61. Go cave tubing and spelunking in Belize

**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!!!

29. Visit a Mayan Site of Significance

While honeymooning in Belize we had the opportunity to explore Mayan history and culture by visiting many historical sites. The two most awe inspiring would have to be Tikal and ATM cave.

Parque Nacional Tikal - Guatemala

The Guatemala border was only 5 miles from our Jungle Resort in Belize and so we decided to take the opportunity to visit Tikal - one of the largest archeological sites and urban centres for pre-Columbian Mayan civilisation.

Upon arrival we trekked into the jungle and was soon greeted by a wonderful mish-mash of archeology and nature as towering limestone temples and pyramids, some over 70 meters high (now weren't they fun to climb!!) became visible through the thick jungle.

It was once a wealthy metropolis and kingdom, the home to an estimated 100,000 inhabitants. The ruins where built over time however the oldest dates all the way back to the 4th Century BC - it was an awesome feeling being at Tikal - It gave me a real sense of history and of time weighing down upon me.

It was a wonderful day out, full of culture and history and lots and lots of walking... by the end of the day we had covered 6 miles or so of path... which is only a small amount of area that the site covers... Just wish I had of been lucky enough to see one of the resident howler monkeys!

30. Visit 5 countries other than the US and Australia (2/5) - Belize and Guatemala

Paul and I where lucky enough to spend our honeymoon in the beautiful Central American country of Belize - the only Central American country whose official language is English (thanks to its status as a member of the Commonwealth... until it gained independence in 1981 it was British Honduras). It was pure bliss!

The first half of the trip was spent at Chaa Creek Lodge, deep in the rain forest of the Cayo district. The lodge itself was breathtakingly beautiful and the relaxing setting allowed us lots of time to recharge our depleted batteries....

however Paul and I are never satisfied relaxing for too long and so it also provided the perfect starting off point for many of the activities in the area. During our 5 days we found the time to river cave tube through Caves Branch River, go spelunking Actun Tunichil Muknal (or the Cave of the Crystal Maiden), and head 5 minutes down the road to cross the Western border of the country into Guatemala to visit the Mayan site of Tikal.

Getting ready to hit the crystal clear, though cold water at Caves Branch

Caving at ATM

The second part of our trip took us to a gorgeous little beach resort called Matachica on the Caribbean coast 6 miles from the town of San Pedro by water taxi.

Matachica Beach Resort from their jetty

It was a complete juxtaposition from the jungle which was an amazing change of pace - it felt as if we had travelled to another country!! Being isolated at Matachica allowed us plenty of time to sit back and relax on the sand with an umbrella over our heads, the warm azure water at our feet, a cocktail in one hand and a book in the other - BUT more importantly it also provided the opportunity for me to test out my new scuba gear at some of the best dive sites in the world!! (But more on that in a later post)

Needless to say neither of us where ready to leave when eventually our time came to an end and we're both in the process of trying to figure out how we can manage another trip back to Belize before the end of our time in the States - after all who wouldn't want to return to Paradise once they'd found it?!?!?! Best honeymoon ever!!!