We’re Here

As of right now, here is the Dolphin Motel in Independence Village, Stann Creek District, Belize. I know that because there’s a white sheet of paper tacked to the back of my door that says “Dolphin Motel”, along with important phone numbers, like the police and fire department, 3 medical clinics and 6 taxi drivers (by first name). That’s the only way I know, because there’s no sign on the road; none on the building. The registration desk is the counter at the gas station next door. The room is a 14 by 14 foot white stucco box with one bright yellow wall. Less, actually if you subtract off the 3 x 8 bathroom. No internet; no phone .But it’s clean and well maintained and has an air-conditioner. And it’s $25 a night. It’ll do.

Our trip to Belize was totally uneventful today. We stopped for lunch around 1 PM at Cheers, a mission trip hangout just past the Belize Zoo. There we made phone contact with Rich Sutton, our host for the Georgetown project. As we were eating, Dave glanced up and said “That looks like Aki Fukai” (our good friend from San Ignacio Rotary). He had just delivered a kid with a kidney problem to the airport for treatment in the States. After warm welcomes and a little small talk, we agreed to try to meet for dinner, Ernesto willing, in Belmopan on Wednesday.

After lunch we headed down Hummingbird Highway toward Dangriga and then Independence. We stopped at Jaguar Creek to say hi. As we turned in on the narrow gravel road we spotted a van headed toward us. We pulled to the side to let it pass and discovered it was Adrienne Parcher, proprietress of Jaguar Creek, with a full load of teachers from the States who were participating in a teacher training workshop. Thanks to Ernesto, the government cancelled all the teacher workshops across the country at noon so teachers and principals could batten down the hatches at their schools and get them ready to serve as hurricane shelters. On Adrienne’s invitation, we joined them for ice cream in St. Margaret’s and had a good but brief conversation. We may connect again later in the week.

We finally made it to Georgetown about 4:30. We turned off the paved Southern Highway and drove about two miles on a rough but well maintained gravel road. The village consists of a string of ramshackle wooden houses lining the road for about a mile. At the far end is a two story concrete block building housing the Georgetown RC primary school. Behind the school is a new block building housing eight flush toilets: four each for the boys and girls. One end of this building is the water room. That’s where we’ll be hanging out tomorrow.