Belizean Wonders
July 15, 2024
Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for… IT’S THE TRIP UPDATES FOR BELIZE AND COSTA RICA 3C!!!! Get ready for three amazing trip updates, written by yours truly, LIZZIE, REID, AND HARRISONNNNNNNN! We’re here to tell the story of this amazing, funny, and thoughtful group as we explore the beaches, jungles, and mountains of Belize and Costa Rica over two weeks. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the Chronicles of the Horses (in book stores near you soon).
As our group gathered in the Belize airport, we began with the classic Moondance tradition of the Name Game. What’s the Name Game, you ask? Well, when students begin meeting their new friends – especially in the context of Moondance – everyone loves to find out the shared friends they have. Soon, names of friends, cousins, step-siblings, half-brother’s dog’s nephew’s owner were being exchanged in hopes of finding a connection. As more and more mutuals were discovered, the group grew closer, until we eventually found ourselves at lunch. Sitting outside, we devoured some pizza while watching the seagulls fly overhead. Soon after, we boarded our boat to our home for the next two weeks. Known as Long Caye, this remote island sits two and a half hours away from the Belizean mainland. On our journey to the island, we encountered some rough seas, making the boat ride feel like the world’s craziest roller coaster. In between laughs and screams, we navigated the swells, before finally arriving at Long Caye. When we stepped on shore, we were amazed by how beautiful the island paradise was. After settling in, we had a delicious welcome dinner, cooked by the marvelous Mrs. Marta. A little while after, we conquered our first Moonup of the trip, setting goals and intentions for our two weeks together.
The next day started early as we had an important mission: starting the SCUBA certification process! After eating breakfast and finishing up some paperwork, we headed to the dock to learn how to set up the SCUBA equipment, learn proper procedures when diving, and conquer the required swim test. After lunch we had some free time, but of course this energetic group made the most of it. Lauren and Graydon, who were previously selected as the day’s Leaders of the Day, organized a Spikeball tournament to help pass the time. Split into six groups of two, each team battled it out to win glory and bragging rights. After the greatest comeback of the century, Reese and Reid won the final game! After the Spikeball tournament, Graydon and Lauren organized a game of capture the flag across the entire island. After running back and forth, ducking underneath buildings, and crawling through the sand, Los Fuegos reigned victorious. Exhausted from an afternoon of hard work, we ate dinner before hitting Moonup. After Moonup, we all headed to the lodge’s lookout tower, where a small hammock encampment had been constructed. As we chilled together, we swapped urban legends and scary stories before eventually calling it a night.
On Day 3, everyone woke with excitement as today promised us the ability to put our SCUBA skills to the test underwater. As we ventured out to the reef, we bumped hype-up music so that we could dance away the nerves. Harrison introduced the group to a hilarious horse song, called “My Barn, My Rules.” Houston got the group especially hyped when he sprung up and began dancing along, encouraging others to follow. Soon after, everyone was in the ocean, practicing the skills underwater that we learned on land the day before. Due to being previously certified, James took the opportunity to snorkel around the reef, finding a variety of fish, including a barracuda! After a morning of practice, we had lunch before heading back out. After calling it quits for the day, we came back, relaxed in the hammocks, and then ate dinner. After dinner, we had a great Moonup, before heading to bed early, exhausted from a long day.
Waking up on day 4, we were excited to hear that today would be less skills-based, and more focused on just having fun and exploring the underwater world. As we approached the dive site, everyone began imagining what creatures they might see while underwater. Soon after we arrived, we were in the water and heading down to 40 feet! On our first dive, we saw so many beautiful coral and scenic structures… not to mention the sharks! After thoroughly exploring the reef, we resurfaced and immediately began hooping and hollering about all the cool things we saw. We were so excited that we decided that we couldn’t wait for our second dive. So after changing tanks, we headed to the next dive site! After exploring the new section of the reef for a while, we headed back up and headed to lunch. For lunch, Mrs. Marta served the most delicious empanadas on planet Earth, which we DEVOURED. After hanging out for a little bit, our leaders of the day (Houston and Reese) announced that they had a special surprise. In order to experience it, however, everyone needed to grab a blindfold. Houston and Reese then led the group to the beach, where they instructed everyone to take off their blindfolds. They immediately began galloping in a circle to the group’s favorite song “My Barn, My Rules,” and everyone soon followed them running around the beach. After a thoroughly exhausting beach workout, they then led everyone to the picnic table where paint and a plain, white pillow case were waiting. They explained that, while it may just be a pillow case now, it would soon be our group’s flag. As we each slapped our hand on the flag and scribbled “BCR” above a crescent moon, we watched as our new banner came to life. After mounting the flag to a tree, we headed to dinner before going to Moonup and bed.
