Crossing Our Fifth Border: Cayo, Belize

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We spent four days in the Cayo District of Belize in the town of San Ignacio. From San Ignacio we visited two Mayan ruin sites, Xunantnich and Cahal Pech, and Chuck went on a cave tour of Actun Tunichil Muknal.



Actun Tunichil Muknal is about 12 miles and 45 minutes driving time from San Ignacio. Tours are advertised throughout town and they depart daily from multiple locations.

After the ride from town, which crossed two rivers, you then cross three more on foot. Next is a 35 minute walk through the jungle to the mouth of the cave, which also had a river flowing out of it. Once to the cave you swim in water of varying depths and climb over rocks in the cave to an area where you must climb an aluminum extension ladder to the next level. After another 35 minute walk further into the cave you finally arrive to where the majority of pre-Hispanic artifacts were located. Artifacts include ceramic vessels, skeletal remains and stelae (the stelae you do not approach, but they are visible from where tour groups gather). The skeleton included in this travel blog was from the sacrifice of a young female approximately 1150 years ago. The Maya began using this cave as early as circa 300 CE. The name of the cave can be translated to “Cave of the Stone Sepulcher”. The cave was used for ceremonial purposes, such as bloodletting and making offerings to the gods.



Xunantunich is located eight miles west from San Ignacio on the highway towards Guatemala. To get to the ruins you must cross a river at the village of San Jose Succotz via a hand-cranked ferry, which is free of charge and fits one vehicle per crossing.

Xunantunich can be translated to “Stone Woman”. The site owes its name to a Mayan woman who has appeared before locals passing through the site. Xunantunich began as a small village circa 600-300 BCE. The city later flourished and then declined between 700 and 1000 CE.

The core of the site visited today only consists of one main temple, three plazas, two ball courts, and a handful more of structures. Most of the structures at Xunantunich have been either partially restored or not at all.

Xunantunich also includes a small interpretive exhibit regarding the history and archaeology of the site. At the entrance there are two small stores, bathrooms and a rest area.



Cahal Pech is located on the outskirts of San Ignacio. The name of the site translates to “Place of Ticks”. Cahal Pech was first settled as early as 1200 BCE and remained occupied until at least 800 CE. Although it is a relatively small site and because the structures at Cahal Pech were built in a very compact fashion there is much to appreciate here. There are a total of seven plazas, two ball courts, one main temple, and roughly half a dozen more structures. The site is certainly worth a visit due both its accessibility and complex and compact series of structures and plazas.



After four days in San Ignacio we are ready to move on.



Belize is noticeably different than Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala. It is much more ethnically diverse and presumably because of this Belizean culture and society is more of an eclectic fusion. At once, it is eastern and western, old and new, traditional and liberal. It is Latin, European, Asian, Caribbean, and Indigenous. Walking through town conversations occur in Spanish, English, Creole as well as Asian and Indigenous languages. Food is the same; lasagna, curry, tacos, coconut rice and beans, burgers, fried bananas and on and on and on.



Next we drove to the south of Belize to visit more Mayan ruin sites (check out Belize blog for info and pics), afterwards we begin our northward journey home taking time first to lollygag through Quintana Roo (watch for a Quintana Roo blog to be published in the coming days).

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Photos

Chuck
inside Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave posing for USPA

skull
the cave was a place for ceremonies, offerings, and sacrifices

Comments

[Gerard Thomas]

ATM Cave with Maya Walk Tours
ATM cave tour with mayawalk tours was amazing! I highly recommend its nt too much for the average person to handle but very action packed and interesting...thank you mayawalk fot the great adventure.