Day 5: Welcome to the Jungle!

We've arrived at the BEAUTIFUL jungle location of Mountain Equestrian Trails ("MET").

Photo from metbelize.com

The students went to El Progresso and San Antonio villages to spend time meeting their subjects this afternoon. They returned to MET to rest, storyboard their documentaries and pitch their concepts to the instructors - NMSU Professor Ilana Lapid and Belize Filmmakers Carol and Richard Foster and Daniel Velazquez.

Thanks to Aaron Bevis and family at MET for the incredible support these next 6 days/nights - driving, cooking, hosting, guiding - we're so lucky to be staying at this lovely place in the jungle!

Photo from mountainpineridgebelize.com

Here is an interview with the CMI students while sitting at the breakfast table this morning: 

KRISTI:  What's the favorite thing you've done so far in Belize? (Or pick you top 2 or 3 things).

BRYAN:  There were all sorts of interesting animals...even walking outside around here. I saw this big iguana the other day about as big as my arm.    It’s a lot different from home.

MARIAH: I like it.  Not being connected to everything- to a phone- and actually interacting with people is a lot of fun.   Oh, and we high-fived the jaguar. And filming the bats...

SAVANNAH:  I loved the big cats.  Those were the highlights of my trip so far.

RICK: It’s just a great atmosphere. I love feeling connected to nature. It’s very peaceful and relaxing.

NICK: I think filming the bats was the coolest. The whole howler monkeys tour was cool too.  Going out the jungle in the middle of the night, seeing massive amounts of creepy crawlies…  no basilisks though…still need to find one of those.  

JESSE:  The night time zoo tour…  walking in pitch dark… it felt adventurous. It was bond-building.  We got to touch a lot of animals;  the guide (Josh) was very personal.    Also, the howler monkey jungle walk…  it felt very communal the way the guides were explaining it to us  I understood how the ecosystems are connected. It was cool seeing how this whole systems exist…I haven’t seen that before.

I also really liked meeting the Fosters.  They are very interesting people to talk to.   They know what they are doing…and they are humble. They are very good teachers. It almost feels like they are my long lost aunt or uncle that I've always had.  Richard has a sense of humor…he’s always making jokes…you never see it coming. Carol is a free flowing ethereal spirit…

MARIAH: I love how Richard talks to the animals [in his sets, if they're not cooperating for the shot].  I also loved the little kayak I got to use on the river.  

SAVANNAH:  I love filing the bats and possums…the bats are so cute. I found them way easier to film than the butterflies and tarantula.    

NICK: Richard showed us some old stock footage…that’s what I want to be like when I get older.

JULIAN: The Belize Zoo was a lot of of fun.  I like jaguars - it was nice to see one up close and personal. Lucky boy – the high five.  The shooting in general: I liked the hummingbird -- just because it’s the hardest…the animals control you rather that you control animals….nice to explore the dynamic in their environment…

MARIANA, NICK, JULIAN: reflected on the tribe they formed yesterday at the river.

KRISTI:  Yeay - this is awesome to hear.  So...now...what are you looking forward to the most on this next part of the class? 

MARIAH: The Mayan temple and waterfall. 

[Food served, abrupt end to interview ;)]

More stories and photos coming soon! :)))