Original subtitles

We're here to understand...

...what's happening here.

Motion detector. I need to get up there.

On this episode of Expedition X...

Wow! Look at this.

My team battles through the jungles of Belize!

Hello!

Holy mother [bleeping] snake!

Investigating ruins...

Oh, [bleep]!

... said to be haunted by the ghosts

of a mysterious ancient civilization.

The Maya practiced human sacrifices.

There were sacrifices done right here?

Yes.

Is there anyone here with us right now?

Are Phil and Heather next in line?

All right, Heather, how do you feel about sweltering hot jungles?

That's in my wheelhouse.

You know how hot Arkansas gets?

Okay, Good.

Why didn't you ask me how I feel about jungles?

Because all you talk about are jungles. Phil.

"Can we go to the Congo? Can we go to the Amazon?"

- You won't shut up about jungles. - Can we?

I mean, I love jungles.

I know. Which is why you're gonna like this.

All right, so I've spent a lot of time over the years on expeditions in Belize,

and my contacts there have just reached out

to say that there has been a surge of reports

in potentially paranormal activity,

and it is all centered in the jungles

around the ancient Maya ruins of Xunantunich.

What kind of reports?

Everything from shadow figures with glowing red eyes,

disembodied screams.

People have talked about being inexplicably pushed or grabbed.

And we have to remember that the ancient Maya were this incredibly vibrant,

and, in many ways, advanced civilization.

But their culture also involved a lot of ritual,

including human sacrifices.

So there are some who believe that left behind

a powerful paranormal legacy.

Towering over the lush jungles of Central America

are the mysterious pyramids of the ancient Maya.

The eerie echoes of a once mighty civilization...

...the Maya were active from 1,000 B.C. to 1,500 A.D.

With a population in the millions,

they thrived in over 40 sophisticated cities

that spread through modern day Mexico, Guatemala,

El Salvador, Honduras and Belize.

They were highly sophisticated,

developing advanced agricultural systems,

astronomy and a complex calendar.

But it was also a civilization that could be brutal.

Ending human lives was an important part of their religious practices.

In these grand cities,

sacrifices were led by high priests

at the very top of their towering temples.

Many of these human sacrifices were also carried out

in the terrifying depths of the region's complex cave systems...

where the Maya thought the gateway to the underworld,

Xibalba was hidden.

In these forgotten caves, artifacts and skeletal remains

can still be seen today,

untouched for over a thousand years.

By the 15th century, when the Spanish conquistadores arrived,

the Maya were in steep decline.

Many experts believe an extended period of drought,

which led to mass famine, was a leading cause.

Disturbingly,

many also believe the ghosts of the Maya are still with us.

The Maya city of Xunantunich, translates as "Stone woman"

in the local Yucatec language,

named after a ghostly entity frequently reported in the ruins.

A woman dressed in white with glowing red eyes.

Some contend she's the ghost of someone sacrificed

on the El Castillo temple stairs.

And she is far from the only presence reportedly haunting the forgotten city.

Strange shadow figures are regularly cited throughout the ruins.

Unsettling sounds and even physical pushing and grabbing

are all commonly reported.

And the dense jungles surrounding the ancient city

are said to be just as active.

Today, guides, tourists and nearby residents

regularly come forward with terrifying

firsthand experiences.

Is this a case of local folklore running riot?

Or are the spirits of the region's dark past

truly returning to these ancient sites?

So what do you think?

The ancient Maya are so iconic,

but there's still so much about them we have yet to learn.

But let's be honest. You had me at "Jungle".

All right, Rambo. What do you think?

Here's what I think. We have investigated the trauma of asylums,

old prisons where hundreds, if not thousands of people

were mistreated and even died.

- But this... - This is a whole 'nother level.

This is a whole 'nother level.

The demise of an entire civilization.

What kind of imprint did that leave behind?

Yeah, there are estimates that peak Maya population was in the millions.

So the thought of an entire civilization collapsing is staggering.

So if anything is going to leave behind a paranormal imprint,

you can see why people would think it's that.

Your mission is to get to Belize,

see if you can experience firsthand

these paranormal occurrences

that other people are reporting.

