When getting advice on things to do in Belize, my friend Ryan told me I HAD to do the ATM Cave. He told me it was one of the coolest things he had ever done. So from the start the bar was set high. And after the debacle of getting to San Ignacio (where said tour would be departing) we were really hoping it was going to be worth it. Well it was. Would I say it was one of the best things I have ever done? No. But it was really cool and we ended up having a really cool group - which after all really makes the experience. We booked the tour with Mayawalk Tours and were so pleased by their service that we ended up booking a second tour with them the following day. Well.. that is kind of how it happened. Read to to get the full story.
ATM Cave
Actun Tunichil Muknal (commonly called ATM bc lets be serious who can pronounce that?!) is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District, notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramic pots (or as our tour guide referred to them: vessels), and stoneware. Upon signing up for the tour we received an email with all the information for the following day. At the bottom in bold it read:
Note: Must be in good physical condition to enjoy this tour. No weight limit, but must have sufficient mobility and strength to climb a 15 foot ladder, swim, scramble over rocks & do a 45 minute jungle hike.
The hike that they mention turned out to be an easy walk. The actual cave part... not so easy. We got there we strapped on our helmets and headlights and took off! Right off the bat we had to do a swim through cold water at the entrance of the cave. It wasn't hard per say but it is very awkward swimming in running shoes.
Following that we waded our way through water whilst climbing though r rocks formations. During much of our walk into the cave we were in VERY tight, dark spaces. One of the guys on our tour was extremely claustrophobic - I am not sure how he didn't run right out! Once inside the dry chamber our guide gave us a history lesson about Maya rituals and ceremonies as we looked at remnants they left behind. We saw a lot of "vessels" before getting to the good stuff- i.e. skeletons. The most famous of the human remains is known as "The Crystal Maiden", the skeleton of a teenage girl, probably a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been completely calcified by the natural processes of the cave, giving it a sparkling, crystallized appearance.
There are several areas of skeletal remains in the main chamber here are some pictures:
After we returned to San Ignacio we went out with our group for some beers at the bar across the street from our hotel. Well one beer turned into 5, which turned into dinner, which turned into more beers, then dance party at the local casino. Random - yes but fun all the same. Well during dinner (which remember was about 5-7 beets in) one group member Aaron convinced Fred and Shaughnessy to join him on the following day on the Tikal Tour. Well it wasn't too hard to change Laura and my plans either. Note- we had planned to do Tikal upon our entrance to Guatemala in 10 days, but we were so close and had such a good group that we decided to switch up our itinerary. I mean it may have been the beers making the spontaneous decision - but we maintain that it really did make logistical sense and being with our crew was well worth it! Now staying out till 2am drinking beer and vodka sodas may not have been the best idea when we had a 6am tour the next day. But we were all surprisingly quite bright and cheery the next day.
Tikal Ruins
Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Situated in the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had no idea what it would be like. In fact the only thing I had to go by was Chichen Itza, another Mayan civilization outside of Cancun, Mexico. Well let me tell you NOTHING alike. Tikal is MUCH bigger than Chichen Itza and it is in the middle of a jungle. Here are some pics from the day:
ATM Cave
Note: Must be in good physical condition to enjoy this tour. No weight limit, but must have sufficient mobility and strength to climb a 15 foot ladder, swim, scramble over rocks & do a 45 minute jungle hike.
There are several areas of skeletal remains in the main chamber here are some pictures:
After we returned to San Ignacio we went out with our group for some beers at the bar across the street from our hotel. Well one beer turned into 5, which turned into dinner, which turned into more beers, then dance party at the local casino. Random - yes but fun all the same. Well during dinner (which remember was about 5-7 beets in) one group member Aaron convinced Fred and Shaughnessy to join him on the following day on the Tikal Tour. Well it wasn't too hard to change Laura and my plans either. Note- we had planned to do Tikal upon our entrance to Guatemala in 10 days, but we were so close and had such a good group that we decided to switch up our itinerary. I mean it may have been the beers making the spontaneous decision - but we maintain that it really did make logistical sense and being with our crew was well worth it! Now staying out till 2am drinking beer and vodka sodas may not have been the best idea when we had a 6am tour the next day. But we were all surprisingly quite bright and cheery the next day.
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| our group at the Casino nightclub (1am) |
Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Situated in the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had no idea what it would be like. In fact the only thing I had to go by was Chichen Itza, another Mayan civilization outside of Cancun, Mexico. Well let me tell you NOTHING alike. Tikal is MUCH bigger than Chichen Itza and it is in the middle of a jungle. Here are some pics from the day:
Hey Vandria! Was wondering where you were - and since I haven't heard from you, guessed to check here! Glad I did! I'm SOO jealous - back at work! Love, Judy
ReplyDeletesorry lack of internet lately has made it hard to keep in touch. Hope all is well back home and see you in a month :)/:( that the trip is ending!
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