After a fascinating tour of Barton Creek Cave and a relaxing picnic lunch, we were ready to head on to our next adventure. I was not looking forward to going back out on the road we came in on so it was a very pleasant surprise when Roque headed in the other direction. Apparently Big Rock Falls did not require backtracking down that crazy bumpy road. Yay! Instead we headed up an extremely steep road with dozens of switchbacks as you climbed higher and higher. We were marveling at the fact that the truck could make it up the steep slope when we passed a moped going down with a man and his two kids piled on the back, all without helmets. Yikes. I was terrified watching them navigate the steep and rocky downward slope but this seemed to be the norm as we later passed several others braving the hill on their bikes.
As we climbed higher and the road eventually began to level off, there was an obvious change in the landscape. Jungly palm fronds were replaced with pine needles as we entered into the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Covering around 200 square miles, the reserve’s pine trees stood in stark contrast to the thick jungle foliage we had gotten used to. The rapid switch from tropical rainforest to pine forests more typical of the US climate was strange to say the least.
Mountain Pine Ridge has several natural attractions, including multiple waterfalls, caves, and the Maya site Caracol. Aside from these sites, there was very little development up there. Movie director Francis Ford Coppola owns a pricey hotel in Mountain Pine Ridge (Blacaneaux Lodge) but that was the only sign of civilization that we passed. Roque told us that he had never actually been to Big Rock Falls, as the more common tour in these parts was to go to Caracol and stop at Rio on Pools on the way back for a dip. Apparently the road to Caracol makes the road to Barton Creek Cave look like a smooth, freshly paved road. It was an extremely long ride on an even bumpier road and required a military escort for the last portion due to its proximity to the Guatemala border. Due to the rough ride and the fact that we were already planning to visit Xunantunich and Tikal, I never really considered going to Caracol. But we still wanted to experience the unique ecosystem of the pine forest and therefore decided on Big Rock Falls.
We eventually came upon the small and crowded parking lot for the falls off the main road. We parked, grabbed our swimming stuff, and headed to the falls. Again, I had misjudged the hiking requirements of this site. While we couldn’t see the falls from the parking lot, we could hear them so I knew it wasn’t far. We walked/climbed down a series of steep steps and trails to get to the stream at the foot of the waterfall.
The boys were in the water almost immediately. They swam around in calm pools and splashed at the foot of mini waterfalls.
As pretty as the stream was, it obviously did not compare to the site to our left – Big Rock Falls. Powerful currents of water crashed down around the giant, jagged granite rocks before calming down and gently floating into a series of pools downstream.
While the boys were splashing around in the water, Roque went to explore closer to the foot of the falls. He came back to report that there was a much better swimming spot closer to the falls. We gathered up our stuff and headed that way.
There was a large, calm pool – the second level in a cascade of pools from the foot of the falls. There were also some enormous rocks that stood tall above the water and dropped off steeply – the perfect ledge for jumping into the water. Roque swam around in the pool to test the depth and then climbed up and jumped off the rock first, confirming that it was plenty deep. It didn’t take the boys long to follow suit. And that is basically how they spent the rest of the afternoon – jump, swim, climb up the rock, repeat. They were in heaven.
I will admit that I didn’t actually get into the water and swim. I sat along a rocky outcropping with my feet dangling in, just enjoying everything around me. The sound of the waterfall and my children laughing. The beauty of our surroundings. I really enjoyed being an outside observer (and photographer) of this moment. Watching the pure joy on their faces as they jumped into the water over and over. Seeing how easily they had embraced a different country and its people and how willingly they set out on adventures in a strange place. Appreciating that we had the opportunity to bring them here and expose them to someplace new and different. This was what travel is all about for me. Sitting there watching my kids against the backdrop of a gorgeous 150 foot waterfall was a wonderful moment of reflection and gratitude for me.