And good luck staying dry in the sticky jungles.

I'm gonna get my jungle sweat on!

Gross.

It's a four and a half hour flight from New York to Belize City.

From there, it's another two and a half hour drive to Xunantunich.

Look at this.

I'm guessing we're in your happy place.

We're in my happy place. Back in the rainforest.

All right, jungle boy.

This is my first time going this deep in,

and what do I need to be looking out for so I don't die?

Ooh.

Um... To be honest, kind of everything.

Just don't lean on any tree because that tree could have spikes

that can get stuck in you and you have to get them surgically removed.

Don't sit down 'cause that ground could have scorpions.

And look out for venomous snakes.

Oh, God!

Tell me one thing.

There are no gators, right?

No gators.

But there are crocodiles.

Oh. Come on.

Uh...

What is this?

Let me show ya'.

All right. Come on over.

That is a traditional hand-cranked ferry,

which is not only a very energy efficient method of crossing the river,

but it also helps control the traffic into Xunantunich.

So they know exactly how many people are there.

Are we good to drive on?

- Come on in. - All right, let's do it.

All right.

The Mopan River serves as a natural barrier to Xunantunich...

There we go.

...and this small, hand-cranked ferry

helps prevent the ancient Maya site

from getting overrun with visitors.

Especially when the ferry captain makes you do his job.

That doesn't look that easy.

Heather would love to.

All right. So I just crank it, right?

Yes.

- Okay! - Here we go.

We're moving.

Okay.

If you want to find a ghost, you got to put in the work.

Isn't that right, Heather?

Oh, yeah, Phil.

Keep cranking.

- We're almost there. - Oh, yeah.

- We're not almost there. - Such a gentleman.

Such a gentleman.

- Keep cranking. - Phil, You're such a [bleep]!

Okay, we did it!

We did not.

We did it-- I did it.

- I did it! All me. - We did it.

You know, we are heading into a place

which is literally named after a ghost.

I don't know what we're getting ourselves into.

Yeah. With a name like that,

I have a feeling it will not disappoint.

Whoo! Come on!

Look at this.

Xunantunich stretches roughly three square miles

and features four main residential and ceremonial areas

arranged around several plazas.

This place is amazing.

The site contains over two dozen pyramids,

but none are more striking than El Castillo.

Next to which is where we meet our eyewitnesses.

Hello.

How are you doing?

Nikolai and Eusebio are local guides,

who, between them, I have helped preserve the ancient ruins here

for over 40 years.

Jose is a Maya priest who oversees rituals and ceremonies conducted here.

- This place has been haunted since its discovery. - Yes.

Does the Stone Lady still appear today?

Do you think the Stone Lady was someone that was potentially sacrificed?

Hmm.

Were sacrifices done right here?

Yes.

That building right there?

Are there any other Mayan cities that are named after a ghost?

- That tells you something. - Heck, yeah.

So you guys have all had experiences here?

Okay. Go on.

When you're coming down those stairs, it pushed on your headdress?

Yes.

Do you think it's tied to this location?

Good spirit?

So there's mad spirits, too.

So caves were a link to the underworld?

Yes.

Are there any around here?

Even underneath us right now?

We're trying to find answers while we investigate here.

What kind of advice can you give us?

We'd really appreciate that.

- All right. - Lead the way.

Okay, Heather, are you ready for this?

Sort of.

Before we are permitted to investigate Xunantunich

for paranormal activity,

Jose has suggested we first take part in a protection ritual

at the base of El Castillo Pyramid.

Jose asked the Gods on our behalf

for permission to investigate these sacred grounds.

I asked my ancestors to help you and guide you,

protect you.

Jose gives us protective amulets

said to combat any negative energies we might encounter at night.

After receiving what was supposedly

a healthy dose of spiritual immunity from the protective ritual,

the first thing we do is ascend the steps of El Castillo,

to get a bird's eye view of this mysterious ancient city.

Ooh! Look at this.

Look at this view!

Wow!

Look at this.

I can't believe it.

This is absolutely incredible.

What a view.

Okay, let's get a lay of the land.

So, bottom of the stairs here,

that is where Jose had his headdress knocked off.

Yeah.

