A week on the road

Technical Training: 8 days worth of mad traveling and mad PRA tools.  For everyone besides maybe 5 that are reading this and don't know what PRA (aka ABCD or PACA), it is the main modis operandi of the Peace Corps.  It stands for Participatory Rural Analysis and can refer to any one of a million ways to learn about a community or help them to understand their own assets and priorities when it comes to development. We were working in the village of Indian Church with a current volunteer, Greg.  He taught us how to work with small groups at the village level on how to prioritize and work better together.  It was really really great, and did I mention that this entire 4 days worth of PRA was done in Spanish?  Yeah, and I did surprisingly well.

 

Other things that have been great about training:

• Sitting on top of the ruin at Lamanai watching the sunset, viewing a pair of nesting Toucans and listening to the eerie growth of howler monkeys. (see pics)
• Doing the "human knot" ice breaker with a group of Spanish-speaking artisans.
• Taking a refreshing post-run shower by the light of headlamp.
• Placencia peninsula: the road leaves something to be desired, but it is beautiful.  It is a sad example, however, of mangroves being destroyed for the sake of million dollar resorts. 
• The best ice cream in Belize - The Tutti Frutti Gelataria in Placencia.  If you are thinking of going there now, too bad.  The owners just left for Italy and France for 3 months in order to think up new and wonderful flavors. 
• Swimming in the lagoon at Indian Church and in the Ocean at Placencia - finally I get to wear a swimsuit (first time in 5 weeks, I kid not).

And the adventure continues.  We have been traveling with 4 artisans from Greg's village as they seek markets for their crafts.  We have been seeing lots of nice resorts while sleeping on the floors of current Peace Corps volunteers.  Tonight we crash in Belmopan and tomorrow end in Belize City.  Friday I take off for San Pedro on Ambergis Caye to hang out at the Costa Maya festival with a group of current volunteers.  Not a bad deal since housing is free and I get to work the festival.  After that it is down to Toledo and my first peek at my village.  5 weeks in and it is still one big adventure.  Love and miss you all.