Picture this- you're riding in a minibus, packed with people from all over the globe trying to speak to one another in 3 different languages; English, Spanish, and Italian. It's loud, it's cramped, you have a hangover that rivals your prime college days, the ride ahead of you is 6 hours too long, and your best friend is possibly in an even WORSE condition than you. This was our ride to Antigua.
Caitlin and I were MORE than ready to exit our minibus when we got to the city of Antigua; we clearly had a great last night in Lanquin, and we arrived at our new destination with thoughts of making the new year even better but first a minor recovery was in order.
We took the advice of a friend we had met on the road and tried our luck at hostel called Dionisio but that may have been the worst decision thus far in our trip... we shall leave the friend unnamed for that reason alone. Lets just say that being woken up at 6am with firecrackers literally outside your dorm door and being torn up by bed bugs was not our idea of a pleasant time so we nixed that place as soon as the morning came.
We moved to a wicked fun place called Jungle Party Hostel and from the second we walked in the front gate we knew we were going to have a good time. We stayed up in the loft (if your over 5ft tall, watch your head on the rafters!!) and had good mattresses and large lockers to store our gear. They also include breakfast in their price per night which is awesome. The first few nights were hazy fun and we hadn't even celebrated the new year yet. ohhh boy....
Truthfully for me, Antigua was more of a miss than a hit, if you're into city slickin' it may just be the place for you. Good food, good nightlife, and large markets draw tourists to this destination but if your a beach bum like me, you'll find a way out fast! Caitlin will fill you in on our NYE night though, GOOD TIMES!
So I liked Antigua a bit more than Katie did- I really enjoyed wandering around the town with our friend Mike and exchanging info about the city and Fact-of-the-Day-type knowledge (yeah I know, nerd alert). It's a beautiful city with amazing architecture and great shopping, especially if you know where to look (thanks, Julie!).
The day of NYE we started noticing a lot- and I mean a LOT- of feminine clothing, mostly saucy silk bathrobes and corsets, floating around Jungle Party. Turns out, everyone got free beer that night if the boys dressed in drag. As for the girls, well we just had to wear these gold halos, like the angels we are! Stop rolling your eyes. I'm serious. Katie, myself, and Juliette (one of the Rebel Gypsies from Mirador, you reunite with everyone on the Gringo Trail) got a group of Aussie guys dressed up reaaal pretty, donned our halos, and started the party.
A bit of an aside: have we mentioned that the people of Central America love their fireworks? Cause they f****** love their fireworks. They set them off at 8pm, 7am, or mid-afternoon. They shout "cuidado!" (careful!) and then throw fireworks AT you. Yes, it's about as funny as it sounds. For a brief moment on Christmas, I thought there was a revolution in progress. That was a huge part of New Years- watching, hearing, and dodging fireworks.
We spent midnight with Juliette at the park watching- you guessed it!- fireworks and exchanging kisses and wishes. After that we went to a local club and reunited with some friends from Jungle, who had ditched the drag queen look (mostly) and were ready to party. The rest, as they say, is hazy. I mean history. The rest, is history. It was a helluva way to kick off 2013- may we all be as blessed in this year as we were in 2012!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Lanquin and Semuc Champey
Alright so after dealing witht two bouts of food poisoning, a sliced open foot, severe chest cold, and bed bugs (ALL in the last two weeks), I've concluded that either I've reaaaaally pissed someone off in the karma system, or I'm being punished for ignoring this blog for so long. My theory is that if I do 1.6 million random acts of kindness, and update this thing, I should be alright.
So Katie provided an epic account of Mirador- truly a life-changing experience. We continue to run into some of the friends we've made there along this Gringo Trail we're traveling, and we couldn't be happier about it! Seeing as how we've been absolutely terrible at updating this blog, we'll work to take you guys up to date bit-by-bit, since no one wants to read a 20-paragraph blog entry.
Once we returned to Flores from Mirador, Katie, Sofia, and I booked a bus to Lanquín, to check out the glorious pools of Semuc Champey. We landed at the Zephyr Lodge, a beautiful spot with sweeping views of the valley and crystal river below. In fact, we spent Christmas Day tubing down that very river with a crew from Zephyr and a bag of beers (props to Brenda the beer wench, nicely done!). Christmas night consisted of an awesome party, complete with tequila shots and one very epic speech by Dieter (a Guatemalan who was taught to drink by Irish guys... this man is a legend).
