Today started at 6, as we were headed to the Lamanai Mayan site. We met the boat at 7, and picked up the rest of the tour group at their dock before starting towards Belize City. Halfway there, next to an uninhabited section of island, where we had breakfast- breakfast burrito and pineapple.
After reaching the dock at Belize City, we switched from boat to bus - a school bus. From the city, we headed north towards the city of Orange Walk. Along the way, you really get a vie of what the lowland inner stretch of the country looks like, and how sparsely populated the area is. Of the 350000 Belizians, 1/3 live in the City, while a much less dense population lies north. Many of the locals were out waiting for the local busses, which also happen to be school busses. A number of homes along the way had their surrounding trees, which the guide Alan, explained were to supplement the family table as well as income - avocado, cashew, papaya were a few pointed out. He also said most had their own ponds where they would farm their own tilapia.
Just before the main city of Orange Walk, the destination of the Lamanai EcoTours was there, on the bank of the New River. After a bathroom break, we boarded a larger speed boat. A quick trip up to Monkey Island, where the local resident spider monkey came down for a visit. Along the way, we also saw the smallest hawk in Belize, which hunts insects; a snake cactus, and bromeliads (orchids) covering trees.
At the site, we stopped for lunch - rice & beans, stewed chicken and cole slaw. Alan made sure each one of us had a bottle of water before being sent up the walk to take a quick look at the self-explanatory museum site and meeting the Lamanai guide. He explained the site was first escavated in 1976(8) by a expedition from the Royal Ontario Museum, and noted that this site had the largest number of known Mayan buildings, though the majority of the buildings are still covered by the jungle. In fact the temples were constantly changed as rulers turned over.
The next temple was the tallest of them all at the site - 300 feet. Just 6mo ago, they cleared the west side and installed a set of wooden stairs, replacing the rope that led up the main stone staircase - saves both the site and tourists from harm. At the top of the temple, you still had to climb the stone steps using hands and feet. Then at the top, you had the 360 degree view, along with the howler monkeys howling. The trip down the steps was more harrowing then the trip up, as you knew one slip and it would be all the way down. Directly in line with the steps is a ball court - the center stone is hollow, and thought to be mercury filled. Today's sports super stars wouldn't try to be so super if they were Mayan - the best player of the game was fêted as a hero for a few hours prior to being the next sacrifice.
The last temple was the Jaguar Temple - the local Mayan king still lived in a house across from this temple when the Spanish arrived in the 1500's. A damaged calendar stone rests in the courtyard between the house foundation and the temple. Alan had shown Mom around the museum before showing her the Belize state flower (black orchid), then he helped her to walk up to the temple so she could see it for herself.
We then inverted the trip - speed boat back to the bus, bus back to Belize City - where we were given pop, beer or rum punch, along with a few snacks. Then the trip back across the bay, and watching the sunset - finishing the day back at the dock at 5:30. We ended the day with leftover fish chowder and grilled cheese sandwiches.
