Bill Holmes - Activities - Hiking and Biking - Central America - Belize - Lower Dover Day 2

Day 1

Busted for vehicle registration in Madeline's jeep at roadblock on way to Xunatunich ruins. $50 Belize ticket ($25 USD).


View from single vehicle ferry across the Macal River


Passengers must exit vehicle. Bill in ferry.


Ferry from other side.


Tree in rain gutter of one of four buildings around parking lot at Xunatunich entrance (life will find a way)


Xunatunich entry


Photo of aerial photo of park


Bill in front of east ruin. Most all Mayan ruins were reconstructed from a pile of rubble. Based on intact portions of ruins elsewhere, archaeologists gustimate how the stones may have originally been stacked. Desperately needed is an analytical tool that uses empirical tests to determine how such stones disassemble under the ravages of nature. With that tool and a three-dimensional model of a ruin, the original shape of the ruin should be determinable. Then robots can be loosed on a ruin to clean and reconstruct it.


Panorama of north face of east ruin


Close-up of relief 1


Close-up of relief 2


Close-up of relief 3


Panorama looking north to east from east ruin


Video panorama south to east with Bill at start
Panorama looking east to south from east ruin with Melody in view


Video panorama looking east to south from east ruin with Melody in view



Panorama looking south to west from east ruin


Panorama looking south to west from east ruin continued


View west from east ruin


Mel in front of south side of east ruin


North fresco of east ruin


Courtyard between ruins


Bill on south side of east ruin


Bill and Mel shadows


Mel at stairs from south side of east ruin


Iguana on west side of east ruin


Mel reclining while looking at east side of west ruin


Mel denoting camouflaged moth


Camouflaged moth


View of west ruin east side


View of east ruin from west ruin


View of east ruin from west ruin zoomed


Iguana on river side of road just before ferry


Mel noticed a ball of flies and suspected an iguana beneath it


Local transportation on return to Lower Dover


Odd building in San Ignacio on way to dentist for cleaning. Found two cavities and a failed filling, because the previous dentist failed to remove all the mercury amalgam, and it vented through the white composite. Total cost $225 Brazilian or $112.50 USD.


Bill shopping in San Ignacio after appointment to have teeth cleaned by Meg Ryan DDS, finding two cavities and one porcelain filling that failed due to incompletely rremoved mercury amalgam filling, and having all three fixed without novocane.


Day 3