no really. this isn't some figurative pun on an experience i've had here in Belize. Actually, its just what it says it is...please join me in reliving one of the most disgusting experiences I've ever had in my life.
It's no surprise that I have rats living in my ceiling. Its quite common here and once you get used to the scamper of their feet above your head, its really not so bad. In fact, i was more or less okay with this...until they started leaving little presents under my sink in my kitchen cabinets. Not okay...plus it was an unfriendly smell.
So, like any responsible tenant, I went in search of a rat trap. No luck...apparently the only option here is good ol rat poison. Since it's the only option, I happily purchased two blocks...It was me against rat turds and I was determined to prevail.
This was about 2 weeks ago...one brick disappeared from under the cabinet, and the next one was slowly being nibbled. I was stoked...any day, the pattering of rat feet would surely stop and I'd have a clean cabinet yet again. Was I worried about dealing with a dead rat...no, I knew there was a chance of it, but I had a friend tell me they went outside to die. Therefore...this process was perfect.
How gullible am I?!?!
Needless to say, the poison did its job. On Sunday, I woke up to a funky smell coming from my kitchen. I chalked it up to rat poop, cleaned out my cabinet yet again and went to my hammock to read a book. It was during my relaxing swing session that large flies started to drive me nuts. After about 20 min. I got up to see where they could have possibly entered my house from (after all, I have screen doors and windows..this should not have been happening). I walked into my kitchen and to my horror, there were about 20 large flies swarming about! I immediately went to work shoo-ing them out. Successful after a few tries, I went to work attempting to locate what I thought was attracting the flies - coke bottles. Again, REALLY, what was I thinking?!
After this task was done, I went out swimming for the day. I came home late after enjoying friendly company, pizza and wine and headed straight for bed, completely missing the nastiness of what was happening in my kitchen. No worries, Monday morning it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I attempted to fan out the kitchen and couldnt believe the potent smell, not to mention, the annoying flies were back! I decided that there must be a dead animal somewhere because it was really the only explanation for such foul odors. After a quick swipe of the house, I came up with nothing. In a hurry, I just left to head to the school for the morning and figured I'd deal with it when I got home.
Big mistake, by the time I walked home for lunch, I could barely walk through my house. I immediately went on a search for the animal...looking under the cabinets, behind the frige, under the stove...I even tried to glance up in the roof thinking maybe it was on an edge. My neighbor came home around this time and told me her house smelled the same way...
Great, we now had a dead, decomposing rat stuck somewhere between our walls where no one could reach it. All I could think was that I really didnt think I would make it that much more with the smell. I resolved that after I returned home from working at GCPS in the afternoon, I would call the landlord and demand him to take care of the situation.
Opening my door in the evening nearly brought me to tears...rotting flesh is not a welcome home scent! I decided to try one more time to locate the smell and save myself...I got out my flashlight and started hunting. 10min. in to my 3rd and final hunt...success. This horrid, stupid, dead rat had managed to die in the smallest crevice of my house. I could see its body, but couldnt figure out how to reach it. I ended up tearing off a corner of a cardboard box I'd been mailed and fished the animal out.
To my complete horror, the rat wasn't the only thing I ended up pulling out. That sneaky carcass that took me so long to find came complete with a large stash of developed maggots...crawling in and out of where the animals abdomen should have been. Revolting. I disposed of it as fast as I could....telling myself I couldnt get sick because then it'd be an even more disgusting mess to clean up. May it rest in pieces at the bottom of the trash barrel at the end of my street.
In the mean time, I'm enjoying a rat free house and am airing it out continuously. I can finally breathe upon entry! But, this whole experience has made me think: which really is worse -a few rat turds or a decomposing rat full of maggots??? I haven't yet made up my mind.
Your thoughts?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
back in action!
It has recently been brought to my attention that some of you would like me to update this blog. I suppose that a month-long hiatus is long enough, but I'm finding it hard to write about my 3 week break. What do you do in Belize over winter holiday? A whole lot of nothing. I had every intention of getting a good start on my garden, finishing up some work on a manual I'm creating for the primary school, and in general, getting things done.
