1/16/13 Day 13 ATM

So today was FANTASTIC. We went to the ATM caves which took about an hour-hour and a half to get there. The roads were super bumpy once we got off of the main road. We had to wear helmets and head lamps. We started off by walking through some woods and had to cross this river three different times (I was wearing my bathing suit and ProWorld shirt). Once we walked through the woods, which took about half hour-45 minutes, we got to a picnic area where we ate lunch. From there, we went into the cave itself. The entrance was just a pool of water we had to swim through. There was so much water in the entirety of the caves it was crazy. Swimming with sneakers on feels really weird and I don’t recommend it. The entire cave was just a maze of water and rocks. We spent about 3 hours total in the cave, but it didn’t feel like it at all. We eventually got to the actual ruins and got to see clay pots that were left, bowls that were used for sacrifice and blood draining, and actual skeletons. We were able to see a total of 5 different skeletons. It was really cool. I really wish we were allowed cameras because it’s really hard to explain the things I saw and did inside the cave, but unfortunately we weren’t allowed cameras because at one point someone dropped a camera onto a skull and broke the skull. Once we got out of the caves, we changed and got into our van. It took us longer to get home because we kept taking breaks to look at birds (Dr. Hickey was in the van and our tour guide was also into birding). We saw some really pretty birds and eventually made it back home.

Once I showered, I packed up all the things I didn’t need for the morning and Adma brought us and our suitcases down to ProWorld to make it easier for tomorrow morning. From there we went to our farewell dinner. The food was pretty good and Dr. Hickey, Grant, Catherine, and Eliu gave farewell/congratulation speeches. It made it really hit home that we’re leaving pretty soon, that tomorrow is our last day in Belize. It’s actually pretty sad because I’ve grown attached to my host family. Adma and her kids have been fantastic and I’m going to miss them. It’s crazy to think that this is the last night I’m going to be sleeping here, although I am looking forward to my own bed, hot water, and not having to worry about bugs.

Anyway, I should probably head to bed since I have to be up at 4:20 tomorrow to get up, get ready, and make sure I have everything. Caye Caulker should be amazing and a fantastic way to end the trip.