Day 5 started as usual: breakfast, sunscreen application, and chugging water before heading to the boat. While today was the last day of SCUBA diving, it was almost certainly the best. That day we would be diving off the coast of Half Moon Caye, one of Belize’s national marine parks. The area surrounding the island hosts some of the most pristine, untouched reefs in the world, allowing for amazing diving. When we drove up to the dive site, we were immediately greeted by sharks circling below. Unafraid of any challenge (and because we had become one with the sharks at that point), we all eagerly hopped into the water before heading down. As we headed down, only one word came to mind: “Wow.” Fish, sting rays, sharks, crabs, conch, and endless coral surrounded us. During the dive, we were fortunate enough to swim off the reef, floating along the reef’s wall in the open ocean. As we chugged alongside the wall, we began seeing something odd in the abyss below us. But what was it? Another shark? A big fish? A sting ray? No! It was a huge SPOTTED EAGLE RAY!!! As it flew below us, we felt honored to be able to see such a beautiful and graceful creature. But, being Half Moon Caye, the ocean didn’t stop there. As we turned around to watch the ray, we were greeted by more sharks and a sting ray! It was truly epic. When we resurfaced we were all super psyched to share what we had seen. As we talked, we headed to the actual island of Half Moon Caye, where Mrs. Marta had prepared a special barbecue lunch. After devouring our meal, the girls headed to the beach while the boys walked down the island to the old lighthouse that had collapsed into the water. Soon after, we headed back to the reef for our final dive of the trip. This dive proved to be just as amazing as the first, rewarding us with sea turtles and more sharks for all the work that we put in over the past 5 days. In what felt like no time, we sadly headed back to the surface for the last time. When we got back to Long Caye, we quickly ate dinner before going to an interesting and insightful Moonup.
For our final day on Long Caye, Mr. Reeves (the guardian of our lodge) took us on an amazing fishing trip in the waters surrounding our beloved island. In the morning session, the group went out to see what we could catch. While it took a while to get our first bite, the fish soon came flying in the boat! The afternoon session was when the fish really started coming. Josie proved to be the resident fisher extraordinaire, reeling in a ton of fish, including a MASSIVE jack fish. When the second group returned, they were excited to share the stories of the sharks (thanks, James!) and the wonderful fish they caught. After showering off, we headed out for one final walk around Long Caye. As we all hung out on the dock, reflecting on how important Long Caye was to all of us, Thomas ran and jumped into the ocean, causing many people to follow! It was such a fun final act of spontaneity that reminded us to always live in the moment. After swimming, we headed to a special final dinner, which was actually an early birthday surprise for Reid! Lizzie directed the party planning committee to help create a happy birthday sign, a cake cooked by Mrs. Marta, and special birthday hats. Thanks to Eliza’s handiwork, when Reid arrived upstairs for dinner, everyone was wearing a party hat and celebrating his big day. Reid was also given with a special paper crown that said “Birtday Boy” (yes, “Birtday Boy”) crafted by Georgia! After dinner, we headed to the porch for our final Moonup and a search for crocodiles around the island!
Today, day 7, has been a long travel day, filled with boat rides, car rides, and plane rides! Now, we’re sitting in the airport in Guatemala City, waiting for our flight to San José where there’s more fun to be had. To all the folks at home reading this, thank you for sending these 10 amazing kids on this adventure! While that’s all we have for now, stay tuned for the next installment of the Chronicles of the Horses in Costa Rica, it’s sure to be exciting!
Our Barn, Our Rules, Lizzie, Reid, and Harrison
Shout-Outs:
Josie: Hi Mom and Dad I’m having the best time in Belize we just finished scuba diving and I got to go 60 feet our group is so fun and we’re having so much fun! Miss you guys pass this message on to Sam
Lauren: Hey mom dad and kaki! I miss y’all so so much! Tell Gigi and Duke hi! The trip is amazing and I’m scuba certified! Saw the coolest animals and hit 80 feet. see y’all soon love y’all!
Reese: Hi mom and dad and Macy! I miss you guys a lot but I’m having so much fun! We are leaving Belize today and scuba diving was so fun we saw a lot of sharks! Love you guys!
Eliza: Hey mom dad and Robert! I miss y’all and I’m having so much fun! We just finished scuba diving and it was super fun! Love you!
Georgia: hey guys I’m having the best time here and scuba diving was so much fun. I got to swim close to sharks. I miss and love you guys see you in a week
James: Hey Mom and Dad! Right now I’m in the airport in Guatemala and about to fly to Costa Rica for my second half of the trip. Scuba diving was amazing and I caught a nurse shark while fishing. Thank y’all so much for letting me come here and I’m excited to see you in a week! Love y’all!
Houston: I am having a blast. I got to see a crocodile. Thank you so much. Love you
Graydon: Hey y’all, I am having a blast and I am so thankful for your generosity of sending me on this trip. I love you guys!
Thomas: Can I go for three weeks? Also I need more money on my green light. Love y’all
Reid: Hey mom and dad! I’m having so much fun on this trip. I swam with a shark while scuba diving! Love you.
Safe Arrival in Belize!
July 8, 2024
Hello Belize + Costa Rica Families!
All students have landed safely in Belize and the group is headed to their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
