Altun Ha and Other Things Mayan

We were on a bus bouncing along the road on the way to the ruins. The big cruise ship had entered port earlier in the day, and we were quick down the gangway to get on the bus. Our guide dressed in o. d. Bermuda shorts and khaki shirt proclaimed how the new prime minister of Belize had improved the country’s roads. I nudged Claudette. “Not quite as bad as the road from Barahama to the batays,” I said, referring to our time in the Dominican Republic. “We take so much for granted in our country, “ she said, reminding me of our country’s infrastructure.  

It was warm on the bus even though the air conditioning was on. According to our short and somewhat rotund  Belizean guide, the air conditioning was either on or off, with no adjustments.  I was willing to sweat a bit for dependable transportation. The bus negotiated the narrow streets as our guide continued to talk about her country. She exclaimed that Belize was the only English speaking country in Central America. I asked why did the British Commonwealth country drive their motor vehicles on the right  side of the road. “I’m glad you asked that,” she responded. “The Pan-American Highway once came through Belize, and for that reason we changed to driving on the right side of the road. It would have been quite confusing for drivers to be required to change lanes when entering our borders. However, we had a huge hurricane and the Pan-American highway was relocated, but we did not change back to driving on the left.”  She was indeed a fountain of knowledge and pointed our why there seemed to be so many unfinished houses in the country. “In our country,” she said, “people do not borrow money to build a house. They save their money and begin building their house.  They may only build a few rooms before they give out of money.  They man have to save many more years to have enough money to finish the house.”

She continued to talk as the bus slowed and pulled over to the side of the road to allow a large truck to pass. We were now in rural Belize.  Colorful shacks and derelict automobiles were common among the dense tropical foliage. Some of the members of our tour group spied an iguana. These vicious appearing vegetarians always capture an audience.  The “Oohs and “Aahs” of the group prompted an explanation from our guide, Lee. “Iguanas, like other meat eaten by Belizeans, tastes like chicken, but not  this iguana!”

“And why not?” I wanted to know.

“‘Cause they’re scavengers. They’ll eat anything. Stuff like garbage!”

I turned to Claudette. “They’re like the catfish of the lizard family,” I said.

“You won’t find me cooking one anytime soon!” she said. Her response was no surprise to me.

We soon reached the archaeological site. The tour bus number 569 was parked in line with three others. Opposite the buses were a few low buildings which appeared to had been hastily constructed. Garish signs advertised beer, food, and of course, tee shirts.

We gathered around our guide and entered the site.

I was unprepared for what I saw.  One of the reasons we were here was because I had always wanted to see some pyramids. Claudette had expressed her opinion that Egypt was unsafe, and that she would not go there. It did not tax my limited amount of native wisdom to realize that I might be able to walk like an Egyption, but would never walk with one. However, I did persuade her to visit the four-sided conical structures of the western hemisphere. We were at Altun Ha.

Altun Ha is about an hour’s drive from Belize City and about seven miles from the Caribbean Sea. During Mayan occupation it was a trading center. The location was actually discovered in 1963 by a bush pilot. I think that perhaps he thought the green hills looked too perfect to be natural. One day local men were seeking to quarry some stone when they found the first pyramid.  The most prolific

archaeologist  was a Canadian, Dr. David Pemdergast. Later, while supervising the digging, one of the diggers fell through the roof of a 1300 year old tomb. Imagine his surprise when he found himself beside a reclining centuries old skeleton. Under the boney arm of an elderly man was an object most interesting: a green sphere scarcely six inches in diameter.  With crossed eyes and a mouth with fangs, it represented the head of the sun god, Kinich Ahu. (There are experts that disagree with this assessment  of the skull.) The head and other relics were stored in a safe place. A legend arose about the jade head suggesting that it had disappeared and moved as if spirited away to different locations.  In reality it is stored in a number of secure locations on an ever changing schedule. It is a national treasure. There is nothing else like it in Mesoamerica. The dig continues today.

“Smell this!” a uniformed guide told me as he pressed a small fragment of a leaf into my palm. I obeyed his command and immediately traveled back in time to my grandmother’s kitchen. She was baking a fruitcake and the room was filled with the odor of allspice. In my hand was a piece of a leaf of the allspice tree, or rather shrub. The guide brought me back to reality by explaining how the Mayans used the plant to hide the odor of the decomposing bodies of the dead. Also, it was as an anesthetic when chewed, which was no doubt useful during Mayan dental work. (There is archaeological evidence they performed dental procedures!) With a somewhat leery smile he suggested it also had the same effect as a certain blue pill taken by older men.

The site is comprised of over ten excavated structures with more obviously still covered by vegetation. I estimated the entire area excavated to be about ten acres or less, but the total area would have been about 25 square miles and had 10,000 inhabitants in its heyday.  The largest pyramid is the Temple of Masonry Altars, which is located on a central square. This particular structure is where the jade head was found. Unlike other pyramids in Mesoamerica, you are allowed to climb to the top of these pyramids.  Some of these structures reach heights of over sixty feet.

As we left the site we walked close to the base of one of the pyramids and the guide was telling us about how the structures were made of local limestone. With his left hand the muscular young man of obvious Mayan ancestry grabbed some crumbled pebbles of limestone. He held it in his hand telling us how soft yet durable it was. I asked him to crumble it in his hand and then blow on it before smelling it. He looked at me like I was crazy but complied with my wishes.  Once he sniffed the limestone dust a smile spread over his face.  The carbon dioxide in your breath reacts to the calcium carbonate in the limestone to create a unique odor. We exited Ahun Ha after hearing three different guides extol the features of the ancient city.

Near the entrance to the ruins were several open air cafes. We needed to relax a bit and get a bite to eat. Since we follow a vegan dietary plan, food is not always easy to find. The folks at the cafe were very accommodating in providing vegan burritos with fried plantains.  The local beer Belikin, with a picture of the Temple of the Masonry Altars on its label, was the perfect accompaniment.

I will probably never see the pyramids of Egypt, but I thoroughly enjoyed those of Belize.