We took a day off to recover, and then all hopped in the back of a pickup truck and arrived at Semuc Champey after a very bumpy 20 minute ride. The day was pretty action-packed; first we explored a water-filled cave using only candles (easier than you might think... definitely a unique experience). After that it was time for the infamous rope swing. Everyone we'd talked to said they got absolutely WRECKED on this thing, but we all did pretty well. Except for that one girl... but I'm sure she's recovered by now. Because we hadn't had enough action yet, we decided to jump off the 30 foot bridge on our way to the park.
Hiking around the park was awesome, with the gorgeous views being well-worth the climb. Semuc Champey's main attraction is a series of crystal blue pools formed by the Cahabón River. They're stepped, so water flows down from one to another, and there are endless possibilities for jumping and climbing. After we'd exhausted all our energy, it was time to clamber back into the pickup and force our jello-like limbs to cling on for the jolting ride home.
We spent another day at Zephyr enjoying the views and meeting some fantastic, Jager-loving Aussies who promptly awarded me the nickname of Reginald, or Reggie for short. I've been going by Regan down here, since the whole "Cait and Katie" thing seemed to be confusing for people, and we were both sick of responding only to find that it was the other Caitlin/Katelyn being summoned. Anyway, after our fun-filled stay at Zephyr, it was time to head to Antigua to kick off the New Year!
So Katie provided an epic account of Mirador- truly a life-changing experience. We continue to run into some of the friends we've made there along this Gringo Trail we're traveling, and we couldn't be happier about it! Seeing as how we've been absolutely terrible at updating this blog, we'll work to take you guys up to date bit-by-bit, since no one wants to read a 20-paragraph blog entry.
Once we returned to Flores from Mirador, Katie, Sofia, and I booked a bus to Lanquín, to check out the glorious pools of Semuc Champey. We landed at the Zephyr Lodge, a beautiful spot with sweeping views of the valley and crystal river below. In fact, we spent Christmas Day tubing down that very river with a crew from Zephyr and a bag of beers (props to Brenda the beer wench, nicely done!). Christmas night consisted of an awesome party, complete with tequila shots and one very epic speech by Dieter (a Guatemalan who was taught to drink by Irish guys... this man is a legend).
We took a day off to recover, and then all hopped in the back of a pickup truck and arrived at Semuc Champey after a very bumpy 20 minute ride. The day was pretty action-packed; first we explored a water-filled cave using only candles (easier than you might think... definitely a unique experience). After that it was time for the infamous rope swing. Everyone we'd talked to said they got absolutely WRECKED on this thing, but we all did pretty well. Except for that one girl... but I'm sure she's recovered by now. Because we hadn't had enough action yet, we decided to jump off the 30 foot bridge on our way to the park.
Hiking around the park was awesome, with the gorgeous views being well-worth the climb. Semuc Champey's main attraction is a series of crystal blue pools formed by the Cahabón River. They're stepped, so water flows down from one to another, and there are endless possibilities for jumping and climbing. After we'd exhausted all our energy, it was time to clamber back into the pickup and force our jello-like limbs to cling on for the jolting ride home.
We spent another day at Zephyr enjoying the views and meeting some fantastic, Jager-loving Aussies who promptly awarded me the nickname of Reginald, or Reggie for short. I've been going by Regan down here, since the whole "Cait and Katie" thing seemed to be confusing for people, and we were both sick of responding only to find that it was the other Caitlin/Katelyn being summoned. Anyway, after our fun-filled stay at Zephyr, it was time to head to Antigua to kick off the New Year!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Trek to Mirador
Aloha Amigos! Katie here- we are alive and well after spending the turn of a new era at the ancient Mayan City of El Mirador! We have been cruising around the beautiful country of Guatemala ever since and we've made a truly great start to 2013!
El Mirador: I will start from the start: (as that is usually a good place to do so)
On our first day, we woke up early -gear packed, and said goodbye to our friend and hostel liason Francisco. We made our way onto a chicken bus designated for our trip and left our big packs behind - taking only a few days worth of gear with us. Making new seat-mates and friends right away was made possible by our over-excitement as well as the lack of space on the bus. Right away we met the infamous "Party Mike" of San Diego (who dresses like Aladin, and parties like Jim Morrison), as well as the lovely Debrow Brothers and tricksters from the Midwest. Caitlin happpend to sit down next to a guy who looked like he had just seen a ghost, or eaten a bad bowl of chili, and I must admit I was a bit worried about the sensitivity of his upchuck reflex. (We later recommended him to the smaller van and he -Josh- ended up making a speedy full recovery. What a trooper!)
