This was my last trip I would be able to take outside of
class, and definitely one of my most anticipated ones. Now I’ve mentioned
before how there are numerous caves throughout Belize where the Mayans would
perform their sacrifices, caves they believed would take them to the
“Underworld.” There was one cave in particular, named “Actun Tunichil Muknal,”
or “Cave of the Crystal Maiden” that was known by the locals to be a place for
upperclass worship. This cave is riddled with water-filled passageways and
giant rock formations, some of which looked like fearsome jaguars if seen by a
flickering torch. This was actually how the upperclass Mayans kept the
lowerclass out of the cave, by scaring them away. Exploring this cave was
absolutely fantastic: most of it is covered in water, so you have to swim and
climb over rapids to navigate through the cave. The challenge brought out all
of my adrenaline and made me feel like a true navigator, ready to take on
anything! The only downside is that cameras are prohibited to protect the
wellbeing of all the artifacts found in the cave…yeah, past guests did manage
to break some skulls and such with their camera / camera cap. Funny how just a
few can ruin it for the rest of us.
If you manage to make it to the end, however, there is a
fully intact skeleton waiting for you (the Crystal Maiden). Just make sure to
take your shoes off when travelling across the floors littered with Mayan
artifacts! CAUTION: your shoes / clothes will be soaked by the end of this
trip, and your socks will permanently be stained…but it’s all worth it!!!
I am sorry there are no pictures…but I hope you enjoyed the
blog anyway J
!! If you really want to see some pictures, try googling "Actun Tunichil Muknal" or you can try the website <http://www.pacztours.net/actun-tunichil-muknal>. Apparently they have overnight tours as
well, though it does get cold in that cave!
Your Local Spelunker for the Day,
~Bill