However...things rarely go according to plan. Take the garden as example. Day one: got a good start with attempting to shovel up the rock mixture that suffices as my backyard. Ample progress, but still a long way to go. Day two: yard is getting chopped (yes, they cut my entire yard with a weed wacker). Day three: rain. Day four: rain. Day five: yard is now flooded from rain. etc. It hasnt dried yet! So, my poor garden is sitting unfinished, half flooded and in need of TLC.
Well, since I couldnt work outside like I had intended, I opted to utilize the office internet for a bit and attempt to tackle some projects I have going for Garden City Primary. Snafu #2. After my half an hour walk, I discover that the office internet is on the fritz and does not work for wireless. No worries, I will use one of 2 DSL connected computers and work that way - but I have to wait my turn. Oh yea, the Toucan Times (a quarterly publication that the volunteers create) crew is in working and they need the computers for deadlines. I attempted to watch television but the remote is also not in working order.... Groups were in the office like this off and on during the past few weeks...
So, naturally I opted to search out a drill to attempt to finally get my hammock hung. I could swing in it all afternoon reading or just enjoying the sensation of a gentle swing. After several attempts, I still have no hammock hung in my house.
Oh, life in Belize. I finally resigned to just enjoy the free time for whatever I chose. I napped A LOT and entertained myself with books and borrowed DVDs. BUT, I also was able to visit friends for those big occasions.
For Christmas, I traveled west on the Hummingbird Hwy and stayed with my friend Emily. For full report, check out her blog at
http://emily-belize.blogspot.com/
I believe she has photos posted. It was both wonderful and strange spending the holiday in the jungle. I'd recommend to experience something like it at least once in your lifetime. I even returned home with a gift of homemade jam from one of the locals!
For New Years I traveled out to Caye Caulker to celebrate with other volunteers. We took a water taxi from Belize City to the little Caye. Once on the dock, shoes were off until we made our return trip three days later. Caye Caulker is a destination traversed more by the backpacking crowd than the average tourist. It has an amazing Carrib atmosphere that lets you relax and soak it all in. Within the first hours of my arrival, we had changed into our suits and jumped off a dock at one end of the caye, at what is called the 'split'. You can't beat the blue/green salt water and friends to chase your cares away.
We also participated in quite the karaoke session late into the night. It was impressive...take that anyway you choose.
New Year's Eve Day, 17 of our group (there were 24 PCVs celebrating together) coughed up some cash and went sailing/snorkeling for the entire day. If you get a chance to ever get to Caye Caulker -take a Raggamuffin tour. We snorkeled through shark/ray alley where I was able to pet sharks and stingrays and then we went into a guided tour of protected reef where beautiful sea turtles roam. The trip provided food and drinks and we had an amazing time! It was the perfect way to end 2009.
I ended my trip a day earlier than planned because the weather was rainy and cold. It's been like this for most of the past few weeks...and I'm freezing. All of you can insert whatever "oh yea, I'd trade you" comment here. I'm dismissing all of them. For Belize, its COLD. I finally broke down and bought a fleece blanket just so I could get a good nights sleep. They warn you about the heat when you come, but never how cold it will feel once you're used to the heat and it only reaches 70! Bonus for 2010, I finally have warm water in my shower! And it only took me nearly 2 months to get. Its fickle and sometimes disappoints...but I'm on a 3 day run of all warm water and counting my blessings. There is nothing worse than a cold shower when you're already covered in goosebumps.
Ah, the complete happiness that blankets and warm showers bring...definitely simplifying my life here.
Recently, school has started back up and I've been busier. I participated in an HIV/AIDS training at the close of last week and have some events in mind for outreach work here in Belize. Things at the school are slowly resuming and my counterpart and I are attempting to create a behavior modification plan to address some issues the students are dealing with. I also am moving right along with this manual and hope to have it finished and another one started within the month. WooHoo for progress!!! slow as it may be :0)
Hopefully you all are braving your weather as well and keeping warm!
