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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 52
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Expat Phil Hahn, who lives part-time in Belize, said:

"In Belize, when people say 'ATM,' they aren't referring to a cash machine. They are referring to Actun Tunichal Muknal, a spectacular place in the Cayo. To get there you need to hike through the forest. Next you swim into a cave and then spelunk to get to it. It is amazing and unique in the world. Other countries would not let you visit such a place without restriction or a guide. There are Mayan artifacts everywhere. But here in Belize, this special place is open for everyone to explore."

Can anyone tell me about your experiences visiting this area? Can you take Mayan artifacts out of this area and take them home with you without resorting to the kind of airplane tricks you have seen me do in some of my movies and particularly the first one where I almost got crushed by a rolling rock when I took that Mayan artifact and ran from the cave and got on an airplane that whisked me out of the country and to safety. Whew!!!.... that was a harrowing experience.

Indiana

Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 259
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Belize doesn't allow you to visit ATM without restrictions and a guide. It's open to anybody, true, but subject to strict controls.

I sincerely hope no-one thinks that stealing Mayan artifacts from this or any other area is a good thing.

Joined: Apr 2000
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Many Belizeans would advise you to leave the country ASAP!!!!
Your interest in artifacts could well earn you a bullet through the brain....

Joined: Nov 2002
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Indiana, I'll let you in on a secret, you don't even have to go into the cave and do the escape thing with the rolling rock any more. Belize is so well organized that we sell the genuine artefacts to explorers like you. Don't be fooled by the name "souvenir shops", as the name is actually a disguise to distract CIA, KGB, Europol etc. Souvenir shops here sell only real artefacts but we can't call it so. I will personally give you a certificate of authenticity for a small fee. Just call 1-800 I'LL TAKE YOUR MONEY - Sshhhttt, please do not tell anybody else!
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Live and let live
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,436
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Just in case some have misjudged you. The ATM tour I believe to be the very best tour in Belize. The morning will start out with a windy road passage through the Menninite Villages. About an hour drive you will come to a clearing and start about another hour walk through the jungle crossing streams as you go. You will be on a tour with guides. Usually a lunch break is had at the entrance site prior to entering the cave system.
Your guides are very well equiped for this adventure, carrying large duffle bags with stretchers, medical supplies, even morphine, its about 5 hours in the cave and not an easy walk, alot of climbing and transversing, squeezing through small spaces. We lost one of our group not far into the tour and she had to return to the parking lot, she should not have ever gone on the tour, being older overweight with a bad knee. The rest of us were lead to a safe spot to wait for our tour guides to saftly get her out. We were advised to turn off our lanterns to save the batteries, we did sitting in pitch blackness and had the best time scaring the shit out of ourselves with..WHAT IF STORIES!!! Our guides return about 30 minutes later, our friend was happy in the van reading a book while the Howler Monkeys invaded the parking lot.
We trucked through water climbed through holes in the rocks scaled a pyramid shaped rock formation and came up high into a football field sized areana.This is where our friend that was taken out husband slid and sliced open his leg. We were to far in to take him back so they put butterfy bandages on him, told him as soon as we got back to the ground level they would give him a morphine injection. So he stayed with us. The old hippie dreaming of morphine!!! Here we are told the stories of the drug induced celebrations that went on that lead to sacrifices, we saw skelatal remains going back well over a thousand years. Our guides pointed out pottery and drug devices, dfferent chambers with remains, the story telling was wonderful.
So I am amazed and confused, this site is very new, I believe it was discovered in 1987. Already people taking steps back to take pictures have stepped on and broken many artifacts.I heard they were going to stop people from taking photos but have no update. I am also amazed the place is open to the public..for a $90. tour.
So pardon my long story, I hope those that choose to go on this tour appriciate how special the place is, respect it, listen to the history and feel privlaged to be in such a special place...


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