In the footsteps of the Maya

We had a great day, combining sights with relaxation and down time.
The trip to Xunantunich was fun – it’s a quick hop from the hotel, but first we had to contend with a near-flat tire on the rented van. The guys had a compressor and got us going for the morning, but Matt and Caleb (Williamson, Brooks ’03, who has lived in Belize for the last 3 years working at one of the Bowens’ schools, and who is our good friend and excellent traveling companion) had to go on a manly adventure this afternoon to get the culprit – a construction nail – removed and the tire patched. Total expense for the repair – BZ$7.50 (the BZ$ is tied 2:1 to the US$ - so that’s US$3.75 for you math-challenged gringos. I think the gas to drive to the place cost more than the repair itself).
The kids enjoyed turning the corner from the forest onto the expansive Mayan plaza, and their first view of El Castillo, the largest structure of the site. It was overcast this morning, and though the girls are mad for sun, once they huffed their way up the temple they realized that the showers we were getting were a blessing, and the beating sun would have crushed them. The sun came out later in the day, so no worries there.
The tourist demographic out here is so odd – a combination of older birder types, cruise ship refugees and families and couples. Add in the odd hippie and a regular sprinkling of Belizean Mennonite families on vacation (we passed one such family with 12 kids in a row going down to the river this afternoon – yikes!) and the mix is funky enough to keep you guessing. In the last 2 days Matt has been called a missionary (!) and a Mormon (!! – we had to fight about who was the first wife, second wife, where Caleb fit in, etc…made for hysterical if bizarre conversation).
We got our first glimpse (and earful) of  the local Guatemalan black howler monkeys in the trees at Xunantunich, and hope to have more close encounters at our next stop. After lunch at Hode’s, a local stop that is an annual event for us, mainly for the delicious Mennonite ice cream afterwards, we headed back to the hotel for a combination of riding (Kate and Nat) and swimming/tubing/canoeing in the river. There’s just enough current to make it fun, and the scenery is to die for. Also, the trek back up to the steep incline to the hotel helped me work off the delicious burrito I had for lunch. Yum!
Dinner was fab again – choice of the national dish (stew chicken, rice & beans) or bbq shrimp or ratatatouille and key lime pie for dessert, to everyone’s delight.
Tomorrow is the zoo and cave tubing – should have some good pix and video for you after that. All are well, as we hope you are too.

On the steps of El Castillo.