at least once a week. The rest of the week will be spent reading and doing paperwork. We have one large boat, the Panulirus Argus, a 40-footer and presently inoperable; however, it should be running within the week. We also have two 18-foot skiffs. They are made of solid mahogany and are quite sturdy. We have five outboard engines of which maybe two work on any given day. Fisheries has an adequate budget, and money doesn't seem to be a problem; however, finding replacement parts and a good mechanic is a problem. We hope to eventually get both skiffs in operation as well as the Panulirus Argus.

This is my third week of training. The first week consisted of lectures, etc., on Peace Corps and Belize. The second and third weeks were jobsite orientation. Next week all of us new volunteers will get together for a final week of lectures and discussion. Swearing-in will follow that.

Last weekend I went to Orange Walk and Corozal towns. There are just two PCVs in Orange Walk: Stan, a 65-year-old man who supervises student teachers; and Eric, an agronomist. Both were glad to have some company. One from our group, Nancy, is to be assigned to Orange Walk as a biology teacher. Eleven from our group will be staying in Belize City. This is creating a problem for Peace Corps to find housing for all of us. Roger and I are still looking for a place.

There is a party tonight at Stan's, a PCV here in Belize City. It started as just a small get-together for a few of us new volunteers, but word spread and all volunteers in the city will be there. Our group is very compatible and has inspired veteran volunteers to want to get together more often.

The hot spell has subsided, but it is still very warm here, and quite humid. Everyone is getting ready to celebrate National Day on September 10th. Rumor has it that Belize will announce its independence that day. If it does, it should be quite exciting-although possibly the end of Peace Corps in Belize.

[Bluestriped grunt (Photo: Alan Jackson, 1977)]

Journal Entry 8

August 30, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I haven't taken any photos yet. Since I will be here for a while, I'm going to wait until I know the city better. However, next week will be quite colorful-National Day celebration-and I will take pictures of the festivities. Rumor has it that Belize will announce its independence on September 10th. Things could really get exciting if it does. Cuba has offered military support against any aggression by Guatemala. This could get interesting.

This is the last week of training. Swearing-in is Friday. Next week I will be moving in with Roger who is staying with a Belizean family. We plan to take our time finding our own place. Too many new volunteers are rushing into less than desirable places, too much rent, bad location, no furniture, etc. We want to wait for a good deal to come along.

Tonight, we've all been invited out to a Canadian businessman's home in a nearby village, Burrell Boom, for a barbecue. In fact, I've got to get ready right now.

[Photo: Denton, Romie and David behind Fisheries Laboratory. In the background is Mr. Simeon Young' boat, "Aloma," being built. 1977.]

Journal Entry 9

September 1, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Today was essentially the last day of training. Tomorrow I will be interviewed by the training director, Mr. Yorke, and on Friday I will be interviewed by the country director, Reggie Ingram. Then, hopefully, I will be sworn in that same afternoon.

Traditionally, Peace Corps throws a party for newly sworn volunteers; however, this year there is a shortage of funds, so we may not get our trip to Goff's Caye. Jackie, though, has taken it upon herself to organize a caye trip anyway. It will cost us about $5 each if she can get at least 20 people together. We hope to get three or four spear guns to take out to the caye so we can have a fish barbecue. If our group can do anything, it's thinking up excuses to have a party.

Today we all went out to Belmopan. It's about an hour's trip on a good road, Belize's best. At Belmopan we were to be given a lecture on the Anglo-Guatemalan dispute, but the lecturer canceled out on us. So, we toured the city instead. Belmopan is much cleaner than Belize City. All the houses are made of concrete blocks. Trash is picked up three times a week. All the homes have running water. But there really would be nothing to do in Belmopan in the evenings or on weekends. The more I see of this country, the happier I am that I will be in Belize City. We got back to Belize City about 3:00 p.m.

Today begins the festivities which will culminate on September 10th, National Day. It commemorates a battle in which the Baymen defeated the Spanish at St George's Caye. Both political parties sponsor events over the next 10 days and each tries to outdo the other. Last year, it is generally agreed, the opposition party, the UDP, had the more elaborate and better attended festivities. This year the PUP pledged to make up for last year. It should be fun. And, if Belize announces its independence on the 10th, there should be some real celebrating.

Friday I will be moving in with Roger who is staying with a Belizean family. Miss Pepitune has been nice, but I am looking forward to moving out. I believe I will be charged about $200 a month for room and board. This will include packed lunches, washing and ironing. That will leave me with $100 a month for incidentals. I think it may be a convenient arrangement. Most volunteers pay about $70 to $80 for rent and about $80 a month for food. That's a cheaper way to go, but they spend a lot of time cooking and cleaning up. Also, they have the problems, if two or three live together, of pooling money and deciding who must go shopping, etc.

I have now met all the PCVs here in Belize City. There are nine already here now, and there will be 11 more from our group. Those nine volunteers already working in Belize City are Jack, about 26 from Texas, a biology and physics teacher; Howard, about 28, from Miami, marine biologist; Stan, about 35, works for Radio Belize; Dorothy, about 26, a student teacher advisor for the Teachers College and married to the American Consular officer; Mary, late twenties, works at Seaview mental hospital; Susan, twenties, don't know her too well; Mary Ellen, about thirty, from New York, teacher; Tom, about 25, teacher; and Mussolini, about 35, plumber.

The rumor is that not all of us will receive bicycles. Believe me, a bicycle in the city is indispensable. If we don't get bikes, there will be a lot of complaining. Upon swearing in, the Peace Corps is supposed to give each of us $200 settling-in allowance, a stove, a mattress, and a bicycle. Some may also get a refrigerator. I won't need the other things right away, but I really do need the bicycle. It's about a 30-minute walk from home to the Fisheries Unit. There are no hills here, so I could make the trip in about 10 minutes on a bicycle.

[Photo: Typical Belmopan residential street. 1977.]

Journal Entry 10

September 8, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Quite a lot has happened since my last journal entry. I haven't written for a few days because I've been sick. I had some kind of virus. I threw up breakfast and didn't feel too well for a while. I can't believe how sick I've been here. Every week I've had one disease or another. I don't know why my resistance should be so low-I eat well and get plenty of sleep.

On Friday, our group of trainees was sworn in. All 11 of us made it through the training period. It was just a simple oath of allegiance taken at the Peace Corps Office. We were then given our bank accounts and medical kits. We still have not gotten our bicycles. Even though everyone in our training group swore in, I think there will be a few who will go home early. Several have already become disgruntled and disappointed with their situation.

Right after the swearing-in, I moved my belongings to my new home. I will be staying with the young Belizean family that hosted Keith and Roger during training. Right now, it's a bit crowded there: I'm sharing the two little girls' bedroom with their dad; the girls are sleeping with their mother; and Keith and Roger are sharing another bedroom. Keith will be moving out next week, and things will be back to normal.

They just recently moved into a large, fairly new house with three bedrooms, a dining room, living room, large kitchen, three bathrooms and a veranda. The house is one of the few in the neighborhood to be made of concrete block. They have a maid, so the house is always clean. The only drawback is the upstairs windows don't have screens. The mosquitoes and sand flies can be terrible. The meals are much better here than at Miss Pepitune's, more imagination and larger portions, and include a lot of local dishes such as rice and beans, stew chicken, chimole, panadas, fish, etc. I may gain back some of my lost weight.

Right now, we are in the middle of the National Day celebrations. The opposition party, the UDP, sponsored a road march which passed by our house. I got some pictures of it. It was the wildest parade I've ever seen. The street was jammed solid with people dancing and celebrating. There were some bands, floats, etc. Festivities will culminate on the Tenth. It seems that even though Belize is closer now to independence than ever, the rumors about independence this year were just rumors. However, independence is not far away for Belize.

Last Saturday I went to the Teacher's College to see an exhibition of arts, nature, and folklore sponsored for National Day by the PUP. I got a picture of the jade carving "Kinich Ahau" found in Mayan ruins here in 1968. I couldn't get close enough to it for a good shot. It's a head about 10 lb. in weight. It's one of the most prized of all Belizean treasures, and it's only occasionally displayed.

Roger and I are now the only ones who have not gotten a flat of our own, but we're not in any great hurry. Jackie and Judy just got a second story flat on Regent Street for $200. That seems a bit pricey. I'm paying just $200 per month for room, board, laundry, chauffeur, tour guide, translator, life coach, etc. I've really got it good.

[Photo: UDP Tenth of September Road March, Euphrates Avenue, 1976]

Journal Entry 11

September 11, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I went back to work today after having had the Tenth of September off. There were two massive parades on the Tenth. The UDP, in most everyone's opinion, again had the better attended festivities. Their parade was much larger and more spirited than the PUP's. I took pictures of everything. However, after taking flash pictures of the carnival Saturday night, I forgot to reset my camera from the flash settings. Consequently, I lost about 15 photographs. I sent my first roll of film to the Kodak lab today. On it, in chronological order, should be a picture of our training group at the Belize International Airport; some buildings around town; view of the harbor; Bird's Isle; the UDP's carnival and road march (at night); then I'm sure I lost pictures of Premier George Price's 10th September speech and some of the PUP parade. I was really quite disappointed when I realized I messed up all those pictures, but I'll get them next year.

Russ, the assistant trainer, has gone back home to New Jersey. He hopes to be back in a few months as a new assistant director.

[Photo: Carnival Road March, 1976]



Journal Entry 12

September 13, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

It looks like I may get a chance to do some scuba diving, but not right away. Today I helped draft an order for US$10,000 worth of scuba gear, a gift from the Canadian Government. Right now, only Howard and Silvano are certified divers, and Silvano will be leaving Fisheries soon. He got a job with the newly formed Belizean Airways Limited. BAL has 5 planes: one passenger, one freight, and three "junkers" that they use for spare parts. So far, BAL has made only one flight. Yesterday at Belize International Airport a truck ran into their only passenger plane and tore a hole in the fuselage. So, BAL will not start regular service to Miami as scheduled.

I feel like I finally got a start on my job at Fisheries. I looked through all the literature available at the Laboratory that may help me. Also, I got a letter off to the Smithsonian Institute requesting reprints of some articles that I think may be useful. It takes about two months to get material from the Institute. Right now, all of our outboard motors are broken. I probably won't get out to the reef until late this week.

Today Mr. Miller, who is originally from Grenada and came to Belize in 1962, gave me a little pep talk about how the pace of life here is quite slow and not to get discouraged if at the end of the day I feel as though I didn't get much accomplished. He said it took him quite a while to adjust to the "ma�ana" attitude some people here have. He then told me he could give me a ride to work every morning, just wait for him in front of the post office at about 8:15. (Work starts at 8:00!)

Last night Keith and I were walking around town. We saw quite a crowd of people gathered about the Swing Bridge. We went over to see what was going on. Someone had thrown himself from the bridge into the water and drowned. They were trying to bring up his body.

I think our bicycles are in. We should be getting them this week. I should be high up on the priority list since I have the farthest to walk to work.

Dr. Lizama stopped by the house while Keith, Roger and I were home. He is required by Peace Corps to inspect residences of all PCVs. There is no doubt that the house passed the inspection; this house is always kept immaculately clean.

Mr. Winston Miller is quite a sports fan. He had listened to two pro American football games yesterday and quoted me the scores of the other games. He is a big Dodger fan and has finally conceded the division title to the Reds. There will be round-by-round recaps here on Armed Forces Radio of the Ali-Norton fight. Once I find out more about what type of radio is required to pull in Armed Forces Radio, I may go shopping for one.

[Photo: The Old Market seen from Swing Bridge, 1976.]

Journal Entry 13

September 19, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I got a letter and a book (Thor Heyerdahl) from home yesterday. I just finished the book I was reading ("Is Paris Burning?") and was about to go out and look for something more to read. The Heyerdahl book looks interesting, and I'll read it this week.

The Peace Corps gave me a brand-new Raleigh bicycle. I was the last new Volunteer to pick up a bike at the office, so I got what was left. My bike had a flat tire and a bent front sprocket. I fixed the flat and just plan to live with the bent sprocket. I've got to find time next week to go to the police station to get my bike licensed.

My job took me out to the reef (Gallows Point) twice this week. I'm still getting used to using a speargun. I've also got to get used to all the sea water continually draining through my nose and into my throat. Yesterday we dove in about 20-30 feet of water on the outside of the reef. It was the prettiest trip yet. I collected about 30 conch which I tagged and released for Howard. I kept a few conch so I could learn how to break and clean them. Cleaning conch is quite a chore.

Last Tuesday nine of us went to see "Blazing Saddles" at the movie theater. It is a popular picture here and the theater is sold out every time it plays. Everyone in the theater caught on to the absurdity of the movie and seemed to really enjoy it.

