Rio Frio Cave

Rio Frio Cave is a huge natural limestone cave in the Mountain Pine Ridge, not far from Thousand Foot Falls. A river runs straight through it, and the entrance is enormous: about 90 feet high and 140 feet wide, with the cave running roughly 250 meters deep. Unlike the ATM cave, there's no guide and no restrictions. You park, walk a short trail down, and wander in.

The cave

You walk along the edge of the river and wade a little. The stalactites and stalagmites along the sides are all inactive now, and some have fallen over, so you're allowed to walk up and touch them. There was nobody else there. After the ATM cave, which is tightly controlled, this felt like having a cathedral to ourselves.

San Antonio

On the way back we stopped in the village of San Antonio for ice cream. Cassie got watermelon, John got an ice cream sandwich. We ducked into a little grocery store that had a few Belizean soldiers inside and a very kind woman at the counter.

Outside, a man walked up and gave Cassie a star fruit, then gave John a star fruit and an avocado. He'd picked them from his own trees. John was a little wary about eating it and did anyway, on the drive out of Santa Elena two days later. It was the first star fruit he'd ever had, and it was excellent. For a man who probably didn't have much, that was a real gift.