Reading Week

The students were given a week's time to read and prepare for their classes to come. Some of the books on this list include Wendell Berry's Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community; Steve Bouma-Prediger's For the Beauty of the Earth; Osha Gray Davidson's The Enchanted Braid; Adrian Forsyth and Ken Miyata's Tropical Nature; and Bryant Myer's Walking with the Poor.  Aside from all the reading, students were able to visit some of Belize's national parks, caves, and waterfalls.  

A group of great men once said that "there are no wrong turns, only new adventures," and I think we proved that on our trip to Five Blues National Park.  We missed our turn a few different times but that did not deter anyone from having a good time.  After crossing a dry river, opening a gate into someone's citrus, sampling a few of the roadside treats did we find our destination.  The rain and overcast skies might sour the experience of a group less hearty than ourselves, but we made the most of the park and the weather with cave exploration, impromptu cave drumming, a jungle run, and a quick dip in the healing waters of Five Blues.  
 

Between bouts of reading bouts of ping-pong were had.  Five dinning room tables were pulled together, one sheet was folded and pinned, two chairs assembled, and 10 people were put into chorus to bring about a great night of ping-pong.  

The road leading up to Mountain Pine Ridge is rugged and worn, not unlike ourselves.  Here we are outside of the Rio Frio cave.  We spent the morning and into the afternoon exploring the industrious work of water through limestone.  Stalagmites and stalactites, rivulets and columns, squeezes and spiders, all were experienced in these beautiful caves.