Gettin' Belizy

So, this is a new one for me! Belize has released an official warning about travel IN MEXICO!!! I bet things are interesting at the Northern border today ....

Ancient Maya King’s Tomb Unearthed in Belize

Archaeologists in Belize have uncovered the 1,600-year-old tomb of Te K’ab Chaak, the founding king of the powerful Maya city of Caracol. The discovery, made after decades of research, sheds new light on early Maya leadership and unexpected connections with other Mesoamerican cultures.

Te K’ab Chaak ruled in the fourth century A.D. and established a dynasty that lasted more than 450 years. His tomb was found beneath a royal shrine and contained an impressive array of offerings, including pottery, jewelry, shells, and a finely crafted jade death mask. Researchers noted that the king was about 5 feet 7 inches tall and elderly at the time of his death, having lost all his teeth.

The artifacts buried with him are especially significant. Painted pottery depicts Maya rulers, deities, and captured enemies, offering rare insight into early royal ideology and ritual life.

Nearby, archaeologists also discovered two other high-status burials from the same period. One was a cremation placed in a residential plaza, a practice more closely associated with central Mexican traditions than Maya customs. The other burial contained a woman interred with pottery, shells, a necklace, and red hematite pigment.

Together, these finds suggest that elite Maya figures were interacting with people from Teotihuacan decades earlier than previously thought. Dating to around 350 A.D., the burials challenge long-held assumptions that such cross-cultural contact began only after 387 A.D.

Researchers believe these early exchanges occurred at the highest political levels, possibly through formal diplomatic relationships. Ongoing studies, including DNA and isotope analysis, aim to reveal more about Te K’ab Chaak’s origins and life, further reshaping our understanding of early Maya history.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CNFa4gY15/

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞

Shortly after midnight on January 16, 2026, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck just 12 km north of Cuyamel, Honduras; causing tremors to be felt across parts of southern Belize, particularly in Dangriga, Placencia, and Toledo District.

While no damage has been reported, residents in Dangriga took to social media describing the ground shaking. Reports indicate light to moderate shaking, with the epicenter located approximately:
• 100 km (62 mi) from Dangriga
• 90 km from Placencia
• 75 km from southern Toledo District

Given the shallow depth of just 7 km, the quake’s energy spread across the region, making the shaking more noticeable than deeper quakes of the same magnitude.

Belize was listed among the affected countries alongside Guatemala and Honduras.

Let us know; Did you feel it where you are?

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AEBDQNKfC/

While hiking through the lush trails of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, our guests and guide experienced a special surprise - a red brocket deer 🦌
Nature at its best on the way to Ben’s Bluff Waterfall.

NOT me trying to pet a Mexican Red-rump tarantula ... more arachnid fun today!

#Belize #Wildlife Cam | Relocating a Mexican Red-rump #Tarantula Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

So, it may not have been 6" like I thought, but it was every cm of 5.5" and most assuredly the largest tarantula I've ever seen.

#Belize #Wildlife Cam | Biggest #MexicanRedRump #Tarantula So Far Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.