Honeymoon in Belize Write Up

Helen and myself just returned from our honeymoon in Belize.  While I made some sketches, I gave them to the waitstaff and tour guides who helped us on our way.  So this is the first time I have had the opportunity to reflect upon the mind expanding experience I just had.  \ Before I say anything else, first and foremost, I must thank everyone who helped sponsor this honeymoon.  Your contributions, or to put it bluntly, the money you gave me and Helen for our honeymoon, made it possible to visit this extraordinary country, which was so enriching I do not feel like the same person anymore.  I could, and probably will, write a book about my experience.  But for now, it is very late at night, we need to pick up our doggie daughter, Zelda, tomorrow morning, so I am taking a moment to collect some quick take always.  

• I was unaware of how disconnected I am from the Earth.  I’m going to work on this until I am connected with the Earth. 
• I need to garden. 
• We need to reach out to the indigenous peoples of the North Americas, give them reparations in the form of capital and learn from then.  While you are at it, give the descendants of former slave African-Americans reparations in the form of capital.  There will be a retort of “how can you put a number on such a thing?” My reply is “well, why don’t we start with half a million dollars per household and take it from there?” Make the oligarchs pay for it, but we all pitch in what we can. 
• While colonial racists/fascists are obviously terrible and never to be compromised with, neo-liberal capitalism and the people who enable it are still causing damage by not outright ending poverty and only making symbolic gestures of saving the environment.  Liberalism is rule by compromise, so it doesn’t work when there are fascists in your country, because there is no compromising with fascists/racists. This also applies to reactionaries, as the status quo is racist/fascist. At the same time, It is not enough to simply point at fascists and say they are bad.  We must concede that the hoarding of resources and living for convenience/luxury has fascistic/monarchical overtones. If we continue to live for luxury and convenience, we are going to mess up the planet so bad that our children will resent and shame us. And That is the best case scenario. We need to move quick because the process is already underway. 
• The Mayan empire literally collapsed because of climate change.  I could go into detail, but I promised myself I’d be brief for the time being.  The process of environmental empire collapse is a cycle.  The soil of the Mayan empire has still not recovered from the deforestation they committed in 1100 AD.  Keep in mind, the contemporary Mayan people (note the word change) are a thriving, warm hearted, beautiful people with incredible intelligence.  It is a popular misconception in the United States that the Mayan people disappeared. They’re still there. 
• Ghosts are real. 100%.  So are spirits. If you hang out in the rainforest long enough it becomes Abundantly obvious. 
• If you have enough food/natural resources and a strong, educated, tight knit community who has each other’s back, money is optional.  
• People in the United States have the misconception that poor people, or better put, people without capital, don’t have the resources to address mental health issues.  While this is true, people who live in strong, educated, tight knit communities who have each other’s backs have fewer mental health issues for obvious reasons. 
• I discovered Paranda music. 
• The coral reef must be seen asap.  It is life changing. Aww Inspiring and holy. The bleaching is beyond tragic.  We can save what is left but we have to do it now. 
• The above statement also applies to the rainforest. 
• Belize is what I’d call a cheat code for the usa gringo traveler on a budget.  If you don’t have the money to visit both the Caribbean and Central America, go to Belize because it is both! Experience Garifuna, Creole, Mestizo and Mennonite (?!) culture.  Also, if you are linguistically challenged like myself (I don’t even understand how I’m speaking English right now.  I’ve re-read Chomsky’s work on linguistics and I still can’t figure it out), English is the official language.  I hate to say it but for practical reasons, a shared language really enables you to connect with the people.  
• I’d like to thank the staff of @hamanasi_resort for giving me and my wife an experience We will never forget.  Belize is in my heart forever.  If you go there, please remember to tip in the form of brinks trucks or Scrooge mcDuck money bags (they accept USA currency) because frankly, they should pay the staff there a higher hourly wage.  Let me rephrase that; they should pay them AT LEAST $15 an hour, because that’s kinda standard in the USA, and the service I got was a thousand times better than anything I have experienced state side. I’d recommend looking into this quickly as Chris Smalls just became union head of Amazon staton island and attitudes in The United States are changing.  
• The idea of coming to Belize all happened because of a shared interest in cooking and sports with my elderly Belizean neighbor while I was living in Boston. Amazing things can happen when you get to know your neighbors. 
• go to Belize.  You won’t regret it.