Tikal and a bus ride
The sound came through the darkness of the night. A knock on the door followed in a couple of minutes by electricity that only last 15 minutes. It felt different than waking up in a nice hotel with a swimming pool and restaurant, however in these jungle the need to conserve electricity brought the hotel to a unique way of operating. We gathered as a group of about 15 people and walked to the gate of the ruins with the moon lighting the way down the path. All the animals were still quite and there was a hushed tone in everyones voice. The guard had over slept and so we had to wait longer than we had planned but did finally get into the ruins.
We walked up small paths seeing stones and mounds on either side of us. We came to a clearing with a huge structure before us. It was temple 4 of the Tikal ruins. We began climbing the wooden ladder on the side of the stairs that ascended by atleast 150 ft to the top. We all sat down on the ledge of the temple as the mist was rising from the forest canopy. We walked around to the back of the temple to see parrots fly from tree to tree and sat with our feet dangling over the edge waiting for the mystical city of the Maya to appear before. us.
After an hour on the temple we climbed down and began walking through the site. We passed the seven temples, mundo perdido and climbed to the top of the temple of the sun. We saw woodpeckers, parrots, tuscans, wild turkeys along the way. Our guide Richard gave us leaves to eat and explained the herbal benefits of different plants. Walking through the jungle under the canopy on our way back to the hotel we saw a few howler monkeys in the trees and much of our group set off in the jungle to track them down. Myself and another guy from Broklyn stayed behind and investigated some tunnel openings along the trail that archeologists had made.
After the morning tour and eating a nice breakfast with the rest of the hotel guests which included Rich and Lori from Honduras, a man who was a geocacher, and a couple from the chech republic, we decided to take a private tour of the ruins with a man who spent most of his life studing the maya. He worked as a guide for guests of Francis Ford Coppala's resort in nearby Belize among other distinctions. He was a great asset to have walk through the site with us for 4 hours. The only problem with the time there was the incredible heat og the region. That was most likely the hottest place we have ever been to.
After the tour, which emphasized the spirtual relm of the Maya, we grabbed our bags from the hotel, showered in a room even though we had already checked out and waited for the bus to Santa Elena that would serve as the transfer point to buses to Guatemala City. The driver awoke from his nap and put our bags on the top of the minivan, and we climbed in with a bunch of American college students packing through central america and the couple from the chech republic. No sooner than leaving the gates of the national park then the engine in the minivan overheated. We pulled over and stood around as the driver and park officials looked over the problem. They decided that pouring some water in the radiator of the diesel would fix the problem. About 5 kilometers later of very slow driving landed us on the side of the road again, the driver pouring more water into the radiator. The sun was setting which was giving us some relief from the heat and a wonderful orange glow through the fields of the Peten province farms. Another slow leg in the minivan put us at a gas station where it was decided by us the passengers that it was now night and we were not even half way to Santa Elena. We needed to get another bus to town.
I spoke with the driverof the overheated minivan and he agreed to let us jump on a bus that would be coming in about a half hour on its way to town. As we waited the college students thought it would be fun to try to get a ride sooner. The few cars that stoppped for them were being driven by drunk people which gave us an indication of the safety on the roads in these rural parts. They decided to wait for the real bus.
The bus came and agreed to help us out. We rode smoothly along the road stopping only once for the driver to make a call on his cell phone. We were actually surprised that he pulled over to do this, but then figured it was because he could hear from the wind blowing through the window. Either way, we were making progress.
I gave the couple from the chech republic bad advice to stay on the bus as it went to Flores, and about an hour later aftergoing with Joe (one of the american guys) in a taxi through town to find a working ATM while we left the girls at the bus station, did we see the couple show up at the bus station saying that that was the location the needed to be at. I felt bad a so paid for their taxi over to Flores to eat dinner. The food made us sick but we wouldn't find that out for a day later. First we had to deal with an overnight bus ride for eight hours to the capital with windows shut and the air conditioning not working very well at all. It was a misrable night. Atleast we made it to the capital and saved a nights expense on hotels.
We walked up small paths seeing stones and mounds on either side of us. We came to a clearing with a huge structure before us. It was temple 4 of the Tikal ruins. We began climbing the wooden ladder on the side of the stairs that ascended by atleast 150 ft to the top. We all sat down on the ledge of the temple as the mist was rising from the forest canopy. We walked around to the back of the temple to see parrots fly from tree to tree and sat with our feet dangling over the edge waiting for the mystical city of the Maya to appear before. us.
After an hour on the temple we climbed down and began walking through the site. We passed the seven temples, mundo perdido and climbed to the top of the temple of the sun. We saw woodpeckers, parrots, tuscans, wild turkeys along the way. Our guide Richard gave us leaves to eat and explained the herbal benefits of different plants. Walking through the jungle under the canopy on our way back to the hotel we saw a few howler monkeys in the trees and much of our group set off in the jungle to track them down. Myself and another guy from Broklyn stayed behind and investigated some tunnel openings along the trail that archeologists had made.
After the morning tour and eating a nice breakfast with the rest of the hotel guests which included Rich and Lori from Honduras, a man who was a geocacher, and a couple from the chech republic, we decided to take a private tour of the ruins with a man who spent most of his life studing the maya. He worked as a guide for guests of Francis Ford Coppala's resort in nearby Belize among other distinctions. He was a great asset to have walk through the site with us for 4 hours. The only problem with the time there was the incredible heat og the region. That was most likely the hottest place we have ever been to.
After the tour, which emphasized the spirtual relm of the Maya, we grabbed our bags from the hotel, showered in a room even though we had already checked out and waited for the bus to Santa Elena that would serve as the transfer point to buses to Guatemala City. The driver awoke from his nap and put our bags on the top of the minivan, and we climbed in with a bunch of American college students packing through central america and the couple from the chech republic. No sooner than leaving the gates of the national park then the engine in the minivan overheated. We pulled over and stood around as the driver and park officials looked over the problem. They decided that pouring some water in the radiator of the diesel would fix the problem. About 5 kilometers later of very slow driving landed us on the side of the road again, the driver pouring more water into the radiator. The sun was setting which was giving us some relief from the heat and a wonderful orange glow through the fields of the Peten province farms. Another slow leg in the minivan put us at a gas station where it was decided by us the passengers that it was now night and we were not even half way to Santa Elena. We needed to get another bus to town.
I spoke with the driverof the overheated minivan and he agreed to let us jump on a bus that would be coming in about a half hour on its way to town. As we waited the college students thought it would be fun to try to get a ride sooner. The few cars that stoppped for them were being driven by drunk people which gave us an indication of the safety on the roads in these rural parts. They decided to wait for the real bus.
The bus came and agreed to help us out. We rode smoothly along the road stopping only once for the driver to make a call on his cell phone. We were actually surprised that he pulled over to do this, but then figured it was because he could hear from the wind blowing through the window. Either way, we were making progress.
I gave the couple from the chech republic bad advice to stay on the bus as it went to Flores, and about an hour later aftergoing with Joe (one of the american guys) in a taxi through town to find a working ATM while we left the girls at the bus station, did we see the couple show up at the bus station saying that that was the location the needed to be at. I felt bad a so paid for their taxi over to Flores to eat dinner. The food made us sick but we wouldn't find that out for a day later. First we had to deal with an overnight bus ride for eight hours to the capital with windows shut and the air conditioning not working very well at all. It was a misrable night. Atleast we made it to the capital and saved a nights expense on hotels.
posted by Aaron @ 10:41 AM
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