**Im sorry, this isn't actually a new post but instead is the splitting of a previous post about visiting a Mayan site of significance... I accidentally combined two tasks into one post.. so without further ado, since I am detail orientated (just ask my husband) I have decided to split the two posts...
Actun Tunichil Muknal (The Cave of the Crystal Maiden) - Belize
ATM cave is a notable Maya archaeological site and one of the top 10 cave experiences in the world (so says NSS) that includes ceremonial ceramics, stoneware and human remains, including ‘the Crystal Maiden’, the intact calcified skeleton of a teenage girl who was most likely a sacrificial ‘victim’.
The tour involved a 45 minute hike through the jungle of the Mountain Tapir Reserve with our experienced guide who educated us on traditional medicine and jungle food and who had recently had the ‘pleasure’ of escorting Bear Grylls, the poser from Man VS Wild and Andrew Zimmern from the Travel Channel Bizarre World… lets just say I had a different image of both shows after our discussions!!! The hike in was a lot of fun, we completed three different river crossings and Paul got to swing a machete at a latex tree and I got to eat a live termite… taste just like carrots!! After having a bite to eat and receiving our briefing on the geology of the cave and Mayan culture including why the Mayans would go into caves and perform ceremonies, we strapped ourselves into our helmets and headlamps and proceeded to swim across the icy cold pool of water and into the entrance of the cave.
The entrance to ATM cave
The rest of the trek into the main cavern required us to hike ‘in’ and ‘out’ of water, while climbing over, around and through rocks, caverns and stalactite/stalagmite formations. When we finally reached the ‘dry chamber’ we proceeded to doff our footwear (sans socks) so we could walk around and view the priceless artifacts including the crystal maiden... as a side note just after we entered the dry chamber, the tight dark spaces began to get the better of one of the members of our group and our tour guide had to leave us with another group so he could escort her out... ended up being a bonus for us as once we arrived at the skeleton of the crystal maiden our new guide ushered Paul and I over the barrier ropes and into the actual exhibit itself to provide the room for his tour group to also be in the space... therefore we got some awesome photos, from an extremely close distance and from an angle the average person never gets to see!!
'The Crystal Maiden' for whom the Cave is named after.
An awesome experience I would highly recommend to anyone travelling to Belize... as long as you're not claustrophobic!!!
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