jasonjue.com | home | itinerary | photo albums | movies next >>  Mud, sweat, and caving for Maya artifacts Skip to:  Day 1 - 04.22  Day 2 - 04.23    Dangriga    Dangriga to Isla Marisol    Kayaks to snorkeling    Evening at the bar  Day 3 - 04.24    Dive 1 at Glover's Reef    Dive 2 at Glover's Reef    Around Isla Marisol    Dive 3 at Glover's Reef    Evening on Isla Marisol  Day 4 - 04.25    Dive 4 at Glover's Reef    Dive 5 at Glover's Reef    Evening at Isla Marisol    Night dive  Day 5 - 04.26    Dive at Gladden's Split  Day 6 - 04.27    Leaving Isla Marisol    Caves Branch  Day 7 - 04.28    Hiking in jungle    300 ft repel    Hike to Actun Loch Tunich    Getting water in the cave  Day 8 - 04.29    Hiking around cave    Getting out of the jungle  Day 9 - 04.30    Gladden's Spit - Dive 1    Gladden's Spit - Dive 2  Day 10 - 05.01    The drive to San Ignacio    Caracol ruins    Leaving Caracol  Day 11 - 05.02    Roaming San Ignacio    Arriving in Los Angeles Day 8 I didn't sleep very well on my cot in the cave; they were small and uncomfortable. In the morning we had breakfast and cleaned up camp. After gearing up and checking our headlamps, we hiked down the steep rocks deeper into the cave. Hiking around the cave, we saw several sites of fossilized human remains. At one point in the hike, we had to climb up a slippery mud covered hill. The challenge was finding the correct foothold to prevent one from sliding all the way down the hill. It felt like a video game if you fell cause you would have to start over again. Deep inside the cave we saw a huge crystalized structure that took thousands of years to form; it was there before the Maya. It was beautiful. By the time we got back to our campsite in the cave, our clothes were soaked with mud and sweat. Hiking back from the cave was much easier than getting there because it was more downhill. Once we got to a clearing, a truck picked us up and hauled us back to Caves Branch. We got back to Caves Branch showered, and had a few cocktails. Washing up was also a big priority. During dinner that night, we talked about trying to see whale sharks again. After much thought, we eventually all decided to do it. This meant driving early in the morning south several hours to Placencia. See the colors... Copyright © 2005, Jason Jue