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Our second day in Belize, we woke up at 6 am to catch a 7:30 am bus tour to Tikal in Guatamala. We ate breakfast and before we knew it, our tour guide was waiting for us.

Max, our guide, drove us back to Eva’s (a local restaurant in San Ignacios, Belize) where we met up with the rest of the group. We switched vans and were on our way to see the Mayan ruins.

In our tour bus, there were two couples from Idaho (one was an alfalfa farmer and the other was a manufacturer of horse equipment), an interracial couple from Denver (the woman was a lawyer and the man a physicians assistant), and a young Polish man who had an Internet advertising firm in Poland.

Away we went, along paved roads that should have been unpaved because of all the potholes, then across unpaved roads that stirred up so much dust, you could barely breath. We rode through villages of Belize through the border of Guatamala. At the border, we all had to get out of the van and walk across. What a weird feeling! (I started to think about all the people who came through Ellis Island from Europe.)

After we were cleared, we all got back into the van for a two hour trip to Tikal. Along the way, there were chickens crossing, cattle blocking the road and even children playing with their dogs on the side of the roads. We passed by small huts that held families of five, little shacks that sold Pepsi and Fanta and we passed a number of churches and schools.

At around 11:30 am, we arrived in Tikal, one of the largest Mayan cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants. Tikal is one of the world’s most amazing wonders.

The Mayans built their temples and their villages out of limestone and clay and when I was sitting in the center of the city, it brought chills down my spine thinking that people lived here and worked here more than 2000 years ago.

As I sat there, I closed my eyes and could imagine children running and the hustle and bustle of daily okactivity.

Touring through Tikal was neat. What wasn’t so neat was the tour guide. He was so annoying. Did you ever meet someone who just did not stop talking? That was our tour guide!

He just kept stopping along our three mile walk through the jungle to talk about trees, or various types of monkeys or just something that we weren’t interested in. The people from Idaho kept him going! They kept asking question after question! (After the tour was finished and we were back in the hotel, I could still hear his voice haunting me!)

Through the jungle, all you heard were hollar monkeys! They sounded like lions, tigers and bears all in one and right nearby! The sound was very scary! (Later I learned that in the Movie, Jurasic Park, they used the Hollar monkeys screams as the T Rex.)

By the time the tour was over at 3 pm, we were all starving. We had lunch in a quaint little open aired restaurant in the park. We had steak and chicken but the taste was nothing to remember. It was barely edible, but it didn’t matter, the day was special and the best part, we shared it with the kids!

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Drip… Drip… Drip…

My family and I were in a cave in Belize this past week. As we entered the cave in a canoe, there was complete silence. The only noise we heard was the sound of water dripping. Sometimes, we would hear a cough or a sneeze but it always came back to the dripping water. You couldn’t see anything. There was total darkness.

“I want you to look around,” the tour guide told us. “Can you see your hand?”

I looked. I couldn’t see my hand, my foot or my son who sat at the front of the canoe.

“I want you to meditate and think about the darkness,” he said.

When we turned the flashlight on, it was still dark in the cave but we were able to see interesting rock formations. We even saw a group of bats, some pottery and a human skull.

“The Mayans used these caves to burry their dead,” the tour guide said. “They also used them for shelter.”

Drip…. Drip…. Drip…. As we got deeper into the cave, the water dripped even more.

“Notice the dripping water,” the guide said. (How can you not notice it?) “The Mayans used the dripping water for drinking water. They collected it and many had kidney problems.”

When we were close to leaving the cave, the tour guide advised us to shut off the flashlight. When we looked in the distance, all we could see is a small bit of light. As we got closer, the light got larger and larger and larger, until we were almost out.

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Have you ever heard of a chicken drop? I’ve heard of chicken fights. I’ve heard of chicken drums but I never heard of a chicken drop until I came to San Pedro, Belize.

At about 5:30 pm, we walked over to the Spin Drift Hotel. We stood on line to buy some numbers. By the time we got to the beginning of the line, round 1 was closed out. We were in round 2.

It was so funny, all day I kept thinking the number 14 and lucky for us, 14 was available.

Once we purchased our tickets, we stood outside around a checkerboard filled with number. Everyone was shouting for the chicken. The MC told the crowd that the chicken was in the “green room” getting ready. At around 7 pm, the first chicken, which was dark brown, arrived in a wicker basket.

“Any volunteers,” the older man with the eye patch asked the crowd. My son frantically raised his hand. “Ok young man, you’re up,” the man said. He continued by explaining how to pick up a chicken and how the game worked. When the chicken makes a “poop,” the number that the poop lands on wins the pot of $100 Belizian dollars or $50 US bucks!

When my son gently dropped the chicken, the chicken wobbled along and his poop landed on two numbers. The two winners split the pot.

Round 2 was about 10 minutes later. A woman from Minneapolis dropped the chicken this time. It was a different chicken. This time, the chicken was all white. The chicken stood on both 14 and 44. (I had both numbers.) He moved ever so slightly and pooped on 14. I won!

My son ran over to me. “If I pick up the poop would you give me a US buck?” he asked. He knew from round 1 that the winner had to pick up the poop. “Go for it,” I said and generously gave him $10 Belize.

My husband ended the day eating Fried Chicken!

When I met with Adina Genn for breakfast the other day, she handed me a book, “Everything I Know about Business I Learned at McDonald’s – the 7 Leadership Principles that Drive Break Out Success.”

“Thanks so much,” I said. “I read on Facebook that you co-wrote this book with Paul Facella, a former McDonald’s executive. I’m really excited to read it.”

I decided to take the book with me on vacation. (I love business books and that’s one of the things that relaxes me when I go away!)

On the plane to Belize, I read most of the book. Each chapter included tips and strategies on the success of the management style at McDonald’s. These strategies can be applied to any business. They included:

➢ Honesty and Integrity – Most important when running a business. If you are not honest with yourself, your customers and your vendors, you will never succeed.
➢ Relationships – it’s important to make sure you build relationships with your customers, your staff and your vendors!
➢ Standards – Make sure you set your standards high and don’t be satisfied so quickly. Make sure everything is perfect!
➢ Lead by Example – If you won’t do something, how can you expect your staff to do it?
➢ Courage – It’s important to have the courage to tell things like they are. If you don’t, your relationships will be damaged. Don’t be afraid of failure.
➢ Communication – Keep an open communication with your staff, the media and your customers.
➢ Recognition – Don’t forget to thank the people who work for you and recognize them when they do something well. Everyone gets motivated from recognition and it’s important to keep the motivation high in order to increase productivity.

I thought the book gave solid points and good tips to anyone who owns a business. I understood why McDonald’s was so successful all these years. Ray Kroc, who was McDonald’s original owner, really set the stage for those who followed him and that’s why the franchises thrive today.

Thanks Adina. This was a great eye-opener and worth the read! Published by McGraw Hill, “Everything I know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s” can be purchased either through Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Border books.

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Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a great time to remind people that you care about them and you appreciate everything that they do for you…

Every year, I find myself buying something or doing something special for my staff. Without them, I wouldn’t have a business! So I appreciate all they do!

I also appreciate all of our clients and our friends for their support through the years. It’s a pleasure working with all of you!

I wish you all a wonderful Valentine’s Day!