8
Aug

Escort Service – Caracol Archaeological Site, Belize

Posted on August 8th, 2011 :: Posted in Archaeology Site, Belize, Boutique Hotel, Cave, Environment, Jungle, Mayan, Mountains, National Park, video

To get to Caracol, the largest Mayan archaeological site in Belize, you have to drive through the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve over a mostly decent dirt road. Then you keep driving–out of the reserve and into Chiquibul National Park (tours depart from and return to San Ignacio or the lodges in the Mountain Pine Ridge area).

But not before picking up a military escort. Because the Caracol archaeological site is so close to the border with Guatemala the area has seen some illegal border crossings with Guatemalans sneaking into Belize to find work or to harvest things from the still-pristine jungle in the parkland on the Belize side of the border–including a palm frond called xate that’s used by international floral companies.

There are many regulations--including a military escort--which need to be followed in order to visit the Caracol archaeological site in Belize.

Guatemalans and Belizean officials have had violent clashes in this border area, so now all tourists who want to visit Caracol are required to arrive at a nearby military check point by 9 am and then convoy up into a line of vehicles lead by a military escort to the site itself. It’s dramatic and sort of a pain in the neck, but once at the Caracol site you are free to explore on your own. After touring the site, a few of us left in our own un-escorted convoy for the return trip.

Caana (which means sky place) is the main temple at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize and at 141 feet high it's still the tallest structure in the country.

Caracol has been dated to the Maya Classic period and at it’s peak it was one of the largest Mayan cities with more than 140,000 inhabitants. The site is currently being excavated and studied by Dr. Arlen Chase and Dr. Diane Chase.

Caracol is not a huge site, but what’s excavated is spectacular. The main temple, Caana (which means sky place) is 141 feet high making it the tallest building in Belize even today.

Caana (which means sky place) is the main temple at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize and at 141 feet high it's still the tallest structure in the country.

If you’re interested in doing more than just gawking at the Caana temple, keep tabs on the progress of a new tour being put together by Ka’ana Resort & Spa in San Ignacio. When the details are all worked out, they hope to helicopter the well-heeled from their resort to Caracol where guests will get a guided tour of Caracol, then enjoy a gourmet dinner at the site followed by an overnight on top of the Caana temple in a real bed. After a gourmet breakfast, a helicopter takes guests back to the resort. It won’t be cheap, but it will be spectacular.

Frieze work on an upper temple of the Caana temple at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize.

The view from the top of the Caana temple.

Check out the panoramic view of the jungle around the Caracol archaeological site in this video we shot from the top of the Caana temple.

The Temple of the Wooden Lintel at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize.

A mask at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize.

Plaza A at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize.

Caracol, the largest Mayan archaeological site in Belize.

Caracol, the largest Mayan archaeological site in Belize.

A restored residential area at the Caracol archaeological site in Belize.

An impressive pair of ceiba trees at the Caracol archaeological site--the Maya considered the ceiba to be a sacred link to the underworld.

On our way out of Caracol we made a short detour to check out the Rio Frio Cave. More of a tunnel or a tube, this petite and peaceful formation requires little more than a stroll from the parking area through the cave (along a path that does not require wading through the stream that runs through the cave) and back again. There were a few rudimentary camping areas near the mouth of the cave too.

The very accessible Rio on Frio Cave, near the military checkpoint on the dirt road to/from the Caracol archaeological site, is really more of a tunnel.

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16
Jun

Pits and Parrots – Parque Nacional Cañón del Sumidero & Sima de las Cotorras, Chiapas, Mexico

Posted on June 16th, 2011 :: Posted in birds, Canyon, Mexico, National Park, Outdoor, value for money, video

In many ways it was very hard to leave San Cristóbal de las Casas. But in one way it was very easy: it’s all downhill from there. Between San Cristóbal de las Casas and Tuxtla Gutiérrez the well-maintained road drops 6,000 feet via the non-pay highway out of town. We didn’t touch the gas for 20 miles. Heaven.

Chiapa de Corzo & Tuxtla Gutiérrez

Our first stop, once we reached the bottom of that massive hill, was the colonial town of Chiapa de Corzo which was charming but way too expensive for us (a festival was on so hotel prices were all jacked up). We quickly moved on to Tuxtla (no one uses the second half of this city’s name) where we found the biggest hotel values on the Journey so far.

Fuente Colonial, a brick fountain built in 1562 in Chiapa de Corzo.

Hotel San Antonio in Tuxtla has four rooms around a small back courtyard that go for 200 pesos (about US$17). Each is spotlessly clean (they have a gadget that dusts the ceiling fan blades and they use it!) with cable TV and a double bed and a private bathroom.

