Players had to keep a rubber ball in the air using only their hips, knees and elbows — no hands allowed. The goal was to get the ball through a small stone ring that was way up high on a wall. That sounds really hard, right? The game was also very special and important to the Maya people, not just something they played for fun. There are still old pok-a-tok courts that you can visit at Maya ruins right here in Belize. I really hope I get to see one before I come home.
Belize also has a very exciting bike race called the Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic. Riders race on bikes for over 140 miles in just one day. That is an extremely challenging and long distance to race. I ride my bike to school most days, and that is only about half a mile. I cannot even imagine riding 140 miles. I get tired just thinking about it.
And last but not least, there is the Ruta Maya River Challenge. This is a canoe race that lasts four whole days. Teams paddle their canoes down rivers, through the jungle and past small towns for about 180 miles. It is one of the biggest and most exciting events in all of Belize, people come from all over to watch and cheer the paddlers on. I have learned so much about sports since moving here. Some of them, like basketball and soccer, I already knew. But others, like pok-a-tok and the Ruta Maya, are totally new to me, and they are some of the coolest things I have ever learned about.
