highs and lows: that is above and below ground

"I got lost in the night, and when the night surrounded me I was born again. I was the owner of the darkness"
-Pablo Neruda-

KJK and BMB (Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley) decided they wanted to see a Mayan ruin which was more impressive that Cahal Pech but would not trump Caracol, so they 'settled' for Xunantunich (shoo-nahn-too-neech).  Located just a short bus ride, a hand cranked ferry, and a one mile walk away from San Ignacio.  They spotted an American couple on the bus from St. Louis but did not feel comfortable enough to say hello until after the ferry ride, the long walk, and meeting them again on top of a temple.  Then Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley felt that it was so awkward they must talk to them.  Eric and Debbie turned out to be very nice and helped Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley choose a tour company for their next trips. Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley also shared some information about Hopkins and the Cockscomb area.  While conversing with the 'mericans Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley enjoyed a 360 degree view of the surrounding area as well as their first glimpses of Guatemala.

On a side note, Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley will be leaving Belize soon so they wanted to share with you some of the delicacies they have encountered.
 1. wagon wheels: probably not very good for you puffed snacks that Bren Maxey Byerley may even consider getting again. *Better with Marie Sharps hot sauce*
2. Belizian foam wrapped pears: look like pears, feel like pears, taste like super bad.  Sour bitter aftertaste leaves you not wanting more.
3. the mysterious red apple pear thing: soft and easy to bite into but it leaves a super gritty feeling on your teeth similar to fluoride at the dentist.
4. tamarindo candies: pure sugar balls made from the fruit of a tamarind. Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley could not even get close to finishing that sweet treat. calling those candy or a treat is pretty generous

5. Banana chips: sliced, fried and salted.  These crunchy chips made from bananas are one of Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley's favorite local snacks *the locals drown them with ketchup*
6. empanades, empanadas, or panadas: fried bread stuffed with chicken/fish and topped with onions and hot sauce.  The various spellings throughout the country tricked Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley to thinking they were trying something new. nope.

Everyone told Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley to go to the ATM, thankfully they were not being robbed at knife point but rather being informed about one of the gems of Belize. Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), means the cave of the stone sepulcher in Mayan.  This tour started off with a drive down a bumpy road for only half an hour before we arrived at a parking lot. YES!  Then Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley hiked for 45 minutes wading through the raging river three times before they reached the mouth of the cave.  They put on safety gear, helmets and headlamps, then followed their guide as he jumped into the river and swam into the darkness.  Once they were inside they followed the twists and turns of the caves, jumping on rocks, wading, and sometimes swimming.  Occasionally squeezing their bodies through small crevices in the rocks until they reached some larger dry chambers which they had to climb up into.  The Cathedral Chamber was the first and largest chamber these brave spelunkers arrived in. Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley began to see evidence of the ancient Mayan Elites who held sacred ceremonies and sacrifices in this cave.  There were ceramics of many different sizes and shapes calcified into the ground which most likely held food offerings or collected holy water which dripped of the stalagmites or stalactites.  The stalactites are thought to be the roots of the sacred Ceiba tree.  As they continued walking around and taking in the views of different formations in the underworld they also began to find human remains, one of which was an almost complete skeleton of a 'princess'.  There is evidence that all the human remains are from sacrifice. Then Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley left the cave.

Who doesn't love waking up in the morning and riding in the back of a 15 passenger van for three hours on the most bumpy road known to man (FACT!)?  Probably some people don't, like Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley but they did it anyways and it was worth it.  The bumpy road led them to Caracol the most impressive Mayan ruin in Belize (FACT!).  Caracol is or used to be a very large city, possible containing 150,000 people.  It contains the tallest building in Belize called Caana which means sky place (FACT!). Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley summited this giant 141 foot temple.  At the top of Caana Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley discovered a plaza, sleeping quarters, tombs, and maybe even some sacrificial altars.  This was unlike all the other ruins they have visited which do not have living quarters on top. As Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley further explored the site of Caracol they came across several other large structures one of which was called the Temple of the Wooden Lintel.  This structure was built so that the rising of the sun would be in a certain position, during the solstices and the equanox, when looking at the temple from the top of the temple across the plaza (FACT!).  On the long awful drive back to San Ignacio the tour stopped at the Rio on Pools, which was a small series of  waterfalls and connecting pools. Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley were the only people out of the tour group 'brave' enough to go for a refreshing dip.

We miss you,
Kate Jaclyn Keyes and Bren Maxey Byerley