Actun Tunchil Muknal (ATM) cave or All That Money

Trip Start Feb 23, 2008
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Trip End Aug 23, 2008


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Where I stayed
Central Hotel
(San Ignacio hotels)

Flag of Belize  ,
Sunday, April 20, 2008

I headed to San Ignacio, near the Guatemalan border feeling the worse for wear. A swiss girl had recommended the Central Hotel which "the bible" described as a "firetrap" but i found it full of character with a great owner called Kenny.
That afternoon i headed to Cahal Pech, mayan for Tick city. It was on the edge of town but was not that impressive.
After an early night I headed to Xunantunich about 7 iles west of San Ignacio. It had a 40m pyramid that rose above the jungle floor where i sat up top in the cool breeze to escape the hot humid weather down below. In the afternoon i read and slept in a hammock due to the heat
Early that evening Yvonne, Mille (a dnish girl i had met in Caye Caulker), her friend Tori from Englad, a dutch guy and a Belgian guy arrived. I was planning to leave for Guatemala in the morning but as it was my birthday decided to stay and see Actun Tunichil Muknal cave El Castillo
El Castillo
 . A cave that so many people had raved about. At $70US including lunch it had better be good.
After another sleepless night hot night and feeling a year older 5 of us headed out for the 90 minute trip to the cave. The cave was only opened to the public in 1998 (i think) and the Mayan bones and artifacts had all been left in situ
After donning our helmets with lights we entered the cave. it was a fair trek thru narrow passages and huge caverns filled with limestone formations. We had to wade thru water sometimes up to our necks. Eventually we reached the higher dry section and our guide explained the significance of the pottery relics, bones and skeletons. Call me sceptical but it all looked a little too perfectly laid out. Dont get me wrong the trip up thru the water was fantastic and the relics (if real) were amazing but i just had a nagging doubt at the back of my mind
After receiving some banana bread and beer for my birthday, i retired to bed. I had spent 2 weeks in Belize and really enjoyed my time here. I had met a lot of good people and remet people from my time in Antigua.
Tomorrow was Monday and in 1 week i was meant to be starting my divemaster course and i was looking forward to going back to Guatemala where things were cheaper and i could try to remember all the spanish i had forgotton
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