Mark, one of the guys I roomed with in Miami, showed up in Belize City yesterday. He had been in Costa Rica for his training as a farm advisor. He will be going down south to Punta Gorda tomorrow with Keith to help in the rice harvest. Mark said that compared to Costa Rica, Belize is quite undeveloped.

We've been plagued with blackouts the past two days. I guess they are having problems with the generating stations. The electricity at home went out Friday night, so Keith and I walked over to Judy, Bev and Jackie's house on Regent Street. As soon as we got there, their electricity went off too. We played cards by the light of the kerosene lamp.

Roger, Einar, Debbie, Jackie, Judy and Bev went up to Orange Walk Town this weekend. I think they had a party planned with Eric, a PCV up there. I had to work all day Saturday, so didn't go. Keith didn't feel much like going either. Neither Keith nor I care much for these parties anymore. It's always the same people talking about the same old things. They were fun at first, but they've gotten old now. Anyway, if I take a Saturday off from work, I'd like to do some exploring out West or South rather than just go to Orange Walk Town.

[Photo: Denton and Alan breaking conch in the Fisheries yard, 1976.]

Journal Entry 14

September 23, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I got two letters from home Tuesday, and another one today. All the letters were interesting and had a lot of family news. Mom seemed worried that I was not eating enough fruit and vegetables. True, Belizeans tend to eat far too much starch and not enough green vegetables, but I am getting a well-balanced diet.

Dad said that he had forwarded a copy of National Geographic to me. I appreciate that. There is a lack of things to do here in my spare time, so I do a lot of reading. I should write Mom that I could use my hiking boots and socks and, if it's not asking too much, to send aftershave, deodorant, toothpaste, etc., every 2-3 months. Some of those items are just too expensive here.

Mom asked if she could do some of my Christmas shopping for me. I asked her to use my credit union account to purchase a good Crock-Pot for the family here. They don't have them here in Belize City. If they did, the price would be prohibitive. I also asked if she could send a little something for the girls. The older girl has plenty of dolls and books. Maybe Mom could send a dress or something typically American, maybe something in denim. She already has a denim shoulder bag. The younger girl has access to all the hand-me-downs. I really don't know what she might like. Whatever Mom gets, it must be a good quality to last down here. I hate to ask her to do this. I know how much running around she already does. But this family has been wonderful, and I would like to get them something. I don't know how I'll do any Christmas shopping here for back home. I have not yet found any local souvenirs or arts here to speak of. Maybe I can find something.

I've begun work on my reef fish survey. I've recorded the statistics on some fish I've sampled: Nassau grouper, black grouper, hogfish, jewfish and various snappers. One day at sea leaves me with a full day of lab work. Fisheries' 40-foot boat is about ready to sail. We may make a 3-day trip next week. I would imagine, knowing the staff at Fisheries, the trip would be fun as well as productive.

[Photo: Sampling of reef fish to be examined prior to distribution to Fisheries staff. 1976]

Journal Entry 15

October 3, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I haven't written for about a week. I guess, now that I am relatively settled into a routine, there doesn't seem to be as much to write about. So, I'll probably only get off one or two journal entries per week now.

I received quite a bit of mail this week from home. Papa Gates seemed quite interested in Belize (form of government, courts, etc.) I have some printed matter I'll send along which answers most of his questions. I've especially enjoyed getting the L.A. Times sports sections sent from home. I shared them with the family here and the people at work.

Last Tuesday I borrowed a radio, and several of us listened to the Ali-Norton fight. Keith, up from Punta Gorda, Einar, Roger and I listened to the round recaps broadcast over Armed Forces Radio. The station faded in and out, but we were still able to follow the descriptions. Muhammad Ali is an extremely popular person in Belize. There is even a Muhammad Ali Street here in the city. Mr. Miller at work was quite excited about the fight all day Monday and Tuesday. He predicted Ali would knock out Norton by the fifth round. I told Mr. Miller that the fight would go the full 15 rounds and Ali would get the decision. I guess he now respects my ability for predicting fights.

Saturday (yesterday) was quite an eventful day at work. Two things happened. (1) We had a staff meeting, and (2) after 8 months and untold hundreds of dollars, our big boat, the Panulirus Argus, is now running!

Mr. Miller called an emergency staff meeting. We are short-staffed (Silvano resigned, David is home with an injured ankle), and Mr. Miller wants to utilize what little staff he has with maximum efficiency. He also severely reprimanded us for a general lack of professionalism. No one will be allowed any longer to sleep in the lobby (reception area.) He said it looks bad when the first thing you see as you enter the building is some staff member asleep on the settee. Profanities should no longer be shouted from one end of the building to the other. He also reminded us that one third of all fish, conch, and lobster taken on a Fisheries trip should be distributed to staff members who were unable to make the trip. He then stressed the importance of punctuality. We should be at work on time and not leave before closing time. (That same day, just one hour after the meeting, Howard and I left to go home a half hour early; everyone else had left 30 minutes earlier.) It was quite a staff meeting. Miller is no longer going to play Mr. Nice Guy.

[Photo: Fisheries Unit Laboratory, 1976.]

Journal Entry 16

October 5, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

The Fisheries big boat, Panulirus Argus, that had just returned from the repair yard after eight months, lost all its motor oil through a hole in the oil pan and is no longer running.

Yesterday I got my gamma globulin and rabies shots. I am required to get shots of some kind about every three months.

It hasn't cooled off here yet. However, the humidity has fallen to about 60-70%. I miss the cool, crisp air of autumn of Southern California.

Today I submitted my first monthly progress report to Mr. Miller.

[Photo: Albert Street, 1976.]



Journal Entry 17

October 9, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

I had not felt well last week for 3 or 4 days when I went to see Dr. Lizama on Handyside Street. He ordered a blood test, a stool examination, and a culture done on the ear infection which I have now had for about eight weeks. Within three days I got the results: blood was normal, the infection of the ear is a particularly resistant form, and I have worms (Ascariasis.)

I am receiving injections of an antibiotic each day for the infection. Also, I am using some ear drops. Tonight and tomorrow, I will go over to PCV Judy's so she can give me shots over the weekend. Dr. Lizama is not available on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. It may be embarrassing to have Judy give me the shots since they must be given in my backside.

I will take some tablets tonight to rid myself of my worms.

Other than that, things are going well. I missed an overnight trip to San Pedro because of my ear infection. Howard and Romie went.

Mr. Miller held interviews yesterday to fill the two openings of Fisheries Officer. It looks like two young women will get the jobs. We are shorthanded now and need the help.

[Photo: Looking south on the Barracks, taken from the roof of the Fisheries Laboratory, 1976.]

Journal Entry 18

October 16, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Yesterday I received the prints from my slides and a nice shirt from home. Earlier in the week I had gotten a birthday card from Mom and Dad. I had completely forgotten that my birthday was coming up so soon. The shirt will be cool enough to wear here.

Since there was quite a bit of interest in baseball playoffs at work, I organized a pool for the first game of the World Series. The game was played today. Listened to part of it at work, and I heard this evening that the final score was 5-1, Cincinnati. If so, I won the $9 pot. I may have a harder time filling up the next pool.

Work has been slow. Since I haven't gotten out to the reef for over two weeks, I've been doing some statistical work on Fisheries exports. I could really use two books I have at home: "Biostatistics" and a small book full of tables for statistics. I will write home and ask for them.

My ear infection has cleared up. I got eight shots for it. But I think I still have worms.

Tomorrow Einar and I are going to the fights on Bird's Isle. Fitzroy Giuseppe is fighting again. Admission is $4 for general admission. Hope it's more of a fight than the last one.

I've been doing a lot of reading. It is a good form of recreation in the evenings. (No TV here.) I just finished Uris's "QB VII" and I'm now reading "Caravans" by Michener. Looking forward to getting the books Mom is sending from home.

The weather cooled off last week. I even put a sheet over me for a couple of nights. It has since warmed up again. But the real hot weather we had in August and September seems to be over.

On Monday I will be flying to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye with Norris Wade to inspect the fisheries co-op. I'm looking forward to that.

Peace Corps is planning to give us a Thanksgiving-Christmas dinner in December. It will be held at Dorothy and Tom Furey's.

Denton from the Fisheries Unit has expressed a desire to go to the U.S. to study. He is thinking about Humboldt State which has a fisheries degree. I told him I would guide him in his efforts. I will write off for some information.

[Photo: Open-air sports and entertainment venue Birds Isle, 1976.]

Journal Entry 19

October 25, 1976 / Belize City, Belize

I realize it's been over a week since I've written in my journal, but there does not seem to be as much to write about now that I've settled into a routine.

Tomorrow we're planning to go out to St George's Caye to do some field work. I plan to take my camera and use up my second roll of film. Last Monday I flew to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye to get some information from the Caribe�a Fishermen's Cooperative there. San Pedro is almost a perfect tropical isle. It is really pretty. Next Monday I will fly down to Placencia to get some data from the Placencia Fishermen's Cooperative. I will be going with Norris Wade, the quality control inspector from the Fisheries Unit.

I will be getting my Belize driver's license soon. International driver's licenses are not valid here.

The nights have cooled off a little. I put a sheet over me now when I wake up in the night. It should remain cool through March. It would be nice if Dad could come down during Easter. I should know the country by then. I can get time off from work any time I like. Roger's family is coming down this Christmas. Next Christmas I may take a bus to Tijuana and ask for a lift the rest of the way. David may come with me.

I spent yesterday with the Audubon Society clearing paths through the jungle with a machete. It was hard work but also lots of fun.

[Photo: Mrs. Meg Craig (pictured) and Mr. W. Ford Young led monthly Audubon field trips in the 1970s. I can be seen lurking in the background in this photo. Somewhere in Belize,1976.]

Journal Entry 20

This week I received the vitamins and the two statistics books Mom sent. The books will be very useful. I've been collecting data from the fishermen's co-ops, but I really couldn't do much with it without the methods and equations in the books. I've been able to obtain information including weight of catch, area fished, method used, time spent. Howard knew this information existed but was unable for 9 months to get it. He was really surprised when I came back from San Pedro with this data for Caribe�a Co-op. I have since gotten the same type of data from Northern Co-op here in the city.

Tomorrow I'm flying down to Placencia for a couple of days to try to get this data from Placencia co-op. I'll be going with Norris Wade. Norris is the quality control expert attached to the Unit. It is his job to make sure the co-ops maintain proper sanitary conditions at their plants. Norris had been out of the country (in U.S. and Great Britain) to learn new techniques. He had been gone since June, and just returned this month. I'll be sure to take my camera. Maybe I'll be able to get some aerial photos of the coast and of Belize City and Stann Creek. Whenever I am away from the city for over 6 hours (either out to sea or visiting a co-op) I am given a traveling allowance. I usually get about BZ$3.50 for going out to sea. I should be able to pocket a little cash from the Placencia trip.

I still haven't been able to find any native arts to send home for Christmas. There are some handicrafts here, but I don't feel I can yet judge their quality. So, I sent some handicrafts of my own-making home. David showed me how to make ink prints of fish. He has done some excellent ones. Mine are not that good, but I thought I would send them anyway. The prints I sent (Friday by air mail) are of a juvenile spadefish caught with a cast net off the pier behind Fisheries.

Last Thursday I got up early (5:30) and went down to the market to get a pumpkin so I could make a jack-o-lantern for the two little girls at home. Halloween is known here, but there are no trick-or-treating, costumes, or jack-o-lanterns. The two girls were quite pleased to find a jack-o-lantern in their house. It was a big hit. They had read about and seen pictures of them but had never actually seen one.

This afternoon at 1:30 I'm going with the Audubon Society to Big Falls to observe waterfowl. These Audubon trips are nice because they get me out of the city for a short time. Last Sunday I helped clear paths for a park, Guanacaste, the government has set aside at the Society's request. I became quite proficient in the use of a machete, the only tool we had. The machete is quite efficient in clearing away jungle. Still, I developed a good set of blisters on both hands. I also picked up a few ticks which attached themselves between my toes. It took the six of us about three hours. Guanacaste Park is located near Roaring Creek, about 3 miles east of Belmopan. I rode back in the bed of a pick-up (usual mode of transport for these trips) and watched the sun set, the stars come out, and the fireflies streaking by the road. It was a beautiful way to end the day.

[Photo: Romie, David and Denton (L-R) catching sprat off the bridge behind Fisheries Unit Laboratory, 1976.]

Journal Entry 21

Monday afternoon at 1:00 Norris Wade and I flew down to the fishing village of Placencia. We took a Maya Airlines flight which also stopped at Stann Creek and Punta Gorda. The flight took about 40 minutes to Independence, the nearest airstrip to Placencia. The weather was rough, and the small light plane bounced about quite a bit. Very few landing strips in Belize are paved, and landing is always fun. On the flight south I took 3 or 4 photographs from the plane of the Stann Creek Valley (mixed citrus groves with jungle) but don't know if they'll come out. The light was not good.

