Ancient Maya to Modern Maya in a Day

 Friday, August 3, 2024

Today, with our medical bags packed, we take a “cultural day” to see the archeological richness of several thousand years of Maya occupation of this area of Cayo District, Belize. San Ignacio sits along the Mopan River. We have crossed it or driven alongside it every day going to our clinics. Today, we’ll cross it on a hand-powered car ferry as we visit the Maya archeological site, Xunantunich (shoe-NAN-too-nitch). This site has been teasing us for several days. It’s located only ten minutes west of our hotel, five miles from the Guatemala border, but was something we passed by for several days with the promise of visiting it on our last day in country.

The car ferry across the Mopan River

“El Castillo” is the largest structure, at 130 ft high.

About to begin our climb to the summit of “El Castillo”

A grand view of the plaza, from the top.

Xunantunich (a modern name meaning “Stone Woman”) was applied to the site in the 19th century, based on local folklore, since the actual name disappeared when the site was abandoned due to an unknown event (earthquake?) before the Spaniards arrived. The area seems to have had 200,000 inhabitants in and around the city at its peak in A.D. 750, with occupation lasting longer than a lot of other Maya cities. The population consisted mostly of farmers dispersed around the city, which kept it economically stable. Our guide, Nery, showed us through a small museum and walked us around the one-square-mile site, pointing out where a tomb had been discovered, previously untouched (un-raided!), where royalty lived and where markets were located.

We climbed “El Castillo” for a view of the valley and a peek across the border at Guatemala. The site looks impressive, and our guide shows us many other mounds that have yet to be excavated. The most recent “dig” was shut down two weeks ago due to the rainy season’s interruption of the work.

We return across the river on the ferry to the highway for some shopping at local Maya artisan shops. 

Oxmul is our destination after lunch. Roughly 30 minutes southeast of San Ignacio is a 23-acre cooperative farm managed by ten Maya families who have 1300 Robusto coffee trees. We are given a tour by Jason who explains the organic, sustainable growing methods used. He even encouraged us to try our hand at husking the coffee in a large mortar & pestle, and grinding the roasted coffee on stone “mano y metate” grinders. One of the grinders was found on the site of this farm and dates from earlier Ancient Maya occupation. The Ancient Maya did not grow coffee, but ground dried corn to make “atol,” a hot corn soup. This tool also was used to grind corn for tortillas, in the days before mechanized grinders.

After enjoying a cup of his coffee and the offer of watermelon wedges, we buy either medium or dark-roasted coffee to take back to family and friends.

Tonight we say our goodbyes to the staff at the Log Cab-Inn hotel (the cooks, waitstaff, housekeeping, and front desk. All have been friendly and helpful, and we’ve been amply fed with really delicious Belizean specialties.

Hailey reads us a devotion on saying goodbye. Thank you, Hailey. These verses are very appropriate for tonight. Saying goodbye is difficult and sad, but represents turning the page to another opportunity in life. Our hosts, Eliu & Soni, plus their two children, Jessica & Jonathan, send us off with heartfelt thanks, farewells and blessings. They have been with us all week, managing details and translating when needed. We all feel certain we’ll see them again this side of Heaven — maybe here, or perhaps in the U.S.

Tonight we finish packing and will have an early start to the airport tomorrow. Thank you to the lovely Belizean people who have welcomed us so warmly! God be with you!

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”  - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4