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, either try out their website <http://www.pacztours.net/actun-tunichil-muknal> or just google “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
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