Lamanai

Set on the edge of the New River Lagoon, Lamanai is one of the largest Mayan sites in Belize. On Monday we booked a Jungle River Cruise out of Orange Walk to take us to the ruins. I felt intrigued as we drove past each village throughout the 45 minute journey. The similar sight in each location was masses of uniformed school children getting to school. Students doubled onto handle bars and as usual dogs roamed free amidst the activity. Vendors were preparing their roadside stalls for another day and every clapboard house seemed to have clothes on the line. Cars that seemed all too close to these activities sped past at extremely high speeds. Sugar cane workers were commuting in the back of empty flatbed trucks, though soon to be filled their harvest, with the wind whooshing in their faces. We were following a truck with passengers huddled in the back and I could not make out what the woman was holding in her arms. When we passed the vehicle, I saw that it was her baby that she had swaddled in a blanket while breastfeeding. We passed through towns with such names as Calcutta and San Pedro. The day was a little cooler to start off at 65 degrees which was the perfect temperature to start out before the day heated up.

Our guide Gilberto welcomed us into his small motor boat for the 2.5 hour trip that totally enthralled us. Captivating and adventurous, we loved every part of our journey, passing numerous crocodiles, colourful birds and turtles. My favourite was the Jesus Christ bird that can walk on water. The proper name is the Northern Jacana but it's the vegetation that holds the long toed bird above the water looking for edibles. Our guide stopped the boat when he saw two spider monkeys. Gilberto gave Andy a banana and instructed him to pass it to the monkey unpeeled. The monkey jumped into the boat for such an offer and proceeded to devour the fruit while staring us intently in the eye. After ingesting her meal, she was looking for more than an appetizer so she proceeded to try and lift the lid of the cooler. Before she exited the boat, she walked around the ledge of the boat peering into our eyes. The amount of laughter in the boat could not be stifled and perhaps could be heard from a distance. Entertainment at it's finest!

Andy seemed to have the knack of losing his hat in the wind. Twice Gilberto caught the wayward cap before it exited the boat. The third time he was unsuccessful but managed to turn back to allow Andy to retrieve it from the water. Our guide reminded him that the water was infested with crocs. Strangely enough that was the last time he accidentally lost his hat.

When we reached the ruins, we were treated to a meal of Mayan stewed chicken that was cooked on an open fire, potato salad, coleslaw and the National Dish of Belize.........."Rice and Beans". We ate in a palapa with the backdrop of the forested lagoon. Our guide directed us to the ruins to give us an extensive tour. It was believed to have served as an imperial port city at the height of its power. 728 buildings have been identified at the site but only five are available for visitors to view. Lamanai is believed to have been occupied from 1500 B.C. to the 19th century. At its peak, Lamanai was home to more than 55,000 Mayans. The temples that we saw were the Mask Temple, the High Temple which we climbed for a breathtaking view above the canopy of trees and over the river. The Ball Court held great ritual significance and we each had our turn to throw the rubber ball. You can hear howler monkeys echoing and we were lucky enough to actually look at them closeby. Our guide also pointed out to us a beautiful toucan

I had woke up that morning with a slight pain and wondered if I was having problems with something I had ingested. Just as we were cautiously climbing down the ruin in the blazing sun (while crossing our fingers), I knew that something was wrong. Luckily there are washrooms available in Lamanai unlike some other public areas. I found myself in a terrible predicament, which was not being able to leave the washroom when our guide wanted us to be ready at the dock. The boat ride back to Orange Walk was going to be only 90 minutes, as we had already done our exploring on the river, but the ride back was torturous especially for the fact that stopping was not a possibility because of the Morelet's Crocodiles that live in the river. I was a very grateful passenger by the time we reached shore and quickly ran into the hotel where we had docked. The adventure continued!