Second advance team arrived today

Another 16 of our 61 person team arrived safely in Belize this afternoon, most from Cincinnati. Our plane landed in Belize City which is on the coast of Belize. Unfortunately, some of our luggage, including medical and construction supplies, didn't make the flight! The airline has assured us it will arrive tomorrow.

After clearing customs, we began the 2 hour drive in passenger vans to Corozal Town where we'll be staying. The drive is very interesting. The main road which leads to Corozal is a narrow, two-lane, paved road without any markings or lines. While the posted speed limit is 55, you have to watch closely for pot holes and speed bumps. The houses speckled along the way are mostly simple, concrete homes with tin roofs, many in need of repair. The landscape is quite green with unique trees and various shrubs including sugar cane, one of the area's main crops. From time to time, children were playing along the road or riding bikes.

As the sun went down, we made a stop in Orange Walk Town (about 70 miles north of Belize City) to tour the hospital where our surgical team will be operating. Orange Walk is one of the larger towns in the area. Keep in mind the total population of Belize is only around 270,000. The hospital is a simple one story structure mostly built from concrete. Certainly nothing elaborate relative to what we are accustomed to, however, it's sufficient for the job.

Soon after arriving at the inn in Corozal, we met for dinner outside under a thatched roof hut just off the ocean. Even though we've just arrived, one thing is very clear to me -- most of us probably don't realize how convenient and comfortable our life is in the U.S.A. I now have a whole new appreciation for these conveniences.