Day 15: Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves

Lately I've been really bad about posting blog updates. I either am busy all day, am talking to people and don't feel like being antisocial sitting on my phone typing, fall asleep before I write, or more often than not - am lazy and do not feel like writing. Anyways...

In a nutshell, today has been a big day for me! I started out by doing my first spelunking trip by exploring the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves in BELIZE! We swam, waded, and climbed our way half a kilometer into this massive cave with ancient Mayan remains inside. Then, I spontaneously decided to travel into GUATEMALA tomorrow for my remaining two weeks in central America! To top it all off, my dad and I have finally booked our trip to ECUADOR and PERU!!

We met our your operator at 8am to depart for the ATM caves. Upon arrival, I was unsure if I should wear my sneakers or crocks that they could provide. However, it was about 5k (3.2miles) of walking; so I decided on my sneakers. I am so glad I made this decision! After walking only a quarter mile, we came to the first place where we had to swim across a river! Then we walked some more, and had to wade back across the river. After some more walking we then waded back across the river. Finally, after some more walking, we arrived at the cave entrance!

Immediately after walking through some short quick rapids, we swam again. Throughout the cave, we swam, waded, trekked uphill against the current, tripped and stepped over and climbed over and around rocks, and up and over stalagmites. One section was barely wide enough for my neck to fit through above the waterline. It's amazing to me how people find these places and passages! I have never been spelunking before, but this was amazing! Definitely a highlight to my trip. Then, once we reached the point where the Mayan artifacts are, it opened up into a huge dry cavern.

There were pottery pieces everywhere! The low ones where water pools once had been were for the rain God. Others which were higher up were for the other gods, not to be neglected. There were also eight skeletal remains. These were for sacrifice for the gods in various forms from women and men to children and adults. The Mayan ways of sacrifice are brutal; slicing tongues (women), cutting genitals (men), cutting off a pinky, or most extreme - the removal of the heart. They believed that the more slow the death, the higher the sacrifice was. This was not a major point for me, but something I would like to remember. It is amazing to me to have been looking at pottery from 2900BC!! It was amazing; I was completely in awe. The most amazing part of this site, is that it has not been excavated. Rather, it has all been left completely in tact.

Once we returned back, I was completely exhausted. I hung out at the hostel for the rest of the evening, cooked dinner, and talked with friends.

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