The ride out took us from Flores to Carmelita, and was a bumpy 2 1/2 hours of our lives. Upon crossing into protected Mayan lands, we were met with strange glances, and local boarder gaurds were taking photos of us, as they had never before seen such a large group at one time enter through the gates. When we rocked up to Carmelita, we were all given breakfast of coffee, beans, eggs, and tortillas and after organized our gear onto the mules with the help of the locals. Some time passed before our group of 45 was summoned into a large circle where we had a ceremony where a Mayan time keeper by the name of Tatajuan, blessed our journey into the jungle.
And then we were off! The group quickly broke up into fast, medium and slow, and Regan and I became part of the leading pack. We had gotten a late start on day 1, which was filled with excitement and conversations of everyone getting to know each other. We ended our hike in the dark, and some frustration mounted as we continued to wait at the campsite at Tintal, for our gear and tents that we had packed on the slow moving mules. Dinner, drinks, and smokes were shared and soon enough we were crashed out in our 2 man tent.
The second morning was a decently early start, and a healing circle with the notorious Doctor "Gato" was formed by people in our group (myself included) who wanted to continue the positive flow of energy on the second morning. Good vibes kids.
Onward through the forest we went, and because of our morning promptness, we arrived at our campsite by midafternoon with plenty of sunlight left! Again, waiting for the mules was a necessary evil and so a small fellowship was formed and moves were made to catch the sunset on one of El Mirador's half unearthed pyramids known as El Tigre. The sunset was beautiful and as we climbed down we came upon the start of a Mayan ceremony in which chanting, fire spinning (not to be confused with fire dancing) and the burning of offerings to Mayan gods took place.
That night we bonded with our group, drinking and hanging out around the campsite and went to bed in pretty great moods.
The following morning was early, and full of walking around the different sites at El Mirador with the help of our local guides, Juan Pablo and Alex. I wish I had counted the number of stairs we climbed, honestly it was daunting. My favorite site was La Danta, a complex temple that supersedes most other pyramids in the world in both mass and volume. You can see the surrounding unearthed Mayan cities as well as how far you trekked and the vastness of it all is simply unreal.
Back to El Tigre for a Sunset ceremony with our 3rd guide Jen, and this was the moment that I was truly moved by my experience at El Mirador. It hit me like a rogue wave and I was aware of myself and everything I felt in that moment. It was wicked and something I wont ever forget.
Meeting a group of "rebel gypsies" that hiked in without a guide (which is almost impossible to do) made our last day/night tons of fun, and left a good taste in our mouths - minus the fact that we needed to hike all the way back, a wopping 55 kilometers. Not much to say in this regard, we were ready for a swift return to a more thriving civilization and had fresh beers waiting for us after the first days trek back. LOVELY how a cold, shitty beer can taste so good after a long day of huffing it through the jungle.
Finally, we made it to Carmelita and then back to Flores and our time being sweaty and dirty chicas was over. It felt nice to shower and put on a dress, but it felt even better knowing what had just accomplished and seen.
El Mirador: I will start from the start: (as that is usually a good place to do so)
On our first day, we woke up early -gear packed, and said goodbye to our friend and hostel liason Francisco. We made our way onto a chicken bus designated for our trip and left our big packs behind - taking only a few days worth of gear with us. Making new seat-mates and friends right away was made possible by our over-excitement as well as the lack of space on the bus. Right away we met the infamous "Party Mike" of San Diego (who dresses like Aladin, and parties like Jim Morrison), as well as the lovely Debrow Brothers and tricksters from the Midwest. Caitlin happpend to sit down next to a guy who looked like he had just seen a ghost, or eaten a bad bowl of chili, and I must admit I was a bit worried about the sensitivity of his upchuck reflex. (We later recommended him to the smaller van and he -Josh- ended up making a speedy full recovery. What a trooper!)
The ride out took us from Flores to Carmelita, and was a bumpy 2 1/2 hours of our lives. Upon crossing into protected Mayan lands, we were met with strange glances, and local boarder gaurds were taking photos of us, as they had never before seen such a large group at one time enter through the gates. When we rocked up to Carmelita, we were all given breakfast of coffee, beans, eggs, and tortillas and after organized our gear onto the mules with the help of the locals. Some time passed before our group of 45 was summoned into a large circle where we had a ceremony where a Mayan time keeper by the name of Tatajuan, blessed our journey into the jungle.
