River-Cave
Canoeing: 2 Miles Underground Exploration
The Day Trip:
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the
Maya once used this cave for rural burial purposes. While
canoeing through the cave see large and colorful formations,
skeletal remains and other cultural artifacts left behind
by the Maya centuries ago. Expert Guide. Lunch. 8:30a
- 4:00p.
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Explore
the underground crystal clear, cool river; witnessing part of
the incredible Belize Cave System where ancent Maya ceremonial
centers, pottery, artifacts, altars, osidian 'blood-letting' blades,
jade and the actual footprints of the Shaman and priests dated
to 400 A.D. are still seen. There are Mayan symbols etched or
painted on the walls 1500 years ago. See skeletal remains of Mayan
ancestors. Hand-held spotlight provided.
Spectacular
crystal formations over 5,000,000 years old cast eerie shadows
into the black abyss as you explore and experience the most sacred
area of the ancient Maya. A living museum where the past can still
be experienced in its historical and natural location.
Massive
cathedral size chambers with walls of river sculptured rock dwarf
explorers as we pass on foot and inner tube. Imagine the experience
as we float through a cathedral and you turn off our lights, leaving
you with the sensation of floating in "timelessness".
After
lunch, see the Butterfly Farm, 1000 Foot Falls, or Rio On Pools.
Daily
departures year round but subject to high water levels during
the rainy season.
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Submitted
by client - M.F.
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Submitted
by client - M.F.
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About Caves in Belize:
Belize
has world class caves, including some of the world's largest
rooms and passages, perhaps the greatest concentration of archaeologically
significant caves, and a diverse avernicolous fauna that is still
largely unstudied. The country's rich speleological potential is
being explored with increasing frequency.
Tourism has
increased the notoriety of its caves and archaeological sites.
Several caves are routinely visited by our adventure tours, and
new caves are being sought. As caves are discovered, many are
quickly looted of ancient Mayan archaeological remains,
which are sold on the black market.
We encourage
special caution and responsible behavior in the potentially sensitive
caves.
We obtain permission to cave and conduct cave research from the
Department of Archaeology (DOA), and, in some cases, the Forestry
Department.
Our River/Cave
expeditions have been designed not only to create the utmost
in adventure but also to give each traveler a once in a lifetime
experience of the natural, historical and cultural wonders
within the world of the ancient Maya; the tropical jungle,
the caves and caverns, the rivers, the lost Maya ruins,
burial sites and ceremonial centers, the indigenous wildlife
and the mysticism that surrounds it all.
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About
Barton Creek Cave
Barton
Creek is a large river cave possibly over 4.5 miles long.
(See map for location.)
The cave consists of giant passages covered with numerous
large speleothems over a navigable river. These features
of the cave have made it a popular tourist destination.
Our research at Barton Creek Cave hopes to record prehistoric
Maya activity at the site and to incorporate this information
in the production of a report that can be shared with
other archaeologists and interested visitors.
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