Arrival

1st May 2013

Today our group arrived in Belize. Traveling there by plane was not a difficult feat, everything went smoothly and only a person lost a piece of their luggage. Thankfully, it was only a tripod and not the necessary survival gear he needed. After landing, we all packed into a 1990’s yellow school bus. Seeing the bus oddly provided me with a sense a comfort. I felt as if I was in middle school again going on a field trip with my classmates.

The group at the airport in Belize

The bus ride was not so comfortable though. We all piled in with the assumption that the ride to our research station in the middle of the Chiquibul Forest would be only a smooth three hours. We were definitely mistaken though! What we were told would be a 3 hour trip, was actually a 6 hour slightly stressful, anxiety filled ride. At one point the bus was moving at a great speed, in the rain, on a clay road. If anyone has study or played in clay in the rain, we know that clay is not permeable and becomes rather slippery. The bus lost traction and slid into the horizontal position. That was just one moment I felt great anxiety. All in all though, I will give it to the bus driver. He was very experienced and we all arrived at Las Cuevas Research Station in one piece. I would suggest he becomes a professional Indy car driver.

I am glad to be here in Belize studying my first passion, nature. It is refreshing to inhale the pure clean air; experiencing a life for the first time void of air and light pollution.

Sunset at Las Cuevas Research Station