El Castillo, Xunantunich Maya site, Belize, August 27, 2003.
After a breakfast at the New Age veggie place, we took a bus toward Benque the border town on the west. We got off by the ferry. This is where the Xunantunich Maya site starts.
The ferry is a hand-winch platform that can take cars and trucks between the two banks of this not-so-wide river. People at the ferry are actually park wardens of Xunantunich. They warned us of a long uphill climb to the site.
Hand-winch ferry by Xunantunich.
Hand-winch ferry.
The climb was indeed a long uphill on paved road. I was so hot and tired from the heat. Several vehicles passed us but none stopped to give us a ride, even when they could see that my friend had bandage on his knees and was walking with a cane. One van stopped and picked up three blonde girls who were going downhill. A group of four soldiers with guns walked downhill. I did not dare to greet them.
a long uphill under the sun.
Xunantunich located on top of a hill, surrounded by a canopy of trees. From the long uphill road I could see the “Castle”—El Castillo—rising above all trees. At the site entrance we were told that the only guides could be hired were by the ferry, so we had to study the visitor center exhibit well before going to the ruins.
El Castillo seen from the road.
Xunantunich Archaeological Reserve.
This site is not very large. Only a few structures have been or are being evacuated and restored. Dominating the site is the Castle, 42 meter in height, but because it sits on top of the hill, it appears to be much higher than Caracol’s Sky Palace. The plazas are spacious. Workers were restoring the Castle. They were passing big bucket of construction material up and down in streamline, under the unbearably hot sun. A large group of perhaps 40 American tourists were getting down the Castle when we arrived.
El Castillo.
Restoration at El Castillo, Xunantunich Maya site. Belize 2003.
A plaster frieze on the side of the 13 story building called "el Castillo" at Xunantunich. The frieze is more than 9 feet high and 30 feet long which dates between 800 and 900 AD. The frieze features a 3-D image of a Maya ruler, ancester gods, dancing figures and earth monsters.
The climb to the top of El Castillo was quite “terrifying” and hot. The view from the top was simply breathtaking. I could see miles and miles away, all green. I felt I was standing on top of the world.
View from el Castillo, Xunantunich.
View of the Xunantunich buildings and plazas from top of el Castillo. The far end is Guatemala.
Sitting on the edge on top of the Castle of Xunantunich.
Top of the Castle, Xuanatunich.
From the top of the Castle, front side.
From the top of the Castle, back side.
A few stelae and carvings are on display in museum—actually just a shack. We were the only visitors left. On our way back to the ferry, I saw the same four soldiers coming back from town.
Back side of the Castle at Xunantunich Maya site.
The ball game "stadium" at Xunanatunich maya site.
Hand-winch ferry.
We took a taxi to the border to try my Guatemala luck. The taxi passed through Benque and stopped in front of the border. This is a serious place. Strictly business. No fooling. The border building is modern-looking and clean. I talked to the Belizean personnel and they were very understanding. They allowed me to cross over to ask about a Guate visa without paying my border fee.
I walked pass the “no man’s land”. The other side is chaotic: market, street vendors, hustlers. Everything is in Spanish. There’s no sign saying that I have to stop at the immigration office to present any paper. I went there to inquire. They checked their document—a long list of countries and their status—and Hong Kong was in “category D”, the worst category, just like the embassy people have told me. So they told me to get a visa back in the embassy. “Necesita visa!” :(
苏南图尼奇（Xunantunich） 玛雅（ Maya ）遗址在伯利兹 （Belize ）与危地马拉 （Guatemala ）边境附近。从 Cayo (San Ignacio) 乘公共汽车向危地马拉去，在渡船边下来。
渡船是用手摇的一个平台，可以载人和车过河。下了渡船，要爬一条挺长的上坡路。太阳很热，我爬得累极了，过往的车辆都不停下载我们一程，却把三个下山的金发女孩接上了。立志下次出门要拉上个金发美女一起。
Xunantunich 建在山坡顶上，居高临下。最高的建筑是“城堡”The Castle / El Castillo，因为在山顶，方圆多少里，只要没树挡着，都能看到。
这里是中美洲的热带丛林，地势平缓，站在城堡顶上，极目远眺，绿色连绵不绝，好像大地的毯子。有跃然欲飞的感觉。
这处的玛雅遗址不大，挖掘和修复的至今只有三个金字塔，以及一些小石屋建筑，还有每城（国）必备的足球场。足球场是传说中观看战俘踢球，拿输家的头颅当球的地方。当然，玛雅人的生死观与世界观与我们不同，所以也谈不上野蛮与残忍。玛雅金字塔是举行宗教仪式的地方。
不远处就是危地马拉，但我到了边境，也拿不到入境的签证（因为危地马拉反共，中国护照一律需要调查两三个月）。在边境，就好像美国和墨西哥边境，或以前深 圳那里的中港边境那样，一边（美国，香港，伯利兹）是整齐严肃的移民大楼，另一边（墨西哥，中国，危地马拉）破破烂烂，大街就在边境上，到处是小商小贩， 乱糟糟的兜售东西----东西在这边便宜啊。驰名世界的 Tikal 金字塔群就是从这里去的。
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