From Independence, a skiff took us the 4 miles along a mangrove lined waterway and across the lagoon to Placencia. After a brief inspection of the co-op and an exchange of greetings with co-op officials, Norris and I found our way to a small boarding house and checked in. The rest of the day we had to ourselves, and Norris took me around the village to introduce me to the many fishermen. Most of them could be found at either of two drinking establishments. The fisherman usually goes out for about 5 days. After selling his catch, he may wind up with a hundred dollars. He typically does not go out again until he has spent that one hundred dollars. So, if a fisherman is not out at sea, he is probably at "The Cool Spot" or "The Blue Angel."

Next day we went to the co-op to ask if they had the data I wanted. They did not, but they agreed it was important information and will, from now on, keep track of it for me. So, my work was finished at 9:00 a.m. Tues., and we did not have to leave until 3:00 p.m. Wednesday Actually, this trip was not necessary, but Norris thought I would enjoy Placencia.

I had previously marveled at how idyllic San Pedro is. Well, Placencia is even nicer. It is not just its physical beauty; there is a special charm to the people as well. Life is slow, and the people are open and friendly. The village has a population of about 300. There are only about 12 different surnames, and it is almost possible to be able to place a face with one of the surnames.

There is a phenomenon at Placencia we should be so lucky to have back home in Carlsbad. The beach is building up about one yard per year. The beach is clean white sand. The shade of the coconut palms helps keep away the hot sun. The sea provides the people of Placencia with plenty of food. They need only buy canned milk and vegetables at the one small store.

I hope I can arrange it so I must get to Placencia 5 or 6 times a year.

Wednesday night I became sick with vomiting and diarrhea. I was up every hour that night to throw up and move my bowels (simultaneously). The next day I ran a temperature of 101°. It was 3 days before I felt like eating again. I am fine now. I think I may have eaten a bad lobster in Placencia.

Last night at home was hectic. The older girl celebrated her 5th birthday with the help of about 10 other children.

[Photo: Placencia, photo taken in 1976.]



===================

In 1978 a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer and I left from the Ag Show in Belmopan and headed to Tikal. I hope you enjoy this adventure�.

Both Keith and I had to work the annual Agricultural and Trade Show on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, 1978, in Belmopan. The Ag Show is like a small county fair with dozens of thatched booths displaying the various goods and products of government and private industry. The British military usually had some of their weapons on display, too. The two-day fair also included food stalls, horse racing, soccer, a rodeo and a small livestock barn.

Keith would be manning a booth promoting honey from the Southern Beekeepers Cooperative, and I would be working the Fisheries Unit display. We had already planned to take a few days off after the Ag Show and go to the ancient Mayan site of Tikal just across the border in Guatemala. Neither Keith nor I had been to Tikal before, and this might be our last good opportunity to go before our tours of duty ended.

We left the Ag Show late Sunday afternoon and walked the quarter mile or so to the Western Highway. Each of us carried a small backpack and shoulder bag. We stood at the edge of the road and hoped to hitch a ride to San Ignacio or beyond. Within just a few minutes an old, weather-beaten minivan stopped for us. The driver and his four passengers were Americans and told us they were heading to their farm near Benque Viejo del Carmen. It was getting late in the day, and they said that we were welcome to spend the night with them. Elated at our good fortune, Keith and I hopped into the van without hesitation. The driver told us that he ran a Christian camp and would be pleased to talk to us about accepting Christ into our lives. Keith and I stalled and deflected, not wanting to offend our much-needed hosts for the night.

It was just after sunset when we reached the rustic church camp, and Keith and I were showed to the bunkhouse which we would have to ourselves that night. We explained that we were tired and dirty and simply wanted to go bathe in the Mopan River and then turn in for the night. They could talk to us about Jesus at breakfast.

Keith and I walked down to the river in the dark, undressed and bathed. While sitting on the bank and drying off for a few minutes, we decided that we could avoid our overzealous hosts in the morning by sneaking away before sunrise. Satisfied with our plan, we dressed, walked into town and found a small restaurant. We lingered over our plates of tamales, killing as much time as we could. We returned to our bunkhouse and went to bed.

The next morning at daybreak, we quietly slipped out of the bunkhouse and walked into town for breakfast. After breakfast, we walked the mile and a half to the Guatemala border. We crossed the border and walked across the bridge over the Mopan River. We learned that the bus to the Tikal cutoff was not scheduled to depart until 1:30 that afternoon. We found a shady place under some oak trees down by the river and passed the time by reading and napping. It was a little unsettling to see Guatemalan soldiers armed with M1 carbines watching over the area. In Belize there was no military presence on the streets, but here in Melchor soldiers seemed to greatly outnumber the police.

At about 1:00 we walked over to the small plaza to catch the bus that would take us the 40 miles to El Cruce, the cutoff for the road to Tikal. Eventually the bus driver showed up, sat behind the steering wheel and started the engine with an almost deafening roar. Dark smoke billowed out from under the bus. The engine backfired loudly a few times and then settled to an idle. We boarded, told the driver that we were going to Tikal, and we took our seats near the back of the bus where we could keep an eye on the people seated in front of us. We were the only gringos on the bus. The bus pulled out of the plaza, backfired a couple more times and made two or three stops to pick up more passengers before leaving the city.

The road was paved but badly potholed. The driver stopped the bus every 5 miles or so to drop off or pick up passengers. This, obviously, was not the "autob�s directo." It was late afternoon by the time we reached El Cruce and exited the bus. On our way out the door the driver explained that the next bus to Tikal was not until the next morning.

El Cruce was not a town or community; it was literally "el cruce" - just a crossroads. We had heard that if we missed the bus to Tikal there was a place to spend the night not far from El Cruce. It was called El Gringo Perdido and was on the shore of Lake Pet�n Itz� about three miles from El Cruce.

It took us a little more than an hour to walk to El Gringo Perdido. What we found was a new, upscale campground with a restaurant. The proprietor, a young man who spoke perfect English, met us and said that we could spend the night under a palapa out on a deck built over the lake and use the bathroom behind the restaurant. That sounded perfect to us. He then took us on a short tour of his facility and told us a little about himself.

His name was David Kuhn, and he was from Florida. In 1974 after several visits to Guatemala, he decided to move here and build a small cabin on the lake. Local people called him Don David, el gringo perdido - the lost gringo. David liked the lake, jungle, animals and friendly people, and he soon decided that this was the place to build bungalows and a camping area for tourists. On Dec 29, 1975, he opened El Gringo Perdido, the first jungle accommodations on Lake Pet�n Itz�. He explained how he was hoping to attract backpackers and budget travelers looking for an eco-friendly yet clean and comfortable place to stay. He showed us his "zoo" of several caged indigenous animals including a margay. Keith and I both thought that keeping wild animals in cages was not exactly "eco-friendly."

We set up our two hammocks under the palapa, watched the sunset and then walked over to the semi-open-air, thatched restaurant. We hadn't eaten since breakfast, and we devoured our meal of thickened turkey soup and corn tortillas. We topped it off with a couple of Gallo beers. David came by our table to see how we were doing. He told us that the bus to Tikal would be at El Remate at 8:00 in the morning and that he would drop us off at the bus stop.

After dinner we retired to our palapa. We were soon treated to a spectacular display of lightning out over the lake. Bolt after bolt of lightning lit up the night sky for almost an hour. It was the perfect way to end a long but perfect day.

We woke up the next morning well rested and eager to continue our trip. So far, we had only traveled about 75 miles in 36 hours. We needed to pick up the pace. We had breakfast at the restaurant, settled our bill and found David. He told us to meet him at his pickup truck in ten minutes and he would run us out to the bus stop at El Remate. Ten minutes turned into 30 minutes, and we became concerned about missing our bus. We could have walked to El Remate in 30 minutes. Finally, David came dashing out of his office and told us to jump in the truck, and off we raced down the dirt road. We reached the bus stop just as the bus to Tikal pulled in.

We boarded the bus and took our seats, again near the back. The bus was about half full, more women than men. Some of the women had infants or toddlers with them. The bus was smaller than the one that we rode the day before. The road was unpaved and deeply rutted and the padding in the seats was very thin. The bus was only able to go about 15-20 miles per hour. Within just a few minutes many of the passengers were asleep or at least appeared to be sleeping. The women with children fussed and fidgeted and tried to keep their babies occupied with bits of food. Keith and I settled in for what we thought would be about an hourlong ride.

After about 30 minutes we came to a slight rise in the road and the bus's tires lost traction in the mud. The driver ordered everyone out of the bus. We could see that we were only a few feet away from the top of the rise. Instinctively, without being asked, the male passengers gathered behind the bus and were ready to push. The driver put the bus in gear and slowly spun the rear wheels while we pushed. The bus gradually made it out of the mud and to the crest of the hill. We all got back in the bus and continued our way down the dirt road to Tikal.

After just another mile or two, we came to a small snack shop and bar. The driver pulled the bus to the side of the road and announced, "Quince minutos" - fifteen minutes. Keith and I wandered into the wooden and concrete establishment and looked around. The bus driver headed straight to the bar that was off to one side of the room. He sat on one of the four barstools and said something to the bartender. The bartender reached behind him and took a small glass flask from the shelf and handed it to the bus driver. The bottle had a picture of an indigenous woman on it. I was close enough that I could read the label on the bottle: "Quetzalteca Aguardiente 36° Alc./vol. 250 ml." - 72-proof cane alcohol. The bus driver took a long swig and then slipped the half-empty flask into his back pocket. He got up off the barstool and shouted, "Todos abordo. Vamos."

We boarded the bus, returned to our same seats, and wondered what would happen next. The bus driver, presumably now somewhat sedated, started up the engine, shifted the bus into gear, popped an eight-track cartridge into the tape player, and we were off. The rest of the way to Tikal was without incident.

The cheapest accommodation at Tikal was a campground where you could rent a hammock and have the use a communal toilet and shower. Keith and I were both ready for something a little more exclusive. We found the Tikal Inn that had an available thatched hut with two beds. That sounded fine. The toilet and shower were just a short distance away in an adjacent burned-out, roofless building that had, until recently, been the Inn.

The Tikal Inn looked as though it had once been a well-appointed hotel. The main building was set about 100 yards north of the airstrip. Behind the main building were four thatched huts lined up on one side of a large rectangular swimming pool. The pool was empty except for a few inches of rainwater, some moss and other debris. It obviously had not been used for quite some time. The other three huts were not occupied. In fact, we never saw any other guests at the Tikal Inn.

Exhausted from the day's travel, we did not venture into the grounds to see the ruins that afternoon. Instead, we showered and napped for an hour or so. Just before sundown we ventured out to look for a place to eat. We walked along the edge of the partially paved airstrip, turned left onto the main road and found a cluster of small kitchens - comedores - serving basic meals.

We entered one and asked, "Hay comida?" A Mayan woman answered, "Si, hay. Si�ntate en la mesa." We sat at a wooden table covered with a thin plastic tablecloth. There were only three tables in the small screened-in dining room. The kitchen occupied one corner of the room. Apparently, there was no menu, just "comida." The meal of fried chicken, French fries and corn tortillas was filling if not delicious. Our bellies full, we walked back to our hut and went to sleep.

The next morning, at the sound of roosters crowing, we rose from bed, walked over to the burned-out shell of a hotel and washed up. We then walked along the airstrip to the cluster of kitchens, entered the same one from the previous evening, sat down and ordered breakfast. Again, there was no menu, just "desayuno." We felt encouraged by the sight of a woman patting corn masa by hand into thin cakes and then placing each onto the comal. Fresh, handmade tortillas!

We were served a fried egg, refried black beans and a stack of hot, corn tortillas. We asked for juice and were told that the only juice was orange juice, but it was freshly squeezed just minutes ago. That would do nicely. The coffee, alas, was instant Nescafe, but we were more than satisfied with our breakfast.

We spent the rest of the morning exploring the grounds of Tikal. We encountered groups of coati and a couple of flocks of wild turkeys. Trails led through the dense jungle to clearings containing the various limestone ruins. We climbed to the tops of all the major temples. From the top of the 212-foot-tall Temple IV, we could see three other temples poking out from the jungle below.

We took a break from scrambling up and over various ruins and found a somewhat shaded place at the top of the Central Acropolis. While sitting there, we became aware of an increasingly foul odor. Then we heard rustling in the trees above us. Looking up we saw a troop of about 10 black howler monkeys. They were moving slowly but deliberately from tree to tree. One of them had a baby clinging to her abdomen. As they moved farther away, the odor dissipated.

After a couple of hours more, we were ready to return to our hut. In front of the Tikal Inn was an old twin propeller Aviateca airliner. It had the name "Itza" painted on the side of the fuselage just behind the nose. Keith, who knew more about aircraft than I, recognized the plane as a 1950s vintage 44-passenger Convair CV-340. We both wondered how the plane was able to safely land on such a poorly surfaced runway.

