June 22, 2000
Che Chem Hah base camp
Ramon takes us West to the border town of Benque Viejo, then South on a dusty limestone road - stuck behind a late model Toyota Tercel for most of the way - to the foot of the mountains at Vaca Plateau. He parks the Ford diesel van at a jungle camp/farm (complete with a small stream, waterfalls, hammocks, an outhouse, and all sorts of flora and fauna). We meet our guide, Gonzo, and his dog, Beluga and wait for two others. Tired of waiting, we follow Beluga up the trail to Che Chem Hah ("Strong Water"). The cave, 1233 feet above sea level, was discovered in 1984 by a hunter, whose dog chased a gibnut inside. Mayans used this cave from around 600 B.C. The first pot in the cave is dated then. The cave entrance was important to the Mayans, and they believed that caves were paths to the underworld. Apparantly, the Mayans ran out of room near the entrance, since the further back in the cave we traveled, the newer the pottery. There were fugitive black pottery, some with fingernail markings and little nipples scattered on the ground and on shelves. Further in, we came across the 'dump', where polychrome pottery dating to 600 AD shards were strewn all around on a large shelf, accessible by a rickety ladder. The 'mushroom pot' room held pots with mushroom-cap-shaped covers, circa 1200 AD. This room has a hollow floor where a small tunnel may lead to a treasure room, according to archaeologists working the site. Then we ventured down the 'whale belly' to the Stela room. This chamber is a large chamber with a high ceiling and a Stela in the center. It took a little maneuvering to get into the Stela room, but climbing out of this chamber was relatively simple. Back through the whale belly, and out the cave to a waiting Beluga. The dog led the way back to camp, where we collected Ramon and headed back to the resort. After red beans and rice, meatballs, a potato salad, roasted plantains, and a Red Fanta, we did much of nothing by the pool until dinner.
Beluga at the cave entrance
the 'dump'
'mushroom' pots
the 'whale belly'