After spending time in both San Ignacio and San Pedro as well as San Joaquin, I was able to really get a feel for the differences and similarities of Belize. I often was asked about what the US was like. That was a difficult question for me to answer.
I have had the opportunity of visiting many parts of the US. My family is from Brooklyn, NY so I spent much of my childhood. That mixed with family in Florida and I have been to every State on the East Coast. I was born in Vista California, and recently was able to visit San Francisco so from that I have some West Coast experience. I enjoy the mountains and have traveled a few times to the western side of NC exploring many of the sites there. I have loved growing up in Jacksonville, NC because of it being a military town. I have met people from all over the country and having made friends with many of these people I have been able to learn from them as well as visit place such as Texas, Kentucky, Ohio and more. What I have learned at the States is that while we are one Nation, we are a Nation of different people, cultures, and experiences. The East Coast is different from the West Coast, and who is more different then those of the North and the South.
In the same way the US is a country filled with different people and ways of life, Belize is the same. While I spent the majority of my time on the Island of San Pedro, I was able to notice the differences on the mainland.
The Island is definitely more laid back and gears to the tourists. Everyone on the Island speaks fluent English and much of what you find on the Island caters to the American way of life. There were many times where I forgot we were even in a 3rd world country.Jobs on the island are generally tourist related with locals selling merchandise, working at food stands and restaurants and acting as guides.
The land is what you would expect on an island, with sandy beaches, crystal waters, and the only real plant life showing in coconut and palm trees. The land is very flat which made having to walk everywhere much easier. Transportation was in the form of walking, golf carts, bicycles and the very limitied cars.
Because we were on an island and the many goods had to be imported, life on the island could be very expensive for both the tourists and the locals.
What I noticed about the mainland was that you received much more of a Central American feel. Many of the people didn't speak fluent English and it was more difficult to communicate with them. When visiting the Village of San Joaquin in Northern Belize I was able to stay with my teachers family. While she and her husband as well as their brothers spoke English, her parents spoke very limited English. We had to develop a kind of Spanglish thing to communicate. Even those who can speak English tended to slip into their native tongue and carry on a conversation that I couldn't follow.
Landwise, San Ignacio was VERY hilly. Filled with caves, mountains and more this was the place to go if you were looking for the adventureous side of Belize. I loved getting to travel through parts of the jungle seeing a different kind of beauty that we saw on the island.
San Pedro which was mainly flat, trying to make it just up the street in San Ignacio could be difficult. Up in San Joaquin, was almost a mixture of San Pedro and San Ignacio with it being flat yet very green. Both places inland had more opportunites of growing food and you could drive by miles of growing crops. Many families made their lives by what they grew in their own backyards.
The mainland had many roads so instead of golf carts their we more cars and chicken buses that were used to travel.
Weather wise, while all of Belize is hot, I preferred the weather inland. It was much less humid inland and the vast trees helped keep it a little cooler.
If I had to choose where to teach San Pedro or inland, I think I would have chosen inland. Staying on the Island sometimes felt more like I was on Vacation. I think that if I had lived inland for 5 weeks, I would have came away with not only a stronger understanding of Spanish, but a feeling as if I had lived in a 3rd world country. I think that the inland experience would have given me a larger feel and understanding of the country of Belize. I also think I would have enjoyed exploring the mainland more for its adventures. I have grown up in NC and by the beach. Yet even though I am by the beach, I prefer to travel and spend time in the mountains hiking and exploring. I would have enjoyed having more of those opportunites if I had stayed inland.
Either way, I LOVED every opportunity I had in Belize and i feel very fortunate that I was able to travel to so many areas and was able to actual compare the areas. Not many people can say they traveled to 3 completely different areas of Belize. I wouldn't give up any of my experiences.
No comments:
Post a Comment