Belize 2003 - Actun Tunichil Muknal

After a very restful night at the Tropical Education Centre and a hearty breakfast, preceded by a bit of birding (Plain Chachalacas, hummingbirds, orioles, Spot-Breasted Wren to mention a few), we were off to Actun Tunichil Muknal. Actun Tunichil Muknal is a cave that was used by the Mayans from about 600 AD to 900 AD for ceremonies.

If any of you get National Geographic, this cave was in one of the issues early in 2004 (Jan., Feb., or Mar.).

To get to the start of the hike to the cave is an exciting four-wheel drive trip over very muddy and rutted farm tracks. The field from where we started the hike had been recently cut from the jungle. It was planted with corn. The field had a few low hills in it. The hills were the remains of Mayan farmsteads from about 700 to 900 AD. This area had been fields back then, probably growing corn. There were about 5,000 people living in the valley back then.

Road to Actun Tunichil Muknal Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1107

IEC hired local guides that have the required permits to take groups into the caves. Carlos was our chief guide. He was knowledgeable about his Mayan ancestors and the flora and fauna that we encountered on the hike to the cave. He had us sample a leaf from a low shrub without telling us what it was. The flavour gave away one of its constituents. It tastes just like the chloroquine pills we were taking for malaria prophylaxis. Before the advent of modern chemistry, this plant was used as an anti-malarial tonic.

Cohune Palm Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1114 Dark Jungle Trail Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1115

Roaring Creek flows through the cave so getting into it is not a dry proposition. One starts off with a short swim and then wades through water from ankle to chest deep. (Un)Fortunately, our guide carried all of our camera gear in a dry bag, which means that it worked when we got to the Mayan site, but I don't have any pictures of going into the cave. This cave is not small. The ceiling is usually 10m to 20m overhead. Some of the caverns are 30m and more across. It extends for about 5.5 km and has many side passages.

Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Entrance Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1121

At 500m into the cave, we went up a steep slope to an upper channel that no longer has water flowing through it. Here are the Mayan ceremonial sites. There are lots of pots that date from about 600 AD to 900 AD and a few skeletons. The latter are ceremonial victims. They are thought to be captured enemies. All were killed by a blow to the back of the head.

At the top of the slope, before entering the site, Carlos had us remove our shoes. Bare feet are less likely to misstep onto a pot shard and leave less of an impression on soft calcium carbonate rocks than boots. He also told us that this was the point in the trip where his easy going nature disappeared. He laid out the rules to avoid damage to the site and take if we were out of line, we would hear about it in no uncertain terms. He also recounted a story about one visitor who would not obey the rules. Carlos just turned around and lead the man (of course a male) out of the cave. Whether true or not, I could easily imagine Carlos doing that.

One highlight was the chamber that holds the skeletons of an adult female and a child, presumably hers. The adult female is thought to be the princess of an enemy group. Getting to this chamber involves climbing a ladder and then swinging over to chamber's entrance. Some of our group don't do a lot of walking in bare feet and found the ladder climb a bit tough on the tootsies.

Mayan Pots Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1137b

Ladder to Princess Skeleton Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1154

Princess Skeleton Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1163

Aside from the Mayan artefacts, the natural wonders of the cave are astounding: flowstone, rimmed pools, stalagmites, stalactites, columns, translucent formations.

Flowstone Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1126

Group in Cave Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1131

Stalagmite! Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1152a

Tropical caves and rivers are nice. One does not get cold. The cave was at 100% humidity. The effects of that are visible in some of my pictures. Some of them have a soft filtered look, which is caused by condensation on my camera's lens. Also, there was mist formed when the warmer air from our bodies, which was evaporating the water in our clothes, met the slightly cooler air in the cave.

We turned out our lights a couple of times just to experience total darkness. Carlos provided evocations of Mayan times when the only light would have been from a fire and the air would be smokey and lacking in oxygen resulting in altered mental state for the participants.

Even in the total darkness, there is macroscopic life. This cave cricket was in the chamber with the princess' skeleton.

Cave Cricket Small Medium Full Ref: 2003-1166

Back out in the light of day, we ate a quick lunch at the former archeological campsite, hiked back out, and were on our way to Garbutt's Caye.