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Xunantunich and Barton Creek Cave Friday was "play day," our reward for a hard week's work. We ate another delicious and filling breakfast at Log Cab-Inn in the morning, courtesy of the excellent chef, Ina. Then around 9 a.m. we all piled into a couple of vans – a routine that had become old hat by now – and headed west towards Succotz.
Our first adventure of the day was exploring the impressive Mayan ruins at Xunantunich (pronounced "shoe-NAN-too-nitch"). I had visited Xunantunich the year before, during my first trip to Belize, and I described the site, and the Mayan culture, in detail in my entry from last February. But to summarize, the Mayans had lived in this area from about 2000 B.C. until about 1200 A.D. and their civilization peaked around 500 A.D. During their reign, they build dozens of cities and temples that extended from southern Mexico to Honduras, including here in Belize, most of which have yet to be discovered.
One of their more impressive sites is in Belize just inside the Guatemalan border at a place which today we call Xunantunich, located just a few miles from the village of Succotz, where I had worked on Tuesday. The actual Mayan name for this site is unknown, as are the reasons they abandoned it around 1200 A.D. But the site was re-discovered by British explorers in the late 1800s – Belize was a British colony until 1981 – and it was excavated more thoroughly beginning in 1938, a task which continues through today.
The day after our group had arrived in Belize, on Sunday, we had briefly explored the more modest Mayan ruins at Cahal Pech, near San Ignacio, a site that I described in my entry from last year. But Cahal Pech is small potatoes (or maybe "small mangoes" considering the locale) compared to Xunantunich, which is not only much harder to pronounce but is much more extensive, as well. The Xunantunich ruins include a lofty Mayan pyramid-like structure which is known today as "El Castillo. At 130 feet in elevation, it's the second-tallest structure in Belize; only the ancient Mayan ruins at Caracol are higher.
We spent about three hours at Xunantunich, led by a knowledgeable guide, and everyone had a great time learning more about the Mayan culture. Our group also enjoyed crossing the Mopan River as we traveled to the site, via an old-fashioned hand-cranked ferry. Everyone got a chance to crank us across the lazy Mopan – and then back again after we'd finished our tour of the Mayan ruins. Along with seeing the ruins, the creaky, old hand-powered ferry is something I'm sure they'll never forget.
After our tour, we headed back to Log Cab-Inn and ate a delicious lunch, again thanks to wonderful chef Ina. Afterwards, about a dozen of us more adventurous folks got ready for a trip to Barton Creek Cave. This, again, was something I had done the previous year but was something I wanted to do again. In fact, after describing the cave/canoe trip to the group a few days earlier – I explained to them that it was something like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disneyland, only with real canoes that you paddle through a darkened river cave – several folks in our group decided to join me, so I suppose you could say I was the instigator for this whole expedition.
Around 1 p.m., a large pickup truck, with three bench seats in the bed, pulled up to Log Cab-Inn and the dozen of us piled in, eight in the back and four sitting up front in the cab. We had a blast, with the wind in our hair, as we rode down the highway. After a half-hour, we turned off onto a dirt road heading towards the cave. It probably wasn't the safest thing I've ever done, riding in the back of an open truck while bouncing down the road with no seatbelts on – especially when we started racing another truck that was trying to pass us on the narrow, rutted dirt road.
I was totally dumbstruck. This truck, which all of us in the back watched with curiosity, had come up behind us as we were traveling about 30 miles an hour on the narrow dirt road, and then it pulled over on the left to pass us. The only problem was there was no lane or road there – just a dirt hillside. That apparently didn't faze the driver of the other truck, though, and he floored it and somehow passed us, then swerved back onto the dirt road in front of us. I was totally speechless and so were the other seven of us who were sitting in the back, laughing at something we couldn't quite believe. But then you see a lot of crazy things like that in Belize.
The Barton Creek cave tour was a lot of fun. We got into canoes, three or four folks to each canoe with the person sitting in front holding a hefty spotlight powered by a car battery, then we paddled into the cave, led by a guide. The cave had been used for religious ceremonies over a thousand years ago by the Mayans and there are still ancient artifacts scattered throughout the cave. You can paddle in the still waters for about a half-mile back into the dark cave, while dodging numerous stalactites that drop down from the ceiling, before you have to turn around at a point where the ceiling descends almost to the water level. It was a truly amazing and unforgettable experience.
Above left: An iguana lazing in a tree. The locals tell me that iguanas taste like chicken – or thinking about it another way, chickens taste like iguana. Hey, maybe a new fast food chain: KFI. Above right: Walking under a reconstructed frieze on El Castillo, the second-highest structure in Belize.
Above left: Hiking up through the ruins at Xunantunich. Above center: New best friends, Alyssa and Kelsey. Above right: I bought that slate etching of El Castillo from this cheerful fellow. Only $10 US.
Above left: Touring Mayan ruins sure builds up an appetite. This is back at Log Cab-Inn where chef Ina worked her magic and served up a delicious lunch. Above right: After lunch, we hopped in a truck for a ride to Barton Creek cave. The exhilarating ride to the cave was even more fun than the cave tour.
Above left: Riding through downtown San Ignacio. Above center: Having fun in the back, on the way to Barton Creek. Above right: Our driver stopped at a fruit orchard and picked star fruit. Chris (right) looks skeptical.
Above left: David loves puppies. And they love him. Above center: Judy enjoyed the scenery at Barton Creek – and enjoyed the hammock even more. Above right: Alyssa also loves puppies. And they love her.
Above left: We hopped into canoes and paddled into the cave, spotlights at the ready. Above right: Captain Spencer paddling his boat through Barton Creek cave. Over a thousand years ago the cave was used by Mayans for religious ceremonies and there are still skulls in the cave, from victims of the sacrifices.
Above left: "And as a parting gift, each of our contestants will receive... a ProBelize shirt!" Susan and Don enjoyed theirs. But I think Susan's shirt is a tad too large for her. Above right: Nicole, a ProBelize staffer, with her family.
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