Bucket List Update

Called me Dad today and he yelled at me that I haven't updated the blog for a while and he was tired of seeing the same posts up there.  The past few weeks have been busy - especially at work.  I returned back to ACS and it has been one thing after another.  Deaths, arrests, crime victims and an extensive sex abuse case.  But, I can't really blog about that stuff.

Last weekend, I did go out to San Pedro for a fun weekend.  This is the first time I have gone during high season and you can really tell the difference.  Everywhere we went was busy.  I went with the newest consular officer, the consular intern and the intern's friend.  We had a good time and I got to hold a shark while snorkeling... again.  We also went SCUBA diving and got to hold a shark underwater.  This was pretty cool.  As always, the food was great.

Now, on with the Bucket List update

• SCUBA dive with the whale sharks (Planned for May just after the full moon)
• Caracol Mayan ruins (Scheduled for March 24)
• Lamanai Mayan ruins (Obviously, I did not get to go with my parents because my Mom broke her arm (she is doing better, by the way), no current plans as of yet.)
• (I should probably also make it to Altun Ha and Cahal Pech, but I won't cry if I don't go to these ruins) (no plans yet)
• Visit the Toledo district (Town Hall still scheduled)
• Participate in La Ruta Maya (either as a paddler or a support team member) (This is coming up in two weeks).
• Belize zoo (No plans yet).
• St. Herman's Cave (Haven't even made plans)
• ATM Cave (Scheduled for last weekend, then postponed until today, now postponed until March 10.)
• Visit Cancun or other part of Mexican Riviera (No real plans, but maybe at Easter?)
• Visit one more Central American country (preferably Costa Rica) (So, right now I have narrowed down my trip to either (a) Argentina and Uruguay, (b) Peru, or (c) Costa Rica.  Obviously, if I go to CR on my big trip, I will meet this goal.).
• Turn 30! (Sent out the invites to my birthday party today!)

Hope your happy now, Dad.

Where should I go for vacation?

I am planning a trip for this May.  I have 10 days off work and am thinking about going somewhere in South or Central America.  I am leaning towards Buenos Aires, with side trips to Montevideo and Iguazu Falls, but also looking at Peru, Brazil, and Costa Rica.

What do you think?  Where should I go for vacation this May?  What should I do when I get there?

Life's Not Fair

My Mom has always told us life's not fair, she apparently set about proving it this week.

I had been looking forward to having my parents visit me this week for months - since before Christmas when I bought the tickets.  I had the whole week planned out - I would work Monday and Tuesday, while they did short day trips from Belmopan.  Then, on Wednesday, we would go to Mountain Pine Ridge to see the waterfalls I saw last week.  Thursday, we'd take a rive cruise to the ancient Maya temple of Lamanai.  We'd spend the weekend at the beach in Hopkins.  Mom and Dad would get to meet most of my friends.  A great weekend.  What is it that they say about the best laid plans?

Yesterday, after we had gone to the Iguana farm in San Ignacio, my Mom fell in the lobby of a hotel and broke her arm.  Although we first thought it might just be a separated shoulder (painful, but not serious), it turns out she broke her humorous (HAHA) bone near the shoulder.  Moreover, the bone is slightly displaced, which means she will likely need to have surgery.  The doctor (after the initial x-ray showed it was broken, we went to see a specialist in Belize City) recommended that she cut the vacation short and go home to get treatment immediately.  So, her and my Dad left this morning :(

The whole situation sucks.  It sucks that she broke her arm and is in pain.  It sucks that they had to go home early.  It sucks that I barely spent any time with them.  It sucks that my Mom came to Belize twice and never got to see Mayan ruins.  It sucks that my Dad didn't get to swim in the Caribbean.  It sucks that this is just one more bad thing to happen to my parents over the last 6 years or so.  They're good people, they deserve a break.

Mom and Dad going ziplining

Still smiling - looks like they had fun

Dad and Mom at Pasquales

Visiting the Embassy

Yep, that is a giant Iguana on my shoulder

Dad is holding Roxy

Holding the Iguanas

Dad with the baby iguanas

Me (covered with baby iguanas) and Mom

After we got Mom into a chair, I asked her if I should take a photo.  She said I should have taken one while she was still on the ground.  I told her she could get back down and we would take the photo then, but she declined.

Leaving the hospital