Today we visited the Xunantunich Maya ruins and learned about the history of the location and the Maya people. Xunantunich is one of the largest Maya sites in the Belize River Valley. The center, which is about a square mile, is composed of several major plazas surrounded by numerous temples and palaces.
One of the major features is a pyramid known as “El Castillo.” Architecturally, the Castillo is the tallest and most complex building at Xunantunich, and it is often misinterpreted as the primary temple at the site. But it’s probably more likely that the structure was actually a place where the elite rulers and their extended family lived and held court.
We also learned about the Maya ball game, known as pok-ta-pok, which was an important part of Maya ritual, social, and political life. The game was actually a re-enactment of a game played between evil underworld gods and the mythical hero’s twins, who defeated the gods of death in their quest to resurrect their father, the maize god.
After visiting the ruins, we took the hour-long bus ride to a waterfall and natural pool hidden in the deep Belizian jungle. After eating a delicious lunch of hamburgers and local snacks on the bus, we made the treacherous hike down to the falls. It was super steep going down (and even worse going up). After reaching the pool and waterfall, we gathered around to go swimming. The crystal clear water lent itself well to seeing the fish down below.
The water was refreshing and cold. We decided to jump off of large rocks on the side of the pool. We could swim up the current to a larger pool by the waterfall.
After a few hours, our two guides took us back up the cliffs to the bus. Then, a long bus ride home. After we reached the hotel, it was chilly for the rest of the night, and we swam in the pool.