The Maiden of the Rock: A Deep Dive into Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in Belize

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The Maiden of the Rock: A Deep Dive into Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in Belize Belize is a land rich with history and adventure, and for those who love to explore, its ancient Mayan ruins offer a glimpse into a world both magnificent and mysterious. My wife, Linda, and our friends, Eamon and Athena, and I dedicated our third day in Belize to exploring one of the most magnificent of these sites: Xunantunich, or "The Maiden of the Rock." This post will serve as your comprehensive guide to this breathtaking archaeological site, sharing our firsthand experience and helping you prepare for your own unforgettable journey. The grounds are well-kept, which we noticed the moment we walked into the central plaza, and the site is much bigger than we anticipated. The Journey Begins with a Hand-Cranked Ferry Getting to Xunantunich is a part of the adventure in itself, and it’s a detail that adds to the site's remote and timeless feel. The day of our visit was incredibly sunny, and the dri...
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Food Review: XMRE Blue Line

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Yay! Breakfast for Dinner

On our recent trip to Big Bend National Park, I lugged an XMRE Blue Line meal with me until the 2nd night of the backpacking trip. I probably should have eaten it the night before because of its huge size. I was silly and didn't check what the meal was, so I ended up with oatmeal, which is what I had eaten for breakfast at least three days prior and was eating again in the morning.

Jack eating his XMRE on before setting up camp
Jack eating his XMRE before setting up camp

The Background

These are civilian lines of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), and the Blue Line is specifically designed for government, medical, and educational institutions.

Price: $119.99 per case of 12
Calories: 1,000 to 1,200 a meal
Website: https://www.xmremeals.com/
Key Attributes: Extended shelf life, individually bagged, no water needed, self-heating, and provides all utensils

A quick note on the website: at first, it seems like a well-designed site, but I’ve found a few issues. If you want to know exactly what meal comes in a case, almost all that information is lost to broken links. In addition, they have a neat feature where you can design your own meals, but the window just closes after 5 seconds, so I was never able to fully try it.

XMRE Blue Line and its bag
XMRE Blue Line


Performance

This is what my Blue Line XMRE contained: plain, but slightly sweetened oatmeal, a bag of dried fruit, a pilot cracker, a packet of grape jelly, and a mocha coffee drink. Please note that everything comes in a metal-lined bag/package.

With this XMRE meal, you add water to the oatmeal and then heat it up using the provided water-activated heater. I sampled it cold, and it was not the best, so I would always recommend heating it up if you have the time. The dried fruit is the same as any old dried fruit in look and taste, so nothing special here. However, for flavor’s sake, I would recommend adding it to the oatmeal. The cracker is extremely dry and hard, but it turned out to be good with the jelly. I definitely wouldn’t recommend eating the cracker without any toppings. The mocha drink was a nice change from just water. It had a good flavor when mixed thoroughly, but it was hard to pour water into the pouch and equally hard to drink from.

XMRE Case of 12
XMRE Case of 12

Final Thoughts

If you're looking for a civilian MRE clone, this product meets the description, but it is on the pricey side, so it might be worth shopping around.  Additionally, XMREs fill a crucial role in long-term food storage and prepping. I would highly discourage anyone from lugging these around while hiking and backpacking.

Giveaway

There was no winner for our last giveaway, so Team Adventures with BeeGee is giving away 12 Steps to a Lighter Pack (linked to our book report) and a GoBites Duo set. Use this book to gain a little knowledge and lighten your load, and the GoBites kit is a handy fork/spoon combo.

GoBites Duo

Please let us know if you enjoy MREs or if they are just a necessary item, and how you plan to use them. Additionally, if you enjoy the blog, follow us on Facebook to stay up to date.

Comments

  1. Linda JanetteMarch 6, 2017 at 6:54 PM

    They make them sound so much better on the walking dead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JarrettMarch 6, 2017 at 7:14 PM

      Well to be fair they haven't had anything close to junk food for like a year. If I was in their situation I'd be estatic too!

      Delete
  2. UnknownMarch 6, 2017 at 7:07 PM

    How heavy are they?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jackMarch 6, 2017 at 7:54 PM

      If I remember right most are about two pounds.

      Delete
    2. JarrettMarch 6, 2017 at 8:48 PM

      I just weighed an Army MRE and came in at 1 pound 13 ounces. That's way to much to carry around for a backpacking meal. Leave them in the case for camping and prepping.

      Delete

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