We had visited a number of Mayan ruins and watched Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. We figured we were well prepared to head into the dark and mysterious sacred caves of the Mayan underworld or 'Xibalba'...the gates of hell!!!!! So, we met our guide, 'King David', gathered up our big, yellow tubes, strapped on our head lamps and marched up the river following the path of the ancient Maya people who sought to be close to their gods. OK...this was hardly a somber or dangerous journey for us. It was a super-fun day of 'first times'!
The Caves Branch river runs through central Belize and a good portion of it runs underground. Five caves are accessible to visitors and floating through them makes for a once in a lifetime experience. We opted to do the more common and shorter two cave version of the trip. Adam and I have cave tubed a number of times but it was a first for Darryl and Jennifer and I don't think it disappointed!
Our guide, King David, promised us a special treat this time. On past visits we've just floated through the caves which is amazing, all in itself. But this time we were able to 'park' the tubes in the largest of the caves and do some exploring. The Crystal Cave has a partially collapsed portion that is open to the sky. A collapsed cave is called a cenote and it makes for a very beautiful
combination of sparkling rock, absolutely clear water, and view to the sky through the vibrant green of the jungle. Wow!
If you are ever fortunate enough to cave tube in Belize here are two hints that will really make the experience...
combination of sparkling rock, absolutely clear water, and view to the sky through the vibrant green of the jungle. Wow!
If you are ever fortunate enough to cave tube in Belize here are two hints that will really make the experience...
- Absolutely do not make the journey on a cruise ship day! When the cruise ships are in port in Belize City, they bus in hundreds (maybe thousands!) of people and herd them through the caves in long, noisy caravans. The caves are sacred and best experienced in small groups.
- Try to find a guide that will include a stop in the Crystal Cave for some exploring and swimming. Now that we have done this once we'll ask for it every time!
The sun warmed us as we floated out of the final cave and back into the jungle. About twenty minutes later we were back at the starting point and it was time to get out. I could have easily taken another hour. It was magical!
But our time on the river was over so we headed to the on-site restaurant for buffet lunch. King David joined us. The food and the company were great. Being on the water always gives me a huge appetite! After lunch, Darryl and Jennifer tried out the zip line adventure. We've done it a few times so we stayed at ground level and let our lunch settle.
And finally it was time for the drive home. We were all tired and happy. It was an amazing day.
But our time on the river was over so we headed to the on-site restaurant for buffet lunch. King David joined us. The food and the company were great. Being on the water always gives me a huge appetite! After lunch, Darryl and Jennifer tried out the zip line adventure. We've done it a few times so we stayed at ground level and let our lunch settle.
And finally it was time for the drive home. We were all tired and happy. It was an amazing day.