Adventurous, Informative, Exciting - Altun Ha Trip

Adventurous, Informative, Exciting.

These three words best sum up our travel to Altun Ha, a Mayan ruin on the mainland of northern Belize.

We took the rollercoaster of a boat ride across the sea to the mouth of the Northern River. The Northern River was long and winding and led us straight to the small village of Bomba. Once in Bomba, we boarded a blue school bus and took it to Altun Ha where we learned about the history of the Mayans, saw and climbed many of the excavated ruins, and also browsed the gift shops on site. From there we boarded the bus, went to the Maruba Jungle Spa where we had about two hours to browse the place (which, yes, really was in the jungle).  At 3 PM, we boarded up the bus and returned the way we had come by bus, river and sea.

Our tour guides, local Belizeans, Devon and Leon were very knowledgeable and shared with us many ‘fun facts’, such as:

Belize has six districts (similar to states in the USA) and over 200 villages.

There are three types of mangroves: red, white and black which only thrive in salt water.

Belize is home to over 59 kinds of snakes. Even the most deadliest bites can be cured by natural herbs found in the jungle.

Four different types of large cats exist in Belize, the jaguar being one.

Iron wood is found throughout Belize. Next to iron wood, zericote is the strongest and is often used for carving; rosewood is used for carving as well.

Cashew wine is a treasured commodity in Belize. We learned that cashews actually bloom from a fruit (similar to a mixture of mangos and apples) and that is what the wine is made from.  The shell of a cashew is so acidic that it would be harmful to eat. Cashews go through a long process including burning and other things before consumable thus the reason they are so expensive.

We learned that the Mayans at Altun Ha did not participate in human sacrifices as opposed to those in other locations. They did, however, sacrifice other things to their gods. The coolest part is that we had the privilege to worship the one true God on the same spot where the Mayans had once sacrificed. It is a privilege to know The Truth.

Needless to say, it was a thrill to see and experience another side of beautiful Belize.