Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), or "cave of the stone sepulchre", was discovered in 1986. When uncovering the site, archaeologists left the artifacts as they were and only cataloged and took pictures of them. They found lots of pottery and also 14 human skeletons that are in fairly good condition. It is believed that this site was used for human sacrifices.
The cave was simply amazing and really beyond description. We spent about 3 hours in the cave. We were the first ones in and the next group was just starting as we were exiting, so we had the cave all to ourselves. Ted was an amazing guide. At one point Ted wanted to demonstrate what it would have been like for the Maya to attempt to leave the cave if all of their torches went out (since they didn't have flashlights like we did), so we all turned out our headlamps and made our way out. The darkness was incredible! I couldn't even see my hand directly in front of my face!
After we finished the cave, we went to camp for lunch. Clifford had made sandwiches and salad. As Sky started to eat hers she noticed maggots--which we think came from the mustard! She couldn't eat anymore and I was very happy that I had already finished! I just tried not to think about it! After lunch we packed up the tents and gears and headed back out to the van. The hike was much easier in daylight than it had been the night before and we were able to enjoy the scenery. We did not run into any snakes or skunks on the way out either. We got to the van and got loaded up and headed to Belize City. We were ready to make the transition from the jungle to the beach!
The drive to Belize City was uneventful and took about 2 hours. The van dropped us off at the water taxi station so that we could take the taxi over to Ambergris Caye. As soon as we pulled up, some pushy local came up to the van asking us where we were headed. I think that he was attempting to "help" us so that we would tempt us. He informed us that we had just missed the water taxi and would have to wait for the next one. As I stepped out of the van, some other guy said twice that he would "looooove" to keep me company while I waited--just want I needed! The driver gave us a warning--"Remember where you are--you are in Belize City"--renewing our concerns about crime there. We took our luggage into th terminal and bought our tickets. Sky and I sat on a bench with the luggage while the guys went out to find some food. Some strange guy came up to us and asked if we wanted to buy some "Belizean" gum and when we told him no, he sat in front of us for a long time. It made both of us feel uncomfortable, especially as he moved behind us and continued to stare at us. Soon the guys came back with some tamales, but neither Sky nor I liked them. When Gess put our partially eaten food in a bag, that guy asked Gessner if he could have them. Gess gave them to him and he quickly ate them. We gave him the rest of our food too and I know that I felt bad about that situation. Poverty is a big problem in Belize, and I can't even imagine being in a situation like that. That being said, he was still creepy and I was glad to get out of there!
We eventually boarded the water taxi and set out to San Pedro. As the water taxi was getting ready to leave, a marching band came across the bridge. No one know what the occasion was, but it looked like a parade of some sort.
Madonna's song "La Isla Bonita" is about San Pedro, and is a good description--it truly is a beautiful island! The water taxi took about 1 hour and 20 minutes and it was a nice ride. Gessner was even able to take a nap, while the rest of us enjoyed the scenery.
We arrived in San Pedro and were met at the terminal by Armando--a tall guy with long curly hair who reminded me of someone from Hawaii Five-O. Armando loaded our stuff up into a van and drove us to the grocery store so that we could pick up any food we wanted. Then he drove to the dock and loaded our stuff into a boat. The house that we rented was only 1/2 mile from the center of town, but it was located on the other side of a bridge that did not allow any motorized vehicle larger than a golf cart to go over it. So, we took a boat instead. We arrived at the house--Casa Maya n Breeze (which you can tell is owned by a non-Belizean because it should be called "Case Maya Breeze" not "Mayan"). We settled in, taking much needed showers! Remember, the hotel didn't have hot water and we spent the night in the jungle. Plus, we had been slathering on sun screen and bug repellent, so we were probably pretty nasty!
The house was nice--a beautiful view and big, but it was a bit hot and the fans weren't really providing enough relief. There was also a huge mosquito issue there--I probably ended up with more than 300 bites (and I am not exaggerating!), despite wearing tons of repellent. The others fared better, but it was bad. Sky and I took to running from the street into the house in an attempt to avoid them!
After we were showered and settled in, Gess and I decided to go and get some dinner. The management company told us that there were some restaurants nearby, so we decided to just walk and see what we could find. It turned out that there was a restaurant called Sweet Basil just next door. We sat on the patio and enjoyed a really good dinner. I had shrimp kabobs and Gessner had conch cerviche. After that we decided to walk into town to check it out. We walked across the bridge (called the Boca del Rio--or mouth of the river--bridge). Some of the roads were terrible with huge holes and puddles in them. It was dark, but I didn't feel unsafe at all. We came to a Chinese restaurant, of all things, and Gessner decided to get some more food. The owner was really nice and even told me when I dropped money out of my pocket--which I thought was very honest--it was a US $20, which was $40 Belizean! We talked to some locals and then headed back into town and called it a night!
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