The courtyard is lovely and the WiFi works. For some reason the rooms upstairs are more expensive (perhaps because they’re larger) but they’re stuffy and dirty and the WiFi signal is weaker up there, so don’t get fooled. If you can get into one of the 200 peso courtyard rooms downstairs you’ve scored.

During an evening stroll around Tuxtla (not much going on) we discovered that the city’s cathedral was brutally “renovated” in the late ’80s and now holds no charm except for the hourly parade of saints out of its clock tower. We ended up at Jardin de la Marimba (Marimba Garden) where a dance festival was taking place featuring fairly aged dancers. Each surprisingly spry troop performed traditional regional dances in traditional regional costumes. Of course the troop representing Chiapas got the loudest applause.

See for yourself in our video, below.

Another Tuxtla bargain? The Zoologico Miguel Alvarez del Toro Zoo on Mondays when the zoo is free to nationals and visitors. The zoo is laid out on a sprawling, wooded, shady chunk of land just outside the city and it features a gorgeous black panther and some jaguars, a resplendent quetzal bird and a couple of sadly stuffed harpy eagles, among other things. The enclosures are decent and its a very popular place for families.

Parque Nacional Cañón del Sumidero

Part of the dramatic canyon that makes up Parque Nacional Cañón del Sumidero in Chiapas, as seen from one of the view points on the rim.

Between Tuxtla and Chiapa de Corzo is the entrance to the Parque Nacional Cañón del Sumidero. We opted out of the pricey and loud motor boat rides up the river at the bottom of this deep, steep canyon and chose to see its massiveness from above from a series of five miradors (view points) off a central road along the canyon’s rim.

Part of the dramatic canyon that makes up Parque Nacional Cañón del Sumidero in Chiapas, as seen from one of the view points on the rim.

The 10 mile road that connects the miradors was as close to a US-style National Park road as we’ve seen since leaving the US: narrow, winding and full of slow moving buses, passenger cars and tourist vans full of gawking travelers. The turnouts to the miradors had ample parking and paths to the canyon rim. All of the miradors except #5 had picnic tables too.

Sima de las Cotorras

The Sima de las Cortorras is 525 feet wide and 460 feet deep and full of parrots.

From there we headed to Sima de las Cotorras (Abyss of the Parrots), a massive almost perfectly round sinkhole that’s 525 feet (160 meters) wide and 460 feet (140 meters) deep. That’s amazing enough, but there’s a forest at the bottom of this sinkhole that’s home to hundreds of green parrots which fly out en masse each morning and trickle back in every afternoon.

A tame parrot amongst hundreds of wild ones at Sima de las Cortorras in Chiapas, Mexico.

Tourist facilities around this amazing bird-filled hole in the ground were created with the help of Sendasur, the same orgnization that helped created Las Guacamayas (where the main attraction are scarlet macaws) and they’re both impressive places.

At the sima we checked into a room in the small two story stone guesthouse on the property. For 300 pesos (about US$25) we got a charming room with a great bathroom and a private furnished balcony. There are good raised-platform camping sites here too (100 pesos) that come with flush toilets and sinks (but no showers). The on-site restaurant also served great food, including some of the best hand made tortillas we’ve had in Mexico.

The pet parrot kept by the folks who run the restaurant loved the tortillas too, as Eric found out. Watch them sharing breakfast in our video, below.

Sima-de-los-Cortorras_many-parrots-flying

Those bright green specks against the gray karst rock are parrots emerging from the Sima de las Cortorras at dawn..

Wild parrots emerging from the Sima de las Cortorras in Chiapas, Mexico.

A trail has been built below the rim inside the crater which takes you around the hole. A badass local guide named Nancy will lead you around or even harness you in for a rappel a bit deeper into the ground where you can see more than 40 pre-Hispanic paintings and hand prints which were somehow put on the walls more than 200 feet below the rim between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago.

Wild parrots emerging from the Sima de las Cortorras in Chiapas, Mexico.

But the real attraction is watching the mass exodus of parrots at sunrise. Around 6 am we heard a tentative “buenos dias” outside our room and that was our cue that the birds were on the move. Sound is amplified inside the sinkhole, so the birds wings and cries sounded extra loud. They flew incredibly quickly (making photograhy and video tricky in the early morning light) as the first handful of birds grew into a crescendo of green wings.

Wild parrots taking a brief break after emerging from the Sima de las Cortorras in Chiapas, Mexico.

Like the thousands of swifts which saw emerge from the Sótano de las Golondrinas in Aquisimon, Mexico, this mega flight was amazing but brief.

Not so amazing? The nearby Aguacera Waterfall. Feel free to skip it and its 25 peso per person entrance fee.

Eric and his new friend.

