Deb and I arrived at the  Banana Bank Lodge about 5:00 yesterday. It definitely fits into the category of eccentric lodging, but we LOVE it. We have a communal dinner at 6:30 with all the guests and happened to be seated by the owners last night, Carolyn (artist) and Bob (cowboy). I asked Carolyn what her inspiration for the buildings was. She replied, “I guess I wanted a Mediterranean castle feel. But drawing it and building it are two different things.”  Everyday I’ll tease you with more photos of the grounds!

This morning Mario, a Mayan guide, took us to Xunantunich, a Mayan ruin right next to the Guatamala border. It was AMAZING! What an experience to witness the breathtaking ruins of civilizations past!

Then we drove to go cave tubing. All of the caves here–about 250–have water running through them. We walked about a half hour until we entered the water and floated into the cave. It was other-worldly. The ceiling looked like another planet! Different colors, mostly lavender in the beginning. I had a powerful flashlight to shine. Increasingly there were beautiful stalactites and stalagmites that looked like artificial snow draped over the limestone. Then we rounded a corner and had a breathtaking view: craggy silhouettes of formations and in the middle sunlight breaking through which highlighted brilliant green fauna!!

Sadly, no pictures. Deb got an underwater camera at the pawnshop but couldn’t get it to work!!

Now we’re off to dinner again. I’ll report tomorrow.