Day 6

Today marked sixth day of our time in Belize. Our group had the amazing opportunity to zip line and tube in a cave that the Mayans once explored.
Our first activity was zip lining. We had three instructors whom all predominantly spoke Spanish, all of which were from nearby cities. They all agreed that they enjoyed their jobs, as well as the tourists that visit. Every day, I have been surprised at how friendly the locals are to us tourists. As we each approached the edge of the platform which seemed miles from the ground, the expressions of the girl were easy to read. Each one of us were excited, nervous, and exhilarated all at the same time. As soon as our feet left the ground and we were flying through the air, there is no doubt in my mind that we were all having the time of our lives. As we zip lined, we could see massive Palm trees surrounding us, and clear waters below. For many of us, it was a way to face our fears of heights. 
While zip lining was an amazing and thrilling experience, I personally don't think that it could ever compare to our cave tubing experience. When we arrived to our tubing expedition, we were instantly greeted by a man selling coconuts. This man used a machete to crack open a coconut and then handed it to us fresh with the coconut juice that still remained. When we were done, all we had to do was crack it open to keep enjoying this delicacy. I have traveled to island destinations before, but I have never had such a fresh treat that was prepared for out of a truck right in front of my eyes. Instances such as that one made me feel as if I am truly getting a taste of what the nature has to offer in Belize. At home, we may have coconuts, but there is not one place that will cut it open for you to enjoy on the spot. 
As we proceeded to the cave with our tubes, we hiked through more palm trees and finally reached water! In front of us stood massive caves. We continued to enjoy our view and continued to crack open our coconuts and eat the remaining meat. When it was time to enter the water and go through the cave, we were all instructed to make sure that our head lamp was on, because of the darkness that awaited. Entering was exciting, but I did not appreciate the magnitude of our experience until after our tour guide started to discuss the Mayans and their travels. He explained that the Mayans traveled the same dark caves in complete darkness with only a raft or canoe, with no knowledge if the cave would ever lead back to an island! It felt surreal to be in the same cave where the Mayans had risked their lives in order to explore the land. 
I learned that the cave and the darkness which we were engulfed in was called The Underworld. However, the term "underworld" is not to be mistaken for "hell." 
The Mayans believed in reincarnation, and that there was a certain process of steps that must be followed in order to finally reach heaven. The Mayans also believed that there were nine Devils in the underworld, and that a person must surpass all nine gods in order to finally reach heaven. Whenever the Mayans would sin, or needed guidance, they would pray to the trees of life. Therefore, the land that we hiked today in order to reach the "underworld" is considered to be sacred. 
While we were traveling back to Belize city from the zip lining tour, we commented on how our tour guide, Tom, honked so much. He explained that honking is a sign of friendliness, not of road rage as in America. Every time that Tom honked, it did seem friendly, and people responded in a friendly manner! There does not seem to be frustration in the streets of Belize. That is something that I would love to have corporated in America. Tom drove through the downtown area in Belize city and honked and waved to people. He also drove dangerously close to bicyclists and was cut off by several of them, but never flinched once. I could instantly tell that driving so close was just a way of life, and everyone here is comfortable with it. There seems to be less worries here, as well as less anger. Everyone in the downtown area seemed genuinely happy. If I were back at home, for example in Austin, people would have yelled and been very upset at the driving that occurred. This island life is a calm, and easy going life. Tom stated that there is no other place in the world that he would rather be. 
At one point, we passed though a graveyard, and I commented about how I enjoyed the uniqueness. In Belize, the people are buried with a big box on top of the ground, which resembles a bed. The reason that gravestones are built on top of the ground is due to the fact that it is considered disrespectful to walk on the ground of where people are buried. I found it especially interesting to learn that there are some gravestones that are double stacked. A double stacked gravestone indicates that there are two people buried in one grave. The two people could be a wife, a sister, a mother, or another loved one. It was even more interesting to learn that after eight years, some graves are dug up in order to collect the dusty remains of the deceased and have them placed in a beautifully decorated box. Our travel guide, Tom said that he had seen his grandfather dug up after eight years in order to place his grandmother in the tombstone, and that what remained was purely bones. I found all of this information to be romantic and beautiful. I think that being buried with a loved one is a lovely concept, so that the physical being of someone can stay physically bound to a loved one for all of eternity. 
I will always remember the experiences that I encountered today. Not only did we all have fun doing the excursions, but we all became more cultured.