And then we were off! The group quickly broke up into fast, medium and slow, and Regan and I became part of the leading pack. We had gotten a late start on day 1, which was filled with excitement and conversations of everyone getting to know each other. We ended our hike in the dark, and some frustration mounted as we continued to wait at the campsite at Tintal, for our gear and tents that we had packed on the slow moving mules. Dinner, drinks, and smokes were shared and soon enough we were crashed out in our 2 man tent.
The second morning was a decently early start, and a healing circle with the notorious Doctor "Gato" was formed by people in our group (myself included) who wanted to continue the positive flow of energy on the second morning. Good vibes kids.
Onward through the forest we went, and because of our morning promptness, we arrived at our campsite by midafternoon with plenty of sunlight left! Again, waiting for the mules was a necessary evil and so a small fellowship was formed and moves were made to catch the sunset on one of El Mirador's half unearthed pyramids known as El Tigre. The sunset was beautiful and as we climbed down we came upon the start of a Mayan ceremony in which chanting, fire spinning (not to be confused with fire dancing) and the burning of offerings to Mayan gods took place.
That night we bonded with our group, drinking and hanging out around the campsite and went to bed in pretty great moods.
The following morning was early, and full of walking around the different sites at El Mirador with the help of our local guides, Juan Pablo and Alex. I wish I had counted the number of stairs we climbed, honestly it was daunting. My favorite site was La Danta, a complex temple that supersedes most other pyramids in the world in both mass and volume. You can see the surrounding unearthed Mayan cities as well as how far you trekked and the vastness of it all is simply unreal.
Back to El Tigre for a Sunset ceremony with our 3rd guide Jen, and this was the moment that I was truly moved by my experience at El Mirador. It hit me like a rogue wave and I was aware of myself and everything I felt in that moment. It was wicked and something I wont ever forget.
Meeting a group of "rebel gypsies" that hiked in without a guide (which is almost impossible to do) made our last day/night tons of fun, and left a good taste in our mouths - minus the fact that we needed to hike all the way back, a wopping 55 kilometers. Not much to say in this regard, we were ready for a swift return to a more thriving civilization and had fresh beers waiting for us after the first days trek back. LOVELY how a cold, shitty beer can taste so good after a long day of huffing it through the jungle.
Finally, we made it to Carmelita and then back to Flores and our time being sweaty and dirty chicas was over. It felt nice to shower and put on a dress, but it felt even better knowing what had just accomplished and seen.
Monday, December 17, 2012
On to Guatemala!
The day after ATM a group of us decided to explore the surrounding area in search of come cliff-jumping that we'd heard of. We set off with the intention of taking a bus to the next town, but somehow ended up renting 2 canoes off a local man and the six of us, along with a couple bottles of rum, ventured upstream. It didn't take long for chaos to ensue- flipped canoes, surprise rapids, war wounds. All in all one of the funniest days so far this trip.
On Friday, Katie, myself, and our friend Mark packed up our stuff and headed to Xunantunich to check out our first Mayan ruin site. A word to the wise- if an old man named Star (who smokes way too much pot, and talks like Cookie Monster) assures you that you can find a safe spot at a hotel to store your gear while you hike Xunantunich... don't listen to him. Luckily a nice bartender we spoke to named Ismenia agreed to put our stuff behind the bar while we adventured. Overall it was an epic experience. Looking at this towering ruins and realizing that the ancient Mayans shaped and placed each stone by hand is just mind-blowing. It was great that we were allowed to climb up to the top, and have this incredible view of Belize and Guatemala.
After that began a trip into Guatemala that can be described as nothing short of disaster. Crossing the border on foot was a piece of cake- however, if you are a "gringo" and you are driving a car across, be prepared to stop for a couple of hours while your car is thoroughly searched. Once across the border, Katie and I ignored the the slew of taxi drivers following us who assured us the last bus had departed for the evening, and that the colectivo was a 2km walk away. Rule #17- never trust a taxi driver.
The bus ride itself was uneventful, aside from the two stops during which soldiers with AKs boarded the bus and searched the compartments. Unsettling, to say the least. Overall, we made it to Flores safe and sound and met up with our friends from San Ignacio (minus Mark, plus a new friend named Sofia) and the six of us have been exploring the town and drinking beers on the docks by the lake. Pretty rough life, eh?
