Following Big Footsteps in Belize
The second stop on our cruise was Belize. We took a tender into Belize City which, at this point, doesn't have much to offer visitors. We immediately boarded a bus and drove 2 hours through the Belizian countryside towards the border of Guatemala. If you come to Belize and expect to see the beauty of the Caribbean, you'll be disappointed. While you'll see some of the colors and sites of the Caribbean along the coast, the remainder of the country is very much like the rest of Central America. If you keep in mind that Belize is a developing country, you'll learn to appreciate the sites that you'll see.
Many of the buildings are left "incomplete" intentionally. Residents do not have to pay taxes on their homes if the house is left unfinished. This being the case, we passed several homes that had boarded up windows or doors or parts of the home left in a permanent state of construction to avoid paying taxes. Many parts of this country are also great impacted by tropical storms and hurricanes and the residents are unable to afford to make constant repairs to their homes.
After our long bus ride, we finally made it to the ferry that would take us to Xunantunich.
Yep. That's it! We took a hand-cranked ferry across this river. It was pretty freaking adorable. The ferry took us a van that would drive us 1 mile up hill to the site of the ruins. Finally after 5 modes of transportation (ship, tender, bus, ferry, & van), we were there!
Xunantunich was a major ceremonial center during the Classic Period of Maya history. It is made up of six major plazas and is surrounded by nearly 30 temples and palaces. The ruins are located just 2 miles from the Guatemalan border and boast magnificent views of both Belize and Guatemala. "Stone Woman" or Xunantunich was originally settled during the Preclassic period (1000 BC to 250 AD). It grew dramatically around 600 AD. El Castillo, the highlight of the ruins, dates back to 800 AD and stands 130 feet tall. El Castillo has been excavated and wonderfully restored. It is famous for the banded stucco decoration that once surrounded the entire pyramid.
Our guide explained to us the history of the site and gave us the option of climbing to the top of El Castillo. Of course we went! The steps leading up the pyramid were much steeper than they appeared. They were probably 2x deeper than the stairs we use today. Portions of the pyramid were so narrow that we had to walk sideways and hug the wall in order to cross. Oh...and there were no guard rails preventing you from plunging to your death. Yikes!
The views from the top were incredible! We could see across both Belize and Guatemala.
We had a great day exploring the Maya ruins of Xunantunich. Afterwards, we went into the town of San Ignacio to enjoy a traditional lunch (chicken, rice and red beans and fried plantains) before we made the two hour trek back to Belize City.
