GUATEMALA:EL REMATE: lazy rainy days, and tikal

  EL REMATE, Guatemala
Saturday, October 18, 2008

we travel around the lake for 30 minutes and settle in alittle village called el remate.  its just got a few shops and restaurants on, but is quiet enough and clam for us to be happy.the hostel we stay at is set up above the lake, and hs a number of english people staying there...not like the brits on tour, but similar people to matt and myself, relaxed, and wanting to hear each others tales.  we sit and chat with sam, shell and wayne, playing a cool card game called wizard...getting into central merican time quite easily...

our hostel

on saturday we went up to tikal...it was meant to be one of the largest settements around 550ad, with some of the tallest pyramids, all set in dense jungle, miles from anywhere...
we amuse ourselves on the journey up as we pass signs that have jaguars on..beware!  snakes, stags and even geese... we chuckle as in england we get signs for sheep, cows etc... fancy coming across as jag! possible though around here...sa we drive further into the jungle you can see why!

i am glad i have packed my waterproofs as the heavens open as we get there..the small paths that lead us to the pyramids become small rivers... and i´m glad my shoes are waterproof and have good grip, sa matt goes a over t... if you know what i mean.

tis raining tis pouring..

the temples are big and are set in amongst lots of jungle..we terrify ourselves at the site of a HUGE!  spider with red fangs and it even had a skull on its back!  not sure if we should have been getting that close... think the colour and the skull was enough of  sign... but i felt brave!

the spider...

templ v is huge..not only that..but here in central america, they have no health and safety laws...the only way to get up the temple of 50m or so, is to climb up the narrow ladders, which are so steep ,

temple V steps.-..crazy!

slippery and not safe at all...the boys go up whilst shel and i look on... but on hearing that you can see monkeys up there i crawl up...you should have seen me at the top!  i was clinging to the sides of the pyramid..nothing to do with the fact you only had a metre to stand on at the top..and then a huge fall...i did see the monkeys really close though ..so worth it!

how high we were..you can see matt and shell

on climbing temple IV we see more monkeys,a coatis..(like a racoon) a toucan which is so vividly yellow and even stand and do a shot from star wars...not that i have seen the film..lol..matt was disgusted when i even said star trek..oh the sin! lol...

star wars..i think

twas a good day...we head back for a warm shower, food and a rest..weve walked a fair distance again today.