Tinkerblue

Cave Tubing in Belize

 

 

For my birthday my colleagues unexpectedly gave me $60.00 towards a shore excursion of my choice. Thank you!  Trudy and I have been talking about going cave tubing in Belize since the beginning of your contract.  

 

 

 

This week we went. We asked the shore excursions staff for their recommendation and they said Darknight. So Darknight it was. The blurb from the shore excursion brochure:

 

 

 

"Experience breathtaking dry caves, archaeological artifacts, followed by a jungle trek with the grand finale. Enter an open air cave and enjoy the beauty of the formations. Begin at Clevis point, found at the entrance where you will hear of the importance of the caves to the Mayans. You will be amazed at the Shear Limestone walls that extend out offering shade. Pass by Drop Cave before entering  the jungle, then hiking a trail that leads to the North entrance of Jaguar Cave.You will be taken back by the size of this Cave, with 100 foot ceilings, teeming with stalactites, "the finger" a fallen stalactite, as well as sparkling crystal stalagmites. You'll exit through a "secret" side entrance and hike a jungle trail along crystal clear Indian Creek to start your Darknight Cave Tubing float. As you float in the Creek; each turn brings a visual display, with polished walls from over 1000 years of flow. As the creek narrows you feel the rush as the rapids rappel you forward. Passing through the exit you turn the corner of the canopy that awaits  the end of the float. "

 

 

 

Mmmm. Should have read that more carefully. We spent more time on the jungle trek than in the caves.  The trek to Jaguar Cave.  The trek from Jaguar Cave along Indian Creek to Darknight Cave. The trek after finishing the tubing back to the starting point. All up the excursion lasted about 90 minutes.  Over half of it was spent trekking. 

 

 

Our guide did point out some flora along the way...Ceiba trees, cohune palms, give and take palms, Mahogany, chicle, fish tail palm... but not "the importance of the caves to the Mayans."

 

 

 

For tubing the river, 8 tubes are tied together and the guide pulls the whole floatilla along.  The water level was very low when we were there and we bottomed out quite a bit. Literally.  More than once we had to lift our bums out of the tubes so our guide could pull us off the rock, sandbar or whatever else we had stranded ourselves on.  

 

 

Because of the low water level the creek also moved very slowly. Which was good for a nice relaxing float but it would have been fun to have some swifter moving water occasionally.

 

 

This was an okay excursion but far from my favourite.  Excursions in Belize are expensive and time consuming.  It's a tender port, which means at least 30-40 minutes are waiting for and riding the tender. Then most excursions require a 90 minute bus ride in either direction, so the time spent travelling to and from the excursion is often more than the event itself.  

 

 

Maybe that contributed to my underwhelmedness.  (I know that's not a word).  I enjoyed the cave-tubing, I just wish the trekking had been shorter and the tubing longer.  Or maybe if we'd done the zip lining and tubing option I'd have been more impressed.  

 

 

Chocolate of the Caribbean - Moho Chocolate, Belize

 

Moho Chocolate was pretty much the only reason we got off the ship and took the world's longest tender ride to shore. Well that and an internet connection.

 

 

Moho Chocolate is located right in the port compound - or it's official name is Fort Street Tourism Village.  It's between terminal 3 and 4. 

 

 

They have a small cafe inside, the chocolate factory, and an outdoor bar. Inside you can order hot or cold coffees, milkshakes, tea smoothies and icecream.  I had both the Oreo cookie milkshake and the Humble Monkey.  So very good.  A little on the sweet side, so splitting one milkshake between two people might have been a better idea.

 

 

We could have toured the chocolate factory. I think the tour is about $2.00 and you get to make your own chocolate bars.  We never actually did this, not sure why.  Maybe David or Victoria or Jorge can tell me why we didn't?

 

 

We did however enjoy their free samples. Many times over.  Sure we could try plain dark or milk chocolate or dark or milk chocolate with almonds. But why would we? Instead we tried the dark/milk with chili, dark/milk with ginger, dark/milk with cocoa nibs, and dark/milk with salt and lime. Can you guess which was my favourite?

 

 

Moho Chocolate was established in 2012, and its name is taken from the Moho River Valley in Belize where the cocoa beans are grown.  Did you know chocolate is good for you? It is.  It helps build a strong immune system, aids digestion, helps with absorption of calcium and makes better bones!

 

 

The week before Christmas Jorge and I decided we would finally treat ourselves to a chocolately drink at the bar outside.  We had a Moho Buzz. Once upon a time I knew exactly what was in it.  I do remember Bailey's, Kahlua and ice being mentioned.  It was very, very good.

 

 

They had free wifi, so Jorge and I sat and savoured our drinks and facebooked everyone so they could be jealous!  Sorry.

 

 

 

Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Belize

 

Hmmm this day didn't quite go as planned.  Mariana, Victoria and I had signed up to do the excursion to Xunantunich, Mayan ruins close to the Guatemala border.  But the weather had other plans for us.  Rain had caused flooding in the area and Park Rangers closed the ruins.  Bah.  Shore Excursions offered to put us on the trip to Altun Ha instead. Why not? We were already up. 

 

 

The bus ride to the ruins took about an hour or maybe more. I'm not 100% sure as I slept most of the way.  Gotta get my sleep when and where I can.   The ruins at first seem tiny. There are only two plazas and about 1/2 a dozen buildings - temples, tombs and pyramids.  But... Most of the site remains covered by jungle.  There are actually 6 plazas and 500 buildings here.

 

 

Altun Ha was constructed about 600 bc or maybe even earlier. It may have been small but it is thought to  have been one of the major trading posts for the Mayan civilization at the time.  Objects have been found that would have originally come from Mexico, Panama and Guatemala. 

 

 

Inside the Temple of the Sun God they found a jade head representing the Sun God. It's about 6" tall and weighs over 10lbs.  The real jade carving is now in a vault at the bank in Belize City (which was built in the same shape as the temple) and a replica is on display at the Museum of Belize.

 

 

The Temple of the Temple of the Masonry Altars is the logo for Belize's Belikan Beer. Just thought you needed to know that!

 

 

According to our tour guide:

• every 52 years the Mayans added to or renovated a building. First time I'd heard that piece of information about Mayan temples. 
• 13 is a lucky number for the Mayans.
• Women were buried in Mayan temples, an indication that the Mayans held women in high regard.

 

 

On the way back, we took a boat ride on the River Wallace and saw crocodiles, howler monkeys and really big gekkos.