Belize it or not

went to Belize my second time in June sometime.

used a flower from Tikal for dress.

still like Blondie.

entrance to Actun Tunichil Muknal, cave system in Belize used by Mayans for ceremonial purposes over a thousand years ago. abandoned since 900's AD.

you swim, wade and climb through nearly a kilometre before getting to the dry area, where the camera came out.


some pottery from offerings to the gods. laid out like this after the offering was complete. smoke on ceilings still. and hundreds of artifacts all around.

and skulls. well two of them anyways.

at the end you enter a chamber that has this full female skeleton, calcified a fair bit, from a human sacrifice.

all the minerals reflect all the light from torches magnificently.


in Independence and on a bus.

the national beer.

sunrise one morning in Placencia.

water looked... like magic.

semuc champay & tikal

start of my last travel trip (away from Antigua)in Central America which took me through Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.

and i'm off

at El Retiro lodge in Lanquin...

...which was full so we stayed next door at Yax Lik, which was cheaper anyways. in the morning this chicken was by the toilet and wouldn't get out. in the afternoon after we got back there was an egg in it's place.

day tripped to Semuc Champay. swim in these crystal clear pools of freshwater.

the river runs through a cave system under the pools for about 300 meters

like this one

view from the mirador. one of the most amazing places i have ever seen. photos do not do it justice.

and after Semuc Champay we (me and two others) went caving in Kan 'Ba caves... w/ just a cadle for light. you have to swim some stretches holdig the candle out of the water. was awesome!

and then went to Tikal and Flores again. temple IV for sunrise... unfortunately it was cloudy and misty so didn't see the sunrise (2nd time, previous time in december it was raining).

temple V

the main plaza w/ temples I and II

drew this while in plaza.

atitlanchichi

at a bar/restaurant/cafe in San Pedro, Atitlan

lago Atitlan

lago Atitlan

Chichicastenango markets, w/ a parade coming towards

and it enters the church

more parades go by

w/ Jerome and Alicja, met them again later on my journeys. Jerome in Lanquin, Flores and Belize while Alicja we met again in Tikal (tried in Belize but didn't quite work).

w/ Ali. she'd gone back to Scotland and only just got back. cool.

at Frank's store, Nim 'Pot. a small Maximon (San Simon) shrine. you give him offering of rum and cigarrettes. how's that?

in Frank's place. his walls are covered w/ masks. counted up to 480 or so one time before i gave up on it.

another fishy page. lot's more fish coming.