FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was told ahead of time that the airport was small, but I honestly did not expect it to be as small as it was. Of course they do not have the traffic that U.S. airports have and it doesn't need to be massive. I did not see the one story, long building until we disembarked from both front and back doors. The humidity hit me as we came down the steps into the open air. There were four lines to go through security, which didn't take long even with answering questions like why are you in Belize and where are you staying. After getting our luggage from the only luggage belt, we went through customs, which was also fast. I like the small airports because the whole process takes less than ten minutes. You can't say that about Omaha or Chicago.

The college had sent a van with a small uhaul type trailer to pick us up. I was on the first flight in and we did wait until about 3 for other students. During that time I did whip out my sunglasses, get a bottle of water, and put my light jacket in the luggage trailer. Thank goodness I switched from my heavy jacket to the light one in Omaha and asked Brenda to keep it till I come back. I am not complaining about the heat and humidity. Not after freezing in Nebraska. It was like walking into instant summer and I am loving it.

The ride from Belize City to San Ignacio took two hours. The van did have an airconditioner up by the driver (where I was) but it was only enough to keep the temperature bearable in a completely full van. There were close to twenty of us. The major road is paved, two lane, and highly traveled by everything from pedestrians to semi's. That includes the horse and buggy of the Mennonites. After watching all of this action, I understand why they say you should not drive unless you are used to the local driving habits. Walking is the best option for short distances and safest to face the traffic.

The view after Belize City alternated between small villages full of pedestrians, dogs lounging, and clothes on the line to orchards or tropical trees and plants with occasional hills in the distance. My first thought was one of living simply. I have since been told that many people see only poverty. This is insulting to the people here because they do not feel poor if they can pay for their children to go to school and offer food to any and all visitors. The value system is different here.

For this exchange program the students are lodged in a log cabin resort. As we pulled in I was impressed because of the tropical colors and the natural setting. We can still hear the traffic on the highway, but do not see it. The rooms are all simple, but include a shower, apartment refridgerator, wood floors, and yellow walls with a local style painting. I personally dislike yellow, but it fits in the tropical scheme of things so I will handle it. The owners are the third generation in their family to run Log Cab Inns and are fluent in English, Spanish, and maybe other languages. They are very nice people and help with any questions about the local area.

Galen University, where I am attending classes, is very small by U.S. standards and things are quite a bit different than what I am used to. There are only three buildings with a total of five classrooms, a computer lab, a library, and a little cafe. They do have courses from 8:30am to 8:30 pm and the student body is active in the community. There is no way to miss class without the instructor noticing; most have 8 to 15 students. Of course the place is surrounded by an orchard and plenty of folage. In a short time everyone will be acquainted.

There are restaurants and stores in town, but no sign of any kind of chain store. The owners or workers often lounge just inside the doorways till a customer comes in. I wonder if they will be able to keep the giants out as they grow as a country. It would be a shame to ruin this way of life by bringing in outside standards.

Overall, I would say this is the perfect place to slow down life and be introspective.