Mayan Ruins at Tikal
Trip Start
Jan 12, 2008
1
19
21
Trip End
May 05, 2008
Tikal National Park,
Tikal National Park,
Guatemala
Thursday, April 17, 2008
One of many paths
Here are a few pictures from Tikal. This is the first Mayan site I have been to and I loved it! 
Monkey in trees
I took 4 buses and spent 19 hours traveling from Lake Atitlan to Tikal. That included a restless sleep and sore neck from an overnight bus. 
Temple II
Tikal was settled by the Mayans around 700 BC. Reaching it's peak in power 700 to 900 AD, there were over 100,000 people living there. Their biggest rival was Caracol in Southwest Belize. Abandoned sometime after 900 AD. Rediscovered in 1848. It became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979. Tikal is a 550 square kilometer park with more than 4000 separate ruins.
Stairs up Temple II
My first impressions: walking through the jungle on dirt paths, monkeys swinging in the trees above, birds calling, hot sun sweat trickling down my back, peering through the brush at a stone shape, a pyramid breaking out of the tree tops, steep stone stairs, smoke from a small fire.
Me with Temple I behind
As I walked along the jungle paths it is easy to imagine myself as being one of the first explorers to see a temple. While some are being restored, other temples are still inaccessible, built on high mounds, only their tops can be seen through gaps in the trees.
Acropolis del Norte
I find my self looking at each mound I pass, wondering if it is covering another building, a building which has been buried for over 1,000 years. 
Stone face on Acropolis del Norte
Two temples face each other across a grassy court, more buildings on the other two sides. These were named Temples I and II facing each other across the Grand Plaza. One is closed to climbing, but the other can be mounted by wood stairs for a good view.Next stop Belize!
Acropolis del Norte
Restoration work on Temple IV
Looking out at Temples I, II and V
Comments
Helllooo Jimbooo
Looks pretty cool! Wish I was there. Been nice here. Still no tracks in the snow by your boat - Been sunny last week or so, we had 10' of snow a week ago, record breaking, then *Spring!* So now we all have tans like you do. A Avalanche wiped out the power from the Dam down south, so we are in a crisis! The city is burning 1 Million dollars worth of diesel fuel every 2-1/2 days on back up generators, and our power costs are up 5 times over. I hope you didn't leave your heater on, or you may have to go back to work for DOT to pay the power bill! They have shut of half the city lights, and elevators, and all kinds of stuff. Don't worry, your power is still ON! -Levon-