Final note: this may be the last post before THE END OF THE WORLD! No one down here actually believe this- from what we can gather, it's seen as a new beginning, focusing more on the start of a new calendar than the end of the old one. However, that hasn't stopped people all over from organizing End of the World parties, and many tours are offering special deals to the ruins. At least four of us plan to spend The End at El Mirador, an ancient Mayan site way up in the jungles of northern Guatemala. It will be a 5-day trek, with us reaching El Mirador on the 21st. It's one of the harder journeys you can take, and we're all pretty stoked about it. Expect a lengthy blog entry about our journey when we get back! That is, if the aliens don't get us.
Much love,
Regan and Smitty
On Friday, Katie, myself, and our friend Mark packed up our stuff and headed to Xunantunich to check out our first Mayan ruin site. A word to the wise- if an old man named Star (who smokes way too much pot, and talks like Cookie Monster) assures you that you can find a safe spot at a hotel to store your gear while you hike Xunantunich... don't listen to him. Luckily a nice bartender we spoke to named Ismenia agreed to put our stuff behind the bar while we adventured. Overall it was an epic experience. Looking at this towering ruins and realizing that the ancient Mayans shaped and placed each stone by hand is just mind-blowing. It was great that we were allowed to climb up to the top, and have this incredible view of Belize and Guatemala.
After that began a trip into Guatemala that can be described as nothing short of disaster. Crossing the border on foot was a piece of cake- however, if you are a "gringo" and you are driving a car across, be prepared to stop for a couple of hours while your car is thoroughly searched. Once across the border, Katie and I ignored the the slew of taxi drivers following us who assured us the last bus had departed for the evening, and that the colectivo was a 2km walk away. Rule #17- never trust a taxi driver.
The bus ride itself was uneventful, aside from the two stops during which soldiers with AKs boarded the bus and searched the compartments. Unsettling, to say the least. Overall, we made it to Flores safe and sound and met up with our friends from San Ignacio (minus Mark, plus a new friend named Sofia) and the six of us have been exploring the town and drinking beers on the docks by the lake. Pretty rough life, eh?
Final note: this may be the last post before THE END OF THE WORLD! No one down here actually believe this- from what we can gather, it's seen as a new beginning, focusing more on the start of a new calendar than the end of the old one. However, that hasn't stopped people all over from organizing End of the World parties, and many tours are offering special deals to the ruins. At least four of us plan to spend The End at El Mirador, an ancient Mayan site way up in the jungles of northern Guatemala. It will be a 5-day trek, with us reaching El Mirador on the 21st. It's one of the harder journeys you can take, and we're all pretty stoked about it. Expect a lengthy blog entry about our journey when we get back! That is, if the aliens don't get us.
Much love,
Regan and Smitty
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Actun Tunichil Muknal
Actun Tunichil Muknal ("Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre"), abbreviated ATM, refers to an expansive network of caves outside San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize. Inside it are immaculately preserved Mayan artifacts and human sacrifices. The ancient Maya believed caves to be a passageway connecting them to Xibalba, or the underworld. Offerings of food, water, and sometimes humans were brought deep inside the caves, and used in elaborate rituals- some asking for better crops or rain, others for guidance in matters of war. As the Maya civilization began to decline, the offerings became more and more frequent.
The tour we booked through Mayawalk allowed us the opportunity to see these ruins and experience the history up close and personal. Our guide's name was Aaron Juan, and he has been running these tours for about 15 years now. Before tours were offered to the public, he worked closely with archaeologists studying the caves, and knows ATM inside and out. He is hands down the most experienced and most thorough guide in all of San Ignacio. During the drive to the site and the hour-long hike to the cave, Aaron was full of stories, Mayan history, and jokes. He pointed out various plants that have practical uses in the jungle, and got us all psyched for the cave itself.
We reached the opening to ATM, and after a quick dip in the pools outside the mouth of the cave and some lunch, our crew was ready to head inside. Overall it was an eerie feeling; I'd never been deep inside a cave system before, and therefore had never experienced such a profound and total darkness. Our headlamps did little to mitigate the blackness that enveloped us, and many times Aaron had us stop and switch off our lamps, holding hands as he told us a story or simply had us imagine what it would have been like a thousand years ago, being guided by torches instead of headlamps. The other groups rushed through the tours, so many were heading out as we were heading in, resulting in the 8 of us being the only people in the entire cave network for a majority of the adventure.
