Rays and Ruins (Belize and Tikal)

Semana Santa….I had quite the adventure during our Spring break here. Emily and I jumped into a shuttle, then transferred to an overnight bus and finally arrived in Belize 23 hours after leaving Pana. I had only seen google images of such pristine, blue water! We spent 4 days scuba diving, eating delicious food, learning to talk Creole and befriending the locals, of course. Dream come true….I swam with manatees!!! Ever since doing a 3^rd grade science project on them, I have always wanted to swim among them and ladies and gentleman…CHECK off the adventure list! It was so humbling-they were so tame, as were the sharks and rays. It was a vacation much needed! 

Scuba pals (Emily)

Lots of rays!

Manatees

Nurse Sharks

On our way back to Guate we went through Flores and hit one of the biggest tourist attractions in Guatemala: Tikal. Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and main centers of the ancient Mayan civilization. The ruins date back to 900 AD and provide many answers to the ancient Mayan language and worship. We spent the day exploring the temples, Tomb Raider style, and feeling humbled by the rich culture and history among us. Emily and her friend Laura are bio kids, and I know my birds...so between the 3 f us, we made a great team identifying all the fauna and creatures spotted in the rich forests of Tikal. After this adventure we headed back to Pana for our final stretch of teaching! 

The main temple of Tikal

Keel-billed Toucan