It rained on our second full day at Tikal, but that did not stop us from further exploring the grounds. In fact, it felt good to be cooled by the rain. Also, we had the entire park to ourselves. We did not see anyone else out amongst the ruins. It just felt good to race from site to site, in the rain, in the jungle, all by ourselves. It was so different from being in Belize City. There was no traffic, no street hawkers, no putrid canals. It was exhilarating. We ended the day just like we ended the day before, sitting down at our favorite comedor to a simple meal and an ice-cold bottle of Gallo beer.

After three nights and two full days of exploring Tikal, it was time to pack up and head back to Belize. We took the morning bus out of Tikal and easily made the connection to Melchor. After crossing the border, we caught the next bus headed to Belize City. We could not believe our luck as we made every connection, and each bus was running on time. We would be in Belize City in time to attend the reception that the Peace Corps Director was giving for the newly sworn in Volunteers. Because I had helped with the training for this new class of Volunteers, and because the class included two Volunteers that would be assigned to the Fisheries Unit, I wanted to be at the reception to support them.

The bus pulled into Belize City and stopped at the Pound Yard Bridge which was the end of the line. It was just a quarter mile walk from there to home. A quick shower, a change of clothes and we were ready for the reception. What a memorable time the last few days were!

[Photos: Keith killing time at the border, waiting for the bus at Melchor, Thatched huts and empty pool behind the Tikal Inn, and Aviateca airliner on the airstrip in Tikal, 1978.]

Journal Entry 22

November 14, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Everything is coming along fine here. However, the weather has warmed up again and it's hard to believe we're in the middle of November. Right now, I'm lying in bed waiting to be called down for breakfast. We eat Sunday breakfast late, about 9:00 a.m. Usually have pancakes, sausage, and juice. Unlike most Belizean families, we eat our main meal in the evening rather than at noon. I take a sack lunch to work. Breakfasts on weekdays is usually 2 eggs, bread, sometimes sausage or bacon or fried lunchmeat, and juice. Our evening meals are quite "American" although we usually do have rice and beans instead of potatoes. I have gotten to like rice and beans as long as there is a gravy or onion/pepper sauce to put on it. We eat a lot of starches: dinner may be fried chicken, potato salad, rice and beans, bread, and juice. If we are lacking anything in our diet, it is green vegetables. We only get green vegetables about once or twice a week. I am taking the vitamins Mom sent (the analysis of them is much better than the vitamins I can get from the Peace Corps) to supplement my diet. I am lucky that in staying with a Belizean family I am exposed to more of the culture (meals, parties, music, etc.) than the PCVs who room with each other and maintain their own American practices. I believe Roger and I are the only PCVs in Belize (about 40 PCVs) who are staying with a Belizean family.

We have had six early terminations of PCVs here in Belize in the past 1� months. This is too great of a rate and Peace Corps Director Reggie is quite concerned. The Texas couple left in early October. The British American couple quit last Sunday. Two others, not with our training group, have also recently quit. Belize is considered by Washington to be a hardship post. I'm sure I'll be able to stick it out for the two years. We got two new fisheries officers at work: two women, Janet and Jen. That will take some of the workload from Howard and me. Both women are Belize nationals.

I got my driver's license last Monday. Driving is really wild here. Streets are narrow, there are a minimum of traffic regulations and a maximum of cars. Tijuana is a model city to drive in compared to Belize. Actually, it's really a lot of fun.

Later this month I will be going up to a small fishing village, Sarteneja, about 15 miles across the bay from Corozal. It can only be reached by boat. Norris and I are going on a business/pleasure trip to inspect the co-op there. We plan to go into Mexico (Chetumal) to look around and shop. Mexico is giving 25 pesos to the U.S. dollar now (used to be 12.50) so I hope to find some bargains, although Chetumal is reputed to be expensive.

Last week I saw a new Jamaican film at the Eden Theater, "Smile Orange." It is full of Caribbean humor, etc., and most of the dialogue is in Creole. I plan to go to the football games today at the MCC Grounds. Hope to get some pictures.

[Photo: Belize City riverside, just west of Swing Bridge, looking south, 1978. Poster for the 1976 Jamaican movie "Smile Orange."]

Journal Entry 23

November 21, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

This week I received a letter from home, National Geographic, three books ("Nightwork," "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Railway Bazaar") and the L.A. Times. The books look interesting, especially "Railway Bazaar." I had just bought Larry Woiwode's latest book "Beyond the Bedroom Walls" and borrowed a couple of other paperbacks from the Peace Corps library, so I'm pretty well supplied with reading material now. I hope I can finish all this before the next books come. By the way, I never received the Halloween treats intended for the girls. I've heard that sometimes, if an envelope looks as though it may contain a greeting card, it is stolen somewhere along the way since greeting cards often contain money.

It is now 4:00 p.m. and it has just stopped raining. I was really looking forward to today because there was so much scheduled to happen. The luncheon with the governor has been set back a couple of weeks. But there was to be an Audubon trip to Guanacaste Park to erect some benches. To go to the park, I was going to have to miss the fights on Bird's Isle and the football match at the MCC Grounds. Well, the rain has forced the cancellation of the Audubon trip, the fights, and the football match. I haven't even left the house today. I hope tonight to go to the movie theater.

I earned my keep last Friday night. I agreed to babysit and had the girls in bed and was just getting to bed myself when I heard one of them crying. Then the other started crying. They were frightened because their parents had left them while they were sleeping. I tried reading to them, explaining the situation to them, giving them food, etc. As it turned out, the only way to get them comfortable was for me to lie down in the girls' room with them and promise I would wake them when the parents got back. I won't be so quick to offer to baby sit next time.

This week I got two shots, diphtheria-tetanus and rabies, and polio drops. Dr. Lizama expressed some concern about my ears still being infected. Also, my feet were rather badly infected but the medication he gave me for that worked quite well. I surely wish my ears would clear up soon. It's a hassle to have to keep cleaning the pus out of them

[Photo: "Welcome to Guanacaste Park. This park is named for the enormous Guanacaste tree with its magnificent gardens of air plants that is growing at the western edge of the property. Maintained by the Belize Audubon Society." 1976]

Journal Entry 24

November 28, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Well, Thanksgiving has already come and gone, and I never once realized that last Thursday was Thanksgiving Day. We have our own schedule of holidays here. Two weeks ago we celebrated Prince Charles' birthday. His birthday, November 14, fell on a Sunday this year, so we all got the following Monday off. This year Christmas falls on a Saturday, so Boxing Day (an English tradition) falls on a Sunday, so we'll get Monday off, too. So, I'll work half-day Christmas Eve (Fri.), Christmas Day off (Sat.), Boxing Day off (Sun.), and Monday off, too, because Boxing Day comes on a Sunday. Next year we'll have another national holiday. Because there was so much interest in this year's Carib Settlement Day (Nov. 19) the government has decided to make it an official holiday. Other holidays are Queen's Birthday, Commonwealth Day, New Years, Easter, and 10th of September.

This week I received the book "Marathon Man," and the L.A. Times Sports Section. The "Marathon Man" looks interesting. It's hard to believe Mom only paid US$1.69 for the hardcover. I just bought a paperback Larry Woiwode's ("Beyond the Bedroom Wall") for BZ$4.50. I read the sports sections and was happy to catch up on some of that news.

Yesterday was Roger's birthday. We had some of his friends (Debbie, Einar, Judy, Jackie, Tom) over, and I barbecued steaks and chicken. I borrowed the barbecue grill from Mr. Miller. We also had baked beans, squash, coleslaw, and cake. I think Roger enjoyed the party. Later that evening there was a potluck dinner at Bev, Judy, and Jackie's to celebrate three November birthdays (Roger, Judy and Mussolini.)

Belize City, particularly the Mesopotamian section where I live, has been plagued by power outages. One of the city's electrical generators is broken and won't be repaired for one year. So, with the extra drain of electricity brought on by the holiday season, the remaining power plant cannot supply enough electricity. Since we have an electric water pump at this house, we must carry our water up in buckets when the power goes off. The power to the downtown area is rarely shut off, so I've been going to the movies more lately. Nothing else to do.

The Audubon trip rescheduled for today has been cancelled because the roads are impassable. It was to have included lunch with the Governor, who is also a member. So, now I'm free to go to the Boxing Matches today at 11:00 a.m., rescheduled from last week. Don't know who's fighting.

This week sometime, I'm to fly to Corozal with Norris Wade. We'll spend the night there and the next day take a dory to the fishing village of Sarteneja about 15 miles east on the bay. We will check out the Sarteneja Fishermen's Co-op and go back to Corozal the same day. Spend that night in Corozal and fly home the next day. While in Corozal, we hope to cross the border into Mexico to look around Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo. The Mexican peso is now worth 4� U.S., down from 8�, so I may be able to get a few bargains.

The weather fluctuates now between hot and cool spells. Yesterday it was 87° and the humidity was 90%. The mosquitoes were bad last night. I couldn't find a mosquito coil to burn, and it was too hot to put a sheet over me. Fortunately, nights like that are not common.

Dr. Lizama has again referred me to Dr. Flores, an Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to clear up my ear infection. He cleaned out my ears, gave me antibiotic tablets (Ledermycin, 2 x 300 mg daily) and two kinds of ear drops, one anti-bacterial, the other antifungal. I'm to see him again tomorrow. I think the cure is working this time.

[Photo: Boxing at Bird's Isle, 1976.]



Journal Entry 25

December 5, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

A cold front has come down from the north and settled over Belize for the past 5 or 6 days. The mornings have been cool, about 65°, and the afternoons have been quite comfortable. A lot of rain and wind has come with the cold front. So, with the "cold" weather I got a craving for some hot homemade soup, like I might get at home.

I asked if they had in Belize the ingredients for split pea soup and was told that they did. I was sent to the market to get the ingredients: split peas, onions, celery, etc., and pigtails. Ham bones are too hard to come by (too expensive) here so they use pigtails instead. I'd never seen a pigtail sitting on the kitchen counter before, but they look just like pigtails, long and curly and about 3/4" in diameter. At the base where the tail joins the pig, there is a little extra meat. I'm sure that most Americans would consider eating pigtails rather "gross."

The soup was excellent. She makes it with dumplings on top. It is served with a large bowl of rice on the table, and everyone adds a lot of rice to their soup, so it has the consistency of a mush. The pigtails were cut into about 3" lengths. It seemed funny to watch everyone eating their soup with a spoon and then occasionally dip into the soup with their fingers and bring out a pigtail and chew on that (like eating a sparerib.) I was surprised at the taste of pigtails; they sure don't taste like ham. Anyway, the soup was delicious, and I hope we have it again sometime.

In the mail this week I received the L.A. Times sports section and the Xmas cards for me, the girls and family. I enjoy the sports very much and then pass it along to Mr. Miller who is quite a sports fan.

This week I finished writing and sending 25 Christmas cards. I thought the cards, Belizean made and with local scenes, were quite nice. I wrote a note inside of each of the 25 cards, so now most everyone has my address, and I should be flooded with mail. Ha! I also mailed a piece of ziricote wood to Paul White. Ziricote is favored by Belize woodcarvers. I thought he might like it.

Yesterday we had our big Peace Corps Christmas-Thanksgiving dinner party. It really was nice, well organized and well attended. We ate at about 5:00 p.m. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, bread, peas, carrots and pumpkin pie. The party was held at the Furey's who have a large house in Hone Park. Most of the Volunteers were there, about 45 of us. Many of them I had never met before. Roger made 30 pounds of mashed potatoes, and I had to bring about 5 pounds of carrot sticks, cucumber slices, tomatoes, etc. I used the Land Rover from work to get us and the food to the party, and we put our bikes in the back. I dropped off Roger, the food, and his bike, then drove to the Fisheries Unit (nearby) and left the Rover and then rode my bike back to the Furey's.

It isn't raining today, so Roger and I will probably go to the football games. Almost no gringos attend the football games, so it's really a Belizean experience. Roger and I seem to be the only PCVs in the city that try to mix with the Belizeans. Most PCVs have never attended a football game, etc. They are content to socialize amongst themselves. Just by living with a Belizean family, we are at an advantage that way. Also, Roger is getting rather good at speaking Creole. That helps. I'm having a hard time picking it up well enough to speak it.

[Photo: Football at MCC Grounds, 1976.]

Journal Entry 26

December 12, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

We've been having a very wet late November and early December. The locals say it is quite unusual to have so much rain at this time of the year. The rain has been coming down with the "northers" (cold air masses from North America.) With the rain, the northers have brought cooler air temperatures. The days are quite pleasant (maybe I'm just getting used to it) and the nights can be cool. Sometimes I even sleep under a light blanket. Something I could use, to lounge around in in the evenings, is some sweats.

