Photo: Toucan seen on early morning bike ride.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written, because things have been very busy. The passage of time seems to have been accelerating for the last several weeks, as my time in Belize is coming to an end.

Some of the things that have happened over the last several weeks:

Two groups of InterVol doctors came to Dangriga, for a week each. We had a very productive 2 weeks while they saw patients and did surgeries.

Photo (below): Me, changing the dressing on a young patient who had surgery by Dr. Tim O’Connor, an InterVol plastic surgeon.

My family (my mom, dad, and brother) came and visited me for a week. We went to Tikal, a famous Mayan ruin site across the border in Guatemala. At the border to Guatemala, the Belizean authorities would not let me leave Belize, because I had neglected to extend my visa for the last 2 months. They made me go back to Belmopan, the capital, to pay the fees to extend my visa. This caused the trip to Tikal to take an extra day. When I got back to Hopkins, several people told me that the immigration guy was likely fishing for a bribe and that I probably could have saved myself a lot of time had I offered one. After nine months living here, I'm still pretty naive when it comes to these things.

Photo (below): Spider monkey in Tikal.

Upon returning from Tikal, I found out that my house had been broken into and I had been robbed. Among the things the thief stole were small electronics (cell phones, ipods), money, and a bottle of lime juice (!).

Additionally, the thief ate half a banana and left the other half on top of the refrigerator, presumably forgetting the other half when he discovered the lime juice. Thankfully, I had my computer and passport with me, and no one was hurt.

Photo (above): Baby crocodile who hangs out near my house.

In smaller news, I discovered 2 scorpions in my house, one of which was in my bed...

Now, with only one week left here in Belize,I can't believe I've been here all this time, and I can't believe I'm about to leave!

Photo: Me, under a waterfall discovered on a hike with my family.