Not to mention ever since the discovery of this place,

that's where the Stone Lady has been seen.

And then in that direction,

that's where the Pok Ta' Pok ball court is.

This is something.

This place was hidden and held secrets for almost 8000 years.

Who knows what she has in store for us tonight?

Here we go.

It feels like there is definitely something here.

I believe them.

Holy [bleep]!

I just saw glowing eyes.

We're here to understand why there's so much activity here.

Whoa!

What?

- Whoa! Phil! - Whoa!

Okay, Heather, you ready for this?

Sort of.

Oh, wow.

This place takes on a whole new feel at night.

Yeah. Just incredible.

All right. This is where it happened for Jose.

Yeah, right here.

Walked up those stairs.

Did a prayer up there.

- He said he felt something. - Yeah.

Then he came down here...

...and he said he felt like something hit his head and knocked the headdress off.

And then when he turned and looked, something ran that way.

Yes. And?

So, first of all, that's steep.

And when your body does exercise,

you have blood flow redistribution

- away from the organs to the muscles. - Yes.

Away from organs like the brain.

So it's possible that when he was up there,

what he was feeling was just a lack of blood to the brain,

which, in the context of a place as historic as this,

sure, that could feel like a presence is around you.

And then when he came back down here

and kneeled down and came back up quickly...

now we're talking orthostatic hypertension.

- We're talking what? - You know a head rush when you stand up too quick.

Why didn't you just say that?

To acknowledge the fact that this is a scientifically proven thing,

that happens to people.

And it can affect you not only in feeling dizzy,

but also potentially feeling something else,

like something hitting you in the back of the head.

I don't know about that one, Phil.

If that's your theory, prove it.

What do you mean, prove it?

Run some bleachers, baby.

You want me to run these stairs? See what I feel up there?

Yeah.

Well, I'll tell you what.

You did the cranking, I'll do the running.

Get to running.

Oh, and don't trip and fall.

Yeah.

That'd be a whole new level of sacrifice.

It's steep!

Hustle.

Definitely burning the legs.

Don't fall.

Are you okay?

I'm good.

Okay.

All right.

You know, I'm feeling lightheaded.

Um...

Brain's throbbing a little bit.

I can hear my heart pounding in my head.

Being here at night...

Yeah. You definitely...

...get a feeling that you're not alone.

You're not alone.

- Which is honestly... - Are you okay?

...how I feel right now?

I'm good.

Okay.

All right. Coming back down.

All right, don't trip.

I mean, you're going to feel it every time.

Does it feel like something hit me in the back of the head?

No.

But I'm feeling something up here.

He's done ceremonies hundreds of times,

literally right where you're standing.

True. But maybe that day was extra hot.

- Maybe he was dehydrated. - And he also hallucinated?

Can't rule it out.

Phil...

To me, it makes sense.

It feels like there is definitely something here and Jose experienced it.

Okay. Well, then this is your theory.

How do you prove it?

I've got a couple of ideas.

- Let's get set up, right? - Let's do it.

As we start our paranormal investigation,

I set up a motion detector in the middle of El Castillo,

where the mysterious Stone Lady has been seen,

and another at the base of its pyramid...

where Jose had his headdress knocked off

by what he believes was an ancestral spirit.

I've got it on the remote.

It will stay on me at all times,

and it will alert me if something passes in front of it.

Phil rigs up a couple of camera traps

to try to capture anything unusual,

and I prep a special laser that will scroll the steps of the giant structure

to help us detect any shadow figures

or visual anomalies.

Okay. All right.

Wow!

- Look at that. - Yeah. There we go.

Looks great.

If anything crosses in front of that laser plane,

we'll know that something is moving around up there.

If there's anyone here, you can show yourself.

We have permission to be here.

We're here to understand...

...what's happening here.

Why there's so much activity here...

We come with no ill intent.

Only respect.

You can break this laser plane.

You can set off the motion detector.

- So that? - Yeah. What was that?

- What was that? - Someone just went right across.

It could have just been a bat flying right across the plane.

But he'd have to go straight.

What!

Up there?

I just saw a shadow figure.

- It's right there, right? - Yes. Yes.

- It's the exact path-- - That you took!

