Campamento El Chiclero Peten

... we saw it, expensive as it was to get in, it was worth it. However, I do have one regret..and itīs my own fault which makes it even worse. I FORGOT BENDY! For those of you unfamiliar with bendy, this is a pretty big deal. And what made it even worse is that there was a guy with his own version of bendy at the Grand Plaza just taking pictures and having a grand olītime with his little buddy. Damnit. Maybe some photoshopping (hint Evan)??

We planned to ...

... sleep late, but instead I decided to postpone breakfast and venture into the park again hoping to have it more to myself. It had been raining hard all night, so the tracks – and the temples – were a lot more slippery then. I luckily only managed to slip and fall on my bottom once. The park was indeed a lot more deserted than the previous day, and it was great. It was still humid, but because it was overcasted the heat was not that bad. I went to the Grand Plaza ...

... and pausing for attached picture. We set off
in search of "perdido mundo" (the forgotten world), infact stumbling across the temple 5
on route. Temple 5 towers some 65 metres, they have closed the original steps to the
sumit that the mayans use as stupid tourists keep tumbling to their death from the top step.
They have instaed erected a wooden staircase on one side, so steep that they are almost ladder like.
I lead the way, slowly ascending in my usual head down ...

... is hard to believe that a people without horsepower were able to make structures using thousands of tons of stone that stand sturdily until today using only the technology of their time. What is most impressive about this site is that it is the only major site that is surrounded by a gorgeous jungle canopy and wildlife galore. That night, lying in bed, we said to each other that this is a day we will never forget, as we listened to the ghost-like calls of the howler monkeys.

We had a 6AM tour of the pyramids with a great guide and walked to all of the temple complexes and had a good time. We had our boxed lunch on the highest temple in Tikal. After the tour we walked to Temple VI (the really out of the way one, kinda anti-climatic). We regrouped at the jaguar inn and then ...

... was now awake at this point. From the direction of this noise it sounded like our early morning visitor was in one of those tall trees behind our bungalow. Note: Howler Monkey is the loudest land mammal. After our early morning wake up call, we managed to nod off for a few more hours. Magellan and I stumbled blurry eyed up to the main building for breakfast. The dining room is always ready to serve its guest with full setups, including charger plates. Keep in ...

... dark. I understand that we aren't missing much and the city looks better when it is dark. Before we left we checked CNN for a update on hurricane Dean. Dean is now the size of Texas and a Category 5 hurricane as predicted. Dean, made land at 2:30 AM Yucatan local time. It made land at Chetumal. Chetumal is on the border between Mexico and Belize. A Texas size hurricane, and where it made landfall I am sure we will see some weather. We arrived at T.A.G ...

I was fortunate enough to get to know Peten, home to the island of Flores. Not to far away, is the national park Peten, home to some of the most incredible Mayan ruins in the world. I spent 10 days here and they were incredible. The first couple of days, I spent in St. Elena and Flores, but Flores has to be my favorite of the two because it is such a beautifle little island where everyone walks around from shop ...

... Parrots, McCaws and beautiful Toucans (the bannana-bill type). 3 times a day I basically clean up a group of 40 violent, willfull and thoroughly insubordinate brats who, quite frankly, do not appreciate any of the work that I do for them. I would love to say that seeing them released makes it all worthwhile but unfortunately I have only seen one die. (Black humour approaching) It was worthwhile. There are naturally many other ...

We leakve San Ignacio, Belize and cross the border into Guatamala. Set up in camp ground outside Tikal Mayan ruins. A 2006 'Life' publication "Heaven on Earth: 100 Must-See Destinations" lists Tikal as one of them. The next morning we got up before dawn and walked some distance thru dense jungle and climbed one of the tallest piramides in hopes of viewing a spectacular sunrise. Unfortunately dense fog left us frustrated.