I am developing a nutrition program here in Belize. We will start with presenting this to the schools and the parents. Today I walked to the grocery store to get prices for a cost analysis I will be handing out. Take the walk with me.
I started at the outdoor market. The cook at Cornerstone needed some vegetables for the feeding program, so I rode in the small, rickety pickup down the steep hill from Cornerstone to the main part of town where they have a space designated for outdoor market stalls. A few stay open all week. On Saturday there are masses of stalls open. Right now there are about six stalls selling fresh vegetables- a limited selection. Cornerstone has an account with one of the stalls so I sat with them and got prices for carrots, green bell peppers, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, bananas, pineapples, radishes, eggplant and tomatoes. All except the cabbage and fruit are quite sad looking. Belizeans do not eat many vegetables.
I took off from the market to walk to a grocery store. It rained last night, so there are many puddles to navigate. The roads are poor so cars veer to avoid the pot holes. I tread carefully on the side of the road. There is plenty of room. As I pass people they are friendly, they smile and say hello. Many are walking as that is their only transport. There are several cars but not as many as there could be with the population of San Ignacio being the second highest in Belize. I pass a bakery with the fresh smell of sweet bread wafting in the air. I resist. I am determined to lose weight, thus the walk.
I cross the low wood bridge that spans the Macal River. The water is low but clear. The breeze is cool and I am receptive as the walk is making me very warm. It is humid and hot. I stop on the bridge to catch the breeze. Some kids are sitting on a tree branch over the water as they dangle their feet in the coolness. I want to join them but I continue my walk up a slight hill, past the car repair shop and the outdoor BBQ grill right on the roadside- the smell of chicken cooking hits me. I pass a small hut that is the tortilla 'factory.' The window and door are open, I can feel the heat coming out. They have a simple and effective operation. I decide to buy a half pound, and they come to me hot off the press. They are running the rounds of dough through a big piece of equipment that looks like an old wringer washing machine. Steam is rising from it so that is what must also cook the tortillas. That and a table complete the 'factory.' I pass many businesses that look like shacks and old buildings. Dogs bark at me as I pass some of the establishments and houses. Dogs barking could be the theme song and choir of San Ignacio. I didn't mention that when I crossed over the bridge I was now in Santa Elena. This is the bridge that gets covered when the river rises in the rainy season.
Then traffic alternates crossing the steel bridge down the river, at the other end of town- it was built much higher.
The grocery store is a simple affair and one of the largest here. A cement building with rows of shelving. Against one wall is the refrigeration and freezers. The frozen items are meats. I walk all of the aisles as I am looking for nutritious items. I find peanuts, sardines, V8 juice, and Special K bars (the bars may be too expensive for some of the families here). There are cans of vegetables- peas and carrots, corn and tomatoes. They are dusty that I can tell they don't turn over fast. Large sacks of white rice, beans and sugar are available.
On my way home a horse and rider pass me. They are not frequent but you do see the horses tied to the roadside when you leave town- natural lawn mowers.
I get a phone call from Sheree. (Cornerstone has a cell phone for volunteers to use, we pay to put time on the phone). She wants to take Rita and I to lunch and I am all up for that. I wait where I am, downtown San Igancio, for her to pick me up. We go up the hill to Cahal Pech and enjoy the view and each other's company. What a treat!
Signing off from Belize. All is well. Love, Deb Willey
