Trip to Belize Part 1

 This past weekend, Nicole and I flew down to Belize for the Joiner's International Youth Camp.We woke up eeeearly Thursday morning...1:30am. We had to catch a bus to Mexico City and from there, we flew into Chetumal, Mexico! It was a loooooong day, but somehow we managed to survive off of an hour of sleep, without much incident.

When we got to our gate, we stopped at Starbucks. I got a Chai Frappe and when I went to the counter to pick it up, I watched a lady with a very confused look on her face come and take my drink.

 She left her own drink sitting there on the counter. It was pretty funny.

In black pants, there she is sitting at her table with MY drink! :D

I told the barista what had happened and they gladly made me a new one.

Walking to the airplane early in the morning...

I always feel kind of important when they have us walk out onto the tarmac and climb the stairs into the plane.
If only there weren't about 100 other people!

Flying into the green and lush Chetumal, Mexico

Cotton-ball clouds

6 am...Do we look tired? :)

Sis. Haley and Bro. Jose were there to pick us up at the airport and take us to the church in Belize, which is about an hour and a half from the border.



Nicole filling out immigration papers so we could cross into Belize



We got to the church, got in the Joiner's church van and headed over to the airport in Belize to pick up the preachers and young people that were coming for the camp.

Bro. Joiner driving like a maniac down the dirt roads of Belize!

Haley, Lupey and lil Josey

Happy to be in Belize!

Sweet Lupey!

We picked up the Americans, loaded up their luggage, and got back on the road.

Smiling through one of the longest days of our lives!

It was about an hour back to the church so Bro. Joiner stopped at a gas station, warning us that this was the last bathroom we'd see before arriving at our final destination. 

This is what we found:

Hahahaha!

The ride back to the church alternated from very beautiful to just plain ugly!

Belize is very poor, even poorer than Mexico.

Many of the houses are built up on stilts because of flooding.

They say the coke in Belize is aaaaaaamazing and so much better than in the U.S. and Mexico. I tried it and it was good, but I don't drink Coke that much, so I couldn't taste a difference.

When we got to the church, everyone filed out of the van and into Bro. Joiner's air-conditioned office. What relief! As we sat down, Bro. Joiner asked if we'd like anything to drink. Water, diet coke? We said no thank you, but then he said, "Well how about a root beer?" What?! Since when does Belize get A&W root beer? They are even more primitive than Mexico, and we cannot get root beer here! 

Yummmm! Poured into a frozen glass mug...

We went to the grocery store, and found a lot more things there that we can't buy here in Mexico...like the pumpkin stuff used to make pies...

...and Fruity Pebbles, and Honey Combs!

Later on that night, we all went over to the Joiner's house and sat around visiting and drinking smoothies in the cool, air-conditioned air.

For dinner, we went out for Ceviche.

 

Bro. Joiner's Great Dane, Duke

Haley makes the BEST pina colada smoothies...YUM!

I caught Duke drinking out of the water dispenser...so funny! Thirsty little guy.

We were there for five days, and this is just the first day! Stay tuned to read about the rest of our adventures in Belize...