vacation done. work begins.

After my stay in the Global Village Hotel, which I spent watching a pirated version of "The Pirates who don't do anything." I went to the airport to await my luggage and catch a plane flight to Placencia. My luggage took forever and the airline people were veryunhelpful until I talked to the manager and he took my back to customs to fetch my luggage. I made it off to Placencia withot a hitch and arrived at the Westwind Hotel. A quaint bed and breakfast type place on the beach. (If you ever go here, strike up a conversation with the owner George he will talk your ear off about Mayans, Catholicism, Mormons, Belizean politics and anything else. His perspective on the Spanish invasion of Central America is worth hearing even if you don't believe him). I met a bunch of Canadians in their forties - I always seem to meet Canadians --and we hit it off. Enjoyed dinner with them and talked about politics, religion and everything you suppose to avoid when you first meet people. I also made friends with the hotel cat, Squeakers, who decided that my lap was a pleasant place to lie. I spent most of my days walking the beach, looking for lizards and birds, swimming, snorkeling, and reading. Fantastic. I also managed to scare up a croc. Glad he was on the small side and not interested in people. I left today on a boat and then hopped a bus to Punta Gorda. En route I met Matthew a Brit who happened to also be volunteering at Hillside. The bus was late.. no surprise and hence missed my ride to Hillside. I guess I had the staff worried but I would have thought they would have expected Belizean buses to be late. Anyway, I gave them a call and got a chance to meet their adorable boys and headed to the clinic.

We had orientation and pizza this evening and then the whole crew headed off to a bar to watch the super bowl as I am sure most of you did this evening. I opted out hoping to unpack and try to figure out the internet, It took me an hour. I couldn't find the password and then I couldn't connect no matter how I tried. Turns out they disconnect everything each night as thunderstorms have a tendency to knock everything out. I finally found out where the connection was and then went on the search for the key. Obviously found that too. Still don't know the password though so I have been unable to upload pictures from my computer. I promise pictures will come.

Tomorrow I head to the local mental health clinic to see how that is delivered in Belize, which I am sure is worlds away from the US.

I think the coolest thing I have experienced this trip is the kindness of fellow travellers. The Portland couple who told me about the free hotel from Continental also bought my dinner that evening unbeknownest to me. The Canadians I met also bought a meal for me. Didn't expect any of that. People can suprise you every day.