Semana Santa, Tikal
Trip Start
Jan 04, 2008
1
31
59
Trip End
Jul 16, 2008
Flores,
Guatemala
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Belize, Gerardo, Nathan, Alex, and I moved on to Guatemala. As I mentioned, Belize is very
unpopulated. The views from Belize to Guatemala consist almost
entirely of jungle and banana plantations.
We arrived in Flores, which is actually an island in the middle of a
beautiful lake. Flores was a
jumping off point for Tikal, the Mayan ruins but ended up being a fun little city on its own.
Tikal is
considered some of the most significant Mayan ruins and boasts temples dating
back to 700 BC
Claudia
. Some of the temples havestaircases that can be climbed, offering amazing views of the jungle and other
structures. The ruins are fascinating
but I wish that I knew more about Mayan culture and history to better
appreciate the site. I have to admit
that my favorite part of Tikal was the long walks through the jungle. Tikal is one of the only sites that still
remain in the jungle. The towers are set
far apart and to see them all is about a six mile walk. In America, Tikal would be packed with tour
buses and other motorized vehicles.
Walking is still in fashion here which I love! Noises mimicking the dinosaurs in Jurassic
Park can be heard along the way. There
are no dinosaurs but plenty of howler monkeys that literally "howl". Spider monkeys swing from the trees as
well. We also saw pizotes, similar to
raccoons but with longer faces and tails.
