Today I woke up at 3 am and rode my bike to the junction. It was so scary because it was pitch black and I couldn’t see anything, but what my flash light shown. I rode right past the house I was going to park my bike. Therefore, I locked my bike on a small baby coconut tree at Christian Heritage. Then I walked with my bags to the bus stop because it was so dark it felt like it took an eternity to get there. There was no moon or stars shining because it was cloudy. I decided once I got to the bus stop that I would move to the forestry because they had a street light and Laguna didn’t have any street lights. However, once I got to the Forestry department it began pouring on me. Therefore, I had to run back to Laguna’s bus stop and wait in the dark. I reached Laguna junction at 4am and the bus did not arrive until 4:50am. I was tired and waiting took forever!
Once on the bus I just wanted to sleep. I have gotten to be a pro at sleeping on the bus… Unless I get the aisle seat and then I often fall over onto the person I am sitting next to. Once I reached Belize, Mr. Gomez (the Peace Corps favorite taxi driver) gave me a GREAT deal to pick up Beth from the airport. It was wonderful seeing her. It has almost been about three years since I have seen her.
Once we got back to the city we looked for lunch, as well as fruits and vegetables at the market. We had the traditional rice and beans with stew chicken; however, this time there was cold mash potatoes included today. Beth and I headed to the Baboon Sanctuary, where Shannon another PCV volunteers. There are no real baboons that inhabit Belize, however Belizeans often use that name for the black howler monkeys. The Community Baboon Sanctuary is spread over several long established Creole villages in the Belize River Valley. The sanctuary has engineered a big increase in the primate’s population and is doubly interesting because it is completely community-run, grassroots conservation operation.
I was excited to visit Shannon’s village. Her Peace Corps experience is completely different than mine. It was cool to see how different the Creole culture is compared the K’ekchi Maya culture. Beth and I got to see where Shannon lives and works, as well as seeing all the howler monkeys. I have never seen them up close, but I always here them very loudly at night in Laguna because the howler monkeys live in the Laguna mountain. So I am used to hearing them, but not seeing them. That will change today! The sanctuary takes up approximately 20 sq miles; however, the black howlers have made such an amazing comeback in the area, and the monkeys now roam freely all around the surrounding area.
Shannon helps run the Baboon Sanctuary visitor center. The center is located in Bermuda Landing. The center has a good number of exhibits and displays on the black howler monkey, the history of the sanctuary, and other wildlife found in Belize. Beth and I enjoyed ourselves taking pictures with the monkeys!!! 
Disclaimer This website expresses the views of Grace Boswell, who is entirely responsible for its content. It does not express the views of the United States government, the Belize government, the Peace Corps or any other institutions named or linked to on these pages.
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