Belize: A Play Day

Beverly Miles volunteered to drive us to the Maya ruins of Lamanai, but we learned they were more easily accessible by boat. The organized tours left early, but they called for a motorboat, which at last arrived. A large sign at the dock read, Beware of Crocodiles; our guide helped each of us into the boat. Off we went on a fast, exhilarating ride. “What language do you speak most of the time?” I asked him. “English when I’m getting paid, Spanish with my family, and Creole with my friends,” he said.

The river was snake-like; we saw blue herons, ospreys, hawk-eagles, orioles, and many avian species. We saw Mennonites fishing and a Mennonite village. Although local traditional diet tends to focus on rice and beans, most produce, beef, and dairy in Belize are produced by Mennonite communities.

We arrived at the archaeological site late but saw two incredible temples, erected in 625 A.D. and made of intricately carved stone. My favorite had a large rock jaguar on its front. Lamanai is still being excavated; many more structures lie underground. The sun set as we were speeding home, all of us awed by the experience. Everyone agreed it was a must do experience for future T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) excursions.