There were a number of options for tours in Belize – more snorkeling, a city and food tour, a day sail – but the most popular is a day trip to the Mayan Ruins at Altun Ha (a little over an hour drive, should have taken longer but our driver was pretending to be Mario Andretti on the windy road the last 14 miles to and from the ruins). We combined the tour of the ruins with a city tour including the rum “factory”. The private tour for 6 was $96pp which included entry to the ruins, our guide and driver, and lunch.
Our driver and guide, Jose, took us around the outskirts of the city, past schools and businesses, describing many and their importance to Belize. There were several police stops along the main road to inquire about our destination, along with a number of speed bumps to control speed (until the afore-mentioned last 14 miles). The 2-lane road was generally well maintained, with some potholes, but I’ve seen much worse.
The buildings of Altun Ha were built in consideration of the compass – which is typical of Mayan and Aztec communities, with the main building facing east. At the top of the building is a repaired altar, where animals such as goats and even a jaguar were sacrificed to the Sun God. There was no evidence of human sacrifice at this site, possibly because there was no king in residence, the highest-ranking person was the Shaman.
Some of the buildings housed tombs to their greatest leaders. Like in Egypt, the Mayans believed that one needed their accumulated wealth in the afterlife, wealthy men were buried with jade and other precious metals and jewelry. One such piece was a jade head weighing 9.75lbs, the largest jade artifact found in Meso-America.
Some structures at Altun Ha date back to 900-800 BC, but the main portion of the medium-sized Mayan city was founded in approximately 200 AD. Eventually, the area became home to 8-10,000 people at its height (about 600AD). Over the next 300 years it gradually declined and was abandoned in AD 900. The grounds at that time would have often been swampy, and mosquito born or other disease is thought to be the reason the city eventually failed.
“Mario” drove us back at break-neck speed, with a stop for lunch about 15 minutes from the ruins. Lunch was a simple meal of rice and beans, chicken and coleslaw. John and Kelly both proclaimed the chicken excellent, and I enjoyed the flavorful rice and beans with an American style slaw. We returned to town with a stop at the rum museum/factory. The sales room also had samples of the region’s cashew wine (which they retailed at $10/bottle). It was interesting, I don’t think I would drink the cashew wine straight, but it would be nice in coffee or tea. There was also a cream rum that was good. They charge $1 US per two 1 oz tastings, so we did not feel obligated to buy anything else. We spent another thirty minutes driving around the city before returning to port.
The port area is another run by the cruise companies, with bars like Margaritaville and Senor Frogs, mixed in with some local establishments. We stopped in at the Husband’s Daycare Center for beer and snacks before returning to the ship.
Our next stop was Cozumel, where John and I had dental cleanings, John & Kelly got a massage, and the rest of us wandered and sipped beer, so nothing too interesting to write about, but it is one of my favorite ports.
I did not say much about the Carnival cruise itself, mainly because as my mother taught me – “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”.
Home for a few weeks, then on to more adventures!
I loved my hat, but you should’ve shared a picture of you wearing yours 😂
I rarely take selfies – so didn’t have one!