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Cost:
$1600
$800 airfare must be paid by September 8, 2008.
The minimal amount of $1600 must be met be December 8, 2008.
Contact
Information:
Trinidad Farm - Jesuit Retreat Center
P.O. Box 548
Belize City, Belize, Central America
Phone: 011-501-222-4471
Cuxlin Ha Resort and Youth Hostel
PO Box 39
Punta Gorda, Toledo District
Belize, CA
Phone: 011 501 614- 2518
cuxlinha@hotmail.com
The Parish we will be working with:
Fr. Dick Perl S.J.
St. Peter Claver Parish
Punta Gorda, Belize
Phone: 011 501 722 2004
There
are basic safety issues as would be expected for any
foreigner traveling in a new country. Rules such as
not walking alone at night, women should always walk
in groups or with male escorts, and all valuables should
be left at home in the states are good rules to follow. The political situation
is very stable and no safety concerns are present.
English
is the official language of the country and taught in
the schools. In the villages,
Mayan languages dominant the adult population with English understood by the children. Throughout
the country, Spanish, Creole, Garifuna and Menonite German are also spoken.
Belize
is a part of Central America and is located south of
the Mexican Yucatan, west and north of the Guatemala
border. Its population is roughly 250,000 with
a square mile size of a little less than 9000 miles.
Belize has been an independent country since 1981 and has just recently celebrated its 25th birthday!
Before this, it was under the leadership of the British
Commonwealth and known as British Honduras. Tourism
has exploded in this country within the last 10 years,
despite the fact that much of the country remains pure
and untapped of its resources. Forestry, fishing, citrus
production and textiles are the main exports of the
country.
The
water is not generally safe to drink and care must be
taken to avoid all sources of water including ice cubes.
The rule of thumb is to "peel it" or "boil it"
which will eliminate any problems. The food at Cuxlin Ha is excellent. They will use locally grown products and prepare breakfast, pack a lunch and have dinner prepared when we return. Outside
of the center the restaurants are not a concern. Do avoid
any roadside vendors for they do not take precautions.
Immunizations
will need to be checked with your Doctor or with Student
Health Services at Marquette. We have been in
contact with Student Health Services and they are prepared
for offering vaccinations needed for the trip.
These may include: Hepatitis A (and B if you were
not inoculated before), typhoid, updated Tetanus, Malaria pills and
optional diarrhea pills.
In
this sub-tropical temperate zone it will be hot and
humid most days with the temperatures ranging from 70
to 90 degrees. January is considered their "winter"
with frequent rains and tempatures ranging from 70's - uppper 80's.. We had one trip where we hit a record low of 58 degrees! Bring sturdy work shoes,
cotton pants, a rain jacket or poncho, and head protection
(brimmed hats). Cotton in layers is the key.
We
will rent a vehicle for travel. Some roads are paved
and others are dirt roads with conditions dependent upon the rain of the season. The system of roads has
improved, yet it still is not like getting around Milwaukee!
We land in Belize City and it will take roughly 5 hours
to drive south to Punta Gorda. The work site can
be one hour travel each way.
Passport:
You
must have a passport to travel to Belize. Applications
for passports can be found on-line at //travel.state.gov/passport/
You must have two passport photos (which can be done
at the Walgreens on 16th and Wisconsin) and your birth
certificate when you go to the Post Office to apply
for a passport. It takes roughly 6 weeks to get
your passport returned.
Work
Day:
A
typical day will begin with breakfast is at 7:00 AM. We are packed
and ready to go to the job site by 7:30/7:45 AM. Our workday ends at 4:00 PM and we return
to Cuxlin Har to shower/clean up and hang out with the local village children
until dinner at 6:00 PM. The evenings will include
prayer, group processing, discussions with locals,
and some educational opportunities in
Punta Gorda.
Money:
Your
$1600 will cover most food, group transportation, housing
and airfare. Any additional money needed would
be used for personal spending and souvenirs. Students
have brought with them $125 and had no problem in budgeting. On the way down and back, you are
responsible for any costs for your meals. Money in Belize is the
Belizean Dollar (BZ). It
is $1 American for every $2 BZ's. Credit cards and ATM's are not found in our region so caring your
money is essential.
Electricity:
110
Volts - Just like the U.S.
Time:
They
are on the US Central Time Zone all year round.
Phone:
Phone
calls are direct and can be done with a phone card purchased
in Belize.
Web
sites:
www.travelbelize.org
http://travel.his.com/passport
www.southernbelize.com
www.belize.com
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bh.html
www.belizetimes.bz
www.belize.gov.bz
www.belize.org
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