Day 9–30 Days of Journaling for Self-Discovery: My favorite travel memories
Today is Day 9 of my 30-day journaling for self-discovery challenge. My previous post was about moments I have stepped out of my comfort zone and what I learned about myself.
Today we’re looking at some of my favorite travel and the lessons learned from exploring new places. I feel that this post isn’t about self-discovery, instead, it’s about some of the fun things I’ve done while traveling.
One of my favorite memories would be visiting the Green Iguana Conservation Project in San Ignacio, Belize in 2022. The conservation project is part of the San Ignacio Resort hotel and has been running since 1996.
There we had the opportunity to learn about iguanas and hold, touch, and get covered by them (which was my favorite part).
Getting there was a bit of a pain in the ass as we didn’t have a car and the walk up the hill to the hotel was a bit of a trek) the project itself was an absolute blast.
The Green Iguana is an endangered species with the hotel being at the forefront of its conservation efforts. Here you can learn about their hatching, growth, and release process.
Here are some facts I learned while at the conservation project:
- Green iguanas are protected in Belize. Owning one without a valid permit from the Belize Forest Department is against the law.
- The gender of green iguanas is influenced by temperature, resulting in a higher number of male hatchlings.
- During mating season, male iguanas turn a vibrant orange.
- The flap of skin on their neck is called a dewlap. This serves as a means of communication, often used to signal anger or fear when they are threatened or provoked.
- Iguanas only lose their tails by force. When regrown, the new growth will match the color of the removed part — without stripes
About the Igauana project:
- Tours are daily and run hourly from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
- The tour itself lasts anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour (this depends on how interactive you wish to get; I wanted to get fully covered by iguanas)
- The cost of admission is $23 BZD per person (you can book online in advance or pay at the front desk of the hotel)
- The project is fully funded by tour fees, donations, and the adopt an iguana program
What lessons did I learn?
Through my visit to the Green Iguana Conservation Project, I learned about the world of iguanas and can now spot when an iguana has had part of its tail ripped off. I also learned about their habitat and life cycle and the conservation efforts designed to protect green iguanas.
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