Experiences That Words So Poorly Expresss in Mystic Jungles of Guatemala, Belize, Mexico.
It had been about 18 years since I had visited my birthplace, Mexico . For political reasons beyond my control, I was forced to live in the U.S. for almost my entire life. So When I got the opportunity to leave, I flew, and flew and flew. After several years of traveling I eventually found myself living in Cozumel , Mexico . Although not native to this part of the country, I’ve felt most at home here; perhaps because of the environment of amiability so prevalent on every street and within every person I meet; or perhaps because the pristine waters reflect my desires and ideas of a utopia.
And I got the opportunity to explore the vast and
lush jungles of the Mayan World. It was an experience that put my life in retrospect, challenging me to reconsider everything I had ever felt to be important. I didn’t strip down to bare skin and relinquish all material possessions or anything like that; it was more of an existential wake-up call.
According to Latin American historians and academics, the Mayan Civilization extended far beyond the boundaries of the Yucatan peninsula. This highly sophisticated and ever-mysterious civilization established settlements and built incredible pyramids in from the Mexican peninsula through Guatemala and Belize and all the way through to El Salvador . This was news to me, believing all along what most people who dabble in Latin American history do; Mayans are indigenous to Mexico . Boy was I wrong.
I began the tour with a small group with a peculiar name, “duende tours” (elf tours in English) near the border of Belize and Mexico at this place called Bacalar. There’s not much in Bacalar other than jungle and sprinkles of small villages; at least n ot until I we got to the Cenote Azul. Talk about a natural wonder! Cenotes, according to the guides, are deep holes in the ground that lead to an underground system of freshwater that irrigates that entire Yucatan peninsula. Ismael our guide then informed me cenotes make up for that the dearth of rivers and lakes in this part of Mexico . And I’ll tell you, I’ve never had a more exciting swim in my life! Adrenaline rushed through my body every time I swam near the center of what I would have thought was a huge beautiful pond, thinking of how awesome (and somewhat frightful) it was that I was swimming over the surface of what the Mayans considered to be the passage ways to the underworld! We had the option of snorkeling through this underwater cavern, but I dared not test mythology.
We soon found ourselves in Tikal , Guatemala . The sunset at Tikal reminded me of fall in New England . The Sunrise was equally as picturesque, expressive artwork by the hands of a higher power’s skill with color and emotion. Although a little touristy, Tikal was nothing like Chichen Itza , the temples and hieroglyphics on statues had a much more intense quality. Perhaps the surrounding jungle, with all of its exotic sounds, enhanced the experience. Or perhaps it was the overwhelming view from the top of temple V; the great jungle of the Mayan world, as it was centuries of years ago, lush and abundant, full of life and unparalleled to anything living on this planet. This was the first place I had ever seen a toucan and a coati. I can’t even pronounce the latter, but was the encounter with ever a spectacle.After our tour through Tikal with our very knowledgeable guide, Ismael- who actually felt more like fellow traveler than anything, I liked that- we headed towards El Remate, a tiny village near the shores of a turquoise lake called Peten Itza. Transparent by nature, this lake was yet another swimming adventure that made me feel like I had somehow traveled back through time, to a place untouched by humans. The locals in the surrounding area reflected almost that same feeling, carving wood out of fallen trees. Ismael had a great relationship with many of these locals and explained that the people here were very much a part of the eco-tourism movement, which made me feel much better, since I, in fact, was traveling through such an organization. I only say that because I’ve had bad, and heard of, bad experiences that tourists have had with locals in remote areas of Latin America and Africa . I felt safe.
A night in an ecolodge is not the most comfortable expe ri ence, but that’s not why I came to the jungle; I was expecting less. And after a great night of sleep ( I was absolutely exhausted from the prior day). And I wanted my energy for the following day: a day of canoeing through Laguna Del Tigre on the San Pedro River to El Peru . Flocks of Scarle t Macaws decorated the riverbank trees as we paddled through this incredible scene. Ismael informed me that there were some 130 pairs left in the wild, so seeing these birds was more of an honor than a pleasure. The ruins themselves, similar to Tikal, were still being excavated by archaeologists, like gold in a newfound mine. What we had been excavated was unequivocally remarkable. The details of the carvings and hieroglyphics, even in today’s day and age, would be incredibly difficult to replicate.
The second to last day of the tour was an experienc e beyond my imagination. Once we canoed back to our starting point, we were picked up and taken to the Cayo District in Belize . Boarding the town of San Ignacio , we stayed in stayed in a qua int little hotel, in a subtle limbo between civilization and the new world. The highlight of the trip, though, was the underworld of Belize . We traveled to a cave, whose name I can’t for the lif e of me remember, that again reminded me of how little we know about the world. Jesus, this place was right out of an Indiana Jones movie. The stalactites and stalagmites- I still confuse the two- glistened over and under these crystal blue pools of water I was later told were parts of an underground aqua system. We saw a group of bats, that until then I had only associated with vampires and horror flicks, not knowing that these kept the balance between larger birds of prey, and bugs that they a te (and fed, coincidentally).
Upon arrival to a small town in Belize- I was beyond town names by this point- I realized how fortunate we are as humans to be able to travel distances to bare witness to these incredible sights sounds, and experiences; and how disappointing it was that only a fraction of us ever care to wonder about these magical places. I was stuck in the U.S. , and had no choice but to stay. I wonder, and very much worry, about those that do. What is about modern society that makes us forget about everything that actually matters in the world. I see these incredible sights and hear these intriguing sounds, and think. "how can we possible be indifferent about this". I, for one, was expecting to see a bunch of trees some cool ruins and maybe a decrease on the weight scale. If only I could open myself up to a global frequency.
Mayan Ruins Picture Gallery
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