Adam's Belize Journal- Fall 2005

Friday, December 2, 2005 - Cave Tubing

We went "cave tubing" today and it was another wonderful experience. You float down a river on an inner tube- the unique part is that the river runs through a cave system that was once used for sacred ceremonies by the Mayan people.

Adam, equipped with inner tube and head lamp

I first began to connect with the local land spirit as we walked through the rain forest on our way up to the river and caves. He was a strong and vibrant spirit, very male and very forceful. His facial features were similar to the Mayan people and painted with bright yellow and red. There were many feathers of red, yellow, and blue around him. He accepted us into his forest and kept watch over us. I felt that he was just as much curious of our presence as he was watching over us.

When we reached the water, I laid my hand on its surface to greet it and ask permission for us to enter. I had the sense of being accepted but did not see the actual spirit at this time.

We floated in on our tubes for a bit. Since it was just myself, Al, and our guide we were treated to an extra bonus. Our guide, Benard, had us paddle off to the side of the river in two spots so that we could get off of the river and explore the caves. You wouldn't know it while floating in the darkness of the cave- but there were many areas of the cave that went a good distance off into the distance. The first place we stopped off at had a few tight squeezes and we got to visit with several bats as well. We were shown several places in the caves where there were ancient pottery shards- left from Mayan offerings. One location even had a piece of pottery set on a rock formation that was still collecting water from the stalactites above. Such water would have been used as sacred water in the Mayan ceremonies. There were also several places where the Mayans emphasized the natural structures of the stone into representation of the spirits by carving the stone. The pictures of these didn't come out though- one was a monkeys head and the other was a pillar of faces. Benard also told us several stories throughout the day. He told us about the Mayan creation story, where monkeys were the first attempt of the gods to create man (pretty close to our own concept of evolution). Later, man was eventually created from corn. Benard also told us about the Mayan concept of the spirit worlds- of there being a world in the heavens that had 13 levels to it, and an underworld that had 9 levels. There was also the physical world that had 2 levels of spiritual existence- the night and the day. This same concept is shared by so many indigenous cultures that practice shamanism- the belief in an upper, a middle, and a lower spirit world. Benard also explained how the spirits of the lower world were both nurturing and harsh, and how man was here to serve the gods, feed them, and care for the Earth. Deeper in the cave I received a glimpse of the cave spirit. To my surprise she was a familiar face to me. She was the "Cave Mother" that I have gotten to know over the years. For some reason the Cave Mother seems present in all caves- not just the ones I have worked with in the states. The presence and the stark beauty of the Cave Mother was echoed in the second area we stopped in. This area was large and vast- like an underground cathedral. The Maya believed that the caves were the entrances into Xibalba (the underworld where many gods resided). You could really feel such a presence as you stood in the vast blackness and beauty of this cave. One last thing that occurred to me on the tube ride back was how vibrant and alive the land is in Belize- it isn't as wounded or fragmented as the land of the states, it isn't "asleep". The majority of the people of this country respect the land and the sacredness of their ancestors. This is the first place that I've ever been to where pottery and artifacts can be left in their original locations without being taken or destroyed by people.	One more beautiful sight in the rain forest- many vines hanging down from the cliff above the trail
	This is the place where we first get on our inner tubes and float down the river. You can see the cave entrance that we float into.
	This was a hole in the ceiling where a little bat took residence. You can see him hanging in the lower right side of the hole.
	Our first squeeze on the way into the caves
	Pottery Fragments left in a rock crevice
	A flat pottery shard sitting on the center stalagmite collecting water.
	Al and Adam crawling on their stomachs to get back out of the first cave area.
	A large, open, area of the cave. Still not sure what that bright greenish shape is that seems to be coming from behind the stalagmites.
	A long way down- this was where we stood on the edge of a steep drop- there was another river below and many bats that danced around the air here.
	Another group of pottery left from Mayan ceremonies. Pottery was never left intact after a ceremony- it was either smashed or small holes would be drilled in it- making it unusable again.
	Back in the land of the open sky- floating down the river after our adventure in the caves. What a wonderful experience. It did feel very odd coming back out into the light though.