Lamanai: Sacred City of the Crocodile

It was the month of November when my husband and I decided to travel to Belize.

We have read many articles about the country and after many years of planning, we finally made it to our destination.

Belize is as beautiful and magical as it has been described.

Belize, which is approximately 8900 sq. miles, is rich in spiritually historical sacred places. The people, a mixture of Mayan and Creole descendants, were friendly and full of stories to tell. I was especially enamored with the children, their smiling faces, innocence sparked with ancient teachings. Looking deep in their eyes, you can tell that they have lived many lives before this one.

Like any tourist, we took advantage of the many outdoor adventures Belize offered. We saw many wild animals both on land and on water. We even got to see a Manatee, soon to be extinct. We experienced playing with a pod of wild dolphins and snorkeled with the Pelicans on a remote island. These adventures were exciting and fun, but my most favorite excursion is when we visited an ancient Mayan site called Lamanai. A Bird's Eye View

Deep within Belize's jungle lies an ancient city, excavated for a short period in the early 70's by archeological students, now left as it is with no further excavations planned. Comparing it with Chi Chen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Lamanai is but a small city. (Lama' nai' ain, aka Lamanai, means submerged crocodile in Mayan.) Only two of the main pyramids were excavated, the rest are still buried in the thick jungle. If you climb to the top of one of the pyramids, you can see many other pyramid peaks covered by tall trees. This site was one of the longest occupied cities of the Mayans, from 500 BC to 1675 AD partly due to the main river trade routes. Ancient Spirits Live Here

One cannot disregard the magic of this place and once you have stepped foot in its ancient grounds, you can immediately feel the signature of many energy beings who resided there thousands of years ago. As our small group of six (which includes two Mayan guides) began trekking through the jungle of Lamanai, my intuition was telling me that I was about to experience something special.

The trail to the main plaza area was narrow and I was second to the last of the line. (One of the guides was behind me for safety reasons.) As I entered the trail, a large feather fell at my feet, an agila' (eagle) feather. It stopped me immediately and baffled by the event, I just stared at the feather resting on my right foot. I looked over my shoulder to the guide and the look on his face was indescribable. He looked at me and whispered something in his native tongue. My husband, who was in front of me, turned around and walked back to where I was standing. When he saw the feather, he smiled and said, "well, honey, I think you were just gifted." That was when I picked up the feather and asked the guide if it was okay to take it home. His reply in broken English was, "you don't need to ask me. It's clear that Lamanai welcomed you to her home. Take it, it's a gift from Spirit." Sacred Place

We continued our trek through the jungle, pausing once in awhile as the guides showed us points of interests. The feather is now secured in my pack, but I can feel its presence and weight. A few more minutes and we reached the main plaza. In an instant, my entire body felt sensations I have never felt before. My head was light but I was not dizzy. On the outside, I looked fine. No one knew what was happening inside me. I had this urge to climb the main pyramid and without any hesitation, I started walking towards the structure. The guides didn't object and in fact, the one who saw what happened on the trail with the feather said to leave me alone. Since we were the only ones there, each of us was allowed to explore on our own, but not venture too far from the main plaza area. My husband followed me up the pyramid to make sure that I was safe and not injure myself. Once we reached the top, he left me to do whatever it was I needed to do.

I looked around and saw over the horizon the vastness of this ancient sacred site. I walked over to the eastern corner and found a spot to sit and marvel the beauty of Lamanai. I closed my eyes and soaked in the ancient energies that are before me. Visions began to appear. I heard the hustling and bustling of the plaza in ancient times. I saw a market place filled with fruits and vegetables, pottery, weavings and many others. I participated in ancient ceremonies. I walked the paths where ancient leaders and teachers walked. Then, a gust of cold wind blew through and whispered in my ear, "Welcome Home."

There is an old Native American Indian saying, "only Great Spirit can make a Sacred Place" and Lamanai is truly that kind of place.

By Cecilia Zapata-Larson