Belize or Bust - Day 2
This is taking me much longer than I wanted but finally here is day two of our trip to Belize.
On the second day of our adventure Leif and I woke up somewhere between 8 and 8:30 in order to get a ride down to the market. After a delicious breakfast Chena came by and said that she was going to be driving into San Ignacio and would take us to the market. On the ride into town she pointed out and gave us the names for different trees and birds and told us a little bit about the ranch. She also gave us valuable information about how to save money on taxis and how to get around town and told us about the ruins of Cahal Pech, which were on a hill on the way into town. How many resorts do you know of where the owner takes you into town themselves and acts as a tour guide as well? Chena took us right down to the water front of the Belize River (or maybe it was still the Mopan there, I'm not sure) and showed us how to get to market and we parted ways. Leif and I wandered around the market for a bit and bought some gifts and souvenirs. We also bought a bag to carry things during the day and Leif bought himself a hat (which was a must in all that sun and heat). At one point Leif and I got separated and a few locals tried to convince me that I needed to buy some of their clothing and also their marijuana. I politely declined and thankfully spotted Leif so I had another reason to excuse myself. Neither of us saw any food that was irresistible at the market so we wandered into town and had lunch at what was sort of like a Belize version of fast food. Only that it was all local foods and served fresh.
After lunch we decided that we had enough time to go to Cahal Pech before we needed to be at the stables for our ride to Xunantunich. I think Leif was lost but acting like he wanted to look around downtown because we got out of the downtown area and into some residential areas before he said we should try to go back to where we started. We had considered walking to Cahal Pech but neither of us was completely sure which way to go and finally I convinced him to get a taxi. We caught a cheap ride up the hill, which was steeper than it looked at first glance so I am very glad we took a taxi instead of walking. Not to mention that it was probably around 80 degrees or more already. Without a sign to mark the road you would never know that there are Mayan ruins in San Ignacio. All the way up the hill are houses, even a hotel. At the top you still would have a hard time knowing there are ruins just behind the trees even with the museum full of artifacts telling you it's right there. The museum is small but contains a replica of the remains of a ruler that was found at Cahal Pech, a stela, and various pottery pieces (one of which was a bowl in which the Mayans served chocolate, yum).
From the museum there was a paved path leading father up the hill and into the trees. To the right there was what appeared to be a hill covered with plant life but upon rounding the corner you discover that it's actually part of the ruins. The Mayans built their temples out the limestone and the jungle reclaimed the temples once the Mayans left. To an inexperienced eye much of the ruins looked just like hills in the jungle but once a guide pointed out the different features of Mayan architecture it was apparent that under those hills were ruins that hadn't been uncovered. The ruins weren't huge but I was surprised at big the area was for how unnoticeable it is from the town. There was a man waiting on the path who said he was doing guided tours. I'm pretty sure we were kind of scammed by this guy. He did seem to know quite a bit about the Mayans but when he pulled out a children's book about Mayans that was falling apart his credibility dropped. Still we did get quite a bit of information from him that was verified later.
Eventually we parted ways with the guide and explored the ruins on our own. I tried to imagine what the ruins would have looked like when the Mayans lived there but I didn't have much to go on at that point as to what their roofs and such would have looked like. At one point we ended up at the ball court, Leif had walked away to look at something and I heard a rustle in the brush. Instead of running I decided to investigate, hoping to find some neat Belizean creature and came face to face with a long green and yellow snake. On seeing each other we both froze, sized each other up for a moment, and then the snake did this flip and took off into the jungle. I'll admit the flip kind of made me jump and as the snake slithered off I turned and went the opposite way rather quickly. Leif was coming my way and he laughed at my snake encounter reenactment. Not long after it was time to get going so we would make it to our horseback riding adventure to Xunantunich so we caught a cab out to Hanna Stables.
I'll admit I was kind of worried when we got to the stables. I'm used to horses being rather round and muscular but the horses in Belize and Guatemala aren't like that. Some are but for the most part the horses there were thinner an bonier. I'm not sure if it's because of the environment and what they have to eat since most people can't afford grain or good quality hay or if it's genetics. The stable also wasn't much to look at but the two men who were working there were both very nice and the horses were sound. The horse that I rode was named Zachariah and Leif rode a horse named Joshua. The horses were brothers and apparently the offspring of a very successful local racehorse. The name of our guide escapes me now but he was young, maybe early 20's, talkative, friendly and funny. We had a good time teasing each other and he told us that he really liked our company since most of the visitors he takes on the rides hardly speak to him. The ride to Xunantunich went through some cattle pastures and along a river. At one point we were riding along the main road (which made me nervous as heck because of the way they drive, thankfully the horses were so used it it they didn't even bat an eye) and the river was to our right. Eventually we boarded the hand cranked ferry to cross the river and ride up the hill to the ruins.