It is customary in Belize for every government agency to hold a large staff Christmas Party. Last week, David, Denton and I went out to sea to catch enough fish for grilled fillets for our Christmas party. We went south about 20 miles to some patch reefs and speared 85 pounds of grouper. Fish averaged about 6 pounds each. Anything over 10 pounds is a little hard to handle when it's thrashing around on the end of the spear. After scaling, gutting and leaving some of the smaller fish whole to take home, we had 25 pounds of fillet for the party. Norris brought up 10 pounds of shrimp from Placencia. Everything was ready. In fact, the last week at work was devoted to preparing for the party. But it rained the day the party was to be held (Fri., 10 Dec.) and since the roof at the Fisheries Laboratory leaks badly, the party was cancelled. No one could get word out to Belmopan to cancel the order of hors d'oeuvres, so Mr. Miller gave Denton, David and me the order to wait around after work Friday evening to receive the party foods from Belmopan, and, if they were perishable, to see to it that they perished. So, we had our own small party.

I received a lot of mail this week. I got one package of clothes mailed in September. It contained a sweatshirt, 2 new cotton shirts, some towels, two books, etc. It came by way of N.Y., which is typical for surface mail, and was the 18th shipment to arrive in Belize this year. Also, I got a lot of paperback books: Eiseley's "Unexpected Universe"; Clavell's "Shogun," "King Rat," "Tai-Pan"; Caldwell's "Captain and Kings"; Higgins' "Eagle Has Landed"; Michener's "Miscellany"; Tolkien's "Hobbit," "Fellowship of the Ring", "Two Towers," "Return of the King"; Castaneda's "Don Juan", "Separate Reality," "Journey to Ixtlan," "Tales of Power"; Brady's "Shark Fighter" and Ali's "Greatest." I also got two old Time Magazines (9/27 and 10/4.) My second L.A. Times arrived. So, it looks like the mail is starting to come in now. The books look interesting. I've only read one of them before, "King Rat." The only ones I will not read are Tolkien's books.

Roger left yesterday to fly back to Michigan. He will then ride down with his father and brothers who are driving down to be in Belize for Christmas.

[Photo: Heading out to the patch reefs in the Fisheries skiff, December 1976.]

Journal Entry 27

December 15, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Surface mail is coming in now. Been receiving packages the past few days. Received: Crock-Pot cookbooks; two denim jackets and stocking gifts for the girls; one box of fudge; color and activity books mailed 10/14 (the girls love them, just in time for vacation); four books for girls (Oceanography, Animals of the Sea, Seashells, Reptiles & Amphibians; twelve activity & coloring books mailed 10/20.

Hope Crock-Pot gets here by Christmas.

[Photo: Young boy paddling his dory along Southern Foreshore, Belize City, 1977.]



Journal Entry 28

December 19, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Belize is preparing for Christmas. Stores are staying open in the evenings. The streets are congested, and the traffic cops are working overtime. Many Belizeans are home from the States. Christmas lights are decorating the windows, roofs and trees in front of some of the homes. Friday evening Santa Claus made an appearance at the Vogue department store and there were hundreds of people milling around there. It took about 10 minutes to walk over the Swing Bridge. Movie theaters are announcing their special holiday shows. "Towering Inferno" is coming to Belize City. Prices will be doubled to see this, "a major film of 1974." Christmas carols are being played over Radio Belize, redone to a reggae beat. Street vendors are selling cotton candy and dolls brought down from Mexico. A shipment of stuffed animals was being unloaded at the docks and one animal split open revealing it was stuffed with wrist watches. The Reporter newspaper was printed this week in red and green ink.

There are some wonderful baking aromas coming from the kitchen this morning.

Yesterday I bought a few things to send home for Christmas. The items were purchased at Nava's Ceramics. I bought a serving plate, a tankard, and a bud vase They are Belizean made so I think the folks back home will appreciate them. It's really hard to buy gifts in Belize.

Friday, I drove the Fisheries' Land Rover (a piece of junk which Howard assured everyone would never make it) to Belmopan over flooded roads (it's been a very wet month). There were times the road was completely undetectable. I just drove in a straight line from where the road submerged to the next place it was visible. Denton, Romie and I went. It was a lot of fun to get out on the open road for a change. We had to take a ham and turkey to Belmopan for the Ministry of Trade and Industry's Christmas party. I have a feeling that no work will be done this week at Fisheries. Our Christmas party is the 22nd, so until then we have to prepare, and after that we'll have to recover.

Roger left for Michigan (about US$300 to fly) last Saturday and will be driving back down with his father and two brothers for Christmas here. His dad is driving down a motorhome. I think they'll be here for a week. Roger, Jackie, and Nancy, all from my group, went home for Christmas. Wonder if they'll all make it back. Keith wants to take the bus to Tijuana this summer and then Greyhound to Southern California. He lives in Long Beach. I might go with him.

I shaved off my beard and mustache

[Photo: Rainwater vats behind St Catherine's, Belize City, 1978.]

Journal Entry 29

December 26, 1976 / Belize City, Belize:

Well, Roger's father and three brothers just left to go back home and, hopefully, now things will get back to normal. We had a nice if somewhat hectic Christmas.

Roger's family was due to arrive the 22nd. Roger had flown home and was to drive back down with his father and brothers in a motorhome. By the 24th we all decided Roger was not going to make it down for Christmas. About 5:00 p.m. that day we found out that they had broken down (rear axle) in Chetumal, Mexico, near the Belize border. We rented a Land Rover, drove to Chetumal, picked them up and brought them home. That is about a 3-hour drive over some poor roads. Roger's family got in about 2:00 a.m. Christmas morning. Everyone was too keyed up to go right to bed, and by about 3:00 a.m. the little girls woke up and came downstairs and there was no way to make them wait for a more reasonable hour to open their gifts. The girls were pleased with all their gifts from California.

We ate Christmas dinner about 1:30 p.m. We had ham, turkey, dressing, rice and beans and potato salad. For dessert we had the traditional black cake. One of Roger's brothers did not eat with us. He was suffering miserably from "Montezuma's Revenge." The heat and humidity were bothering Roger's family, so they did not have much of an appetite. In fact, the heat (he wouldn't believe me that this has been the coolest month I've seen here) had Roger Sr. flat on his back during much of the day. Not thinking of that, I took him for a walking tour of the city while dinner was being readied and he started panting so hard I cut the tour short. Something none of them could handle was the cold showers. We don't have hot water in the house, at least not in the bathroom that I use. I've gotten to enjoy a refreshing cold shower in the afternoon. Roger Sr. could not believe that.

Today, we all went out to the reef to dive. Roger Sr. really enjoyed that even though he was quite thoroughly cut up from the coral. Anyway, Roger's family will be going back to a Michigan winter with Caribbean sunburns.

Plenty has happened which I don't have time to mention this time: David, Denton and I nearly got lost at sea; Howard is getting married and may quit the Peace Corps; our Staff Party was a success (barbecued shrimp-delicious). I believe the Crock-Pot is the only package which has not yet arrived.

[Photo: Small caye behind Gallows Point Reef, Belize, 1976. Photo credit, Einar Kvaran.]

Journal Entry 30

January 3, 1977 /Belize City, Belize:

The holidays have come and gone, and now it's back to the old routine. I wrote last week about Christmas in Belize, so now a little something about New Year's. Friday, 31 December, was a full working day, but David, Romi, Jen, her brother Alger, and I took the skiff out to Caye Caulker for a day of fun in the sun. Denton wanted to go but had to catch the bus to Stann Creek at 1:00 p.m. Romi's mother lives on Caye Caulker and occasionally Mr. Miller lets Romi take the Fisheries skiff out there (about 20 miles) to see her. The rest of us went along just for the ride. Caye Caulker is quite pretty, something like San Pedro but not as touristy. The houses on Caulker are spread out, like Placencia. But Caulker does not have quite as nice beaches as either San Pedro or Placencia.

We all brought lunches and picnicked on the sand. After that, Romi's mother invited us in for another lunch: roast beef, rice, and macaroni and cheese. After that, we took the skiff out to the reef about one mile directly east of Caulker for a swim. The reef there was nice, but was not great for fishing. After that we went to a sandbar just behind St. George's Caye to collect West Indian fighting conch for their shells to put in the Fisheries Unit's shell collection. We figured that was enough justification for our trip. I got home about 7:00 p.m., ate and rested for midnight. I woke up at 2:30 a.m., so just went back to sleep-missed the New Year. We went over to David's for New Year's dinner at 2:00 p.m. We had ham, turkey with stuffing, rice and beans, and potato salad.

Today was the first day back to school following the three-week Christmas break. I had been coming home at noon the past three weeks and eating a large Belizean dinner. Well, today it's back to sandwiches at work. I think I have put back one or two of the pounds I had lost, but I still feel underweight. I've been quite healthy the past 2 months; I have a good appetite and no ear infection. So, things are coming along pretty well.

I still haven't mailed home the ceramics I bought for Christmas gifts. I didn't have enough cash for postage. I'll get them off when I know I can wrap them properly. I've had a lot of time to read lately and finished "Marathon Man," "The Great Railway Bazaar" (excellent), and one of the Castaneda books. David told me today that USC beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl; those Midwest teams just don't stand a chance when they come out to California and spend too much time on the Sunset Strip.

For two weeks in December, I got to bring the Fisheries Unit's Land Rover home overnight. That worked out well because for those two weeks the family's car was not running, so I could drop everyone off at work and school. It was good to be able to return the favor (they drop me off at work when it's raining).

[Photo: Alger, Romi, Alan, David and Jen on Caye Caulker, Belize, 31 December 1976.]



Journal Entry 31

January 9, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

A couple of weeks ago, David, Denton, and I took the skiff south about 20 miles to Rendezvous Caye. The purpose of the trip was to get some fish for the staff Christmas party. On the way to Rendezvous Caye we dropped off Colin on Sergeant's Caye to study the flora and fauna there. That was about 9:00 a.m. and we said we would pick him up about 4:00 p.m. on the way back. We planned to spearfish over the patch reefs by Rendezvous Caye.

As we were passing Rendezvous Caye we noticed a couple of people waving us in. So, we put into the Caye (about a third of an acre in size) to see what they wanted. It was a fisherman and his family. The fisherman wanted a ride back to the city. We told him we'd pick him up about 4:00 p.m.

We fished all day, and because fishing was particularly good, we kept at it until about 5:00 p.m. We were then about 3 or 4 miles north of Rendezvous Caye. The sun was on the horizon which made it difficult to see and avoid the patch reefs. So, David stood on the bow of the skiff to direct Denton who was in the stern at the outboard motors.

About 2 miles north of Rendezvous Caye we hit a patch reef at full throttle. It jammed up one propeller, and we continued to Rendezvous on one engine. There, the fisherman worked about an hour to try to fix the damaged prop, but he could not repair it. We left Rendezvous Caye in the dark (6:00 p.m.) headed for Sergeant's Caye and then to Belize. The fisherman knew the waters better than we did, so he became our guide.

It was an extremely dark, moonless night and so dark that on the horizon it was not possible to distinguish the sea from the sky. We were trying to find Sergeant's Caye which is only about 50xl00 ft with its highest point maybe l� ft above the sea. About 8:00 p.m. the fisherman pointed out something which he said was Sergeant's Caye. None of us could see it. And then, when we were about 100 ft. from it, we could barely make it out.

We picked up Colin, with apologies, and continued back. The stars were beautiful, their reflection off the water just as bright as their light from the sky, and there was a luminescence in our wake. We had torn a hole in the skiff on the patch reef and had to bail out water the whole way to stay afloat. We got back to the Fisheries Lab about 10:00 p.m. Without the skill of that fisherman, Colin would have had to spend the night on Sergeant's Caye swatting mosquitos and sand flies the whole time.

The Land Rover at work has no brakes, so next week I'm going to drive it (very carefully) about 100 miles to the Mountain Pine Ridge area to the Forest Station at Augustine. They have a mechanic there. Mr. Miller will follow me on the road and give me a ride back. Going back, we may stop to collect freshwater fish for Roger's aquarium. I haven't been into the Pine Ridge yet and am looking forward to it.

Every year on the first and second full moon of the new year, the groupers spawn in the deep water off Caye Glory down by Stann Creek Town. The Unit is going to try to get down there this year at least once to observe and photograph the fishing. We'll have to charter a boat since the Panulirus Argus is still not running. Denton, David, and I are willing to take the skiff, but it would be better to go in a larger boat.

Today is the Super Bowl, and I'm less interested in that then I am in the game this afternoon at the MCC grounds where an English team will play a Belizean team in soccer.

[Photo: Patch reefs inside the barrier reef, Belize.]

