Today we went to Xunantunich (pronounced kinda like shoes don't itch) A Mayan ruin complex about 20 miles from Lower Dover. We got there just as it opened to beat all the crowds so we would have the whole thing to ourselves!! Getting there is a little strange. First you have to cross the Mopan River the only problem is there is no bridge but there is a ferry. A ferry that is operated with a hand crank. Some guy has the job of hand cranking a ferry back and cross this river for each car ONE AT A TIME!
While waiting for the ferry you can pick up a guide if you like for the ruins. WE chose not to but in retrospect we wish we would of. |
| Crank away ferry man! |
To take the ferry everyone except the driver must exit the vehicle and ride the ferry standing next to the car. This way when the ferry sinks they only have to rescue the driver. I'm serious about that, the guy who runs the crank said so! Then the guy starts cranking and cranking and cranking. Then you drive off and up a steep hill.
Xunantunich was pretty amazing. Three main pyramids (we summited 2 of 3, not allowed on the smallest one) The largest one was so high you could see Guatemala from it. It was only 1 mile away, but hey its Guatemala.
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| Main Pyramid the Castillo |
The main pyramid has several reliefs carved into the side that have survived to modern day. It was just breathtaking to be on the top of the pyramid and see all the buildings around the main temple. Something we have learned is that if you see a hill in the middle of nowhere and its not attached to a mountain its a ruin and they are everywhere!!! As we are on top of the pyramid with no one else but the 6 of us you can see hills all around. Each one is a Mayan site.
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| Bill having his Zen moment on top the the Castillo |
After Xunantunich we went to a medicine walk trail. Lots of plants, iguanas, 1 snake, butterflies, birds, and a river.
We went to lunch at Benny's I had the "black dinner with chicken." It was so so so good. It was a soup and it was black, really black.
Then back to the house we went only to encounter a forest fire threatening our jungle abode. There was even a Belezian firefighter bravely fighting the wild fire. His tool to control the roaring flames.... 2 water bottles. A sprinkle here and a sprinkle there makes everything ok.
After we were assured by hostess that all was ok we headed into the compound and took "Madeline's Jungle Tour."
Lower Dover is not legally allowed to advertise the fact that they are sitting smack dab in the middle of a HUGE Mayan ruin system. The Dept of Archeology is just beginning to explore the ruins and only in the summer when the student labor pays the archeology dept to dig. So they labor pays them. The main pyramid here is shorter than Xunantunich but there were more people living here than in Xu. The other reason they can't advertise in to cut down on looters. So if you ever want to see ruins on the raw stay at Lower Dover!
So on to the termites! Madeline our hostess gave us a medical/ruins tour and pointed out everything. All of the sudden we came up to this 3 foot round pile of dried mud sticking to a small tree. Madeline who always carries a machete with her starts wacking away at this pile of dried mud, sticks her hand into it and retrieves a mass of dirt clods and termites. She proceeds to pop a termite in her mouth and says try 'em they taste like carrots. Personally I'm thinking she's off her rocker then Chris grabs ones and munches away! "Holy shit, they do taste like carrots" says my deranged husband. Bill grabs a termite and crunches it in his front teeth and laughs as he agrees.
Now I am stuck, everyone else ate a termite and I sure as hell don't feel like eating a termite to see if it tastes like carrots. I know where this termite has been and I don't approve of its lifestyle. Everyone is looking at me like I am the crazy person for not eating the termite. Its an insect, a despised wood eating insect that probably crawled in god only knows what. Everything I learned in nursing school is telling me not to eat this.
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| Look its Guatemala! |
Then back to the house we went only to encounter a forest fire threatening our jungle abode. There was even a Belezian firefighter bravely fighting the wild fire. His tool to control the roaring flames.... 2 water bottles. A sprinkle here and a sprinkle there makes everything ok.
 |
| Belezian Firefighter armed with 2 water bottles to combat forest fires! |
After we were assured by hostess that all was ok we headed into the compound and took "Madeline's Jungle Tour."
Lower Dover is not legally allowed to advertise the fact that they are sitting smack dab in the middle of a HUGE Mayan ruin system. The Dept of Archeology is just beginning to explore the ruins and only in the summer when the student labor pays the archeology dept to dig. So they labor pays them. The main pyramid here is shorter than Xunantunich but there were more people living here than in Xu. The other reason they can't advertise in to cut down on looters. So if you ever want to see ruins on the raw stay at Lower Dover!
So on to the termites! Madeline our hostess gave us a medical/ruins tour and pointed out everything. All of the sudden we came up to this 3 foot round pile of dried mud sticking to a small tree. Madeline who always carries a machete with her starts wacking away at this pile of dried mud, sticks her hand into it and retrieves a mass of dirt clods and termites. She proceeds to pop a termite in her mouth and says try 'em they taste like carrots. Personally I'm thinking she's off her rocker then Chris grabs ones and munches away! "Holy shit, they do taste like carrots" says my deranged husband. Bill grabs a termite and crunches it in his front teeth and laughs as he agrees.
Now I am stuck, everyone else ate a termite and I sure as hell don't feel like eating a termite to see if it tastes like carrots. I know where this termite has been and I don't approve of its lifestyle. Everyone is looking at me like I am the crazy person for not eating the termite. Its an insect, a despised wood eating insect that probably crawled in god only knows what. Everything I learned in nursing school is telling me not to eat this.
Well time to man up and grab the termite by the thorax. Guess what it tasted like a carrot. A very small small crunchy carrot.
Wow, you guys must be having a great time and doing such fun interesting things. Not too sure about eating the termite tho, that sounds pretty gross. I was getting worried cuz I hadn't heard anything for a few days but I was thinking the internet may not be a deendable asset there. Have fun and a drink for me....Tequila Rose will do:)
ReplyDeleteThe internet is kinda weird here. If you upload too much at the wrong time of day the internet company will put the breaks on the line and then you can't do ANYTHING!! the only time they don't care how much you upload in between midnight at 6 am....so not my time to blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm proud of you lol. Good job!
ReplyDelete