Busy Weekend

I had a very busy and fulfilling weekend.  (A quick precursor, the Embassy recently started a program to promote fitness, whereby employees can get 3 hours of admin time per week to work out.  I have been taking advantage of this and due to a leg workout in the weight room on Friday for the first time in years, my legs have been sore all weekend).

Saturday, we started off with the Hash.  As you may recall, the Hash is an international club.  We bill ourselves as a drinking club with a running problem.  Basically you walk or run along a path set by the hare and then it ends with a circle, which involves songs, drinks and ridicule.  Everyone has a nickname (you get a nickname after you set a Hash, which I will be doing in 2 weeks) and there are tons of little rules.  It really is a good time.

Saturday night, my two roommates and I were throwing a party.  (A few weeks ago, I invited the two girls interning here this summer to stay in my guest bedroom so they wouldn't have to return to the house with no A/C and no internet).  We invited most of the Americans and a few of our friends in the international community.  All told, we had probably 20-25 people over.  A few people, myself included, may have drank a beer or two too many, but everyone had a good time.

Sunday we got up relatively early (relative to my bed time) to go out on one of my co-worker's boat.  The boat was a bit bigger than a large ski boat, but not much bigger.  On the way out, the water was pretty rough.  I started to question whether I really was a boat person.  Most of my boating experience was on lakes where the ride was smooth.

Any rough water was worth it when we got out to the caye.  We were on Rendevous Caye which is about half the size of a football field.  The Belize coastal waters are dotted with these small islands that help form the world's second largest reef (behind the Great Barrier Reef in Australia).  We went snorkeling and it was amazing.  The color of the choral was not as bright and vivid as I expected, but it was still amazing.  The fish were fantastic.  Bright colors.  Just amazing.