Family Trip to Belize!

Right after school ended,  I flew to Belize to spend a week on vacation with my family. Mom decided she didn't want to visit Guatemala and Belize has a much better reputation for safety and beaches. Becasue Mom planned it, this was an all out trip. I met up with everyone (Mom, Chris, Courtney, Adam, Brenna, Aunt Debbie, Aunt Terry, and Uncle David and Mom's little friend Monica) at the Belize City airport and we hopped an itty bitty plane south towards Hopkins.

We stayed at the beautiful Jaguar Reef Lodge in Hopkins. Top-notch lodge. The beach was raked every morning so it was pristine. Loungers and umbrellas were scattered amongst the sand and there were two pools, one with a swim up bar (which we utilized liberally). In the restaurant area they put together a whole bunch of tables to make one big enough for all of us. I was quite happy with the food (and dessert everynight). They even moved all the tables out to the beach one night so we could eat outside. We also took out kayaks everynow and then (the jellyfish couldn't get us there). It was also quite amusing to watch people try and take the kayaks out. A few didn't know what they were doing and would get quite impressively flipped trying to get them out of the breaking waves.

 

Me and Mom

We made good friends with the swim up bartender, Gilbert. He even asked about us on a few days when we were out on excursions and not at our usual spots in the pool.












The beach wasn't particularly good for swimming. There were Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish all over. Mom actually got stung by one and it left a big red welt over her wrist, that, to my knowledge still hasn't entirely gone away.

Courtney kayaking!













On most days we went on excursions to fun or interesting places nearby. First we all went to an ancient Mayan temple called Xunantunich. The tallest temple was pretty high and Mom and Terry could not handle it. That same day, we went to a different temple complex called Cahal Pech.

Sisters!

Mom and Monica

 

                                                 They were still excavating in Cahal Pech.

1,500 year old paint

 














Another day we went zip lining through the Belizean jungle canopy. It was exhilerating and verrrrry fast.

Adam

Monica about to go!

Safety first.

At one point they dropped you off a platform. Here is poor Mom. 

Second half of the trip coming up next!!

Nawlins and the International Reading Association Conference!!

So wayyyyy back in October I noticed that the International Reading Association was having its annual conference in New Orleans. Now, I LOVE to teach reading and I have wanted to go to NOLA for a while so it was the perfect opportunity.

                                            


My friend Jillian, from college, decided to come and join me! We met up in NOLA outside of out lodging, The Royal Barracks Guest House (amazing btw!). We stayed in the Jazz Room. (very atmosphere-y)

 

The first night, the proprietor of the Guest House invited us into the office, shared a bottle of wine with us, and gave us the lo-down on the city. Jill and I then went out to dinner on Bourbon Street and proceeded to get drunk off of (one) hurricanes. Those suckers were strong, we think the bartender was in on it. Later, we ended up up stumbling home, giggling to ourselves, very drunk, at 9pm.

The next day, I got up early and headed off to my conference. I went to a few different seminars (vocabulary instruction for ELL's and teaching with foldables) and wandered through the exhibition hall (where they give out freebies!). Later, Jillian and I went out in the POURING rain to Lafitte's Blacksmith's Bar (one of the bars you have to go to on Bourbon Street.)

The next day I went back to the conference and a few more seminars then some shopping and scarfing beignets and later met up with our other college water polo friend, Emily, (who oddly happened to be in New Orleans that weekend.) We went out to dinner and then out for a few drinks where we also met up with one of the girls I worked with in Tanzania, Maureen, who currently lives and teaches in NOLA. (This is the night that we wandered through the night art market, danced like maniacs, drunkenly ate beignets and coffee at 3am, went to the warring piano bar, and didnt make it back to our hotel until 6am)

 

 

Next day, more seminars, more delicious food and, possibly, more drinking. It was a truly amazing trip in terms of the conference (which I would love to go back to next year) and the friends and nightlife!

The Beach in El Salvador!!!

We had a four day weekend at the beginning of May and me and a two other teachers decided to hit up Playa el Tunco in El Salvador! Sasha, Roxanda and I caught the bus leaving at 2am from Guatemala City and rode through the night to San Salvador in El Salvador. The shuttle from our hotel picked us up there and drove us the 40 or minutes to Playa el Tunco, a tiny surfer town.

The three days that we stayed there this was the basic plan:

• Wake up hung over around 8 or 9am
• Head to the place down the street for an enormous breakfast burrito, fruit smoothie, and fresh coffee. (for those of you who know me, you know how strongly I feel about breakfast. This was heaven)
• Walk to the beach and settle on loungers at a tiny beach bar
• Read book
• Sunbathe
• Walk out to the water every now and then
• Do this for roughly 6 hours
• Then head back to the hotel, take shower and put on clothes
• Go eat a delicious fresh seafood dinner
• Freshen up and head out for ladies night and crazy dancing

Sasha with gross smelly man

Since Playa el Tunco was a surfer town, there were only a few women. This meant that every night at least one bar was having a ladies night in order to get the girls and ALL the boys. These ladies nights were crazy, they would just hand out vodka tonics and rum and cokes for FREE. For multiple hours.

The seafood was also amazing. It was incredibly fresh and incredibly well done. It was an utterly amazing weekend.