I'll let Katie tell you the specifics of what we saw, but overall it was an epic experience. I can't deny a feeling of unease that I carried with me throughout the journey until we reached daylight again. The relief I felt at emerging back out in the jungle sun was more profound than I'd expected. Maybe it was being engulged in complete darkness, or imagining what the ancient Maya felt and saw as they journeyed to Xibalba. Aaron told us at the beginning that Actun Tunich Muknal effects everyone differently, and for me it was definitly an adventure I'll never forget.
When you first set your eyes on the entrance of the cave, it just might take your breath away. Like something out of the jungle book, the tall stone mouth of Xibalba is surrounded by lush green plants and from the mouth a deep stream flows down into a series of refreshing pools which we happily took a dip in before gearing up with helmets and headlamps and heading in.
We swam into the mouth of the cave like a line of little ducklings following one another and soon found ourselves in another world. The first cavern makes you realize just how small you are, and suddenly you sense the foreigness of your environment. As Caitlin said before, the atmosphere of the cave affects each person differently, some feel scared, some sad and so on. For me, at first I was simply in awe, but the ominous beauty of things creeps over you slowly and for a few moments my heart was beating faster and my mind was racing. Soon after Aarons introduction, we moved further into the depths and he pointed out a few cave dwelling insects such as cockroaches, spiders (yes, just sitting on rocks and crawling up walls) crickets, and catfish. We walked through wide shallow passages filled with stelagtites and stelagmites, and maneuvered through small crawl spaces that made you feel like a contortionist.
Upon arriving at the point within the cave system where we would need to climb up into higher caverns where the offerings and sacrifices were made by the Maya, Aaron told us we had only gone 1/4 of a mile in even though it felt like we were in the belly of the beast. We helped eachother make the ascent into the dry cave system where we were very careful to stay in line and listen closely to Aarons instruction -well, most of us anyway... ;) we wont name you fellow blogger. The first things we saw were many offerings, broken pots of all sizes, and stones where fires were made with scorch marks on the cave ceiling. Calsification has left many artifacts unearthed but also has done a phenomenal job at naturally preserving the skeletons as well. Many skulls were believed to be from royality, and the Mayans would alter the shape of the skull by placing a board on an infants forhead, making it long and flat as the bones fused together. The teeth on some skulls were also visible, and were shaped into petals .
The last skeleton was by far the most amazing , and was reffered to as The Crystal Maiden , a fully preserved skeleton body whose sex is still in debate as of today. The body is located at the highest and deepest part of this section, signifying great importance and is believed to be the last human sacrifice made there before collapse.
The overall feeling was unreal, you emerge from the cave back into the jungle feeling relief that the light of day is back in your sights, and a great appreciation for being able to go back in time and actually feel the presence of that era all around you. To ATM and this adventure, I hold great admiration.
The tour we booked through Mayawalk allowed us the opportunity to see these ruins and experience the history up close and personal. Our guide's name was Aaron Juan, and he has been running these tours for about 15 years now. Before tours were offered to the public, he worked closely with archaeologists studying the caves, and knows ATM inside and out. He is hands down the most experienced and most thorough guide in all of San Ignacio. During the drive to the site and the hour-long hike to the cave, Aaron was full of stories, Mayan history, and jokes. He pointed out various plants that have practical uses in the jungle, and got us all psyched for the cave itself.
We reached the opening to ATM, and after a quick dip in the pools outside the mouth of the cave and some lunch, our crew was ready to head inside. Overall it was an eerie feeling; I'd never been deep inside a cave system before, and therefore had never experienced such a profound and total darkness. Our headlamps did little to mitigate the blackness that enveloped us, and many times Aaron had us stop and switch off our lamps, holding hands as he told us a story or simply had us imagine what it would have been like a thousand years ago, being guided by torches instead of headlamps. The other groups rushed through the tours, so many were heading out as we were heading in, resulting in the 8 of us being the only people in the entire cave network for a majority of the adventure.