Journal Entry 32

January 16, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

A ship must have put into Belize harbor this week because I got a lot of surface mail. The Crock-Pot arrived last Monday and was in good condition. There's a song popular in the Caribbean, sung by the Tradewinds, called "It's Traditional." The song says how every country has certain customs or traditions. Even little West Indian countries have their traditions. One of these traditions, the song says, is receiving Christmas gifts from the States in July. So, the Crock-Pot was not really late - just traditional.

I also received in the mail this week: Time Magazine (the first on my subscription), Stereo Review, pair of sweatpants, and a box of fudge. It was really a good week for me. I received the Time Magazine from a local bookstore which has been notified by Time to send me a copy every week from their stock.

Other than receiving that mail, not much happened this week. There was a change of plans, so I did not drive the Fisheries' Land Rover up into the Mountain Pine Ridge. There is an Audubon trip scheduled for the Pine Ridge at the end of the month, so I'll get to go up there then. Tuesday I may fly with Mr. Miller down to Punta Gorda in Toledo District for a couple of days. Mr. Miller must go there on business and thought I would like to come along for the ride. Hopefully, I will be able to get some aerial photographs of the coastline.

The big social event of last week was the screening of the film "The Harder They Come." This is a five- or six-year-old Jamaican film playing in Belize for the first time. There were two shows Friday night and two shows Saturday night - all sold out. It was like a Hollywood Premiere. A huge crowd was milling around the Eden Cinema, and everyone was really dressed up. I had reserved our seats earlier in the week. The film was an underground classic in the States. It still shows occasionally in the L.A. area. It depicts a Jamaican's struggle for success in the corrupt Jamaican record industry and depicts day-to-day Caribbean life. The dialogue is in Creole with English subtitles. The film also features a lot of Jamaican reggae music which is so popular here.

I really look forward to reading the Belize newspapers which come out Friday evenings. I especially enjoy reading Amandala. Amandala was started by a young Belizean who was educated at Dartmouth in the late 1960s. He received his degree in English literature and returned to Belize. He became quite bitter because of the prejudices in the U.S. against Blacks and formed a radical political party here: United Black Association for Development. Now Evan X Hyde has become more mellow and publishes the newspaper which best captures the spirit of the Creole people. At first reading his newspaper appears to be a poor attempt at journalism; at least it does not fit the mold of a traditional newspaper. Evan X Hyde could put out a very polished newspaper if that was what he wanted to do. He emphasizes sports, literature, the arts, and enjoys exposing the incompetence/corruption of politicians. Hyde also includes a serial melodrama which he writes called "Ros'lin." It's a classic.

I went to the football games at MCC Grounds today. I know a couple of the players and enjoy watching them play. The games are more interesting now that I know more about the game. It's really a rather good sport.

[Photo: The Harder They Come movie poster (posteritati.com)]



Journal Entry 33

January 25, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

I heard on the radio that parts of the U.S. are having quite a cold winter. Well, they've got nothing on Belize. The lowest temperature recorded since 1961 in Belize City was last week - 54° F. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Belize City was 53° F. In the Pine Ridge temperatures dropped to the mid 40's overnight. The story on the front page of the *Amandala *reported in headlines: "Icy Weather Grips Belize."

Whenever the temperature dips much below 70°, the locals all put on their cold weather gear. The night watchman at Fisheries wore two overcoats over a sweater. Actually, it really was uncomfortable for me, too. The houses here are built to catch the breeze and are not heated, so when it's 54° outside, it's 54° inside. I've got a nice quilt on my bed, so I wasn't cold sleeping, just getting out of bed in the morning. The cold weather broke up Sunday (lasted about l� weeks), but it still is cool compared to what it can be here. Right now (10:00 a.m.) it's about 72°, blue skies, and a gentle breeze coming in off the Caribbean. It won't get much warmer than that the rest of the day. I guess I'm not suffering too badly!

Today at 1:00 p.m. I'm to fly down to Punta Gorda with Mr. Miller on Fisheries business. We were to have gone last week, but the flight was already booked up for the one day we could leave. The fishermen in P.G. are trying to organize a co-op, and Mr. Miller is going down to advise them. I'm going along for the ride - Maya Airways offers some cheap thrills; landing on jungle airstrips is a lot of fun.

This Sunday I am going with the Audubon Society to the Pine Ridge. Craggy peaks, mountain streams, and pine scented air will be a welcome relief to 6 months of Belize City. It's a one-day trip. We'll go out the Western Highway to Cayo and then south to the Pine Ridge. The pavement ends in Belmopan, and I'll probably be riding in the back of a Land Rover pickup truck.

I was glad to hear that my California Teaching Credentials came through all right. I was especially pleased to note they were Life Credentials and do not require any further schooling. Also, in the mail I received "Winnie-the-Pooh" books for the girls, and "Weigh-In." I'm slowly making my way through the paperbacks. Right now, I'm reading "Nightwork" by Irwin Shaw. Time Magazine is coming regularly now, and I've received several editions of the L.A. Times.

I've been quite busy at work. The weather hasn't permitted me to go into the field lately, so I've been collecting and breaking down data on catches by the fishermen of San Pedro who belong to Caribe�a Co-op. It's tedious work, but interesting to see what they catch.

[Photo: The start of a new caye? Somewhere in Belize, 1977.]

Journal Entry 34

February 2, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

I was able to see quite a lot of Belize the past week or so. Last Tuesday Mr. Miller and I flew south to Punta Gorda in Toledo District. Last Sunday I went on an Audubon field trip into the Pine Ridge, and yesterday Mr. Miller and I visited San Pedro and Caye Caulker.

Mr. Miller and I left Belize City at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, and flew Maya Airways to Punta Gorda. The plane stopped at Melinda (Stann Creek) and Big Creek (Placencia) on the way down. Maya Airways always offers a thrill or two when it touches down on the unpaved airstrips.

We stayed in a government rest house in P.G. It offered private rooms with poor beds. Fortunately, we just stayed the one night. The fishing co-op there had asked Mr. Miller to deny export licenses to private fishermen in the area and thus protect the co-op. We found, however, that the co-op was virtually non-functional and that to deny independent fishermen the right to export on their own would be to deny them of a livelihood.

We spent the night playing dominos and drinking rum under a house with some men that Mr. Miller knew. This was my first experience with dominos, and it was a lot of fun, much different from the game that we played as kids. There was a lot of "talking rass" and slapping down the domino tiles.

P.G. is a small community (only one paved street) made up mostly of Garifuna, Mayans and East Indians. There seems to be little wealth and certainly not much development in P.G. The quiet life is not going to last there, however. The British have just completed a new Army camp just outside of town and several oil companies have been prospecting for oil in that area. The rumor is that Belize will offer Great Britain permanent military bases in Belize (for protection from Guatemala) in exchange for independence. Many people, including leading officials in government, believe that Belize will get independence this year.

After our business in P.G. was completed Wednesday morning, Mr. Miller borrowed a Land Rover from the District Officer, and we drove out into the countryside. It was like taking a trip back in time as we saw people living and working as they have for hundreds of years. I could not detect many 20th Century devices in their possession.

Mr. Miller and I flew back to Belize City at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, and I got several aerial photos of the countryside.

Sunday morning I walked over to the Bliss Institute where the Audubon Society was meeting for their field trip. Four of us, along with a Dr. Layton Jackson from Missouri, rode in the back of Ford Young's Land Rover pickup. The road to Belmopan is paved, but the next 2 or 3 hours was on dirt roads.

The Pine Ridge landscape reminded me of the hills and pine forests of Southern California. We saw the 1000-Foot Fall and went to the Rio Frio Cave. This was my first time in a real cave, and I wished I had had my flash for my camera. The Pine Ridge would be a nice place to go camping, but one needs to have his own vehicle to reach it; too bad.

We got back home around 8:00 that evening just in time to eat some barracuda brought in fresh from the caye that day. It seems like we've been eating a lot of seafood lately, even fish for breakfast. Once last week we had gibnut for dinner. Gibnut is a large rodent, and it was quite delicious, oven-baked with a barbecue sauce. I was told when we were eating it that gibnut was something like a wild pig. The next day I learned the truth.

Yesterday, Mr. Miller, Romi, and I took the skiff to San Pedro to talk to the manager of the co-op there. It was my second trip to San Pedro and now, more than my first trip, I can see how it is quite tourist oriented. It's still pretty, though, and I'd never pass up a chance to go there. On our way back we stopped at Caye Caulker which is much more typical of Belize and much more tranquil and pleasant.

[Photos: Stann Creek Valley, 26 January 1977, and 1000-Foot Fall, 30 January 1977, Belize.]

Journal Entry 35

February 2, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

Yesterday I took a "busman's holiday" and spent the day on Goff's Caye on the barrier reef. A group of students from Belize Technical College wanted to charter a boat for a trip to the caye but needed a few more paying customers to keep the price per person down to BZ$5.00. They approached their former teacher to see if she would go and if she knew of anyone else who might like to come along. So, the whole family along with six Peace Corps Volunteers went on the trip.

The boat was a large power yacht that must have been magnificent in the 1920s. It was still in good shape, but somewhat under-powered. It rained on us on the way out and we got some nice rainbows to look at out over the Caribbean. The day cleared up beautifully, and even became quite warm. Goff's Caye is a favorite day trip for locals and tourists alike. It has white sand, palm trees, a thatched shelter and a good bridge for docking. It is also right on the reef, so the marine life is abundant.

We packed a picnic lunch of baked chicken, potato salad, bread, pineapple upside down cake, potato chips and soft drinks. I helped Roger collect small, colorful fish for the salt-water aquarium he has set up. We were fairly successful and got a few beau gregories (brilliant blue and yellow), sergeant majors (yellow, white, and black vertical stripes), 3-spot damsels, and blennies. Roger's aquarium is set up mostly with stuff I bring back from my trips to the reef, but now has some fish that Roger, himself, has caught. The girls really enjoy the aquarium and can identify the fish in the tank by looking at their pictures in a book.

Next weekend we have been invited by archeologist Claude Belanger to go to Lamanai, a Mayan excavation site near Indian Church in the Orange Walk District. Claude is site manager and is setting up camp for Dr. Pendergast and thought we would enjoy getting a "behind the scenes" tour of this Mayan site. The entire country seems to be dotted with Mayan mounds. We'll also have time to stop in to see Peace Corps Volunteer nurse Bev who has been transferred to San Felipe, a remote village in the Orange Walk District.

As of March 1st, all Peace Corps Volunteers in Belize will receive a pay raise from BZ$300 to $330/month. Also, those who are paying over $75 per month for rent will be given up to $30 a month on top of the raise. So, I'll get my $30 raise plus $25/month (my rent is $100 room and $100 board.) Now I'll be paying $225/month for room and board, and I'll still be getting $30/month extra "spending money" over my old salary. This Caribbean vacation is working out nicely.

It is now tourist season and there are a lot of Gringos on the streets. The weather is very pleasant, and the humidity should decrease as we enter the dry season.

[Photo: Fish trap located near Gallows Point, Belize, 1977. The trap is a straight length of mesh fence that ends in a circular enclosure.]



[Photo: Goff's Caye, 1976. Photo credit: Einar Kvaran.]

Journal Entry 36

February 16, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

Saturday after work we went to see some Mayan ruins [Lamanai] being excavated at Indian Church in Orange Walk District. Claude Belanger, a family friend who works at the site, invited us up. We drove as far as the New River on the Northern Highway a few miles south of Orange Walk Town. From there Claude took us by boat to Indian Church, about an hour's boat ride. The trip on the river was very scenic as we worked our way through grasslands with tropical birds and then through thick jungle. The only thing missing was the sight of crocodiles sunning themselves along the riverbank. The river has crocs, but I didn't see any.

The camp at the worksite is set up with electricity and bottled gas. The buildings are all made of palmetto and palm thatch. From the outside it looks like a Maya village, but the huts are furnished inside with gas ranges, refrigerators, etc. A Canadian agency is doing the excavating, and this is their 4th year on the site.

It was dark by the time we reached the camp, so sightseeing was left to the next day. We slept under mosquito netting. This was the first time that I heard the nighttime roar of howler monkeys. It sounded like they must have been in the tree right next to us.

In the morning we toured the grounds which are the most extensive Mayan ruins in Belize. Little of it has been excavated, and none of it has yet been restored. It will take about another ten years to complete. We wandered along footpaths through the jungle from point of interest to point of interest. The site contains the largest building in Belize, a Mayan temple, which I climbed for the view of the surrounding area. In the afternoon, Claude took us water skiing.

We had dinner and got back to Belize that evening. We were invited back for April sometime, so I hope that works out. One thing interesting Claude showed us in the jungle was the water vine, a plant that contains a lot of water and can be used for drinking water. A 3-foot length of it of about 3-inch diameter would provide about a pint of water.

