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[itfctom]

I want to hike on an organised trip to El Mirador in Guatemala. It is five days in the jungle to arrive at a site bigger and older than tikal.

I plan to leave 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th of August

Come join me, if we can get five people it is $190 per person.

Email me itfctom@hotmail.com
or phone 40029821

[mmbcross]

Hello,

Good luck with this venture. I am one of the moderators at Travelpod for Latin America. Some years ago I hiked (with the help of a mule) from Carmelita to La Florida, which is not even half way. We dropped in on Dr. Richard Hansen who was doing a dig there at that time.

Here is a copy of my story. When you go, please open a travel blog here on Travelpod and write about your experiences.

DROPPING IN ON DR. HANSEN

I am invited by Vida Amor de Paz, President of the Tropical Rainforest Foundation, for a quick visit to El Mirador basin to view excavations and progress for future tourism projects. To the best of my knowledge, the only quick way to visit El Mirador, located on the far northern border of Guatemala and deep in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, is by helicopter.

It is finally explained to me that we will be visiting the Mirador Basin, not actually El Mirador. The Mirador Basin is a phrase coined by Dr. Richard Hansen, one of the great modern Mayanologists, in describing the Mirador archaeological area. This area contains an incredible number of early pre-classic Maya cities, including Tintal, the largest site of all; El Mirador, with El Tigre Pyramid, the largest solid building by cubic meters in America today; and Nakbé, with incredible art work on it’s structures.

We depart Guatemala City, not by helicopter, but by 4 x 4 on Saturday at 04:00, and by 04:30 we are stopping at the ubiquitous convenience store at the gas station to purchase our junk food necessities for the day. Next stop is Flores; we estimate a six-hour drive. In fact it takes us seven hours on the excellent road, the most difficult part being evading trucks on the descent from Guatemala to El Rancho.

The asphalt ends at San Benito, and we take the fair gravel road around Lake Peten Itzá to San Andres. From there the road narrows and it’s a two-hour inconceivably dusty drive due north.

Carmelita is a tiny village some 60 kilometres from Flores, and about it’s only claim to fame is that it stands at the northernmost roadhead in Guatemala. Beyond Carmelita stretches forest right up to the Mexican border. It is also the starting point for trips to El Mirador and Nakbé, but unless you are very fit indeed, don’t sign up for the next Grey Line tour. It’s a minimum two-day trek just to get to these fabulous sites.

Awaiting us at Carmelita is our next mode of transport, mules. After a surprisingly tasty chicken lunch, we are on our way by 15:30. Most of us decide to walk rather than ride the mules. Later on as we tire, we accept defeat and climb on their docile backs to be carried not exactly elegantly to the site of La Florida, a further two hours into the bush. The woods get thicker and higher as we proceed, until by the time we arrive at our destination, we are pretty sure we are in primary tropical forest. We stop at a small lagoon on the way, at which time I promptly fall off my mule.

By 17:30 we have arrived at the camp where the archaeologists live. There are around 100 people working at this small ruin, parts of which are being cleared as a prelude to the major tasks ahead at Mirador and Nakbé. We are assigned tents, and invited to dinner. Nothing elegant, but filling and nutritious grub – namely beans, rice and tortillas. We talk into the night about Dr. Hansen’s plans.

The Mirador Basin is the largest tropical forest reserve in America north of the Amazon, and as he has discovered, possibly the cradle of the Maya civilisation. His dream is to declare the whole area a National Monument, and that the United Nations proclaim it a World Heritage Site.

But not everyone is happy with this idea. It is uncertain whether nature or archaeology is more damaged by the greed of humanity. Loggers cut 400-year old trees to make fancy furniture in North America and Europe, and at the same time, incalculable treasures are looted from Maya archaeological sites and resold in the "art" markets of the world.

Once the forest and sites are protected, work can start on obtaining funding for clearing and restoring the cities presently buried under dense vegetation. There is no doubt that these magnificent sites rival Tikal in many ways, yet they are a thousand years older. This early flowering of the Maya culture was a surprise to many, and gives these sites quite a different aspect.

The only way to maintain the integrity of this area is to prohibit all road access. This of course means that at present only the fit, willing to hike and camp in tropical forest; or the wealthy, who may charter helicopters from Flores, are able to visit this area.

Hopefully before all is lost, a solution can be found that can make this area accessible for the rest of us.

[zinnanti]

Excellent story.

In November 2008, I am lugging my 14 year old daughter to Guatemala. We have a six day plan for the Antigua-Chichi-Lake Atitlan region.

This is my second trip to Guatemala. Especially considering what the people there have been through, it is a wonderfully inviting place. They have an excellent and diverse culture consisting of 28 major dialect and 300 subdialects.

I'm interested in making the trek to El Zotz if anyone is interested in making a group thing of it. My wife doesn't do the jungle too well. The trek seems to be a great way to discover the Peten and surrounding areas of Tikal.

Tony Zinnanti

[mmbcross]

Hello Tony,

Good luck with your trip to Guatemala. As you have already been there, I don't have to recommend it as, for its size, the world’s most diverse destination.