It was kind of an interesting experience riding three horses onto a hand cranked ferry with two vehicles and a couple of people. On the ride up the hill we saw many lizards and now I can't remember the name of them. They looked like small iguanas and at first I thought that they were iguanas, until I saw an actual iguana. Anyhow they were all over the place and were quite the leapers. It was a very pretty ride up to the ruins with the lizards and the trees. On our ride our guide showed us some of the plants and picked some all spice. He showed us some tree that grew what they called "grandpa's balls" which the Mayans used the sap of for glue (oh that sounds so wrong). After hearing about my snake encounter and assuring me that the snake I described feasted on rats, our guide also told me about a snake that lived in the trees. He informed me that they would drop onto people and instead of biting would whip them with it's tail. The lashes could open up the flesh and put you in the hospital. For the rest our trip I was rather cautious whenever I was under a tree for fear of the whippy snake.
Once we reached the top of the hill we left our guide with the horses and entered Xunantunich. There was a little building at the entrance to the park showing photos and a layout of what Xunantunich would have looked at during the Mayan's time. There we met a man who worked there and he agreed to take us on a tour. His tour was incredibly informative and I was finally able to start imagining the ruins as they could have looked. This guide also told us about the "grandpa's balls" tree and showed us how the Mayans used it for glue. I put some of the glue on my fingers and I could see it being incredibly effective since it nearly stuck my fingers together. Xunantunich must have been at least twice the size of Cahal Pech and the buildings were much taller. We also learned that there were layers underneath what we could see that the Mayans had built but had not been excavated. We left the tallest structure, the El Castillo, for last, which was probably a good thing.
I had a bit of a time getting to the top of El Castillo at Xunantunich. For part of the way there are stairs with a handrail, then it's flat for a bit, then more stairs up the back side of the temple but without a handrail because these are the original stairs that the Mayans built. The Mayans weren't tall people but they built such tall stairs. I have no idea how they managed to get up and down those temples regularly because I have long legs and it was even a good step for me. The higher we got the harder it was for me because of my fear of heights, not to mention that the stairs got narrower. Poor Leif, I was clinging onto him for most of the climb and then at the top I had to sit down because I was too nervous. Xunantunich is the second tallest temple in Belize and stands at 130 something feet. There are no railings up there so I'm sure you can imagine a Kara who is scared of heights up on the top of a 130 plus temple with the breeze blowing. If I was seated with my back up against a stone (well away from the edge) I was just fine. That is until someone else walked too close to the edge and I'd have a mild panic fit. The view from up there was amazing though since you could see Cahal Pech, Clarissa Falls, two rivers and into Guatemala.
The climb down was almost as bad for me as the climb up and we ended up going down on the opposite side that we came up. On that side of El Castillo there are these beautiful friezes, the friezes on the rest of the temple have eroded away. Anyone reading this should look this up since I have no photos now to show. The ride back from Xunantunich took a slightly different course at one point. We rode on a trail that followed more of the river and even took the horses into a river for a drink and quick splash. Instead of going back to Hanna Stables our guide took us back to Clarissa Falls which was so nice. I was afraid we were going to have to walk or try and catch a taxi to get back but instead we were able to dismount right out in front of the main building at the resort. It was another hot day there in Belize and both Leif and I were pretty bushed from all the walking, hiking and riding we had done in the heat and we decided that a dip in the Mopan river sounded nice. And it was nice. We didn't swim long, maybe ten minutes or so, just long enough to cool down and relax before dinner.
Dinner that night was also fantastic and there was a little toad that hopped up into the dining area. We learned that he hopped up there every night and I started calling him Mortimer. He was cheap entertainment during dinner as he would hop up to tables and then hop away. He tried hopping into the kitchen at one point and our waiter (Alex I think was his name) accidentally kicked Mortimer into the area that held the cash register. Thankfully poor Mortimer was fine and with that knowledge I was able to sleep soundly that night. I'm being silly, but I did sleep very soundly and that's a good thing because the next day we had to get up early for our adventure to Tikal in Guatemala.