I know I've occasionally written about some unusual foods I've had here, but the other day I had the most unusual yet - cow foot soup. It is a vegetable soup, but the stock is made from boiling a cow's foot. We don't have it at home, but I had some at a friend's house. Each bowl contained what looked like vegetable soup with a chunk of cow's foot in it. It tasted okay, but it was somewhat sticky. Anyway, now I can add cows' foot to the list.

We've been having nice weather, and I've been able to get out to sea more often. I spent Sunday in the jungle and the next day on the reef. I've really been fortunate to be able to see so much of Belize, and most of it is job related. The barracuda are plentiful this time of the year, and I usually see some large ones (4-5 foot).

Yesterday I got my absentee ballot, marked it, and mailed it this morning. I also received the three shirts for me and the two shirts for the girls. They were just the style I've come to like here, button all the way down the front with square tails so they can be worn loose.

It has become routine to have tamales for lunch on Saturday. We buy them from Mr. Miller's mother-in-law. They are the best tamales I've ever had. One tamale is plenty to eat and only costs BZ$0.75. Whenever I go out to sea, I try to bring home a couple of hogfish. The flesh is white and very mild and is delicious baked. Last night we had it served with scalloped potatoes, rice and beans, cucumber slices, carrots.

I usually get a letter from home on Wednesdays, so I'll stop by Peace Corps to see if I have a letter today. It's always good to hear the news from home.

[Photos: Lamanai, Belize, February 1977.]

Journal Entry 37

February 21, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

This week the circus came to town. The Suarez Brothers Circus from Mexico is in Belize City for a few days. On Sunday morning I walked over to Denton's house and then we both went over to check out the circus activity in the empty lot by Belcan Bridge. It seems to be a large circus, and I'm sure they do put on a good show. I may go see it later this week.

Yesterday afternoon I went on an Audubon field trip to Big Falls Ranch, a rice plantation about 20 miles west of the Belize City. It was a good trip, and we saw quite a few birds. It was especially fun because many of the birds we saw on this trip were quite exotic looking: great blue heron, wood storks, white fronted parrots, etc.

I was asked to bring home the barbeque grill from Fisheries today. I hope that means we'll be having barbeque for dinner. A hunter comes by every few of weeks to sell us game meat.

I've just been given the assignment at work to develop a slideshow on the Fisheries Unit. We have a community involvement program and have a lot of school children coming through the lab. Mr. Miller thought it would be nice to have some slides to show them.

For the past six months all the water we've used at home has been rainwater that runs off the roof and into a vat. Yesterday we hooked up to the city pipe water as we are entering the dry season and have used up all the water in the vat. My only concern was that the pipe water would be colder than the water in the vat. (We don't have a water heater.) It doesn't seem to be, though.

My work is coming along okay. I have plenty to keep me busy and I'm sure I'll be able to leave something behind to help the fisheries of Belize. I hope I can use my work here to partially satisfy the thesis requirement for a master's degree in biology or marine biology. I've written to UCSD to advise me. If I had known before coming down here, I'm sure I would be able to have gotten permission from Cal Poly to do this.

[Photo: Sugar storage and barges on Haulover Creek, Belize, 1977.]

Journal Entry 38

February 28, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

Yesterday I went up to Orange Walk Town to watch a football game between Orange Walk and Stann Creek. Each district has a team, and they play a round robin competition to decide who will come to Belize City to play the City All-Stars. Orange Walk is leading the district competition but was only able to manage a tie (1-1) yesterday with Stann Creek.

I was particularly happy to go on this trip because I was not going with other PCVs, but with a group of boys that hang out on Dean Street by the canal. This group of boys is well-known for giving tourists, Peace Corps, or any other gringos a hard time. I walk down Dean Street every day on my way home from work and have gotten to know these guys. They invited me along on the trip to Orange Walk. They chartered a 20-passenger bus from Gordon's Tours for the trip. It cost us BZ$7.50 apiece. The bus was air-conditioned and had a stereo tape player. It is not possible to go to Orange Walk, stay for the game, and return to Belize City in the same day on the regular buses. This Gordon's Tours bus worked out well. So, 19 Dean Street boys and I went up to check out Orange Walk. It was truly a chance to participate in Belize on a Belizean level.

[Photo: Southern Foreshore, Belize City, September 17, 1978.]

Journal Entry 39

March 7, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

This was the weekend for the annual caye trip for the graduating St. Catherine's seniors, and the Fisheries Unit helped to make it a success.

Each year the girls' teacher invites them out to the family's caye for a weekend. This year I was invited along, too. Twenty-five girls, their teacher and I left Belize aboard a sailboat Friday afternoon and got out to the caye just in time to set up camp before dark.

There is only a small cabin on the caye which could not accommodate all the girls, so we brought along a large army tent for them. I organized a few of the girls to set up the tent while the others unpacked, set up the kitchen, etc. It was the kind of tent that I had used before, so it was only the 20-knot wind that made the job difficult. I got the tent up quickly, only suffering a few blisters from pounding the tent stakes with a crescent wrench. A night swim helped me recover sufficiently to eat some lobster casserole. After dinner, the girls sang Caribbean folk songs accompanied by guitar, clinking pint bottles, cheese grater, pots, etc.

The caye is quite nice, but it is small and not located on the reef, so there is a limited number of things to do there. Saturday morning, I was just thinking how the girls might soon get bored, when off in the distance I spotted the Fisheries Unit approaching and knew that now things would start to happen. With the teacher's permission I had persuaded David and Denton to come out to the caye for Saturday. We kept the girls entertained by taking them fishing, for boat rides, to a swimming beach, etc. Without the help of the Fisheries Unit the girls would not have been able to get out to the reef, either. They seemed to enjoy fishing the most but were not too good at it. They did catch enough fish for panadas the next day.

Just before dark, as David and Denton had to go back to Belize, we discovered that we needed some supplies and asked them if they would bring back some things for us Sunday morning. They said they would. That night we had barbecued chicken and salad and after dinner the girls started jamming again.

The Fisheries Unit arrived early Sunday morning and again proved to be of invaluable assistance. More fishing, cleaning fish, panadas, swimming, trip to the reef and it was nearly dark, time to go back to Belize. The trip back was lovely. We sailed on a large lighter (working sailboat) and got back about 9:00 p.m.

I just received a letter from the Smithsonian Institute inviting me to visit their research station on Carrie Bow Caye, one of the prettiest cayes in Belize -- right on the reef. I'll be flying down to Stann Creek 21 March and take a boat to the caye from there. I may be staying anywhere from 3 to 7 days there. It should be educational as well as enjoyable.

[Photo: Small caye with a cabin and dock near Gallow's Point Reef, 1977.]

Fisheries Unit Scuba Training

It looked like I might finally get a chance to do some scuba diving. In September 1976 the Canadian government provided the Fisheries Unit with a grant for the purchase of scuba diving equipment. Peace Corps Volunteer Howard and I put together a "wish list" of US$10,000 worth of U.S. Divers Professional scuba gear. The list included tanks, harnesses, regulators, weight belts, facemasks, fins, flashlights, catch bags, wet suits, a Nikonos III camera and an air compressor.

Of the Fisheries staff, only Howard and Silvano were certified divers, and Silvano would be leaving soon. He got a job with the newly formed Belizean Airways Limited. BAL had five Boeing 707-720 planes that they bought for a total of US$1,000,000, including a 132-passenger airliner, one cargo plane, and three "junkers" that they cannibalize for spare parts. After making only one flight, a truck at the Belize International Airport ran into BAL's only operable passenger plane and tore a hole in the fuselage. So, BAL did not start regular service to Miami as scheduled.

The scuba gear arrived in April 1977, and Mr. Miller contacted the British Army at the small garrison adjacent to the airport to see if they would provide training for us. The British Army initially told Mr. Miller that they could not spare the personnel to train us, but later indicated that they were willing to conduct training for us beginning in late June. It would be an abbreviated training course and would not include certification, but it would be sufficient for what we may be doing in the immediate future.

On July 4, our scuba diving instruction began. Two British soldiers, Paul and Mick, came out to the Fisheries laboratory to lecture us. Paul, English and clean shaven, was a sergeant and seemed to be in charge. He was a pleasant and capable young man, 28 years old, and had been in the Army for 11 years. He was engaged to a Belize girl and planned to remain in Belize to live when he got out of the service in three months. His partner, Mick, was a redheaded Scotsman with a closely cropped full beard and a thick accent. They both seemed delighted to be away from their regular duties.

The scuba training was for the benefit of Janet, Colin, Denton, Jen, Romi and me. Howard, who was already a certified diver, would be participating as a refresher course. Jen was a reluctant participant. She was not the "outdoorsy" type and did not seem to relish field work. Romi was at home suffering from a bad cold, so he was not available for the start of training.

Paul and Mick gave short shrift to the science of scuba diving. The relevant aspects of physics, physiology and oceanography were glossed over. They did, however, stress two important rules: never hold your breath while ascending, and never dive alone. After presenting the basics of scuba diving in the classroom, we were ready and eager to strap on the tanks and go into the water.

We were to continue training the next day at the Fort George Hotel swimming pool, but Paul and Mick had to rush to the Guatemalan front. While we at Fisheries were focused on scuba training, the British Forces were focused on the Guatemalan troops massing at the border and threatening to invade Belize.

Great Britain had sent troops to reinforce the garrison in Belize in the face of a mounting confrontation with Guatemala. The Royal Navy frigate HMS Achilles took up a position in Belizean waters on July 5 when British forces were moved to within two miles of the Guatemalan border. Two days later a Hawker Harrier fighter detachment was deployed in Belize while several hundred extra troops were flown in by transport aircraft. The next day anti-aircraft missiles were positioned to defend Belize's only airport.

After a few days, the tension along the border with Guatemala eased, and Paul and Mick returned to Fisheries to continue our scuba training.

We spent two mornings in the Fort George Hotel swimming pool learning the basics. Everyone except Jen seemed to do fine. Jen was obviously not comfortable in the water but was giving it her best effort. Romi was still at home nursing his head cold.

I was thrilled to be using the Fort George pool. Fort George was the only three-star hotel in Belize. In fact, there were no other hotels in the country that rated higher than one star. Fort George was the epitome of luxury, at least, compared to my meager existence as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

In the 1970s the price of Coca Cola and beer was controlled by the government, so you could drink a Belikin beer in the Paddle Bar at the Fort George, replete with air conditioning, sea view, waistcoated waiters and all, for 65 cents. That is, if you drank out of the bottle. If you asked for a glass, they could charge whatever they wanted. I confess that, as a poor Peace Corps Volunteer, I took advantage of this "loophole" a few times. I would sip my drink straight out of the bottle and look down at the hotel guests lounging by the pool and pretend that I was among them living in the lap of luxury.

The British Army maintained a house on St. George's Caye that they used for a rest and recuperation facility. Paul suggested that we do our ocean dives near St. George's Caye so that we could use their R&R facility during lunch breaks.

We did our first ocean dive in the morning and went down to only 15 feet on the inside of the reef. Almost immediately Jen sucked in a lot of water and panicked. I swam over to her, kept her afloat and got her to the boat. She was frightened, and I could tell that she probably would not dive again. Scuba diving was just not her "cup of tea."

During our lunchbreak at St George's Caye we used the British Army's air compressor and recharged our tanks. Denton and I borrowed a couple of the Army's kayaks and had some fun until I overturned on a mass of jellyfish and was stung over my entire body.

After lunch, Howard, Denton, Colin, Paul and I dove on the deep side of the reef. We all checked out okay at 45 feet. Janet had a cold so could not dive, and Romi was still sick at home.

Communication among us was a challenge. Paul was English, Mick was Scottish, Romi and Denton spoke Creole, Colin was from Mauritius, a former British colony in the Indian Ocean, Janet was Belizean and educated in England, Howard was from Florida, and I was from Southern California. On the surface, nobody quite knew what anybody else was talking about. But once we went under water, all communication was by sign language, and we could understand each other perfectly.

The next day neither of Fisheries' skiffs was available because none of the outboard motors was in working order. Colin offered to take us out in his sailboat. Unaware of the condition of Colin's boat, Paul immediately took Colin up on his offer.

Romi had recovered from his cold but remained at the lab to try to repair the broken outboard motors. That meant that Romi had not yet made any actual scuba dives, not even in the Fort George Hotel swimming pool.

Colin's sailboat was an old, waterlogged converted fishing smack. With a 25 horsepower outboard mounted on the transom and carrying six adults, its top speed was only five miles per hour. Our dive spot, the reef in front of St. George's Caye, was 10 miles away. We settled in for a two-hour journey on a swelteringly hot and breezeless day. Sergeant Paul was not amused.

