Over our recent Spring Break, a group of GWCS students and I, Senor Torres, had the opportunity to take an EF Educational Tour to Belize. The week was so jam-packed with things to see, learn, and do that the easiest way to share our experience is to mention our key activities and experiences and share photos. So, here goes…

This young Central American country awed us with its diverse ecosystem and wildlife. It was quite interesting to learn more about the history, culture and different languages that are spoken in Belize, as well as discovering the mysteries of the Maya as we visited various ruins.  It was exhilarating to zipline through lush jungles, and snorkel in the crystal-clear Caribbean waters where we mingled with the marine life. We took a boat to the New River Lagoon "Indiana Jones" style to see the

Lamanai ruins, named after the Mayan ruler Lord Smoking Shell, who believed he was a descendant of the crocodile spirit. The name "Lamanai" means "submerged crocodile" and because of this, one comes across a number of crocodile carvings on the site, and we even spotted some real crocodiles in the lagoon (with the help of Jack's excellent eyesight ). It was quite an experience for us to see three large pyramids, open plazas, temples, and an outdoor sports court. We also visited one of the oldest sugar mills in Belize. We even took a guided jungle hike in the Cayo region where seasoned Belizean bushmen taught us jungle "survival" skills. Everybody did a great job learning these new skills, especially Frankie, who volunteered to help demonstrate some of them when asked. We achieved inner peace floating in tubes down a river through hidden caves from the Mayan era, enjoying the tropical vegetation and wildlife that was around us. One of our favorite activities was ziplining through the broadleaf rainforest.

The cherry on the cake was crossing over a beautiful river at the end of the zipline route. Participating in the cultural exchange with a local community was amazing. We appreciated the chance to learn more about the Belizean people, their culture, and how welcoming they are. We planted a sacred tree as a symbol of our friendship between the locals and our school. Michael did a great job representing our community in this ceremony. We saw a lot of native animals in the wild on this trip and also in the zoo that we visited. It was really cool to see and hear howler monkeys in the wild, and it was great to see tapirs, tropical birds, and of course the famous jaguar in the zoo. Jack had the opportunity to meet and feed the jaguar--an experience that I don't think he will ever forget! Snorkeling was magical. While we knew that we would see some kind of marine life, we definitely didn't expect a sea turtle trying to hug us!  We had to swim away quickly since they had told us to maintain a certain distance from the animals. While snorkeling, we also saw sting rays, sharks, tropical fish, and a coral garden. The barrier reef in Belize was just amazing.

We returned home from this trip with our minds full of the rich experiences we accumulated while in contact with the warm welcoming culture of this young country with ancient roots. You gotta "Belize it" when we say that we can't wait to return to this small country with a big heart.

GW Community School
Belize, Yes Please!
Alejandro Torres
April 9, 2022