By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises
Belize is a 35-year-old nation that strives for economic and political stability; it still has a way to go.
It’s a hot place, but you’ve got to love a people who chose as their national motto: “Sub Umbra Floreo”.
“Under the shade I flourish.”
Belize is not quite as advanced in tourist infrastructure as Costa Rica—few places in this part of the world are—but that seems to be its goal.
And Belize has the added attraction of several significant Mayan sites and some spectacular offshore reefs.
One is the Classic Mayan political center of Lamanai, a word in Yucatec Mayan meaning “submerged crocodile.”
Lamanai has only been explored in the last 40 or so years, and it is still mostly covered and rather difficult to get to. It was occupied as early as the 16th century BC, and continued to be used up to the 17th century of the modern era.
How difficult? Our ship had to put down its anchor about a mile offshore to avoid damaging the spectacular offshore barrier reef (second only to the reef in Australia in size).
So, my trip to Lamanai (ancient Mayan for submerged crocodile) began with a long tender ride to shore. Then a 90-minute drive in a superannuated bus on a minimal road to the headwaters of the New River.
From there by open speedboat another 90 minutes into the deep jungle.
The good news: Lamanai was worth all the effort, and we had the place almost to our own, along with the bold and loud howler monkeys.
During the Spanish conquest of Yucatán, Spanish friars established two Roman Catholic churches here, but a Mayan revolt drove them out. When the British settled in Lamanai, they installed a sugar mill at the site.
Archaeological work has concentrated on the larger structures, most notably the Temple of the Masks, the Jaguar Temple, and High Temple.
A significant portion of the site remains under grassy earth or is covered in dense jungle growth.
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