Belize it or not...Bear & Em in Belize!
  • BeBelize Blog
  • How we got here (2010)
    • Work
    • Play
  • Construction
  • July 2-8, 2011
  • July 9-16, 2011

Day trip to Lamanai - Lamanai Maya Site (Part 2)

1/25/2012

4 Comments

 
Picture
We arrived at Lamanai Maya site at the perfect time to eat a delicious traditional Belizean lunch that Allan set up on a picnic table for our group.  Most of us also enjoyed our first Belikin of the day along with lunch.  
Picture
Entering Lamanai
Picture
Our group heading to the lunch palapa
Picture
Stew chicken, coconut rice & beans, cole slaw, salad, fried plantains, and hot relish
The park was absolutely beautiful, with towering trees and lush green foliage everywhere.  There were also a few gift shops and a museum.  Unfortunately, time was tight due to the travel involved getting there and back, so Barry and I didn't actually make it into the museum, which was disappointing.  I looked very briefly in a couple of gift shops but didn't buy anything.  I knew we'd want to tip our guides at the end of the tour, plus pay for the water taxi back home, so I didn't want to overspend.  One key I've found to sticking to our retirement budget here in Belize is simply not to take too much money anywhere, just a little more than the minimum needed.  Since Belize is primarily a cash-based economy, I don't even bother carrying a credit card along in most cases, which makes it much easier to resist temptation than in the US!
Picture
Lamanai Museum
Picture
Looking back towards the dock where we entered
Picture
Black Orchid -- the national flower of Belize
After lunch it was time for a short walk to the first two structures we would see on the Lamanai site: the Jaguar Temple and the Royal Palace.  Isidro, our tour guide, did a wonderful job at explaining how the structures were excavated.  One of the most interesting facts he told us was that the Maya built most of these structures on top of previous structures that now lie below the grass and topsoil.  So if one were to continue digging down, an entirely different, and more ancient, structure might be found below some of the behemoths that have already been excavated.  Mind boggling!
Picture
Jaguar Temple
To a person, our group could hardly wait to start climbing the many stairs of the Jaguar Temple to reach the top.  From young to old, slim to heavy, every single one of us wanted to do it.  I was really impressed with our group as I am sure not all groups are so adventurous!
Picture
Barry makes his way to the top -- and yes, I was already there taking the shot!
Picture
At the top of Jaguar Temple
Picture
One last view of Jaguar Temple
Our next stop was across from the Jaguar Temple and was called the Royal Palace.  Apparently this was where the royalty would speak to the peasants, who would gather in the large field below.  I believe Isidro also told us that human sacrifices would have been chosen at this site, though actually made elsewhere.  It wasn't as impressive as the other structures nor nearly as high, so we didn't spend a lot of time on it.  We wanted to climb!
Picture
The Royal Palace
Picture
Interior of Royal Palace
Isidro made all the women in our group come up and try out the "tools" for grinding corn and making tortillas.  Yes, it was sexist, but I guess that was the way it was in those days.  Because the corn grinding involved moving a heavy rock over the corn kernels, I think I'd assign this job to Barry!
Picture
Emily crack corn...
On the walk through the jungle on the way to the next structure, Isidro heard something up high in the trees and sure enough, there were Howler monkeys!  We only saw one adult and one younger, smaller monkey at the time, but when Barry and I blew up this photo, there were three monkeys in it!  Unfortunately, they never did howl for us.  
Picture
Howler Monkeys
The walking portions through the jungle were absolutely breathtaking; I could have hiked there all day.  Based on research I did after the trip, I think these have to be Cohune Palm Trees, which can reach heights of 90 feet tall, and these had to be close to that.  The pictures don't begin to do them justice; they are truly majestic.  One of the guys on our tour said "Jurassic Park", and I thought, "Yes, that is exactly what this feels like"!
Picture
Lamanai Park jungle walk
Picture
Cohune Palm tree "grapes" contain nuts that are used for making cooking oil
The next structure, to the top left in the photo below, is the Ball Court.  This is where the Maya played a deadly game -- we were shocked to hear that the winner of the game was beheaded.  Isidro explained that this was because the Maya believed it was such a high honor to go to be with their gods that death was welcomed.  This was definitely a game I would want to lose.
Picture
Ball Court ahead
Picture
Picture
Walking through the ball court
Just when I thought we had already seen the most impressive of the structures at Lamanai, we walked from the jungle out into another field, and there it was, the High Temple.  It is the highest structure in the park at 108 feet, and took my breath away at first sight. The panoramic view from the top is the best in the park, so of course our entire group was determined to climb it.  It was also the most difficult climbing as the stairs are very steep.  There is a rope down the middle of the stairs to assist in climbing and descending.  I am pleased to say everyone in our group made it, even people who had fear of heights, and it was a real thrill!
Picture
Picture
The High Temple
Picture
These stairs are steep. I didn't use the rope but just my hands to scramble up.
Picture
I am at the top on the right side.
Picture
Exhilarating!
Fancy seeing our friend Dale, who runs the Funky Monkey restaurant in San Pedro, here with another tour group!
Picture
Dale made it to the top too
Picture
Now it's Barry's turn. This shows you how steep it is.
Picture
I'm waiting and watching him climb up
Picture
View of New River Lagoon from the top of High Temple -- this is how we came into Lamanai by boat
Picture
Barry took a photo of me taking a photo of the family group on our tour
Picture
Happy at the top of High Temple
Picture
Everyone had their own techniques to climb back down. Mine was butt-scooting!
Picture
Side view showing steepness of the descent
After everyone made it down off the High Temple, we proceeded through the jungle once more to our final structure, the Mask Temple.  Isidro explained that the masks on either side of this temple are reconstructions, as the originals became too eroded.  This temple wasn't nearly as high as the last, but I still decided to skip climbing it as I was afraid my legs were going to really be feeling it in the morning.  Only a couple from our group decided to climb this one.  I think we were all getting pretty tired by this point.
Picture
Picture
Mask Temple
Picture
You can see where the original's nose broke off above the lower reproduction mask carving.
Picture
Yep, that's Barry up there on top -- he was one of the few who couldn't resist one more climb!
Picture
That's my guy!
Finally it was time to bid our goodbyes to Lamanai and make the arduous journey back to San Pedro in reverse of our morning's travels.  We took very few photos on this leg of the trip since we'd been there, done that before, just a couple of notable ones.
Picture
Relaxing with Belikin #2 on the return leg
Picture
Local fishermen on New River
On the bumpy bus ride back from Lamanai Outpost to Bomba Village, which felt even longer than the first time, we were served a delicious and ice-cold rum punch.  Fortunately, Allan had huge cups to serve it in and only filled them half-way; otherwise, punch would have been flying everywhere with the bumpy ride.  It was still a slow process to drink it, but we managed somehow!

