Quote: My wife and I signed up for the Royal Caribbean Tale of Two Cities shore excursion which consisted of a tour of Belize City and a tour of the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha. I originally wanted to do the Jungle Walk & Cave Tubing excursion but all jungle excursions were cancelled that day because of our ship’s late arrival. We had departed 3 hours late from Tampa to give those whose flights were affected by an east coast U.S. snow storm a chance to make the cruise.

After the 20-minute tender ashore, we boarded our tour bus and were driven through the city while our guide pointed out important monuments and buildings. She also told us about the culture and history of the city. Belize, formally British Honduras, is the only English-speaking nation in Central America. We happened to be in the city during a local election day. The schools were closed and people were out in red or blue to support their candidate.

The city looks rather raw and run-down in some places. Belize is very marshy. We rode by a neighborhood where many of the homes are sinking and leaning. However, one of the interesting landmarks we saw was the Marion Jones Sports Complex which is named after the fallen track star. Marion's mother is from Belize.

As we headed out of the city, the scenery became very rural with rustic homes and churches. The landscape was green and swampy. I had a pleasant surprise as we crossed a small bridge. I spotted a manatee swimming lazily in the water below.

It was approximately a 45-minute ride to our destination, the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha. Altun Ha was my first Mayan ruins visit. It did not disappoint. After allowing us to take advantage of the restrooms beside the parking lot, our guide gathered us together, handed out bottled water, and began explaining the site. We saw the large stone structures that date back as far as 200 BC. The Mayans would build atop their old temple every 52 years. Archaeologists believe that as many as 10,000 people lived in Altun Ha during its peak years from 200 to 900 AD. The population dwindled after the 12th century and the jungle began to reclaim many of the ancient buildings. Excavation of Altun Ha began in 1965. We saw hills that cover the Mayan structures that have not yet been excavated. Our guide continued enlightening us with many facts, but I was soon wishing she was going to hand out some insect repellent. The flies out there were the biting type.

Our guide took time to show us the various plantlife. She passed around an allspice plant for us to smell. The jungle surrounds Altun Ha. I was hoping to observe some wildlife - namely the famous howler monkeys. I did not see any native wildlife other than a small pet crocodile and a parrot of some boys hustling photo opportunities. However, as we walked throughout the site, we could hear a very strange-sounding bird that sounded like an old reel-to-reel audio player being played in reverse at high speed. It kind of spooked some in our group that nervously said, "It sounds like it's getting closer!"

We were allowed to climb to the top of one of the temples, Temple B-4. Our guide kept reminding us that climbing is at our own risk. The steps are uneven but the real hazard is at the top. There is a steep drop-off and no guard rails. We took in the view of the ancient courtyard from the top of the temple and then carefully made our way down the craggy steps.

We were given time to visit the souvenir shacks at the site. U.S. currency is accepted. There were mainly wood carvings being sold. The vendors were not pushy. One shack had a sign posted indicating the price is set according to the customer's attitude.

We eventually boarded our motorcoach and took in the lush green countryside during the ride back to the port. We tipped our guide and driver to let them know we were thoroughly pleased with Belize.