We finally reached our dive spot and set the anchor. The water depth on the outside of the reef at St. George's Caye gradually increases to about 30 feet and then drops off steeply at the wall to just over 100 feet where it then gradually slopes even deeper. We dove the face of the wall to 80 feet. It was a beautiful dive with plenty of corals, sponges and sea fans. At 80 feet we could spend up to 30 minutes at depth without decompressing, but we began our ascent after just a few minutes.

We were soon back in the boat and ready to head back to Belize. Colin started the outboard motor, Denton pulled up the anchor, and we were underway. In typical Fisheries Unit fashion, we ran out of gas before reaching the city. With a gentle breeze now coming out of the southeast, Colin raised the mainsail. We slowly sailed the final mile back to the Barracks. Paul was satisfied that Denton, Colin and I were ready and capable of diving to 120 feet. Weather permitting, and outboard motors repaired, the "big dive" was set for the next day.

The next morning Romi had the outboards running, and he, Denton, Colin, Howard, Paul and I took the skiff to the reef off St. George's Caye. We set the anchor in about 30 feet of water, near to the drop-off. After a few words of caution from Paul, we put on our gear and entered the water. We descended as a group and kept close together. We reached the bottom at 130 feet. After just a couple of minutes Paul signaled for us to slowly ascend.

We were excited to have gone to such a depth. When we were back in the skiff it was all smiles and laughs. Paul slapped a high five with each of us, but when he got to Romi he suddenly got serious and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Romi, the boat captain."

"Yes, I know, but you haven't been a part of this training. Have you ever been scuba diving before?"

"No. This was the first time I ever had on tanks. This was my first dive. I couldn't do the training with the others because I was home sick with a cold."

Paul quietly said, "So, your first dive ever, the first time you ever put on a scuba tank, was to 130 feet? Please don't tell anyone that I was responsible for that."

Romi was unfazed, and Paul was relieved that his assignment with the Fisheries Unit had ended.

[Photo: Romi Badillo and Peace Corps Volunteer Howard Blakesley at the Fisheries Unit Laboratory, 1977.]

Journal Entry 40

March 17, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

Dad is coming to Belize for a visit. I'll meet him on Saturday afternoon, 2 April, at the airport. It looks now as if the whole family will travel with us south to Punta Gorda and San Antonio. This should be helpful because they really know the country and can show us around. Here is an itinerary that they are suggesting:

Saturday: Arrival (meet at airport), rest.
Sunday: Visit Belmopan, Xunantunich Maya ruins, Blue Hole (Hummingbird), and spend the night at Stann Creek.
Monday: Drive on down to Punta Gorda, and then into San Antonio.
Tuesday: Check out Toledo District, especially Maya Villages.
Wednesday: The long drive back to Belize City (7-8 hours).
Thursday: Catch a ride out to the family's caye.
Friday: Reef and caye
Saturday: Back to Belize City, mess around town.
Sunday: Departure.

If Dad wants to see some of the northern parts of Belize, we could probably do that, too, but it seems with a limited amount of time you have to leave something out.

I'm going to try to arrange it so that on the trip down south we can stay at Peace Corps homes instead of hotels. This will help save some money, although it may also be necessary as there are no hotels in San Antonio, and only one in Stann Creek. The major cost will be the Land Rover and gas which I can help with.

Dad asked if he could bring down some things for the family. They suggested he bring down some Easter candies for the girls. Novelties such as that are expensive here.

I'm going to a dance this Friday at Fort George, so I had to buy a pair of dress slacks. Couldn't find anything nice, so I bought a cut of gray gabardine and am having a tailor make me the pants. The cloth cost BZ$11.00 and the tailor is charging BZ$7.00. So, for US$9.00 I will have my first tailor-made piece of clothing.

[Photo: Fisheries staff conducting fieldwork near Cangrejo Caye, Belize, 1977.]

Journal Entry 41

March 21, 1977 / Stann Creek Town, Belize:

I came down to Stann Creek with the boys from Dean Street to watch a football game between Stann Creek and Orange Walk. The winner of this game would more than likely win the inter-district title. The game ended up 0 to 0, so nothing was really settled. We came down on the Gordon's Tours bus, again.

My plan was to not go back to Belize City with the Dean Street boys, but to spend the night in Stann Creek since I was scheduled to go out to Carrie Bow Caye (on the reef, 14 miles southeast of Stann Creek) on Monday morning (today). The wind is blowing too hard to go out today, so I'll wait until tomorrow.

I stayed with Peace Corps Volunteer Tom Duffy last night and will stay with him again tonight. Tom teaches chemistry at Stann Creek Ecumenical. Right now, I'm locked out of his house because Tom is at work and we both thought I would be going out to Carrie Bow this morning. I guess I'll just sit on the beach and do a little reading until Tom gets back about 4:00 p.m. I'll just have to make the best of a good situation. Also, it gives me a chance to write in my journal.

I am welcome to stay on Carrie Bow Caye for 7-10 days, but I'll go back to Belize in plenty of time to make arrangements for Dad's visit. There won't be much for me to do on Carrie Bow.

Last Friday night I went to a dance at the Fort George Hotel. It was a fundraiser for St. Catherine's Academy. It was an enjoyable evening, which for me is saying a lot because I am not much of a dancer. The Lord Rhaburn Combo, the best band in Belize, played and they really are quite good, playing everything from disco to funk to reggae to calypso.

Yesterday I started reading a book which, although quite ordinary in a literary sense, is quite amusing. It's Herman Wouk's "Don't Stop the Carnival." It's about an American who runs a tourist resort in the Caribbean.

Last Saturday Debbie, Einar and I caught a ride in a Mini-Moke out to Burrell Boom to swim in the river. A ferry crosses the river there. I recognized a boy from Belize City who was swimming and playing on the ferry. This guy was climbing to the roof of the ferry and jumping off into the river. In no time he showed me how to climb up, and I was diving off the roof of the ferry, too. It was really a lot of fun. Also, Einar and I swam underneath the ferry from one side to the other. That was quite a thrill since it is pitch black under the ferry. It was good exercise, too, since we had to constantly fight the flow of water. When we got back, we ate at a Chinese restaurant. It was a nice treat to eat out for once.

[Photo: A house on the riverbank, Belize, 1977.]

Journal Entry 42

March 25, 1977 / Carrie Bow Caye, Belize:

Well, the wind died down enough for me to get out to Carrie Bow Caye Tuesday. Carrie Bow is a small (100 x 40 yard) caye, all white sand shaded by coconut palms. It's right on the barrier reef, so there is excellent diving right out the backdoor. There are 3 buildings on the caye: one large house, a laboratory with a bedroom, and 2 small guest houses. I'm using one of the beds in the lab.

Fisheries Unit is a co-sponsor (on paper only) of the Smithsonian Institute's reef research headquartered on Carrie Bow. As a sort of courtesy, Howard and I were invited to check out the facilities. Howard could not make it as he is getting married tomorrow. There are just two lab technicians on Carrie Bow now, and they are setting up for the scientists who are arriving next week. So there really isn't much going on for me to observe. This island is just the kind you read about: clean, plenty fish, coconuts, trade winds, etc. I will be going back to Belize either Sunday or Monday and will then get ready for Dad's visit.

The latest word is that Roger will be going up to Orange Walk during Dad's visit, so he will not be making the drive down south with us. Also, that would leave Roger's bed empty for Thursday, or whenever we might be in Belize City. But plans change, and there may be a new set of plans later.

While in Stann Creek I talked to Volunteer Bob Safay and told him of the trouble my camera was giving me: slight over exposures. He had the same problem and found that the battery terminal inside the camera had corroded. Common in the tropics. I don't have my camera with me, but I hope this is my problem-easy to fix.

It looks like I'll be in good shape for Easter. I've had a bad cough for about 2 months, but that seems to be clearing up now. It really seems hard to shake any kind of bug here. I can now eat anything off the streets without becoming too sick. Occasionally I may pick up some diarrhea, but nothing too bad. I guess I've built up some sort of partial immunity to that.

[Photo: Alan Jackson with barracuda caught with handline, Belize, 1977.]

Journal Entry 43

April 13, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

It was too bad that Dad only had a week in Belize, but I think we did about as much in that one week as possible: Belize City, Belmopan, Xuanatunich, Hummingbird Hwy, Stann Creek, Placencia, Punta Gorda, San Antonio, reef and caye. I know that everyone tried very hard to show him a good time. It was especially fun for me because I got a chance to catch up on all the news from home.

Today was to have been Fisheries Open Day, but we were rained out. This gives us a few more days to prepare properly. It was a good way to save face, as I think we should have postponed the event anyway because we were not totally ready to go ahead with it.

I'm going to leave work early today and see Dr. Lizama. I was loading crates of beer and soft drinks onto the skiff tied up near Swing Bridge and I fell in the water. It was the classic one foot on the seawall and one foot on the skiff. As a result, I got a slight ear infection. I want to stop it early this time. Also, when I fell I scraped my skin on the concrete. Every one of the cuts I got became infected, but I cleaned them all out and they're nearly healed now. I hope nobody finds out that I went for a "swim" by the Swing Bridge.

[Photo: Xunantunich, Belize, 1977.]

Journal Entry 44

April 25, 1977 / Belize City, Belize:

I've been back to work for a week now. Fisheries had a good Open House, and things are back to normal.

Two weeks ago a new group of Peace Corps Trainees arrived in Belize City. Apparently, most of this new group has quite a few apprehensions concerning Peace Corps and Belize City. Unfortunately, these trainees had been talking to some Volunteers who were themselves disenchanted with Belize and had come away with a one-sided view of Belize and Peace Corps. These Trainees then approached Reggie, the Peace Corps Director, with all their complaints and doubts, and he was not able to help much.

So, Reggie called me into his office to ask me if I would make myself available to the Trainees to answer questions and present a more positive view of Belize. It is well known that I am a "well-adjusted, happy volunteer." In fact, I think I'm one of only a few Volunteers that likes living in Belize City. So, I took Friday morning off from work and tried to do what I could to help.

The Trainees were primarily concerned with the problem of not being accepted by their Belizean peers and by not being able to make friends. I guess the old Volunteers who had gotten to this group first had painted a pretty bleak picture. I tried to emphasize the need to get out of the Peace Corps clique and attend functions (sports, fairs, etc.) which are not normally attended by Peace Corps or tourists. I suggested they read every word of at least two of the local newspapers every week, so they could speak intelligently on Belizean affairs, price of cars, pay scale for different jobs, coming events, whatever.

Also, I suggested they not dress "touristy" and not travel in "packs" of 3 or 4, but to venture out individually. Also, not to become offended by some of the verbal abuse on the street, but to check it out and even let that person know you'll be around for two years, and he should get used to seeing you. One female complained specifically about one group of boys on Dean Street. When I told her that they were friends of mine, everyone was quite surprised.

I hope I was of some help. I was glad to do it because it got me in good with Reggie, Louis Lindo, and Mr. Yorke. It is these men who select the Volunteer Trainer to work with the new groups, like Russ did with us. I'm already trying to be considered for that position when my tour is up. It pays a good State Department salary and is not much work.

By the way, due to an oversight somewhere we are not entitled to the 10% pay raise we got starting in April. Now we only get 5%. I'm going to have to readjust my lifestyle because I already became accustomed to that 10%.

David's basketball team won the league championship Friday night. Going into that night's games there was a 3-way tie for first. For David's team to end up with sole possession of 1st place, Berger had to beat Carnation and David's team, Belikin Wheels, had to beat Old Parr. That's exactly what happened.

I volunteered to cook breakfast Sunday morning. The family was quite skeptical. I fixed bacon, eggs, and sourdough pancakes. Denton, Michael, Debbie and Einar all dropped in for breakfast. My breakfast was an unqualified success, even though I was so busy I didn't get to sit down and eat until all the eggs and bacon were gone. The pancakes were good though.

After breakfast Denton, Michael, Einar and I went to Bird's Isle for boxing. It was another Mexico vs. Belize card. I guess the truck ride down from Mexico tired out the Mexican boxers too much because, again, Belize won all the fights. We're looking forward to May 8th when Fitzroy Giuseppe fights.

I got the prints from film Roll #8. They were exposed correctly. Now I have my Olympus permanently at work (it takes the most abuse there) and the Minolta at home. After reading up on the Minolta I can see it is a good camera. I'm anxious to use it soon. I used the Nikonos III last week underwater. That's a lot of guesswork because we don't have a light meter. I used the suggestions on the film instructions for proper exposure, and then opened up the aperture one stop for every 3 feet below the surface. Also distances underwater appear to be 25% closer than they actually are. I didn't have the Sportfinder (framing aide) that goes on top of the camera and so had to view through the small viewfinder. With a mask, underwater, that's a trick. I shot black and white and will get the film processed here in the city.

[Photo: Dory on the beach, Placencia, Belize, 1978.]