We arrived in San Ignacio refreshed and ready to continue our adventures. We found a decent room at a guesthouse run by a sweet, really old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Guerra. Mrs. Guerra seemed to do most of the work - showing us around, quoting prices, etc. But, her husband was still in charge of the money - every time we paid for something, she would give us change, write up the invoice, and then bring the cash to her husband. As the guesthouse entrance was through their living room, she spent time showing me pictures of them in younger years. Mr. Guerra and Caryl, in turn, discussed the best restaurants we should visit across Belize. They were very specific about 2 things - locking the main gate after 8:30pm, and reminding us of the internet code. I remember it even now - 2020 2040. She spent ample time teaching us how to lock the gate, and still every time we got back "late", I would hear her whisper to her husband, in Spanish so we couldn't understand, for him to go check the gate. But overall they were very, very sweet, and great hosts. I only regret we didn't get a picture.
Our first day exploring (notice new, comfortable shorts!)
While on our way to the local Mayan ruins, we came across a " Yaad sale" sign - creole for yard sale. We decided to stop by! We had a nice chat with the locals, and Caryl bought me a cute flower ring made out of a modeling clay-like material (which I have already broken). Fun experience.
We eventually made it to Cahal Pech, a very early Mayan city (compared to Tikal, which was the last to fall). While it was not as large or tall, we really liked it. We were alone most of our visit and were able to climb anything we wanted.
The museum:
The site:
Us being silly and having a good time:
We learned that there was going to be a wedding of an archeologist that evening, people were setting up. We debated crashing the wedding, but ultimately decided they would probably notice us:
And one more:
On our walk back, I somehow managed to trick Caryl into checking out an iguana conservation project with me. I was ecstatic; he kept complaining that iguanas are everywhere and don't need saving, just as we don't need squirrel conservation. I disagree with the latter point, but anyway, here we were:
It is obvious who is more comfortable with the lizards:
They have sharp little claws; the caretakers release them into the wild once they are large enough, so they need them.
Bert, our guide, sensed my weakness, and took pleasure in overloading me with the beasts:
I would highly, highly recommend this to everyone. Caryl may not agree, but I know he had fun.
That evening we went out again to check out the San Ignacio nightlife.
Caryl got a haircut - but just a little off the ends:
Interesting aside - the barber recommended we check out a karaoke competition downtown. Knowing of no other, more interesting activities, we checked it out. Not surprisingly, we saw he was one of the contestants! He did pretty well on Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved, but was pretty bad at the other song. Caryl says it was god-awful. We didn't stay to see the end, as the sound system was terrible and we were tired.
The next day we had booked an organized trip to Crystal Cave, the main attraction in San Ignacio, and the reason why we came. The trip was absolutely incredible. After a short hike through the jungle, our group (4 plus the guide) had to swim through a pool at the opening to the cave, and then wade, knee to chest deep, for about a mile. Then we climbed to a dry area, with the guide pointing out cave formations along the way. The main attractions of the cave lie within; the Mayas used this cave (and most caves in the area) for rituals and sacrifices. The cave is full of Mayan pottery, some of it crystallized after hundreds of years of calcium deposits. There are also skulls and human skeletons - 14ish throughout the cave, but we were only taken to see a few, as the cave is huge. The most famous remains are referred to as the crystal maiden, though recently archeologists have determined the remains are of an adolescent male. Though we do not know for certain, it is highly likely that the individuals were brought in alive and sacrificed in the cave. Powerful to see. I apologize for the lack of photos, but ever since a tourist dropped their camera and caused damage to one of the skulls, cameras are no longer allowed in the cave. I encourage you to do a quick google search of crystal cave, also known as ATM cave.
A view from the roof of our hotel, where our shoes were dried after the cave:
I think this is Dora the Explorer from hell???
Our first day exploring (notice new, comfortable shorts!)
While on our way to the local Mayan ruins, we came across a " Yaad sale" sign - creole for yard sale. We decided to stop by! We had a nice chat with the locals, and Caryl bought me a cute flower ring made out of a modeling clay-like material (which I have already broken). Fun experience.
We eventually made it to Cahal Pech, a very early Mayan city (compared to Tikal, which was the last to fall). While it was not as large or tall, we really liked it. We were alone most of our visit and were able to climb anything we wanted.
The museum:
The site:
Us being silly and having a good time:
We learned that there was going to be a wedding of an archeologist that evening, people were setting up. We debated crashing the wedding, but ultimately decided they would probably notice us:
And one more:
On our walk back, I somehow managed to trick Caryl into checking out an iguana conservation project with me. I was ecstatic; he kept complaining that iguanas are everywhere and don't need saving, just as we don't need squirrel conservation. I disagree with the latter point, but anyway, here we were:
It is obvious who is more comfortable with the lizards:
They have sharp little claws; the caretakers release them into the wild once they are large enough, so they need them.
Bert, our guide, sensed my weakness, and took pleasure in overloading me with the beasts:
I would highly, highly recommend this to everyone. Caryl may not agree, but I know he had fun.
That evening we went out again to check out the San Ignacio nightlife.
Caryl got a haircut - but just a little off the ends:
Interesting aside - the barber recommended we check out a karaoke competition downtown. Knowing of no other, more interesting activities, we checked it out. Not surprisingly, we saw he was one of the contestants! He did pretty well on Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved, but was pretty bad at the other song. Caryl says it was god-awful. We didn't stay to see the end, as the sound system was terrible and we were tired.
The next day we had booked an organized trip to Crystal Cave, the main attraction in San Ignacio, and the reason why we came. The trip was absolutely incredible. After a short hike through the jungle, our group (4 plus the guide) had to swim through a pool at the opening to the cave, and then wade, knee to chest deep, for about a mile. Then we climbed to a dry area, with the guide pointing out cave formations along the way. The main attractions of the cave lie within; the Mayas used this cave (and most caves in the area) for rituals and sacrifices. The cave is full of Mayan pottery, some of it crystallized after hundreds of years of calcium deposits. There are also skulls and human skeletons - 14ish throughout the cave, but we were only taken to see a few, as the cave is huge. The most famous remains are referred to as the crystal maiden, though recently archeologists have determined the remains are of an adolescent male. Though we do not know for certain, it is highly likely that the individuals were brought in alive and sacrificed in the cave. Powerful to see. I apologize for the lack of photos, but ever since a tourist dropped their camera and caused damage to one of the skulls, cameras are no longer allowed in the cave. I encourage you to do a quick google search of crystal cave, also known as ATM cave.
A view from the roof of our hotel, where our shoes were dried after the cave:
I think this is Dora the Explorer from hell???
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