Blue Creek Cave, Punta Gorda, Belize

13 February 2019 

 

Today we caved in to caving !

Our aim was be still at this beautiful jungle lodge we found (SunCreekLodge) to just be, and catch up on work, but with other guests and hosts talking  about the wonders on our doorstep to explore how could we not say yes to at least one outing

Blue Creek Cave 

I've been inside caves in Ibiza and snorkeling off boats and hiking, but its usually just an an indent in the rocks with shallow pools to play around in 

This was different.   An hour to hike to the opening which was in the jungle at the bottom of a sheer mountain face , and then at least an hour walking and swimming deep into the cave to its natural end which was an internal waterfall fed from above by the mountain into a pool that cascaded through the cave down to the opening we had come thru and onwards into the river we had traversed , the Blue Creek River 

                      

what clean beautiful cool water,

so energized and crisp 

bats and crystals and stalagtites and awesome rock formations 

the best bit was halfway thru turning off our headlamps

sitting in the pitch dark , just feeling and listening

Some spots were hard to navigate and Joshua had to help me 

Just as Casey had to help his mother Shannon 

Conincidentally, another mother and son team were with us, staying at the lodge from before we arrived a few days ago

First ones we've met so far with the same family configuration to us  

They are from Colarado and had just decided to take a month off school 

no school books or work ,for a pure month of travel around Belize 

I know our trip is longer , but the school work has held us back from really jumping full into adventure and participation in projects , creating a sort of halfway house where neither process is hitting its mark ... but this too is part of the learning curve , i'm in observation of it rather than calling it good or bad ... its an experiment !

                                               

I am so grateful for what we had today 

Experiencing more 'firsts' , both of us 

Crossing rapids and wading through a dark tunnel , meant overcoming childhood fears for me ! (I fell down a waterfall at 16yrs on an adventure day in the woods with friends, and got badly cut up and bruised)

Our guide was lovely and calm and knowledable, and patient.  mister Rosalino 

on the way back to his Mayan village house where we had set off from , we stopped to swim in a calm part of the river, the boys swinging and jumping off a rope swing 

The whole scene so idyllic and old fashioned . like a scene from Stand by Me

Then on our walk back, we got surrounded by primary school kids , taking photos with us and having fun with Shannon's binoculars 

a perfect Belizan day 

no other tourists in sight despite this being a popular touristic attraction

except for recent words and markings on the cave wall outer silt layer , things like @adrian was here, and 'turn back now!' 

we could imagine we really were intrepid explorers off the beaten track 

it was only social media 

and other guests that informed us otherwise 

the trick maybe, is to disengage from tourist reviews and from all FOMO ('fear of missing out') surrounding hearing others' stories and just engage in the day 

I'm glad we chose Blue Creek as this week's adventure 

It delivered all the elements:

communing with nature 

strong energies from the earth, esp at the river source 

adrenaline 

fun 

wonder 

physical challenges 

newness 

animals (we saw a river eel , a snake, bats, birds , and fish )

and danger!!  (ie slippery rocks over rapids in a dark cave...)