Please enjoy the dramatic retelling of my adventure through Belize’s Crystal Cave (among other fun times!)
Itinerary:
Day 9 (San Ignacio): Border Crossing & Pottery Cooperative Lunch
Day 10 (San Ignacio): Crystal Cave
The border Crossing into Belize was much smoother and less eventful, but the difference in countries was more stark: Belize’s official language is English, and it’s population is more globally diverse: Central American Hispanic, Caribbean and Mayan people living alongside American+British expats, Amish, and Menonite communities. Similar to the US, there are a lot of outward displays of pride in freedom and independence, that “Belize is for Belizians” (despite Guatemala currently trying to claim it as part of their country – interesting perspectives from the locals from both countries, all of whom think Belize should just be Belize).
The tour company I booked these trips through, G Adventures, values the positive social impact of traveling, and incorporates that in a few ways. For lunch in our first day in Belize, we stopped at the San Antonio Women’s Pottery Cooperative, the first of two “G for Good” experiences on this trip. We got a history and art lesson in Maya pottery, and I got to spin some on a wheel! (Their potter Rafael coached me through some very basic steps after getting a vase started). Lunch was one of best meals I’ve had on the trip so far: homecooked tostones, roasted chicken, veg, & fresh tortillas, with a less-sweet-than-hamaica hibiscus drink.
So we had traveled from the border to the pottery collective in two busses – the driver of mine went much slower than the other, which we NOW found out was because that bus had engine troubles. The replacement was running late, so we piled all but the lightest 4 people into the working bus, and risked the hilly drive back to San Ignacio. After inhaling tons of black exhaust as we cheered on the failing bus over hill after hill, we finally all made it to our 5th destination of the trip, San Ignacio. Like Flores, it’s a small colonial town, but with a more Caribbean vibe (according to those in our group who have traveled there), that despite its walkability has fairly dense car traffic at most hours of the day.
It was a little uncanny to me. There was a soccer game on when we arrived (heard a long “GOOOOAAALLLLL” on the loudspeakers), then some guys playing cricket along the main street. I saw familiar US products in stores for the first time on the trip, and all the signs in English threw me off. After a much-needed laundry drop-off, we got a presentation from the local tour company about their available outings for the next day, which had minimum group sizes, so needed sign-ups right then. We made our choices then had dinner at Ko-Ox Han-Nah (Maya for “Let’s Eat”), which had the nest and fastest service of the trip (and Great Caribbean food).
The next day’s options boiled down to: easy tubing down a river through caves, moderate hike through a cave with Maya artifacts and remains, or difficult caving with limestone & crystal geologic formations. I knew most of our group was pretty over being hot and sweaty, and I was unsuccessful at convincing them to join me for the challenging cave. However, I knew there was another G Adventures group with us in town, and hoped at least two of them would sign up so we reached the minimum to go. I got a text during dinner that we had enough, so I’d be splitting from my group for the first time on the trip. The next day truly was An Adventure:
For context, this cave was billed as an 8/10 challenge, relative to tour-available activities (the other cave was a 4/10), the highlight of which was “Wonderland”, rooms full of crystal formations at the deepest point in the cave, that few groups are able to reach. I had reasonable confidence in my ability to make it, and hoped/assumed anyone signing up for an 8/10 would be as well.
6:30 Wakeup
6:45 Join our older Aussie for a trip to the local market for fruit & breakfast
7:30 Depart with driver Julio to pickup my fellow thrill-seekers from the other group
7:45 Meet the thrill-seeker(s), John and Ellie, a middle-aged Romanian couple who’ve lived in the UK the last 20 years.
7:55 I learn than Ellie only signed up because she knew John and some stranger wanted to do this cave, and felt bad if there weren’t enough people to do it.
8:15 We pickup our cave guide, José
8:30 José asks if we all had a good breakfast, because we will need the energy today.
8:31 I learn John and Ellie did not eat breakfast, nor do they usually eat any food before 1PM
8:32 They brought no snacks
8:33 José says it’s recommended to bring at least 1.5 L of water. John & Ellie believed the bottle of water and bottle of iced tea they brought would be enough.
8:34 They have no bug spray
8:40 They did have long pants, and somewhat appropriate footwear, so I regained some hope. Julio had extra waters packed for our lunch that he lent the couple (I took one out of caution, despite having a full camelback and water bottle)
9:00 We start our 45-minute uphill jungle hike to get to the entrance of the cave. José stresses the importance of safety over distance, and urges us to check with ourselves and stop/turn back as soon as we feel we need to.
