When it rains... it pours...

You never know when a storm will arise and come ashore. 

You can watch the storm build out in the ocean and then continue to move inland.  

 Water running off the roof tiles sounds so cool.

  It is still warm even though it is raining, weather in the Caribbean is always amazing.

 The pool water rose in depth after this storm.

 Traveling during a storm can become quite tricky.

 Wow, look how much rain is coming down!

 It just keeps coming.

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~ and 30 minutes later ~

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A wonderfully beautiful day!

 

Mainland Excursions

On Tuesday we traveled to the mainland for some new adventures. We flew over on a small plane to Belize City where we met Herbie, our tour guide for the day. He then drove us to the Maya site of Xunauntunich where we learned all about these ancient people and what they have left behind. After lunch we then visited the Belize Zoo where we saw and learned all about the many animals and wildlife that live here in Belize. Our cave tubing experience was cancelled due to flash floods so we decided to go visit the Baboon Sanctuary (no real baboons, just howler monkeys) where we learned even more about the wildlife and got to feed the small howler monkeys a banana right out of our hands. This was such an amazing day filled with tons of learning and adventure.

Tropic Air to Belize City

Xunauntunich - The Stone Woman

 Kinkajou

 Ocelot

 Parrots

 Baby Howler Monkeys

Feeding them bananas out of our hands

Baboon Sanctuary - Howler Monkey Sanctuary

The Black Howler Monkey Sanctuary is located 35 miles northwest of Belize City and is a unique conservation effort bringing together 8 villages to protect the population and habitat of Belize's Black Howler Monkey, affectionately called "baboons" by the locals. The sanctuary consists of approximately 20 square miles along the Belize River and embodies a combination of dense jungle, pasture, farmland, and small village life.

"Leaf Cutter Ants"

 Leafcutter ants can carry more than 5000 times their body weight and cut and process fresh vegetation (leaves, flowers, and grasses) to serve as the nutritional substrate for their fungal cultivars.

 

In just a few years, the central mound of their underground nests can grow to more than 98 ft across, with smaller, radiating mounds extending out to a radius of 260 ft, taking up 320 to 6,460 sq ft and containing eight million individuals.

 

"Soldier Ant"

Soldiers defend the nest from intruders. 

The largest soldiers may have total body lengths up to 16 mm and head widths of 7 mm.

Mom & Dad working on their relationship.

Climbing down the trees to see what treats we have to share.

 They use their tail just like another appendage.

Alice gets to feed a banana to the older sibling.

Baby monkey holding my hand as I feed him a banana.

 

 "Wait, don't go.  I want more bananas."

"Thanks, I just wanted a little more."

 Just hangin' out

Traveling between trees on the tree ladder.

 

Xunantunich Maya Site

Xunantunich means "Stone Woman" in the Maya language (Mopan and Yucatec combination name), and, like many names given to Maya archaeological sites, is a modern name; the ancient name is currently unknown. The "Stone Woman" refers to the ghost of a woman claimed by several people to inhabit the site, beginning in 1892. The Stone Woman is dressed completely in white, and has fire-red glowing eyes. She generally appears in front of El Castillo,  ascends the stone stairs and disappears into a stone wall.

 I took many pictures while we were here but somehow I missed a picture of the main temple that we climbed up to the top (I grabbed one online).

 

 We had to cross the river in order to travel to the site.  All vehicles had to be loaded onto this ferry (empty of people) and then all visitors had to stand on the ferry around the vehicles.

 Once everyone was loaded this guy had to turn this huge crank all the way across.  

You would never have to go to the gym for arm day if this was your job!

 We were greeted by this amazing Howler Monkey up in the tree.

I wish that I had a recording of them howling.  

You would be amazed how loud they can be, you can hear them from miles away.

This is the Strangler Fig. 

The fig grows on the tree and strangles the host tree until it dies.

 

Everyone must walk past the merchant areas and up these stairs in order to reach the temple ruins.

 This temple was built in the center plaza area after the large temple was built.

 This structure was likely where merchants did much of their business.

 This is a ruin mound that is currently being excavated.

A termite nest up in the trees.

 Mayan Ball Court

Herbie (our guide), Dion and Alice (my friends)

"El Castillo"

This massive structure is a large multi-complex building that served as dwelling, shrine and administrative hub for the elite rulers of the center. 

 The eastern and western summit of El Castillo have large stucco friezes with carved elements that represent astronomical symbols, the sun god, moon and Venus.

(We are half-way to the top)

Excavation work behind the "El Castillo" temple.

We have made it half way to the top.

 

Look who has decided to make this his new home.

A view from the top, absolutely beautiful!

You can see all the way to the Guatemala border from this view!

 

 This is were they held religious ceremonies and sacrifices.

 

On our trip back across the river we saw this fun site.  There is an entire line of small bats hanging on the underside of this tree branch.  You can see all the little black dots on the bottom of the branch.  I have never seen this many all in one location.

Here is a map of the Xunantunich Mayan site.