Belize has over 800 known Mayan sites, with most of them unexcavated. We visited the Mayan site at Lamanai (which means submerged crocodile in the Mayan language). It is located on the New River in the Orange Walk district of Belize. Getting to Lamanai required several boat rides up jungle rivers, including a 29 mile boat trip up the New River. The site is surrounded by the jungle, with several troops of Howler monkeys in the trees at the site. The site has 730 known buildings with only 4 that have been completely excavated. The others consist of mounds covered by the jungle. The Mayans thrived at Lamanai longer than any other Mayan site. They were there for more than 3000 years beginning in 1500 BC and continuing until the Spanish arrived in 1544. The peak population was around 40,000. During the peak of the Mayan civilization in Belize, archaeologists believe there were more than 750,000 Mayans living in Belize. Contrast that to the current population of Belize now of around 250,000. The main temple at Lamanai which is 120 feet tall has incredible views of the surrounding jungle from the top. Since the Mayans were at Lamanai for such a long time, many of the temples and buildings have multiple layers and facades. When a new ruler came into power, he or she would build over exterior the existing temple or building, which resulted in many layers that continued to change over time. On the boat rides to and from the site, we saw many birds and other wildlife, including a Jabiru stork, the biggest flying bird in the Western hemisphere and one of the largest birds on the planet, a pacca, which is a medium sized rodent that sort of barks like a dog, and lots of crocs.
Cayuse 