Actun Tunichil Muknal 31.5.2017

The erosive action of water on the relatively soft limestone of the Maya Mountains has produced numerous underground rivers and caves.  Many of the caves were ritual sites for ancient Maya, as they were considered to be close to the underworld.

ATM is the unforgettable caving experience, where you will see firsthand the evidence of the Maya rituals.

Other caves :-

Nohoch Che'en Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve - combines the mystery of spelunking with river-rafting through an underground network of caves.

Barton Creek Cave - it is one of the few caves you can canoe.

ATM

It is one of the most unforgettable and adventurous underground tours one can make in Belize.  This guided trip into ATM takes you deep into the underworld that the ancient Maya knew as Xibalba.  The entrance of to the 3-mile-long cave lies in the northern foothills of the Maya Mountains.

The experience is moderately strenuous, starting with an easy 45-min hike through the lush jungle and across Roaring Creek (your feet will be wet all day).  [I intended not to wear my socks but it turned out a bad idea as sands and grass attached to my wet open footwear scratched and hurt my feet when walking back.] 

We needed to leave all our stuff in the van, bringing only water bottles.  Before crossing the Roaring Creek, we needed to put down our water bottles as well.

At the wide, hourglass-shaped entrance to the cave, you'll don your helmet, complete with headlamp.  To reach the cave entrance, you'll start with a frosty swim across a deep pool (~15 ft across) [As I am not a good swimmer, I put on a life jacket.  It was good to me as I found it's cool inside the cave, the life jacket could keep me a little bit warm]  From here, follow our guide, walking, climbing, twisting and turning our way through the blackness of the cave for abut an hour.

Giant shimmering flowstone rock formations compete for our attention with thick, calcium-carbonate stalactites dripping from the ceiling.  Phallic stalagmites grow up from the cave floor.  Eventually we followed our guide up into a massive opening, where there were hundreds of pottery vessels and shards, along with human remains.  One of the most shocking displays is the calcite-encrusted remains of the woman whom ATM is named for.  In the cave's Main Chamber, we were required to remove our shoes; we supposed to wear socks to protect the artifacts from the oils on our skin.

Group photo of our tour - nice to learn from each other, and thanks our guide Louis who took care each of us, told me how to climb with my short legs ; )  He was experienced and very knowledgeable of Maya history.  He was a Maya descendant as well.

Cameras are no longer allowed inside the cave due to an incident involving a clumsy traveler, a dropped camera and the breaking of priceless artifacts.

[photos download from Internet]