Belize 2012

I have to make this quick.  Diandra and I are at an internet cafe after just enjoying a fabulous quesadilla.  We are trying to figure out our plans for the next few days before Nicaragua.  Belize is lush, beautiful and welcoming.  It feels like we have been here a week, this town (San Ignacio) just makes you feel comfortable right off the start.  We are staying in a cheap hostel but it’s decent and we have our own room.  The owners and other travellers have been friendly and helpful.  The streets are bright, colourful and a little worn down, okay depending on where you have travelled they are a lot worn down, but it adds culture, presence and beauty in my opinion. 

I don’t really think I am going to go too far in depth on these activities and there’s no pictures, but my actual journal is looking so weak.  I have to just put this out there so I can have some visuals to work off when I get the chance so I might as well share.

Yesterday we headed to the Mayan Ruins (Cahal Pech) which also included a palace in which royalty used to live.  It dates back to about 1200BC.  I was amazed at the lack of security at the site and the ability to walk around, climb and explore the ruins on your our terms.  I have gone into heritage homes in New Westminster British Columbia that had more rules and regulations as to what you can touch and what you can’t, yet here its so lax.    

In the afternoon yesterday we went to Cornerstone, a lunch program for less fortunate kids in school.  It was such a unique experience.  Jen and I pulled out good old “Gorilla beats the man” dance we learnt as kids at Moose Lake, which is basically a way more exciting game of rock, paper, and scissors.  The kids LOVED it and we had them dancing and singing all lunch hour, we actually had them laughing and singing so loud that by the time we left there was a few adults lingering in the doorway just to watch all the action.  Even though this isn’t a mission trip there is nothing more fulfilling to me than making kids smile and learning how unique, yet how similar they can all be no matter where in the world they are from.

Then today, SO CRAZY, we went swimming in a Cave called Actun Tunichil Muknal.  It was intense.  I can not believe I saw what I saw.  The cave was literally stunning, so beautiful and MASSIVE, the whole thing is about 5 miles longs but people are only aloud to go 1/3 of the way in.  It was about a 5 hour long day after hiking to the cave, swimming to the ruins located within the cave and then repeating on the way back.  I can’t believe some of the nooks I had to crawl through to get to the ruins, it wasn’t exactly easy.  Then to arrive at the ruins and see massive pottery still there from over a thousand years ago.  How did they get it there?  Mayans are crazy people.  I seriously want to research more of their lifestyle.  I feel so blessed to be able to check out such a massive cave that the Mayans worshiped in because their calendar is running out December 23^rd of 2012.  I even saw skeletal remains of humans STILL THERE, the only thing that stopped me from actually walking on them was tape on the ground, no fences or anything.  It would not be like that in Canada.  Look it up online its seriously mindblowing.  The Mayans used to sacrifice PEOPLE in the cave, of the 15 remains found in Actun Tunichil Muknal, 7 of them were babies.  Tear.  Why?  Just as interesting as seeing the false alters and sacrifices; was hearing the theories behind their religious beliefs, and yes, in the cave as black as night hearing the Mayan religious practices totally creeped me out at times.  Regardless it was evident as I looked around that God is so real and so creative!  The Cave is so divinely made and I feel blessed to have seen that hidden treasure in a corner of the world I have never before explored.  Cant wait to see more.

So much love.