Adventures in Belize

Spelunking into Mayan History
May 24, 2004

The birds woke us this morning with delightful songs. We peered out to see a soft mist covering the Crystal Paradise grounds. This is the life.


Click this photo to play a video panoramic of the Crystal Paradise grounds and hear the birds.

Today's adventure was a trip to the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave. We thought this would be a matter of swimming into a cave, then walking along a sandy path admiring formations and artifacts. Had Susan known how it would really turn out, she says she would have been too chicken to attempt it. The journey began for us plus a brother and sister (Lily and Carl) a ways outside of San Ignacio with a bumpy ride through a muddy field. Our tour guide Manuel, who bragged that he never had to put the truck into 4-wheel drive mode, happily maneuvered us through jarring slips and slides. Who needs Six Flags?

When the field met jungle we got out, grabbed our gear, and hiked into the jungle.


Manuel pointed out various critters and plants. We saw scratch marks left by a really big cat on a tree, leaf cutter ants (remember A Bug's Life?), and a huge termite nest at eye level on a tree. This Manuel cut with a knife until a few termites scurried forth. He invited everyone to taste a termite and demonstrated by putting his finger on the hole until a bug crawled on his finger, which he popped into his mouth. He claimed they taste like carrots, and convinced the boy Carl to try one and find out whether they really did taste like carrots. Carl didn't hesitate long, and big sister Lily seemed to have no trouble munching a termite. Michael went for it too, but Susan said nothing doing. Carrots aren't her favorite anyway, especially if they kick. She found her favorite treat of the jungle in the vine swing. Whee!

After a 30 minute trek, we reached picnic tables where we ate the lunch packed for us by the tour agency. The salty plantain chips were the best. After lunch it was a trip to the jungle toilet, complete with wooden pole door, and a quick walk to the river and the cave mouth. Manual had us all jump in at a deepish place to get used to the temperature -- chilly! We donned hard hats with lights, posed for photos, and swam into the cave.

The 1.5 kilometer trip to the back of the cave consisted mostly of climbing rocks, walking on slippery rock ledges, and wading gingerly around submerged sharp rocks. We used the "three point system" for safety: hands, feet, and gluteus maximus should have firm contact with rock whenever possible. Thanks to the helmets, when our heads added a fourth point to the system no one got concussion. Susan, she who is phobic about slippery footing, maintained her sanity by singing "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby" to herself. Finally, in a last exertion before the Mayan artifacts, we took the "Mayan elevator." This consisted of carefully following Manuel's instructions to place the left foot here and the right just so while holding this outcropping and so forth to climb 8 or 10 feet up. Surely after all that there should be genuine Mayan beer waiting for us?

At last we reached the artifacts. Before proceeding, we had to remove our shoes and socks on the theory that we would be more careful barefooted. We padded gingerly ahead, feet feeling especially naked on the calcified ground after being submerged and squishy for a minor eternity. It was worth it. As Manuel shone his spotlight around the large chamber we saw pots, potshards, fire pits, and cave formations all around. The photo below shows a small fire pit, glowing due to the hot flashlight.
Fire pit

Check out these formations -- such color and texture. Some even glitter.


This one looks like something out of an Alien movie.

It amazed us to be permitted to walk among and occasionally over these centuries-old artifacts. They lay all around, some still partially buried by calcification, others showing beautiful terra cotta.


The image below shows a monkey icon formed on opposite sides of a pot. Click the monkey to see the pot he calls home.
Monkey pot

The pretty brown and red object below would have been one of three feet supporting a larger pot. This foot is perhaps three inches tall. It rests in a low spot in the ground with a higher ridge to the left. The artifact area's floor is composed of these sandy hollows and wet-looking ridges. We were instructed to walk on the high bits because pots and bones are still waiting in the low areas to be unearthed by archaeologists someday. Wow.

The ancient Maya are believed to have performed ceremonies in Actun to please their gods, particularly the rain god who was supposed to live in the cave. Along with ceramic vessels, broken to release unwanted spirits, they left human sacrifices. Today you find bones jumbled by water and coated with grainy mineral deposits.

Notice the teeth in this picture. The Maya etched grooves in their teeth to enhance their beauty. Unfortunately we can no longer see the missing teeth in this skull because they were knocked out by a careless tourist. As awe-inspiring as it was to see these artifacts so close, accidents such as this make one wonder whether it's worth it. The cave was only opened in 1999.

The pinnacle of the cave tour took the form of a young woman's skeleton. She was 18 to 20 years old when she was placed here centuries ago. Her bones lie relatively undisturbed except for a dusting of minerals like a light, beige snowfall.

The outbound trip seemed to take less time, as returns often do. Susan found the limits of certain muscles and barked her shins on a couple of rock outcroppings but was grateful to side-stroke out of the entrance and into sunshine. On the hike back we saw a lovely lizard by the river and a fat creepy-crawly on the trail.



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Last updated: 04/21/2008
All text and images Copyright © 2004, Michael & Susan Harrison.  All rights reserved.  No use without authorization.