9:10 I see more mosquitos than any point on the trip previously, and use almost all the rest of my bug spray. I couldn’t offer to share, but said José might have extra (he did, and graciously lent it to them)
9:30 Ellie gets nauseous and has to sit, feeling like throwing up.
9:31 I lose hope of even entering the cave before we have to turn back
9:35 John is pushing Ellie to continue, saying she can get over this wall and finish this cave.
9:36 I tell Ellie that she should turn back as soon as she needs to, and not worry about overexerting herself for our sake.
9:45 we make it to the cave entrance and take a short break for some geology lessons from José. Ellie says she is feeling much better.
9:50 I offer Ellie some of my granola bars, and José offers cookies. She says she will throw up if she eats anything, so will stick with drinking her tea.
10:00 Begin Cave Descent
10:30 Brief water break. I take one of the electrolyte tablets I brought and finish the extra water bottle from Julio
10:31 I offer tablets to Ellie, recommending them for how much we’re sweating. José agrees. Ellie doesn’t like the taste of the ones she’s tried, and decides to stick with her tea.
10:45 Sweat from the jungle hike has compounded with cave humidity, wet mud, and physical exertion, reaching a new Peak Lifetime Sweat.
10:55 my headlamp stops working at higher power, and will die soon. José swaps out the battery for one of the spares he has on him, which seems to have about 50% charge.
10:56 I start using my high-power flashlight, and check that the headlamp I brought still works (just in case!)
11:05 Make it to Maya Ceremonial Room, where roughly 50-75% of groups return from, and take a water break. We’re told it’s another 35 minutes to Wonderland (then 35 back, then an hour back out from there)
11:10 Ellie feels that she should try to make it to Wonderland since she’s already come this far
11:11 I wonder how many caving accidents the Sunk Cost fallacy have caused
11:40 Ellie is considering stopping. John assures her it’s all in her mind, and she should keep going. José says the entrance is just around the corner (and down about 30′), and Ellie is motivated to push through
11:50 We reach the entrance to Wonderland
11:51 I push away my concerns of the way back up to enjoy the scenery as we take a 10-minute break.
12:00 We remove our shoes to walk through the more delicate geology of Wonderland. I offer Ellie one of the two extra pairs of socks I brought (just in case!) which she declines.
(Pictures do not do it justice, but the caverns were incredible! And walking with socks was really fun actually. 100% worth the effort to get there)
12:15 Ellie admits she is done, and will wait for us while we see the rest of Wonderland
12:16 José explains that this route goes back to the entrance, and Ellie is willing to continue rather than backtrack.
12:30 We make it back to where we entered Wonderland
12:40 We begin the long return to the surface.
12:50 I finish the water in my camelback, and offer Ellie some from my bottle. She finishes the bottle Julio gave her and John, and says she hopes it will be enough for the way back.
1:05 We make it back to the Maya Ceremonial Room. José gives his extra water to Ellie, saying he’ll be good from here without it. I’m glad because I only have a few ounces left myself.
1:15 My headlamp dies again, completely this time. José cycles through 3 spares before one works. I keep my personal headlamp out now (just in case!)
1:20 We take shortcuts back up, which require some really tight maneuvering. This convinces me to try caving again sometime.
1:35 We make it back to the surface
1:35 I am immensely relieved
1:35 I am genuinely so impressed with Ellie, and take back some of my judgement of John’s insistence for her to continue.
1:50 Begin final jungle hike back to parking lot
(Already more than an hour behind schedule, I wonder how long it would have taken before Julio called in a rescue)
Thankfully, aside from one slip on mud, the hike back is uneventful (though we saw huge avenues of carpenter ants working before the incoming rain hit)
2:45 Meet up with Julio in the parking lot for some of the best tacos I’ve ever had (food’s always better after a hike) and some questionably-adviseable rum punch.
3:50 Depart back for San Ignacio
4:45 Jump in hotel pool, shower, pickup laundry from yesterday
7:00 Meet up with group for dinner (mediocre but I didn’t have much since I ate a TON at lunch)
10:30 Sleep SO Well
Overall, it was an incredible experience, and the kind of thing I was really looking forward to on these trips. The history, ruins, and city exploring have all been great, but there’s something special about using my body to take me to places not everyone can reach, or do things not everyone can. Though the other cave (ATM) was more popular, and had more preserved remains, I’m really glad I chose this one instead.
I took tons more photos than I could include here, so check them out if you’d like!
Next up, Caye Caulker and snorkeling!
💜 Ada
Post 4/8 of Ada’s 2024 Latin American Journey (1100+ Photo Album)
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