I'll let Katie tell you the specifics of what we saw, but overall it was an epic experience. I can't deny a feeling of unease that I carried with me throughout the journey until we reached daylight again. The relief I felt at emerging back out in the jungle sun was more profound than I'd expected. Maybe it was being engulged in complete darkness, or imagining what the ancient Maya felt and saw as they journeyed to Xibalba. Aaron told us at the beginning that Actun Tunich Muknal effects everyone differently, and for me it was definitly an adventure I'll never forget.
When you first set your eyes on the entrance of the cave, it just might take your breath away. Like something out of the jungle book, the tall stone mouth of Xibalba is surrounded by lush green plants and from the mouth a deep stream flows down into a series of refreshing pools which we happily took a dip in before gearing up with helmets and headlamps and heading in.
We swam into the mouth of the cave like a line of little ducklings following one another and soon found ourselves in another world. The first cavern makes you realize just how small you are, and suddenly you sense the foreigness of your environment. As Caitlin said before, the atmosphere of the cave affects each person differently, some feel scared, some sad and so on. For me, at first I was simply in awe, but the ominous beauty of things creeps over you slowly and for a few moments my heart was beating faster and my mind was racing. Soon after Aarons introduction, we moved further into the depths and he pointed out a few cave dwelling insects such as cockroaches, spiders (yes, just sitting on rocks and crawling up walls) crickets, and catfish. We walked through wide shallow passages filled with stelagtites and stelagmites, and maneuvered through small crawl spaces that made you feel like a contortionist.
Upon arriving at the point within the cave system where we would need to climb up into higher caverns where the offerings and sacrifices were made by the Maya, Aaron told us we had only gone 1/4 of a mile in even though it felt like we were in the belly of the beast. We helped eachother make the ascent into the dry cave system where we were very careful to stay in line and listen closely to Aarons instruction -well, most of us anyway... ;) we wont name you fellow blogger. The first things we saw were many offerings, broken pots of all sizes, and stones where fires were made with scorch marks on the cave ceiling. Calsification has left many artifacts unearthed but also has done a phenomenal job at naturally preserving the skeletons as well. Many skulls were believed to be from royality, and the Mayans would alter the shape of the skull by placing a board on an infants forhead, making it long and flat as the bones fused together. The teeth on some skulls were also visible, and were shaped into petals .
The last skeleton was by far the most amazing , and was reffered to as The Crystal Maiden , a fully preserved skeleton body whose sex is still in debate as of today. The body is located at the highest and deepest part of this section, signifying great importance and is believed to be the last human sacrifice made there before collapse.
The overall feeling was unreal, you emerge from the cave back into the jungle feeling relief that the light of day is back in your sights, and a great appreciation for being able to go back in time and actually feel the presence of that era all around you. To ATM and this adventure, I hold great admiration.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Last Days on the Caye
Our last few days on Caye Caulker consisted of blissful days lying on the beach by the Split and enjoying great food with new friends. Katie and I had originally planned to leave the Caye on Monday, but this awesome Aussie couple we met convinced us to stay and relax a bit longer- not that we needed much convincing. By this point we'd met a decent amount of locals that were wicked helpful pointing out hole-in-the-wall eating spots that we never would have discovered on our own. The Kitchen, located a few blocks off the main strip, is a perfect example. The tables are located two flights up on a deck, with a great view of the island, an amazing breeze, and even better conch fritters and chicken salbutes!
By Tuesday we were ready to head on to our next destination- San Ignacio, by the Guatemalan border. Some of the coolest Mayan ruins in Belize are located in the area, and that was our main objective for heading there. We hopped on a water taxi to Belize City, where we met an American guy named Mark- he and Katie bonded over their epic amount of bugbites. My theory is that if I keep hanging out with these two I will NEVER be bitten. I have perhaps 10 bites total compared to their 100+ apiece. Mark didn't have a destination so he decided to join us, and me and the two insect-magnets hopped in a cab and headed to to San Ignacio, with a quick detour at the Belize Zoo.
We arrived in San Ignacio, tossed our stuff down, and set off to book a tour of the ATM caves (Actun Tunichil Muknal) about an hour outside the city. Once that was accomplished, we settled in to have some beers and dinner, and hit the hay early in preparation for our tour the next day!
By Tuesday we were ready to head on to our next destination- San Ignacio, by the Guatemalan border. Some of the coolest Mayan ruins in Belize are located in the area, and that was our main objective for heading there. We hopped on a water taxi to Belize City, where we met an American guy named Mark- he and Katie bonded over their epic amount of bugbites. My theory is that if I keep hanging out with these two I will NEVER be bitten. I have perhaps 10 bites total compared to their 100+ apiece. Mark didn't have a destination so he decided to join us, and me and the two insect-magnets hopped in a cab and headed to to San Ignacio, with a quick detour at the Belize Zoo.