The hikes in the Peten are wonderful options. Regrettably (or fortunately), unlike Peru, Guatemala has yet to be overun by tourists, hence organized hikes are sometimes canceled due to lack of participants. It may behoove you to contact the organizers to see if they have any other participants signed up at present, and what their minimum number to operate a hike is.
http://www.ecomaya.com/index.php?lan=en

I'd be interested in hearing about your progress.
Cheers
Martin

[zoriloco]

Sounds like an amazing adventure. Do you have pics??? Im planning on going to Guatemala to visit family this upcoming March and this sounds like something I would really enjoy doing. Im sure its not open just for anyone to walk up to, but how do you get invited to a place like this?

Thanks

Hello,

Good luck with this venture. I am one of the moderators at Travelpod for Latin America. Some years ago I hiked (with the help of a mule) from Carmelita to La Florida, which is not even half way. We dropped in on Dr. Richard Hansen who was doing a dig there at that time.

Here is a copy of my story. When you go, please open a travel blog here on Travelpod and write about your experiences.

DROPPING IN ON DR. HANSEN

I am invited by Vida Amor de Paz, President of the Tropical Rainforest Foundation, for a quick visit to El Mirador basin to view excavations and progress for future tourism projects. To the best of my knowledge, the only quick way to visit El Mirador, located on the far northern border of Guatemala and deep in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, is by helicopter.

It is finally explained to me that we will be visiting the Mirador Basin, not actually El Mirador. The Mirador Basin is a phrase coined by Dr. Richard Hansen, one of the great modern Mayanologists, in describing the Mirador archaeological area. This area contains an incredible number of early pre-classic Maya cities, including Tintal, the largest site of all; El Mirador, with El Tigre Pyramid, the largest solid building by cubic meters in America today; and Nakbé, with incredible art work on it’s structures.

We depart Guatemala City, not by helicopter, but by 4 x 4 on Saturday at 04:00, and by 04:30 we are stopping at the ubiquitous convenience store at the gas station to purchase our junk food necessities for the day. Next stop is Flores; we estimate a six-hour drive. In fact it takes us seven hours on the excellent road, the most difficult part being evading trucks on the descent from Guatemala to El Rancho.

The asphalt ends at San Benito, and we take the fair gravel road around Lake Peten Itzá to San Andres. From there the road narrows and it’s a two-hour inconceivably dusty drive due north.

Carmelita is a tiny village some 60 kilometres from Flores, and about it’s only claim to fame is that it stands at the northernmost roadhead in Guatemala. Beyond Carmelita stretches forest right up to the Mexican border. It is also the starting point for trips to El Mirador and Nakbé, but unless you are very fit indeed, don’t sign up for the next Grey Line tour. It’s a minimum two-day trek just to get to these fabulous sites.

Awaiting us at Carmelita is our next mode of transport, mules. After a surprisingly tasty chicken lunch, we are on our way by 15:30. Most of us decide to walk rather than ride the mules. Later on as we tire, we accept defeat and climb on their docile backs to be carried not exactly elegantly to the site of La Florida, a further two hours into the bush. The woods get thicker and higher as we proceed, until by the time we arrive at our destination, we are pretty sure we are in primary tropical forest. We stop at a small lagoon on the way, at which time I promptly fall off my mule.

By 17:30 we have arrived at the camp where the archaeologists live. There are around 100 people working at this small ruin, parts of which are being cleared as a prelude to the major tasks ahead at Mirador and Nakbé. We are assigned tents, and invited to dinner. Nothing elegant, but filling and nutritious grub – namely beans, rice and tortillas. We talk into the night about Dr. Hansen’s plans.

The Mirador Basin is the largest tropical forest reserve in America north of the Amazon, and as he has discovered, possibly the cradle of the Maya civilisation. His dream is to declare the whole area a National Monument, and that the United Nations proclaim it a World Heritage Site.

But not everyone is happy with this idea. It is uncertain whether nature or archaeology is more damaged by the greed of humanity. Loggers cut 400-year old trees to make fancy furniture in North America and Europe, and at the same time, incalculable treasures are looted from Maya archaeological sites and resold in the "art" markets of the world.

Once the forest and sites are protected, work can start on obtaining funding for clearing and restoring the cities presently buried under dense vegetation. There is no doubt that these magnificent sites rival Tikal in many ways, yet they are a thousand years older. This early flowering of the Maya culture was a surprise to many, and gives these sites quite a different aspect.

The only way to maintain the integrity of this area is to prohibit all road access. This of course means that at present only the fit, willing to hike and camp in tropical forest; or the wealthy, who may charter helicopters from Flores, are able to visit this area.

Hopefully before all is lost, a solution can be found that can make this area accessible for the rest of us.

[bedouin77]

I am looking for some tough hikers who are interested in joining me on a number of hikes into the El Mirador region. I am planning my 5-day Mirador hikes on the following dates:
2010. November 14-18
2010. Nov. 27 - Dec. 1.
The cost is about US$100 per person for the 5(-6) day trek. There are no mules, we will carry our own supplies, but the guide, a native English speaker has done this many times.
More info: 55226499 (Guatemala) or email: bedoun77@gmail.com