And you tripped!

Are you okay?

Yeah, it was right there.

Yeah, right here, Jose... started to feel that presence.

I've got chills.

Should I go up?

The motion detector's going off.

I need to get up there.

Josh has dispatched Heather and I

to the ancient Maya city of Xunantunich,

located deep within the jungles of Belize

to investigate multiple claims of unexplained activity.

We just started to stake out one of the paranormal hotspots,

El Castillo Pyramid...

What!

...where Heather thinks she just saw a shadow figure.

The motion detector went off.

Right there. Right there.

Okay. Motion detector is here.

Just trying to see...

Really, for all we know, it could be an iguana.

It could be a scorpion could be a tarantulas.

A lot of things come out at night...

and...

This is the level that reaches that grass over there,

so it's possible that something could have crawled...

right around here.

He's right--

...where the motion detector went off.

So Phil's setting it off right now,

right where I saw the shadow figure.

Right now, I'm seeing no reason

why that motion detector should have gone off.

As for the shadow figure...

The [bleep] was that?

It was right here?

Right there.

You didn't hear that over there?

Whoa, whoa.

What? Phil...

Did you set off the motion sensor?

- No. - It just went off.

There's nothing.

There's nothing up here, Heather.

What is that?

- What? - I swear...

I keep hearing something coming from that direction.

What kind of sound?

It sounds like...

sticks breaking, rustling. I don't know.

Where? Over there?

Over in the direction of the ball court.

Okay, I'm coming down.

We've got the video recording. We've got the audio recording.

- Okay. - So, we got it covered. We gotta check it out.

- It's done. Heading back. - Okay.

With our laser plane and camera surveillance still monitoring El Castillo,

we rush over to the ball court area,

where unexplained activity is frequently reported.

Okay, okay, okay.

There's the ball court.

Wow.

- Look at this. - Little movement from over here?

Yeah.

- I feel really funky. - Are you all right? What are you feeling?

No, it feels like someone's watching us.

We need to investigate this spot.

The ball court is where an untold number of Mayan met a grisly demise.

The ancient games played here were brutal, some even ending in sudden death,

quite literally.

As the losers were said to be sacrificed.

- Right, let's make a circle. - Okay.

So, we deploy our gear to try to make contact

with any lingering spirits.

REM pods.

The EMF tripwire.

Perfect.

And even impact-detecting balls.

We're on the ball court, after all.

So, these balls are touch-sensitive.

They will light up if something touches them.

We'll know if something is in the area with us,

because you actually have to touch them...

- Oh, yeah? - ...for them to go off.

- Okay. - So, we're covered.

Let's see if we can get a response.

While you're doing that, I can use the FLIR.

Something could have been moving around here that you saw over here.

- Could be an animal. - That's a good idea.

All right.

Is there anyone here with us right now?

Whoa.

It's going off. - Hmm. Yeah.

Are you the one that made that noise that drew us over here?

Did you play on this court?

What was that?

It sounded like a flute.

Does a bird sound like a flute?

I don't recognize that.

I know mostly nocturnal bird calls.

I don't recognize that.

Is anyone there?

Are you watching us right now?

- Heather? - Yes?

Right next to you.

- Which side? - Right there. Right there.

- Yeah? - Right in this area.

I'm getting these heat bands.

It's like these little pillars of heat popping up.

What... is...

Have you seen something like that before?

I've never seen anything like that on the FLIR.

It's only right there. - Right here?

Yeah.

What...

What, what am I seeing right there?

Right next to you.

Is someone right beside me?

Did you used to play on this court?

What...

Hold 'em. REM pod and the EMF tripwire.

Did you lose on this court?

- Whoa. - Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa.

This entire side just went off.

I've got full-body chills.

This side went off, too.

Were you sacrificed because you lost on this court?

Oh, REM pod.

Okay.

What...

Sounds like drums. Do you hear that?

I hear it.

That's not thunder?

That rhythmic?

Whoa...

Was that... I just saw glowing eyes.

Oh, what... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Something just moved across the FLIR.

I am telling you,

I didn't just see eye shine. I saw red eyes glowing.

It wasn't just reflection back.

