Booking a tour is the only way to visit Actun Tunichil Muknal, commonly known as ATM Cave located in Belize. The road there led through the fields, I noticed a bulldozer clearing the forest for crops. Small, green, rocky hills stood in the middle of a newly cleared area like islands on a lake. I realized that these were the ancient Maya structures that were waiting to be completely destroyed by more powerful construction equipment.
In the guided group, we approached the cave. What I disliked most is that it is strictly forbidden to take photographs in inside. Entering the cave requires crossing a small stream. Inside you are constantly wading in the water, climbing the rocks, and squeezing between the boulders in the dark. Our guide instructed us that bathing suits are disrespectful in this sacred place. For me, this statement was extremely strange, because the ancient Maya were unfamiliar with modern attire and before Christianity was introduced, they walked half-naked every day. I am sure that when they visited the cave, their naked bodies never offended anyone back then.
This cave is a true Maya underworld, the Xibalba. First, we came across broken ceramic pottery. The presence of jars and pots suggests the agricultural rituals performed here. The shamans wanted to create a mystical atmosphere in the cave. Some rock formations have been modified so that the shadow cast resembles a face or animals. Obsidian knives left in some places suggest ceremonial bloodletting rituals. Many skeletal remains have head trauma or cut fingers. This suggests that people were sacrificed here. The best-known skeleton is the one of an 18-year-old girl called the Crystal Maiden. Her bones calcified and have crystallized appearance. She was sacrificed too, her left leg is broken at the knee and her left arm has been amputated.
