Xunantunich

Xunantunich is an ancient Maya city on a hilltop near the Guatemalan border, a short drive west of San Ignacio. Its main pyramid, El Castillo, is about 130 feet tall, and from the top you can see across the jungle into Guatemala. Plazas and smaller temples surround it, and you're allowed to climb. It isn't even the largest Maya site in Belize, which says something about how much is out here. To get there you cross the Mopan River on a small ferry that a man cranks across by hand, car and all.

The bumper

On the way to the ruins a piece of the car started dragging on the road, a leftover from the wreck. We pulled over to duct-tape it up. A man ran out of his shop, gesturing since he didn't speak much English, grabbed some wire, and wired the piece back on in two places. It held for the rest of the trip.

He invited us into his shop afterward, and John bought a little wooden snail that comes apart in pieces, for Jude, and then a wooden butterfly on the way out. Forty dollars for things he'd probably have sold for five each, and gladly paid.

The ferry and the climb

While we were pulled over, a young guy walked up and asked if we were headed to the ruins. He was a tour guide. We said yes, he hopped in, and we drove to the river and the hand-cranked ferry. Our guide, whose name we heard as Mazzikiel, was knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly loved the place. Like almost everyone we met, he was easy to like. We climbed El Castillo, looked out over the plazas and the jungle, and took the selfies you'd expect.