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18
May

Never Stop Digging – Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

Posted on May 18th, 2011 :: Posted in Archaeology Site, Boutique Hotel, Mayan, Mexico, National Park, Ruins, UNESCO Site, video

The experts tell us that Palenque, which was inhabited from 100-800 AD with a peak around the 7th century, is smaller than, say, Tikal but it sure feels big. The structures are hulking and the area that’s open to the public (a fraction of the six square miles or 15 square km the city is believed to have covered) is full of nicely groomed trails which take you through the city’s “suburbs” so you can see where some of the people lived beyond the temples and main plazas and royal areas.

Overview of the main plaza at Palenque archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

The El Palacio structure at Palanque archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

When Palenque was flourishing it was a major political and creative powerhouse. We know this because the site has been extensively studied for years. Elaborate frescoes and glyphs have been discovered here, demonstrating superb artistic technique and many works also tell the story of the city’s dominating and visionary rulers and their considerable accomplishments.

The discovery of the tomb of Pakal, perhaps Palenque’s most venerated leader, in 1952 by Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier was a major find at the site. Ruz Lhuillier himself is buried at Palenque–under the trees in front of Templo XIII.

Pakal, one of the most revered leaders of Palenque, was buried in an elaborate tomb under the Temple of the Inscriptions.

Palenque_Temple-of-the-Inscriptions+Reina-Roja

The Temple of the Inscriptions with Temple XIII to its right. This is where the tomb of the so-called Reina Roja was unearthed in 1994.

And yet, they keep finding new goodies. In 1994 archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzales discovered the tomb of a woman underneath the already-explored Temple XIII. The last resting place of the Reina Roja (Red Queen)–so called because she is believed to have been a dignitary and because her body was dyed red from the cinnabar used during her burial–is now a major attraction. The sarcophagus is still at the site and it is, indeed, very red.

Palenque archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

Patio of the Captives in the El Palacio structure at Palenque.

Relief of a captive at the Patio of the Captives at Palenque.

Masks still stare out from the El Palacio structure at Palenque.

In 2010 archaeologists also discovered the only known pressurized aqueduct system in the Mayan world at Palenque.

Part of the charm of Palenque is its park-like setting, including a beautiful stream and waterfalls like this one called Baño de la Reina.

So, there’s lots to see and plenty of fascinating structures and design elements and nooks and crannies to explore (though you can’t climb much anymore) AND Palenque retains a sense that is still has plenty of secrets up its sleeve. It’s intoxicating and we spent more than three hours here, not counting time spent in the adjacent (free) museum.

Here you can see a replica of Pakal’s tomb (the original is not open to the public) with its intricately carved sarcophagus. The museum also has a large collection of pottery incense burners and plenty of English on their signage.

A panel of Mayan glyphs in the free museum at the Palenque archaeological site.

This Tablet of the Warriors from the 7th Century AD is on display in the free museum at the Palenque archaeological site.

As we left the Palenque museum we passed this Lacandon man wearing a robe made out of pliable tree bark which, he told us, had been softened in a waterfall.

Be aware: Palenque is a rock star and it draws rock star crowds. We parked at 8:45 and the lot was already swarming with tour buses and it just got worse as the day wore on. The ticket booth employees were dealing off a stack of tickets that was at least a foot and a half tall. Also, there are a LOT of vendors selling cheap tourist crap set up right in the main plaza, which breaks the spell a bit.

We also wonder why Palenque is a National Park with it’s own separate fee of 25 pesos per person (about US$2.50)? There is no apparent ecology protection or national park-like infrastructure in the area–just a gate with a guy who has an excuse to charge an entrance fee.

This carving, which we like to call "Old Smokin' Dude," is unusual in its depiction of old age and of smoking.

The modern town of Palenque, about a 10 minute drive from the site, is really nothing to write home about (hot, dusty, noisy) but there is one notable relatively new addition to the tourism landscape: Palenque now has a bonafide boutique hotel half way between town and the site. It’s called Boutique Hotel Quinta Chanabnal and it’s run by Italian Mayanist Raphael Tunesi and his Mexican wife (whom he met at Palenque).

The hotel, which Raphael built using modern interpretations of Mayan construction methods and designs, has seven huge rooms and a lovely pool. The dining room, where you can enjoy traditional Mayan dishes (like snail and chaya soup) if you ask in advance, is decorated with modern versions of Mayan carvings depicting milestones in Raphael’s life (the birth of his daughter, the building of the hotel, etc). For more, read our full report about Quinta Chanabnal for iTraveliShop.

Raphael is putting his expertise in Mayan glyphs to work with lots of new seminars and tours of Palenque and other Mayan sites scheduled for 2012–the year in which the Mayan calendar “ends.”

Raphael Tunesi, Mayanist and hotel owner, on the grounds of his Boutique Hotel Quinta Chanabnal near the entrance to the Palenque archaeological site.

Our video, below, delivers a view of the main plaza at Palenque, including the Temple of the Inscriptions, as shot from the El Palacio structure.