On the second day of our adventure Leif and I woke up somewhere between 8 and 8:30 in order to get a ride down to the market. After a delicious breakfast Chena came by and said that she was going to be driving into San Ignacio and would take us to the market. On the ride into town she pointed out and gave us the names for different trees and birds and told us a little bit about the ranch. She also gave us valuable information about how to save money on taxis and how to get around town and told us about the ruins of Cahal Pech, which were on a hill on the way into town. How many resorts do you know of where the owner takes you into town themselves and acts as a tour guide as well? Chena took us right down to the water front of the Belize River (or maybe it was still the Mopan there, I'm not sure) and showed us how to get to market and we parted ways. Leif and I wandered around the market for a bit and bought some gifts and souvenirs. We also bought a bag to carry things during the day and Leif bought himself a hat (which was a must in all that sun and heat). At one point Leif and I got separated and a few locals tried to convince me that I needed to buy some of their clothing and also their marijuana. I politely declined and thankfully spotted Leif so I had another reason to excuse myself. Neither of us saw any food that was irresistible at the market so we wandered into town and had lunch at what was sort of like a Belize version of fast food. Only that it was all local foods and served fresh.
After lunch we decided that we had enough time to go to Cahal Pech before we needed to be at the stables for our ride to Xunantunich. I think Leif was lost but acting like he wanted to look around downtown because we got out of the downtown area and into some residential areas before he said we should try to go back to where we started. We had considered walking to Cahal Pech but neither of us was completely sure which way to go and finally I convinced him to get a taxi. We caught a cheap ride up the hill, which was steeper than it looked at first glance so I am very glad we took a taxi instead of walking. Not to mention that it was probably around 80 degrees or more already. Without a sign to mark the road you would never know that there are Mayan ruins in San Ignacio. All the way up the hill are houses, even a hotel. At the top you still would have a hard time knowing there are ruins just behind the trees even with the museum full of artifacts telling you it's right there. The museum is small but contains a replica of the remains of a ruler that was found at Cahal Pech, a stela, and various pottery pieces (one of which was a bowl in which the Mayans served chocolate, yum).
From the museum there was a paved path leading father up the hill and into the trees. To the right there was what appeared to be a hill covered with plant life but upon rounding the corner you discover that it's actually part of the ruins. The Mayans built their temples out the limestone and the jungle reclaimed the temples once the Mayans left. To an inexperienced eye much of the ruins looked just like hills in the jungle but once a guide pointed out the different features of Mayan architecture it was apparent that under those hills were ruins that hadn't been uncovered. The ruins weren't huge but I was surprised at big the area was for how unnoticeable it is from the town. There was a man waiting on the path who said he was doing guided tours. I'm pretty sure we were kind of scammed by this guy. He did seem to know quite a bit about the Mayans but when he pulled out a children's book about Mayans that was falling apart his credibility dropped. Still we did get quite a bit of information from him that was verified later.
Eventually we parted ways with the guide and explored the ruins on our own. I tried to imagine what the ruins would have looked like when the Mayans lived there but I didn't have much to go on at that point as to what their roofs and such would have looked like. At one point we ended up at the ball court, Leif had walked away to look at something and I heard a rustle in the brush. Instead of running I decided to investigate, hoping to find some neat Belizean creature and came face to face with a long green and yellow snake. On seeing each other we both froze, sized each other up for a moment, and then the snake did this flip and took off into the jungle. I'll admit the flip kind of made me jump and as the snake slithered off I turned and went the opposite way rather quickly. Leif was coming my way and he laughed at my snake encounter reenactment. Not long after it was time to get going so we would make it to our horseback riding adventure to Xunantunich so we caught a cab out to Hanna Stables.
I'll admit I was kind of worried when we got to the stables. I'm used to horses being rather round and muscular but the horses in Belize and Guatemala aren't like that. Some are but for the most part the horses there were thinner an bonier. I'm not sure if it's because of the environment and what they have to eat since most people can't afford grain or good quality hay or if it's genetics. The stable also wasn't much to look at but the two men who were working there were both very nice and the horses were sound. The horse that I rode was named Zachariah and Leif rode a horse named Joshua. The horses were brothers and apparently the offspring of a very successful local racehorse. The name of our guide escapes me now but he was young, maybe early 20's, talkative, friendly and funny. We had a good time teasing each other and he told us that he really liked our company since most of the visitors he takes on the rides hardly speak to him. The ride to Xunantunich went through some cattle pastures and along a river. At one point we were riding along the main road (which made me nervous as heck because of the way they drive, thankfully the horses were so used it it they didn't even bat an eye) and the river was to our right. Eventually we boarded the hand cranked ferry to cross the river and ride up the hill to the ruins.