However...things rarely go according to plan. Take the garden as example. Day one: got a good start with attempting to shovel up the rock mixture that suffices as my backyard. Ample progress, but still a long way to go. Day two: yard is getting chopped (yes, they cut my entire yard with a weed wacker). Day three: rain. Day four: rain. Day five: yard is now flooded from rain. etc. It hasnt dried yet! So, my poor garden is sitting unfinished, half flooded and in need of TLC.
Well, since I couldnt work outside like I had intended, I opted to utilize the office internet for a bit and attempt to tackle some projects I have going for Garden City Primary. Snafu #2. After my half an hour walk, I discover that the office internet is on the fritz and does not work for wireless. No worries, I will use one of 2 DSL connected computers and work that way - but I have to wait my turn. Oh yea, the Toucan Times (a quarterly publication that the volunteers create) crew is in working and they need the computers for deadlines. I attempted to watch television but the remote is also not in working order.... Groups were in the office like this off and on during the past few weeks...
So, naturally I opted to search out a drill to attempt to finally get my hammock hung. I could swing in it all afternoon reading or just enjoying the sensation of a gentle swing. After several attempts, I still have no hammock hung in my house.
Oh, life in Belize. I finally resigned to just enjoy the free time for whatever I chose. I napped A LOT and entertained myself with books and borrowed DVDs. BUT, I also was able to visit friends for those big occasions.
For Christmas, I traveled west on the Hummingbird Hwy and stayed with my friend Emily. For full report, check out her blog at
http://emily-belize.blogspot.com/
I believe she has photos posted. It was both wonderful and strange spending the holiday in the jungle. I'd recommend to experience something like it at least once in your lifetime. I even returned home with a gift of homemade jam from one of the locals!
For New Years I traveled out to Caye Caulker to celebrate with other volunteers. We took a water taxi from Belize City to the little Caye. Once on the dock, shoes were off until we made our return trip three days later. Caye Caulker is a destination traversed more by the backpacking crowd than the average tourist. It has an amazing Carrib atmosphere that lets you relax and soak it all in. Within the first hours of my arrival, we had changed into our suits and jumped off a dock at one end of the caye, at what is called the 'split'. You can't beat the blue/green salt water and friends to chase your cares away.
We also participated in quite the karaoke session late into the night. It was impressive...take that anyway you choose.
New Year's Eve Day, 17 of our group (there were 24 PCVs celebrating together) coughed up some cash and went sailing/snorkeling for the entire day. If you get a chance to ever get to Caye Caulker -take a Raggamuffin tour. We snorkeled through shark/ray alley where I was able to pet sharks and stingrays and then we went into a guided tour of protected reef where beautiful sea turtles roam. The trip provided food and drinks and we had an amazing time! It was the perfect way to end 2009.
I ended my trip a day earlier than planned because the weather was rainy and cold. It's been like this for most of the past few weeks...and I'm freezing. All of you can insert whatever "oh yea, I'd trade you" comment here. I'm dismissing all of them. For Belize, its COLD. I finally broke down and bought a fleece blanket just so I could get a good nights sleep. They warn you about the heat when you come, but never how cold it will feel once you're used to the heat and it only reaches 70! Bonus for 2010, I finally have warm water in my shower! And it only took me nearly 2 months to get. Its fickle and sometimes disappoints...but I'm on a 3 day run of all warm water and counting my blessings. There is nothing worse than a cold shower when you're already covered in goosebumps.
Ah, the complete happiness that blankets and warm showers bring...definitely simplifying my life here.
Recently, school has started back up and I've been busier. I participated in an HIV/AIDS training at the close of last week and have some events in mind for outreach work here in Belize. Things at the school are slowly resuming and my counterpart and I are attempting to create a behavior modification plan to address some issues the students are dealing with. I also am moving right along with this manual and hope to have it finished and another one started within the month. WooHoo for progress!!! slow as it may be :0)
Hopefully you all are braving your weather as well and keeping warm!
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