Jack Family Fun!: Just Being Tourists

Yesterday we laid low. Since it was Sunday most places are closed. We haven’t found a church to try out yet and I’m really missing our church family back home. It rained off and on all day, it was so breezy and cool outside that I got goosebumps for the first time in at least a week! We saw Ruth downstairs and she told us that the lower bridge into San Ignacio was under water! Thankfully there is a big suspension bridge that will still allow access to the city.


Using the bug magnifier


One of the weird bugs we found


Aaron using the bug net

I did get out Jonathan’s back yard explorer kit and he and Aaron had a blast finding bugs and looking at them through the magnifier. It’s really neat because you can look at the bugs from the top or the bottom. Kris even caught a small gecko for them.


Looking at Mayan art

cashew fruit with nut on the end.

Today we went into San Igancio. The day was a bit cloudy but we were a bit stir crazy so we headed out anyways armed with our umbrellas. First stop was the post office to find out how to receive packages via general mail so that we didn’t have to pay around $45/mo to rent a P.O. box. Since we’d already found a parking place in the downtown area (a small miracle in itself) we opted to wander around and look in some shops. We got Kris a couple pairs of shorts and a second Leap Frog Reading Pen for the boys, for $21.50US. Kris picked up a bottle of Cashew Wine, made from the cashew fruit (in the States we eat the nuts from the fruit) for $6US.

ducking inside a store until the rain let up.


Boys and their Toucans

Next we found a video store and they were running a special, one dvd for $4 or 3 for $10. We picked out 6 movies: Rango, Cars 2, The Jungle Book, Curious George, Toy Story 3, and Kung Fu Panda 2. Since our internet isn’t working so well and we don’t want to pay for cable, we’ll be watching a lot of movies I think! We found Ruth’s shop (our landlady). It is called InditaMaya. It is full of beautiful Mayan artwork and craftsmanship, as well as other Belizean souvenirs. The boys were excited to see Ruth. They also admired these small stuffed toucans in her shop, which we had no intention of buying (I know we’re such meanies, but we’d just bought them some movies!). As we were leaving Ruth told the boys that they could have a toucan. Kris told them to pick one to share, but Ruth insisted that they each get their own. She said she has a couple nephews and just loves having little boys around again (she has a teenage daughter). Jonathan and Aaron lit up like fireworks and gave her huge hugs!

We passed by a clothing shop and I admired a shirt that was hanging outside. Unbeknownst to me, Kris (who was walking behind Aaron and me) went in and bought it! I need to wash it first, but then I’ll post a picture. Such a sweet husband I have!


J uses the teeter-totter all by himself

We headed over to Hode’s because they have free wifi and a


Bridge under water.

playground. We bought an order of fries and Kris got a beer (so that we didn’t completely mooch off of them). The boys ended up getting really muddy and enjoyed running around and climbing on the slides. Just as we settled in it started raining… we were sitting at a picnic table under a tree. Rain + laptop= not good. So we packed up and headed back to the apartment. We did take a peek at the water logged bridge. I’d guess it’s under about 8 inches of water or so, and the water was moving pretty quickly.


Spellbound by the movie


J talking to Grandma & Papa on the phone

The afternoon heated up and the breeze disappeared. The boys and Kris chilled on the couch watching Cars 2 and I laid on our bed under the ceiling fan reading a book on my kindle. Dinner was garlic shrimp, pesto pasta and sautéed green beans. It turned out really good, although boiling water on the stove for pasta really heated up the house. It’s a blessing that the dinner table is outside so we can escape the heat. We moved Aaron’s standing fan out on to the deck and created our own breeze. After dinner Kris gave the boys some glow sticks and they danced around on the deck in the dark. Such simple pleasures! The boys were glued to their glow sticks for the rest of the night even taking them in the bathtub and then to bed with them.