
If you start feeling stressed in Belize, just find a nice sized tree to lie down in for a while till the tension passes and maybe say a word of thanks to God for all the many blessings He/She has given you this day and every day of your life. Of course, you don’t have to find a big tree to calm down in to thank God for all the many blessings He/She has given you this day and every day of your life. Just stop where you are, do some mindful breathing, conscious of breathing in and conscious of breathing out, and thank God for that breath of life you have today.

SO MY LANDLORD HAS BEEN HERE FROM HIS HOME IN WASHINGTON D.C. FOR A FEW DAYS AND GRACIOUSLY TOOK ME AROUND SOME YESTERDAY TO GET A GREATER SENSE OF THE LAY OF THE LAND HERE IN FAR WESTERN BELIZE. THIS IS A PICTURE I TOOK STANDING IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY IN THE BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE OF BENQUE, WHICH BORDERS GUATEMALA AND IS A 30-MINUTE WALK FROM MY HOUSE IN NEIGHBORING SUCCOTZ VILLAGE. THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE LIVES IN THIS HOUSE ON ONE OF THE MANY HILLS OVERLOOKING BENQUE. THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN IT SAY THE DRIVEWAY IS DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DRIVING UP TO THE WHITE HOUSE. I DO PLAN TO WALK UP AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND UP THERE SOME DAY.

EVERY GOOD COMMUNITY HAS A GOOD LIBRARY AND BENQUE VILLAGE HAS A FINE AND MIGHTY FINE NEW ONE. TAKE A LOOK INSIDE.

THE BENQUE LIBRARY IS A BEAUTY WITH ITS SHINY WOODEN FURNITURE AND TILE FLOORS. BEAUTIFUL TILE ABOUNDS IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, AS DOES BEAUTIFUL, HAND-MADE WOODEN FURNITURE. BUT THIS LIBRARY ALSO IS QUITE WELL STOCKED WITH THE SORT OF BOOKS YOU’LL FIND IN ANY GOOD AMERICAN COUNTERPART, PLUS RESOURCES ON ALL THAT LOCAL MAYAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND A VERY SPACIOUS AND NICE COMPUTER ROOM AND INTERNET ACCESS MAINLY FOR THE LOCAL STUDENTS.

MY LANDLORD HELPS OUT THE LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS WITH DONATIONS WHEN HE COMES DOWN TO BELIZE EVERY FEW MONTHS FROM D.C. THE WOMAN TO THE RIGHT IS MIRIAM, THE LIBRARIAN AT THE BENQUE LIBRARY. I’M GETTING A LIBRARY CARD AT THE LIBRARIES IN BENQUE, MY HOME VILLAGE OF SUCCOTZ AND IN SAN IGNACIO’S NICE NEW LIBRARY. FIRST, THOUGH, I WILL HAVE TO PROVE I’M LIVING HERE TO A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE FOR HIM TO SIGN OFF ON IT.

DID I TAKE A WRONG TURN OR WHAT? CASA BLANCA ON THE BUSTLING MAIN STREET IN SAN IGNACIO WAS NAMED BEST SMALL HOTEL IN BELIZE A COUPLE YEARS AGO FOR GOOD REASON–IT’S A REAL CHARMER OF AN INN.

SO OF COURSE I WAS BACK AT THE MARKET IN SAN IGNACIO THIS PAST SATURDAY–(NOTE TO SELF–GO TO SATURDAY MARKET AFTER NOON, LIKE YOU DID THE FIRST TIME, NOT BEFORE NOON, WHEN THE CROWDS CAN BE, WELL, CROWDING). THE PEOPLE WATCHING AT SATURDAY MARKET HAS TO BE THE BEST IN BELIZE AND I’M COLLECTING QUITE A PICTURE COLLECTION OF ALL THE COLOR AND THE CHARACTERS.

PICTURED ON THE RIGHT IS MY BUDDY JUNIOR. HE AND HIS FAMILY LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME IN SUCCOTZ VILLAGE AND JUNIOR IS THE HANDYMAN I CAN CALL ON FOR ANY NEED OR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO GET AROUND. HE’S 100 PERCENT MAYAN, WITH BLOODLINE THAT GOES WAYYYYY BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN LITERALLY MILLIONS OF MAYANS DOMINATED BELIZE AND GUATEMALA. BELOW MY FEET EVERY DAY I WALK OVER LORD ONLY KNOWS HOW MANY MAYAN TOMBS, BODIES, RUINS AND ARTIFACTS.

THE MENNONITE FARMERS PARK THEIR HORSES AND BUGGIES DOWN BY THE RIVER WHEN IN SAN IGNACIO. THE MANY DUTCH AND GERMAN OLD-TIME MENNONITE AGRARIANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO ADVANCEMENTS IN AGRICULTURE AND EVEN SOME ENGINEERING IN BELIZE. I’LL BE DOING AN ARTICLE ON THAT INTERESTING STORY SOME DAY.
MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE HOME VILLAGE. . . . BUS DRIVER WASHES DOWN THE WINDOWS OF THE TOUR BUS WHILE THE TOURISTS ARE OFF SEEING THE MAYAN SITE HERE IN VILLAGE.