January 2016
After landing in Belize city, we took a miserable three-hour bus ride to reach San Ignacio, near the border of Guatemala. The landscape was green in all directions, the food was delicious, and we walked to the ancient Mayan ruins of Cahal Pech.
The first day in San Ignacio, we took a tour of the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, an incredible experience. We hiked in about 45 minutes to the cave entrance, and swam upstream to get inside. There are no path markers or lights inside, aside from the headlamps we carried. The ancient Maya would journey deep into the cave to make sacrifices to the gods of rain. Several pieces of pottery and human remains are left, undisturbed from where they were placed. Unfortunately the government has banned cameras inside the cave, but the tour company provided a few stock photos.
One hotel in San Ignacio hosts a reserve for rescued green iguanas. They frequently rescue wild iguanas that have injuries or medical conditions, and they also care for iguanas that have been born in the reserve.
For the second part of the trip we got back on the bus to head out to the beach. Though it rained plenty, Caye Caulker was a perfectly relaxed caribbean island.
On the final day, we went snorkeling off the coast of Caye Caulker for a full day. The marine reserve is protected from any hunting or fishing activity, so the wildlife is friendly and plentiful.
The most popular dish throughout Belize is stew chicken with rice and beans. But in Caye Caulker we enjoyed lobster and conch, caught locally and served at dirt-cheap prices.
Best feeling: putting on dry sandals after wearing wet socks and shoes for five hours.
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© 2016 Will Krieger
