Birthday JOY!
Trip Start
Jul 25, 2008
1
7
14
Trip End
Aug 27, 2008
San Ignacio,
Belize
Friday, August 1, 2008
To start, Iīll have to explain the place we were staying to get a real feeling.... from paradise island to.. well.. eco-friendly "budget accom" (as it managed to call itself). Wee little cabins - quite cute actually though. But not so much space! And.. well.. out of the city and in with the trees so lots of lovely mozzies and whatnot to pester us! (Discovered an immense fear of flying bugs in one fellow traveller. Fine with bugs on the ground, but not flyers!) hmm! There was even a tarantula kept around - eek! The toilets were compostable, so a wee bit of a smell, and the showers were minimal.. hmm! Not the place I figured to be spending much time by my own choice! Quite cool nonetheless, but wouldnīt fancy more than the two nights there!
Anyway - birthday!! Get kept awake most of the night by the rain hammering down on the noisy tinny roof of the cabin. Gah! Early start as the pick for the day is caving in the nearby īCrystal Cavesī. a lesser explored as trickier caving option for round here. Mayan place, so old borken ceramics and even a calcified skull - most likely sacrificial. eek.
But - 45min hike through the jungle. Knackering in the heat and humidity, and going up up up!
To the cave.... descend via rope on steep rocks to get into dark cave where we pause for lunch. and ONWARDS. I donīt think I can very easily describe how the climbing was unless youīve ever done it before, but letīs say it was intense. Not the easiest by a long way apparently. Lots of scrambling over rocks on all fours, finding hand holds when you really didnīt think there were any. The caves were v impressive - many photos taken (hurrah) but also found the climbing immensely fun and satisfying, even if at times you were hating the moment cos you really couldnīt see how youīd reach the next rock and didnīt want to fall etc etc etc. Fear.
And so much sweat. Oh dear. So humid down there, and the hard work of all of it was making me an attractive sweaty bitch.mm mm. Plus there was so much clay going on down there and you had to slide down some things on your arse or scramble around, I was looking like a clay covered beast too.
Also, wearing trendy zip-off-section trousers I had shorts for the jungle and cropped ones for the caves. Until one of the zips decided to work its way back undone (you know how they do) andessentially break at the zip and fall off. Arg! But only on one leg. So yes, I did much of the caves wearing one leg short, one leg cropped. I looked HOT (literally too, remember)
Anywho, after about ooh 2-and-a-half-hours underground we get a choice; to wonderland or not. A more impressive part of the cave requiring about another 45mins of climbing (there, and then back, and then the hour exit). I figure: why not! Iīm enjoying the climbing, regardless of the difficulty and as someone pointed out - iīd regret it if I didnīt, and when would I get the chance again....
Then it got CHALLENGING. Gahhhhh! It was properly hard doing this next section, and at points you really didnīt think you were going to make it. And you did part of it in just your socks! Felt amazingly feral, but actually pretty good. Felt difficult climbing when you got the shoes back on! Anywho wonderland - was pretty dam good. But Iīd say I got the most out of the climbing, it felt brilliant (Seriously working off endorphins here I think!)!!!
I think Iīve written enough on this to bore you now, but yes: absolutely amazing sights and climbing. But I have honestly never spent a day feeling more sweaty and disgusting in my life!!! mmm mmm!!
Back to the hotel in the evening where some Port that had been lugged on the trip by some others theyīd been wanting to get rid of finally came out! īPass to the leftī, and unforto yours truly had a glass infront of her, rather than drinking from the bottle, that I donīt think ever got poured into by me but others. How generous!! Then came on some rum (mm carribbean rum!). But given the heavy heavy day, and that nobody has been much of a drinker so far, it was merely a few merry drinks and bed-by-1 (late for us out here I tell you, arenīt we cool!).
But definitely a very enjoyed day. Couldnīt have spent my (real) 21st better me doesnīt think!!!