And right as I turned my FLIR, something went across.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Something went across right over there.

I'm 100% certain.

There is no known bioluminescence

that should be bright red like that.

Orange, yellow, maybe. It's incredibly rare.

But bright red?

And then a big heat signature going across?

You know what else had red eyes?

The Stone Lady.

Yeah.

I gotta figure out what that was.

I am certain I saw that back there.

Well, I'm certain I heard beating drums that way.

Okay. Well,

I'm gonna grab my bag. I'm heading in.

- Stay on walkie, okay? - Okay.

So, whatever I saw, it was back here.

Whoa.

Did you hear that?

All right, I've got the SLS cam.

Let's see if whoever was drumming wants to show themselves.

Is there anyone here with me right now?

Was that you...

drumming?

You can show yourself.

I'll be able to see you.

Is that you...

that I saw at the top of the stairs?

Are you who I was communicating with?

At the ball court?

It's incredibly thick back here.

What...

could have been glowing back here?

Possibly could have been eye shine from a monkey, some kind of cat.

I'm not seeing or hearing signs of, uh, any of them.

Wait a second.

What is that?

I think it's a tunnel.

Did the drumming come from up there?

What the [bleep]?

Holy [bleep]! Mother-[bleep] snake.

Phil, do you copy?

Yeah, I copy. How's it going?

I think I've found something that we have to check out.

A tunnel, a cave, something, I don't know.

It goes right underneath El Castillo.

Okay. On my way.

All right. Copy that. Be careful.

- Heather! - Over here!

You see me?

Hey.

What is it?

Look!

- Wow! - Yeah.

It's a tunnel.

- What? - There's a snake.

- You found a tunnel and a snake? - Yeah.

I'm not as excited about the snake, though.

Do you know what it was?

No. I don't know what it was. I know it was a snake.

I saw a snake, ran down the hill.

Right there.

- Base of the tree? - Yes.

Be careful. Seriously.

I mean, that thing was coiled and ready to strike.

Right up there.

In between the roots.

Oh!

That is a fer-de-lance.

- What is that? - It's only the deadliest snake in all of the Americas.

And that is coiled up, ready to go.

It is a type of venom that basically destroys the tissue.

And while there are snakes with more deadly venom,

this one bites more people.

So, it ends up killing more people,

because of this behavior. It just sits there.

- Oh, my God. - You could have touched it!

Oh, my God.

The fer-de-lance, or Bothrops asper,

is one of the most venomous snakes on the planet.

Considered to be the deadliest snake

in both Central and South America.

Without any anti-venom,

a bite from an adult fer-de-lance could kill you

in five to six hours.

It's responsible for over 90% of all venomous snake bites on the continent.

And is estimated to kill hundreds of people per year.

So, Heather was wise to keep her distance.

Okay. Still there, hasn't moved.

Now, cave.

Wow.

Oh, it goes deep!

Holy [bleep]!

Does it, really?

- I think we need to figure out how far in it goes. - You think it's safe?

Well, now that we know

that there's a venomous snake right near the entrance,

I'm gonna do a scorpion check. I have a UV light that makes them glow.

Okay.

Scorpions will glow.

Bright green. Oh, we got one!

One right there. Another.

Holy [bleep]. One right here.

Almost touched that one.

Oh, jeez.

They are all over this place.

This is scorpion hill.

Maybe you shouldn't go in there.

I don't know. First we have the snake,

scorpions, all of this at the entrance to the cave.

To me, that seems like a sign

not to go in, but something is warning you off.

Or guarding this entrance.

That just makes me want to go in even more, to be honest.

Oh, boy.

Okay.

You need to be careful.

Here we go.

Oh, [bleep].

The most infamous ghost said to haunt Xunantunich,

is the one it's named after.

The Stone Lady.

The explorers, who rediscovered the city in the 1890s,

reported the specter of a woman dressed in white

with fiery eyes, on the steps of the main temple.

But those same explorers didn't just discover the Stone Lady.

It was believed they stole her, too.

British archeologist Thomas Gann gathered

many Maya relics from the city,

including a grand stone altar.

But as Gann left with the altar,

nearby villagers surrounded him,

saying he dug up the spirit of the Stone Lady, warning him

of her powers.

