Tuesday, August 11 and Wednesday, August 12

We awoke on Tuesday morning with a bit of sadness over the fact that we were getting ready to leave the island paradise of Tobacco Caye. However, our final full day in Belize had lots in store for us. We packed our bags, had breakfast together and then many of us sought out a few final moments of zen in hammocks by the sea before loading into the boat at 8:30 am to head back to the mainland at Dangriga. The water was pretty choppy but the cool breeze and amazing view over the Caribbean Sea was invigorating. As we got closer to land a few shrieks of excitememt rang out from the boat. Looking over the side we saw a pod of dolphins swimming alongside us! They are such beautiful and graceful creatures! Just when we thought the last one had swum by, another couple of dolphins would approach. We were in awe and so lucky to have wrapped up our island adventure with this sight!

Carlos the Puma

Once we reached the mainland, our friend and guide, Juan, greeted us with his usual smile and enthusiasm. Our next destination for our final night in Belize was the Tropical Education Centre in Belmopan - the capital city. After we explored the centre surrounded by lush trees and greenery, we settled into our cabins and then had dinner. Afterwards we made our way to the Belize Zoo for a night tour. Our guide, Tim, first showed us a Boa Constrictor and a few of us got to hold her. He then took us to see various nocturnal animals that they had on site. This included a couple of crocodiles, Gray Four-Eyed Possums and a few species of owls including the Spectacled Owl. We also saw a Kinkajou - the zoo acquired it after someone made the poor decision to try and keep it as a pet, Gibnuts - these look like large hamsters and their population is dwindling due to them being hunted for food, and a Central American Tapir - the national animal of Belize, also known as a Mountain Cow and related to the horse and rhino. We got to feed the Tapir cucumbers, carrots and watermelon and pet his head as he ate them. As awesome as these animals are, the highlight of our visit was seeing the wildcats who were awake and active. Junior the Jaguar was born in the zoo after his mother was shot on a farm for eating the sheep. The zoo took her in to care for her and Junior was born three months later. We also met Carlos the Puma and two species of "tiger cats" - the Margay and Ocelot. Rhaburn the Ocelot was a baby when the zoo picked him up in January 2014; he had been orphaned after a storm and was dying of starvation. Not only were we astounded by the beauty and grace of the wildcats, but we were also in awe of how close we got to come to these magnificent creatures! Our walk along the paths of the zoo was accompanied by a raucous symphony of howler monkeys high up in the trees which was a reminder to us of the many that we saw during our time spent in Guatemala over a week ago.

Junior the Jaguar

Junior the Jaguar

After our night tour was over we returned to our cabins to pack our bags and get ready to leave for home the next morning. As a bonus at the end of our trip, many of us discovered warm water for the first time since leaving home! While all of our cold showers have been a welcomed relief after the hot, humid and sweaty days, we welcomed a final warm shower before heading to the airport.  On Wednesday morning, hugs and contact information were exchanged in the hopes that these new professional relationships and personal friendships will continue. At the airport we all hugged Juan goodbye and thanked him for being such an amazing guide throughout our trip. 

The nine of us, all educators from various places - Colorado, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Toronto - came together to share this amazing adventure that will not be forgotten. We look forward to sharing our stories and experiences with our families and friends and also bringing global awareness into our classrooms.

Central American Tapir

Margay

Rhaburn the Ocelot