We arrived in San Ignacio, tossed our stuff down, and set off to book a tour of the ATM caves (Actun Tunichil Muknal) about an hour outside the city. Once that was accomplished, we settled in to have some beers and dinner, and hit the hay early in preparation for our tour the next day!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Raggamuffin Love
While Regan and I had a fun night out at I & I and Oceanside Bar the night before, nothing could keep us from being stoked about our snorkel trip the following morning (Not even the Rum!) We had asked people we met over the previous days about the different tours out here and every time we were recommended to the same tour company- Raggamuffins :)
Located right on the Main Strip, Raggamuffins has a little booking spot right next to the beach on the right as you're walking towards the Split. They offer half day and full day tours of all different kinds but Cait and I did the full day snorkel tour. For $140 BZE, your trip includes 3 awesome snorkel destinations (45 minutes each), fresh lunch of your choice, good quality equipment, a very cool laid back and knowledgeable crew, a never-ending refill of rum punch (trust me, its unlikely that you will hear anyone say "why's the rum gone?"), beautiful scenery, and MOST importantly...An amazing experience with tons to see!!!
Our first stop was the Coral Gardens, where we saw tropical fish of every variety and plenty of beautiful corals. Our first mate Shane jumped in the water with us, and while you had the option to self guide, he was happy to point everything he saw out to you and share his ocean wisdom.
Stop # 2 was called Shark and Stingray Alley and you might be able to guess what we saw here. They chum up the water to get the Nurse Sharks and the Stingrays close to the boat and we scooted right in for an up close and personal interaction with these amazing animals. Shane jumped back into the water and with his understanding of what calms the sharks, he was able to hold one very lightly in the water so that we could see what they're really all about. For Caitlin and I (who both have seen Jaws at a very young age) this felt like the first baby-step towards changing our initial outlook on these docile and mellow dudes. The Stingrays were also an outstanding sight, I have always been a big fan as I love the way they just glide through the water and always look like they're smiling.
Our final stop was Hol Chan Reef where Shane and our Captain Kimani both guided us around in 2 small groups. We saw even more intricate reef, sea turtles of all ages, and the prettiest of the rays, the eagle ray.
We finally sailed back towards Caye Calker, rum in one hand, fresh ceviche in the other, and island reggae comin through the speakers. This experience will treat you right, and leave you wanting life to always feel that sweet.
Located right on the Main Strip, Raggamuffins has a little booking spot right next to the beach on the right as you're walking towards the Split. They offer half day and full day tours of all different kinds but Cait and I did the full day snorkel tour. For $140 BZE, your trip includes 3 awesome snorkel destinations (45 minutes each), fresh lunch of your choice, good quality equipment, a very cool laid back and knowledgeable crew, a never-ending refill of rum punch (trust me, its unlikely that you will hear anyone say "why's the rum gone?"), beautiful scenery, and MOST importantly...An amazing experience with tons to see!!!
Our first stop was the Coral Gardens, where we saw tropical fish of every variety and plenty of beautiful corals. Our first mate Shane jumped in the water with us, and while you had the option to self guide, he was happy to point everything he saw out to you and share his ocean wisdom.
Stop # 2 was called Shark and Stingray Alley and you might be able to guess what we saw here. They chum up the water to get the Nurse Sharks and the Stingrays close to the boat and we scooted right in for an up close and personal interaction with these amazing animals. Shane jumped back into the water and with his understanding of what calms the sharks, he was able to hold one very lightly in the water so that we could see what they're really all about. For Caitlin and I (who both have seen Jaws at a very young age) this felt like the first baby-step towards changing our initial outlook on these docile and mellow dudes. The Stingrays were also an outstanding sight, I have always been a big fan as I love the way they just glide through the water and always look like they're smiling.
Our final stop was Hol Chan Reef where Shane and our Captain Kimani both guided us around in 2 small groups. We saw even more intricate reef, sea turtles of all ages, and the prettiest of the rays, the eagle ray.
We finally sailed back towards Caye Calker, rum in one hand, fresh ceviche in the other, and island reggae comin through the speakers. This experience will treat you right, and leave you wanting life to always feel that sweet.
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