Mayan Ruins
     This is a wonderful picture of El Castillo at Xunantunich ( Stone Lady ). It was amazing to find out that this temple was only discovered in 1938. Our guide Albert said that even today they are still discovering sites within the rain forests of Belize. My favorite part of the trip to Xunantunich was climbing to the top of the temple and getting a great view, even seeing Guatemala in the distance! It still amazes me how they were able to build such a wonderful place without the use of our modern day tools. The picture on the bottom left is the frieze on the side of Xunantunich. The picture on the bottom right is of the rooms that were inside the temple, and it also shows the steps we took to get to the top.
                          

                                                                Jaguar Paw
        After our long, but beautiful drive to Jaguar Paw we ate a wonderful lunch of chicken, rice and beans
 ( imagine that ). Jaguar Paw is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The forest there was huge, and had a gorgeous landscape. After eating we grabbed our life jackets, tube and headlights, and then headed for the cave we were to swim through. The cave we tubed through was great! My favorite part was floating down the small rapids inside the cave. This was definitely a great experience, and I would recommend this site to anyone planning a trip to Belize. The picture on the bottom left is the entrance of the cave we tubed through. The picture on the bottom right is the path we took to get to Jaguar Paw.
                          

                                                   Shark-Ray Alley/Hol Chan
    My favorite snorkeling spot during our trip was at Shark-Ray Alley and Hol Chan. Shark-Ray Alley was really neat because we were able to see the Rays and Sharks up close. It was amazing how they would let you go right up to them, and also how silky the Rays felt.
    Hol Chan was the best dive site we went to by far. It was so pretty and had a lot more varieties of fish  than the other sites. I also saw my first eel up close, and my first close encounter with a barracuda. The bottom left picture is of a ray and blue tang at Shark-Ray Alley. The bottom right picture is of my close encounter with the barracuda at Hol Chan.
                   
                     

    I really enjoyed going to the Belize Zoo, because it was so natural. All of the animals there were native to Belize, and were taken there because they were injured. They had monkeys, eagles, jaguars, snakes, tapirs, etc. The best part of the Zoo trip was seeing Dustin Faulstick get sprayed in the face by April the Tapir. The picture bottom left is of April the Tapir. The picture below right is of one of the many monkeys we encountered at the zoo that day.
            


                                                                   Biography
                                                      
     I am a sophomore at Franklin College, and am currently undecided on my major. I am from Rockville, IN; and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. You can email me with any questions at: sbuchanan@franklincollege.edu