Finishing up

Tuesday, we surveyed our last house garden in Buena Vista, which is a little way from Valley of Peace, and did some errands. Then, we spent the rest of the day chilling at Banana Bank.

Wednesday, we went into Belmopan to check on my permit from the Forest Department. They looked at my plants, but were unable to get my permit until Thursday. So, we went back to Banana Bank and killed time. I took a long nap and dad did a bunch of Internet surfing. Thank goodness for my laptop!

Today, we went back to the Forest Department around mid-morning, as requested. I picked up my permit and then we went to BAHA, the Belize agriculture and health, in Belmopan. Unfortunately, they decided to send us all the way to San Ignatio to get my plants inspected. This is a step that I luckily avoided in 2010. We drove all the way to San Ignatio, only to find that the inspector was out at a field site and we would be unable to get my inspection report until after lunch. So, we left the plants and my permits there. Then, Ernesto's truck would not start, so we sat around as he and Dad tried different things to get it to start. Then, we pushed it down a hill, but it still would not start. Finally, a nice man stopped and pulled Ernesto's truck down the road a bit, and it started right up. We had lunch in San Ignatio, and then went back to pick up my plants. Luckily, everything was done! Ernesto had to go back to Belmopan to get fertilizer for a friend, and then he dropped us off at Banana Bank. Tonight will be an evening full of packing, eating up food, and basking in some sun before we head back to winter wonderland.

Tomorrow, we head back to Belize City, and take Dad past the ocean, which he has been dying to see for about a week now. And then back to the states. I will return to finish up my dissertation research this summer. Hard to believe that my time at UIUC is coming to a close, and that my research is winding down. I could not have accomplished this trip without Ernesto, Cleofo, Mrs. Choc, Stanley, the lovely people at Banana Bank, and of course my dear old Dad. Until this summer!