The Maya believed caves were the portal between the human world and world of the gods.   At both the mouth of caves and deep within its cavities, the Maya carried out their sacred rituals.  The Maya used Barton Creek Cave for agricultural rituals, possible fertility rites, ritual bloodletting, as well as human sacrifice.  

	Although Barton Creek is a large river cave approximately 4.5 miles long, from the cave's entrance we paddled a canoe about a mile through the cave to the stopping point.  The river running from the cave is very beautiful.
	This is the entrance to the  cave. As you can see, inside the cave is completely dark; we used a light connected to a car battery to illuminate our way in our canoe.
	You need a Belizean guide to escort you through the cave which helps you learn about the various rock formations and Maya rituals associated with the cave.  Here are two canoes exiting near the opening of the cave.
	The cave is very beautiful.
	It has numerous stalactites.  Our guide told us a way to remember how to distinguish between stalactites and stalagmites: "When the mites go up, the tights come down!"
	Throughout the cave, you are able to see relics of the ancient Maya such as pottery shards on the cave terraces.
	This skull was high up on a flowstone terrace above the river.  Humans were sacrificed within the cave as part of Maya religious rituals.
	You can see the size of the giant passages in this photograph of the cave entrance.g
	This spider monkey is an endangered species and this one was a pet at the cave. They are social animals, living in large groups usually of 15 individuals; however, this one was chained and all alone.