How Many...?

How many leaf-cutter ants does it take to strip a small tree down to skeletal remains?

How many bees does it take to harvest the nectar from the flowers of the Kahune Palm?

How many blood-sucking insects are there in Belize?

How many vines does it take to topple a full grown tree?

How many species of birds are there that sing their incredibly different and wonderful songs?

How many beautiful flowers grow that here naturally are sold as Exotics in the U.S.?

How many mangoes can I consume in a week?

I actually do not know the answers to any of these questions. But...I know:

~ leaf-cutter ants are voracious and incredibly diligent workers. Once they begin to harvest, nothing stops them.

~ the bees are equally busy when they gather nectar, the blooms drop with amazing consistency as they work.

~ insects...Who Knows?! But I can tell you there are more than I care for!

~ vines...I did not count them but in the process of clearing it out from the portion of our 'driveway' that is was covering, I found myself thinking, there is NO WAY you could quickly go from point A to point B in such a mass of interspersed vines (and before anyone says "Hey it's the jungle!" Yes, I know I am more aware of it all the time.

~ birds...Couldn't tell you that either although I imagine someone can. It is a treat though to hear such magnificent melodies even though the trees are so thick we cannot often see them. Although today I did see an abundance of green parrots and 4 Keel-billed toucans in a bare tree near the dining hall. How cool is that?

~ flowers...It is amazing to see the Bird's of Paradise flowers growing in ditches when we would pay a premium for them in the U.S.

~ now, to the all important question about mangoes.... I don't know this one yet either as I missed the season and there aren't enough now to discover the quantity but hopefully someday...

Well, maybe some of this would encourage you to visit Belize someday. Don't worry about the bugs, when you weigh out the whole deal - they're not that bad compared to the treats all around you and the wonderful people you meet. 

More on them next time...

Ray