Route of the Maya Day 13
Route of the Maya
DAY 13 - 12/06/05 - Visit Caracol Ruins/Afternoon at Five Sisters Lodge
The skies were overcast this morning but it was very humid! After breakfast, we met our local guide Edward who joined us for our trip to the ruins of Caracol (Spanish for snail). Caracol is named for the abundance of snail shells unearthed at the site.
Edward told us much about his country as we traveled the 1:30 trip over washed out and primitive dirt roads. Belize is the second smallest country in Central America, about the size of Massachusetts. It was a British possession and became part of the British Commonwealth in 1981 changing its name from British Honduras to Belize. The main ethnic group is the Mestizo who make-up 35% of the population. There are also Mennonites and Amish who have settled here.
There are extensive limestone caves undermining much of the country. The reefs in the Caribbean coast are second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Edward also talked about the industries, exports, education, and the biology. He also briefly discussed the government which seems to be as "colorful" as many of the other Central American countries we have visited.
Belize is considered as the biological corridor and migratory path for many birds from North to Central America. On our adventure today, we saw a Montezuma Oropendulum, a very exotic bird with gold feathers named because it was a favorite for the Mayan headdresses. We also saw coati mundi, white tailed deer, and many more birds.
We arrived at Carocol at 9:30 where we found a modern park headquarters and clean restrooms. Nestled amid thick jungle vegetation alive with exotic birds and howler monkeys, Caracol is Belize's most extensive Mayan site, covering an area of 30 square miles and containing numerous temples, plazas, ball courts, and an astronomical observatory.
Caracol conquered the rival Mayan city-state of Tikal around 600 A.D. and ruled as the dominant power in this area for over a century. At the height of its glory around 700 A.D., it was home to more than 170,000 Maya.
While Caracol thrived during the ancient Mayan civilization's Classic Period, this is an interesting complement to the other sites we visited because it also persisted into the Post-classic Period, up until 859 A.D. when the hieroglyphic records fell silent. Caracol was rediscovered by Rosa Mai, a logger who was looking for Honduran Mahogany.
Excavation of these ruins is continuing, revealing more about this later chapter in Mayan history. Formal excavations was begun in the 1980s by Arlen and Diane Chase from the University of Central Florida and continued until 1995.
We climbed many of the temples, the highest being Caana with its 63 long and steep steps. The building is 13 stories high representing the 13 layers of heaven. We also explored the astrological observatory, climbing to its pinnacle and photographing the area around. I have not perspired as much as I did today in a long time. With the climbing and high temperatures and humidity, my t-shirt was soaked through.
At 12:00 we walked back to our bus and visitor's center where we Jacobo and Judith had set out our box lunches and COLD WATER. These lunches were very welcomed but the orange juice attracted a swarm of flying ants. At 1 PM we left the site for our trip back on the bumpy dirt road through the jungle to our lodge.
On our return at 2:30, we had for a free afternoon to explore the area and work on the journal, pictures and pack for our early (4 AM) departure for the airport in Belize City and then home.
At 7 PM we met our group for a Farewell Dinner at the Five
Sisters Lodge Restaurant. We were able to show some of our other OAT trips to our new friends and we exchanged email addresses so we could stay in touch after our trip.
Accommodations: Five Sisters Lodge - - - Meals: B, L, D
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