Undeterred, Gann persisted, ultimately selling his loot,

including the altar to the British Museum.

So, next time you're in London,

stroll on over to the museum, but stay frosty.

You might just find the fiery eyes

of the Stone Lady.

What are we getting ourselves into here?

There's another type of scorpion.

There's the tailless whip scorpion.

Hell, these guys are very, very fast.

Okay.

Okay.

Definitely no signs of drumming in here.

It's real narrow back here.

I don't know how much further I can push it,

without risking getting stuck.

You okay?

I'm good! I'm good!

Is there anyone here with me right now?

Is that what I think it is?

We got a dead end.

It stops here. I think I'm about 20 feet in.

But, it makes you wonder.

What was down here?

So many secrets...

all around this place. And clearly, underneath this place, too.

- I'm coming out! - Okay.

Now, for the fun part.

Reverse.

Ah... Oh.

Whoa.

Okay. Wow.

What did you see?

It narrows to the point that I could barely squeeze in.

And about 20 to 25 feet back, collapsed.

I can't go any further there, but,

I mean, that, at one point, was a functioning tunnel to somewhere,

to the underworld.

Yeah, and if there's one,

- there's got to be more. - Oh, yeah.

The next day, as we plot

where our investigation should go from here,

we get a call from Josh with a fresh new lead.

Hey, guys,

how was your first night in the jungle?

Did, uh, Xunantunich live up to its haunted promise?

It sure did, and it wasn't just the ghost that had us on edge.

The place damn near killed me last night!

Okay. Slow down, Heather.

Okay, kids. I'm gonna need

- a little more than that. - Three words.

Fer. De. Lance.

Whoa! You guys ran into a fer-de-lance?

That is no joke.

You should have seen it, Josh.

It was at the base of a tree.

A little adolescent, just waiting for Heather.

Wow.

What about paranormal activity?

Did the... Did the Stone Lady show up?

You know, we can't say for certain it was the Stone Lady.

But at the temple, Heather saw a shadow figure.

What?

And then our motion detector got a lot of activity.

And over at the ball court,

it felt like I was interacting with something

that definitely wanted to make its presence known.

Is there anyone here with us right now?

Okay And where... where did the snake fit into all this?

Heather heard some noises,

drumming off in the distance,

and went to check it out.

And when I was looking for the drumming,

I found some sort of cave or a tunnel.

I climbed up the hill to check it out,

- and-- - Fer-de-lance.

Oh, and about ten scorpions.

Good times. For Phil. Definitely not for me.

Oh, well, don't hang up those snake boots just yet.

I got a lot more for you to investigate.

I've just been in touch with a local guide

that I know there, named Carlos Hernandez.

Now, he guides folks through a sacred Maya cave

that was once used for human rituals.

And he says there had recently been a ton

of paranormal reports there.

That sounds amazing. What's this cave called?

The original Mayan name of the cave has been lost.

Today, they just refer to it as the "Black Hole Drop."

Wait a second. Why do they call it that?

Aw, you don't want me to ruin the surprise for you.

- Yes? - No.

You guys will figure it out.

But listen, these caves

were arguably one of the most important places to the Maya.

They saw it as a literal gateway

to the underworld, where the dead live on.

Well, it sounds like we need to check out this cave.

Agreed. But look, this... this is not a place

to tread into lightly.

The Maya referred to their underworld as Xibalba.

literally translating as "Place

of fright." You know, this is not just

a home for Maya spirits.

It was also seen as where demons resided.

This is a place

of complete darkness.

So be careful. Don't get in over your head

in the Maya underworld.

Next time on Expedition X...

Down into the Mayan underworld we go!

Phil and Heather descend into Xibalba,

the Maya underworld.

- This is incredible! - Look who's here to greet us.

Are you kidding me?

Exploring sacred caves where few have entered in thousands of years.

We've got activity already.

We're hearing things.

I'm hearing footsteps.

Holy [bleep]!

And where innocent victims were once sacrificed

to unforgiving Gods.

Are we alone in here?

Will they encounter ancient evil?

This is the epicenter.

Oh, my God. Look at that!

Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!