Birds, Iguanas, and Howler Monkeys

Tuesday we had an excruciatingly early morning I had to be up at 5:30 which means it was 4:30 back home. Ugh.
Why was I up so early? Well because supposedly it's the best time to go bird watching. We had a professional bird watching guide come and teach us how to identify some of the many different species in Belize. In the hour we spent standing on the side of the road we saw 15 different species of birds. It was cool to finally learn which birds were making all the different sounds we had been hearing.
After bird watching we had breakfast and then we had a lecture on ecotourism and conservation efforts and issues.

We went into town for lunch before heading over to the San Ignacio Hotel where they have the Green Iguana Conservation Project. On the hotel property they have a several iguana enclosures that house iguanas that have been hatched and reared on site. We were brought into the iguana enclosure and taught how to properly restrain them and how to tell the difference between the males and females.

We also go to feed them.

Then we were able to go into the hatchery and I got to see a baby iguana coming out of its egg.
That was pretty cool.




The hatchery was already full of really young 2-3 day old iguanas and it was our job to move them into the young iguana enclosure where they would have more room.
After that we had to put our restraining skill to the test by having to restrain some of the older iguanas long enough to carry them to a release site on the hotel property. The iguanas were then released into the wild. This is the iguana I got to release. I named him Napoleon.

I also ate some termites...Yummy tastes like wood.






Wednesday after breakfast we drove out to the Community Baboon Sanctuary. It was exactly how it sounds, there is a community of about seven different villages and the black howler monkeys live within the community. Landowners in the area have pledged to conserve their land for the protection of the howler monkey habitat. Our guide led us around several people’s backyards to find troops of howler monkeys. While on the search for some monkeys the guide pointed out different plants and what they we’re used for. It was amazing learning about all the things some of these plants could do. Some could be used as pregnancy tests indicators and others to help different ailments. Eventually we found a troop of monkeys just chillin in the trees.

I guess they are pretty used to human interaction because they came right down to us. There were about 5-6 of them including two incredibly adorable babies. They we’re very curious and one even tried to climb onto one of the other girls backpacks. The guide got the male to howl for us by howling himself. It's a very intense loud sucking in sound that can be heard up to three miles away!

What are you lookin at?

BABY MONKEY!!!!!








Back at the sanctuary center we had lunch and I tried cashew wine.

First Day of Class

This program is split into two separate 2 week courses Wildlife Medicine/Conservation and Large Animal Veterinary Medicine in the Tropics. I'm starting out with the wildlife course, it's an overview of wildlife biology and the health issues confronting wild and zoo animals as well as animals in rescue, rehabilitation or breeding programs. There is also a lot of practical field experience. Today was basically an outline of what's to come in the next two weeks. We were already assigned lots of stuff to read and have to do two powerpoints one on an animal found here and the other on a zoonotic disease. After lunch we had two guest speakers the first was from the Forest Department of Belize and the second was from Birds without Borders.

After class was over some of the other girls and I decided to walk into town to get some groceries. Our hotel is only a mile from town but it sits on a HUGE hill above town, so the trip down was cake. Going back was a different story. Carrying lots of groceries up a mile long hill in the heat and humidity was brutal. But at the top of the we saw some toucans so that was pretty neat.

Tomorrow we get to go bird watching and then go do something with iguanas.

Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave

6:30 my alarm went off this morning. I dragged myself out of bed, grabbed my swim suit and my backpack, pulled on my 5 fingers and ran down to breakfast. 7:20 six of us hop into a van and make the hour and a half drive to the Mountain Tapir Reserve.

From there it was only a 45 minute hike to the cave. We had to cross three shallow rivers and hike through some thick rainforest areas.

I got to see several different types of butterflies and lizards, only I wasn't fast enough to get pictures of them

Eventually we got to a campsite/picnic area and had lunch. From there it was not even two minutes until we came upon the entrance of the cave!

We packed our cameras into our guides dry bag and swam in, yes swam in. Inside the cave we weren't able to use our cameras, there was too much going in and out of the water.

We also had to navigate through a labyrinth of fallen rocks, stalagmites and stalactites. We had a lot of tight spaces we had to crawl though, my five fingers were awesome for this. A little over 2 miles deep into the cave we came to the main cavern where there were tons more stalagmites and stalactites but they had quarts crystals growing on them so they looked all white and sparkly.

This cavern was where the mayans would perform scared ceremonies including human sacrifices! The cool thing about this cave is that it's a "living museum" meaning it has been left pretty much exactly how it has was found.

There was many different pieces of pottery, some still fully intact.

We also saw several skulls, this one was called the alien skull because of its weird proportions.

And there was even a fully intact skeleton! This was once a young girl who was sacrificed to the gods.

We spent a total of three and half hours going in and out of the cave, our guide did a really good job of telling us all about the history of the mayans and how the cave was used. The whole trip was awesome but now I'm pooped. Classes start tomorrow!!!

Today we got to explore the town of San Ignacio its very well different than anything back home. It reminded me of Tijunana only less dirty and less cramped.

This is the Saturday market. It was packed full of fruits and vegetables, clothes, shoes, and other goods.

Like these chickens.

When we got back we had the rest of the day to ourselves so a group of us decided to check out Cahal Pech, an archaeological reserve where there are ancient mayan ruins. Cahal Pech means "Place of the Ticks" and it was home to an elite mayan family and their staff. In 900 A.D. it was abandoned, maybe because they were sick of the all the ticks.

This is a courtyard strictly for the elite, it sits higher up than the rest of grounds.

Tonight we're all going into town for dinner. Tomorrow should be an awesome trip I'm going to Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM for short). Its a cave deep in the jungle. We have to swim in and then climb through a maze of rocks to this dry chamber that was used by the mayans to preform sacred ceremonies. The cave has been left exactly how it was found so I should get to see some pretty neat stuff. :D

First Day in Belize

I landed in Belize today at around 2:40 pm Belize time, which is only an hour ahead of home. On the plane I happened to met some of the other girls in the program and together we got through customs and found the rest of our group. We had an hour and half drive from Belize City to Maya Mt. Resort where I'll be staying near the town of San Ignacio.

So here is my room, I share it with one other girl. I have the little bed :( Fortunately the room is air conditioned and we have our own bathroom. Which is behind that there green curtain.

Here is the main porch. Its the entrance to the hall that leads to all the other rooms. I've already tested out the hammocks and they are quite comfy. Beyond the porch down to the left is more resort hut things and to the right its RAINFOREST!!! I would have taken more pictures but it gets dark really fast.

For dinner the resort made us several different kinds of Belizean food These dishes were very similar to mexican food. We had a tamales, empandas, tostadas, and even flan, only they all had different names.

So I got all packed up and ready to jump on the plane Thursday morning only to look at my ticket and realize I mixed up my dates and actually leave on Friday....Dang it!