It was kind of an interesting experience riding three horses onto a hand cranked ferry with two vehicles and a couple of people. On the ride up the hill we saw many lizards and now I can't remember the name of them. They looked like small iguanas and at first I thought that they were iguanas, until I saw an actual iguana. Anyhow they were all over the place and were quite the leapers. It was a very pretty ride up to the ruins with the lizards and the trees. On our ride our guide showed us some of the plants and picked some all spice. He showed us some tree that grew what they called "grandpa's balls" which the Mayans used the sap of for glue (oh that sounds so wrong). After hearing about my snake encounter and assuring me that the snake I described feasted on rats, our guide also told me about a snake that lived in the trees. He informed me that they would drop onto people and instead of biting would whip them with it's tail. The lashes could open up the flesh and put you in the hospital. For the rest our trip I was rather cautious whenever I was under a tree for fear of the whippy snake.
Once we reached the top of the hill we left our guide with the horses and entered Xunantunich. There was a little building at the entrance to the park showing photos and a layout of what Xunantunich would have looked at during the Mayan's time. There we met a man who worked there and he agreed to take us on a tour. His tour was incredibly informative and I was finally able to start imagining the ruins as they could have looked. This guide also told us about the "grandpa's balls" tree and showed us how the Mayans used it for glue. I put some of the glue on my fingers and I could see it being incredibly effective since it nearly stuck my fingers together. Xunantunich must have been at least twice the size of Cahal Pech and the buildings were much taller. We also learned that there were layers underneath what we could see that the Mayans had built but had not been excavated. We left the tallest structure, the El Castillo, for last, which was probably a good thing.
I had a bit of a time getting to the top of El Castillo at Xunantunich. For part of the way there are stairs with a handrail, then it's flat for a bit, then more stairs up the back side of the temple but without a handrail because these are the original stairs that the Mayans built. The Mayans weren't tall people but they built such tall stairs. I have no idea how they managed to get up and down those temples regularly because I have long legs and it was even a good step for me. The higher we got the harder it was for me because of my fear of heights, not to mention that the stairs got narrower. Poor Leif, I was clinging onto him for most of the climb and then at the top I had to sit down because I was too nervous. Xunantunich is the second tallest temple in Belize and stands at 130 something feet. There are no railings up there so I'm sure you can imagine a Kara who is scared of heights up on the top of a 130 plus temple with the breeze blowing. If I was seated with my back up against a stone (well away from the edge) I was just fine. That is until someone else walked too close to the edge and I'd have a mild panic fit. The view from up there was amazing though since you could see Cahal Pech, Clarissa Falls, two rivers and into Guatemala.
The climb down was almost as bad for me as the climb up and we ended up going down on the opposite side that we came up. On that side of El Castillo there are these beautiful friezes, the friezes on the rest of the temple have eroded away. Anyone reading this should look this up since I have no photos now to show. The ride back from Xunantunich took a slightly different course at one point. We rode on a trail that followed more of the river and even took the horses into a river for a drink and quick splash. Instead of going back to Hanna Stables our guide took us back to Clarissa Falls which was so nice. I was afraid we were going to have to walk or try and catch a taxi to get back but instead we were able to dismount right out in front of the main building at the resort. It was another hot day there in Belize and both Leif and I were pretty bushed from all the walking, hiking and riding we had done in the heat and we decided that a dip in the Mopan river sounded nice. And it was nice. We didn't swim long, maybe ten minutes or so, just long enough to cool down and relax before dinner.
Dinner that night was also fantastic and there was a little toad that hopped up into the dining area. We learned that he hopped up there every night and I started calling him Mortimer. He was cheap entertainment during dinner as he would hop up to tables and then hop away. He tried hopping into the kitchen at one point and our waiter (Alex I think was his name) accidentally kicked Mortimer into the area that held the cash register. Thankfully poor Mortimer was fine and with that knowledge I was able to sleep soundly that night. I'm being silly, but I did sleep very soundly and that's a good thing because the next day we had to get up early for our adventure to Tikal in Guatemala.