More Of Belize

We left Belize City today and drove west to the town of San Ignacio. We stopped along the way at the Belize prison, where work programs are in place for rehabilitation and vocational training. We did not tour the prison, but did drop off a donation of books (thank you, Colleen's Aunt Iris!) and made purchases in the prison gift shop, where beautiful, hand-crafted items made by inmates are sold.

After the prison, we made another stop at the Belize Zoo, where we learned more about the delicate ecosystem of Belize and of the necessity of preserving habitat for the birds and animals that live in Belize. We learned that roughly 40% of Belize is protected or preserved land and that there is a push to protect and preserve the animals of Belize as well. None of us have ever seen a jaguar as up close and personal as we did today!

As we travel and soak up as much as we can of Belizean culture before we return home, we are still processing, and discussing often, our time at Holy Cross. It has affected each of us in different ways, but it has affected each of us deeply.