When we arrived back at Bomba Village, I paid for and picked up my painted sun.  Here's the Suya Tours boat we took for the last leg of the journey on the North River back to San Pedro.  
Picture
And here's a not-so-friendly fellow we saw peering out of the brush at us along the way.  
Picture
Allan was kind enough to take Barry and me all the way back to the Coastal Xpress water taxi dock.  I had noted that we would probably miss the northbound taxi by five minutes, were it right on time leaving, and end up having to wait nearly an hour for the next one, or walk home.  Fortunately, the boat had not left yet, and Allan called over to the captain to hold it for us.  We quickly jumped off the Suya boat, paid for the water taxi, and boarded.  That was a real stroke of luck and got us home earlier to take Paisley out and for some playtime after a long day inside. 

What an amazing and unforgettable adventure we had!  The Lamanai trip is a must for anyone visiting Belize, and we can highly recommend Suya Tours.  They were extremely professional, and we thought they had more interesting, authentic food and friendlier guides compared to some of the others we noticed who were at various spots at the same time as our group.  They were a class act!

Tomorrow: Birds of Lamanai (unfortunately, we saw a lot more than we got photos of, so it will be a short post).
4 Comments
Chip Gentry
1/25/2012 09:02:49 pm

Great ruins, looks like you had a fine day.

Reply
Paula
1/29/2012 09:21:04 am

The two of you, between your writing Emily and BOTH of you being great photographers, make a FANTASTIC blog team!!

Reply
BeBelize Emily
1/29/2012 09:57:12 am

Thanks Paula, for those kind words. It is definitely a labor of love for us, and we are just happy that others enjoy it too.

Reply
Brenden link
1/5/2013 07:58:43 pm

Lamanai is my favorite ruins in Belize and I have been here twice already.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    UPDATE!
    Traveling Twosome

    If you're interested in following along on our post-Belize travels, please visit our blog:
    http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/

    Subscribe

    RSS Feed

    living in Belize

    Emily & Barry

    We're an adventurous couple, married 27 years, who decided to move to Ambergris Caye, Belize from Chapel Hill, North Carolina for retirement.  We built a condo on the beach  north of San Pedro Town and moved in with our Boston Terrier Paisley in August 2011 and lived there until March 2013.  Ultimately, we decided to return to the US, but we have no regrets and MANY good memories of our time in Belize.  We hope our blog might prove helpful to anyone interested in this lovely country.

    Archives      

    March 2014
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    ©2013 by Barry & Emily. All rights reserved.       

    Categories  

    All
    Airline
    Architecture
    Beach
    Beer
    Belize City
    Bikes
    Biking
    Birding
    Birds
    Birthday
    Boating
    Boats
    Bridge
    Budget
    Bugs
    Caving
    Caye Caulker
    Celebration
    Chetumal
    Christmas
    Churches
    Cleanup
    Coconuts
    Color
    Cooking
    Cook-off
    Crime
    Curtains
    Daily Living
    Dinner
    Doctor
    Dog
    Dogs
    Expenses
    Ferry
    Film
    Flowers
    Food
    Friends
    Fruit
    Fun
    Fundraiser
    Guatemala
    Haircut
    Health
    Health Issues
    Healthy Eating
    Hiking
    History
    Holiday
    Holidays
    Home Improvement
    Home Improvements
    Hopkins
    Independence Day
    Insects
    Kayaking
    Lamanai
    Library
    Living In Belize
    Logging
    Maya
    Medical
    Mexico
    Moon
    Movie
    Moving In
    Music
    Nature
    Paisley
    Palapa Bar
    Parade
    Parks
    Parties
    Pets
    Photos
    Placencia
    Pool
    Pool Time
    Projects
    Punta Gorda
    Race
    Rain
    Rainbows
    Rainy Season
    Recipes
    Reef
    Restaurant
    Restaurants
    Road
    Running
    Saga
    Sailing
    San Ignacio
    Shipping To Belize
    Shopping
    Storms
    Sunset
    Thanksgiving
    Tourist Visa
    Traffic
    Transportation
    Travel
    Vendors
    Walks
    Waterfalls
    Water Taxi
    Weather
    Wildlife
    Yoga

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.