Del Patio Tikal Peten

... 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 ...

... eat lunch and then head back down to cool off in the pools. The day before it had rained all day, so we were incredibly lucky that although the sun wasn’t exactly shining it wasn’t raining.

Nature's Water Park


We started the hike up to the Mirador, which started as a reasonable track that petered out into a muddy path without any real steps climbing steeply up in sharp switch backs. But the reward of the view when we did scramble to the top ...

Sadly we left Caye Caulker and returned to Belize City, where we caught a four-hour bus ride to Flores, Guatemala. The air-conditioned 'first-class' enormo-bus that we paid for turned out to be a NON-air-conditioned mini bus with room for five people. Wasn't too bad until we added five huge bags plus another four people. First lesson here - you don't necessarily get what you pay for and the grand buses in the pictures really only exist ...

... staircase, glaring at all who approach. We climbed
the tallest of all Mayan pyramids, and basked in the glorious veiw.
Archaeologists estimate that there are over 3,000 buildings in Tikal though
most are still covered in creeping vines and towering trees. Four hours of
wandering down jungle paths passed in no time. After seeing most of the park,
we headed to the museums, where we saw beautiful pottery and stelae. These
Tikal National Park, Guatemala amandanlauren

... and they havent cleared much of the jungle around the ruins at all. So its like a rainforest hike with huge ruins thrown in randomly. Climbing the ruins was tough work in th state I was in, but worth it, the view over the jungle was amazing, and the tops of the other ruins jutted out. Amazing! Once I made it back to the hostel, I saw Brendans shoes and things on the bed. He hadnt made it out to the ruins. Apparently by the time he got up the next bus ...

... we are in the middle of the Petén Jungle, in a hotel that has to run generators for electricity and they use charges. Breakfast was very satisfying. We have eaten every meal at the Hotel Jungle Lodge, and every meal has been excellent. We figured that we would have to ruff it and go without for the time we stayed in Tikal. This was not so... We have been pleasantly surprised with the service, meals and accommodations. Canopy Tours Tikal, picked us up at 9:00 AM ...

... Aereos Guatemaltecos) airlines just before 5 AM. Our flight doesn't depart until 6:30 AM. When we arrive only a small group of four people were already waiting for the plane. After 30-40 minutes a group of 30 people arrived. This group consisted of students of a missionary church from ages 16 to 70 years old. They were departing on the flight before our flight. There are two flights daily from Guatemala City to the Petén Jungle. It is good they ...

... shop and is as polite as can be. Later in the week, I got a chance to visit the national park in Tikal, about an hour outside of Peten. Words can't describe just how impressive and aweinspiring this place is becuase the Mayan ruins are huge. My only complaint about Peten and Tikal, which I too agree is being a little spoiled, is that the heat can be unbearable sometimes. But besides that, a definate must see.

... at the refuge. We have 3 giant tarantulas that terrorize the land just outside our door and it is now a regular occurence to find giant scorpions either a) in my bed or b) in the shower. That said, I am having a great time. If the temperature was just a little cooler it would be wonderful but from the news reports I am getting it seems Australia is probably in a worse position than I am. Lots of love and have to get back to work James