FEBRUARY 2006
Waking up early to an alarm clock of roosters and dogs, we watch the sun break through the dense fog that hangs over the valley. We pile into a combi (minivan) with seven other people and head for the border. The road is paved for the 15-minute ride until we reach customs. Walking through the Belizean side is a breeze, but it is obvious that we are entering another country, with no more English signs and quite a bit more confusion. Our driver takes our passports, disappears for 10 minutes, and returns with entrance stamps intact. We are thankful for this - we have done more than our share of standing in line at border crossings in the past. We notice that a crowded school bus drives back into Belize. Crowded minivans, people waiting for lifts, small kids playing, the smoke from small fires, thatched huts, cement block buildings with tin roofs, tuck shops with convenience items, roaming pigs and dogs, banana and coconut trees all form our first impressions of Guatemala as the paved road turns to dirt. There seems to be more vegetation in these highlands, and we are struck with the same question that comes to us again and again - where do this remind us of? The answer is Cambodia for some reason, perhaps the smallish cattle contently grazing in technicolor green pastures.
Our driver Eva is the first female minivan driver we have ever seen or driven with anywhere. She navigates the road with fearless familiarity. As we pass by schools, there is a festival atmosphere. Turns out to be the Mayan holiday of Tikun Oman, a sort of independence day as best we can figure out. Everyone is dressed up. Driving past El Retiro and Batan Lakes, we enter the rainforest. A thick canopy covers the valley. I close my eyes and breathe in the dewy sweetness of morning, thinking how blessed these people are.
The three-hour drive to Tikal is pleasant. The entrance complex reminds us of Etosha National Park in Namibia, with it's flat ground and white limestone gravel. When we arrive, Hermando, our guide meets us. Group tours are not our first choice, choosing rather to set out on our own path. However, it soon becomes evident that for the next five hours, we have made a good choice. Hermando, a University student, is a wealth of information on flora, fauna, Mayan history, and general anthropology. We are in small group and everyone is pretty easy going. Over the course of the day, we hike 4 miles throughout the park and that just scratches the surface. We see a climbing gray fox, turkeys that look like they were bred with peacocks for their iridescent feathers, howler and spider monkeys, toucans, parrots, and dozens of other colorful birds.
Climbing Temple IV is a right of passage in this park. It's what people who have been tell us we must do. However, we no longer can climb the steep stone steps in the front, as Russ did 16 years ago. The jungle has overtaken them once more. We climb 154 ladder rungs on the side, and at the top are rewarded for our work. The view from this tallest structure is amazing. We sit in reverent awe of the far-reaching dense canopy that we are now above, and can spot the other temples that we will soon walk to.
The civilization at Tikal lasted roughly from 900 BC to 900 AD (the pre-classic to post-classic periods). Seeing so many structures uncovered gives us a good idea of what it must have been like, and Hermando's vivid stories take us back in time. There are far fewer tourists in the park than I would have imagined, and that is very pleasant surprise. We are lucky to have a cloud cover because of the heat and humidity.
As we enter the Mundo Perdido (Lost World), another imposing pyramid awaits us. We walk up another hundred or so steps to the top, which give us a 360-degree panorama. It is a rush to climb up and down these steep steps with nothing to stop our falls. From there, we enter the Gran Plaza, a complex where announcements and proclamations were made. Temple I is at the west end, Temple II faces it on the east end. There are estellas and altars in front depicting warriors, animals, and other scenes of life. Royal living quarters are on one side, and there is a ball court on the other with a huge grassy area in the middle.
Hermando shows us underground storage facilities, Mayan graffiti, and hints of what is still to be excavated. He talks at great length about the theories on why the great Mayan civilizations died out. The most plausible is that they simply overworked the land. They cut down all the trees to build fires to burn the limestone needed to make plaster for the temples and structures that were continually being built. In addition, the poor soil could not sustain crops for the numbers of people. The handwriting in the present day is clear on the wall: What is it that WE are doing to the earth? It is an eerie reminder.
We "call it a Monday" to get some lunch around 2:30. Wonderful grilled chicken, tortillas, rice, and plantains. Discover that Gallo beer is better than Belikan, but the fact that it is cold is the most important. The rest of the group then heads back to Belize and we stay on to spend the night. Checking into the Jungle Lodge is refreshing as we go to the pool, nap, and hang out in the shade.
Just before dusk, we trek back into the park, back to the Gran Plaza to climb Temple II and watch the sun set. We get a closer look at the stellas and peer into smaller structures. We walk through the central and northern acropolises, which are smaller living quarters. It is quiet and it seems that we have the park to ourselves.
On our way back to the lodge, we hear a noise in front of us. Thinking it is a nut that has fallen, Russ shines his flashlight on it. Good thing - it is a red snake of considerable length that has dropped from the tree in front of us. It then climbs up another tree, but not before we can get a really good look at it.
The lodge caters to gringos, mostly Europeans from what we can see. As a result, the menu suffers from a generic vagueness. However, we have tortilla soup, and make it an early evening, only to wake up in the middle of the night to the awful wail of a howler monkey outside our window. Wild.
Waking up early to an alarm clock of roosters and dogs, we watch the sun break through the dense fog that hangs over the valley. We pile into a combi (minivan) with seven other people and head for the border. The road is paved for the 15-minute ride until we reach customs. Walking through the Belizean side is a breeze, but it is obvious that we are entering another country, with no more English signs and quite a bit more confusion. Our driver takes our passports, disappears for 10 minutes, and returns with entrance stamps intact. We are thankful for this - we have done more than our share of standing in line at border crossings in the past. We notice that a crowded school bus drives back into Belize. Crowded minivans, people waiting for lifts, small kids playing, the smoke from small fires, thatched huts, cement block buildings with tin roofs, tuck shops with convenience items, roaming pigs and dogs, banana and coconut trees all form our first impressions of Guatemala as the paved road turns to dirt. There seems to be more vegetation in these highlands, and we are struck with the same question that comes to us again and again - where do this remind us of? The answer is Cambodia for some reason, perhaps the smallish cattle contently grazing in technicolor green pastures.
Our driver Eva is the first female minivan driver we have ever seen or driven with anywhere. She navigates the road with fearless familiarity. As we pass by schools, there is a festival atmosphere. Turns out to be the Mayan holiday of Tikun Oman, a sort of independence day as best we can figure out. Everyone is dressed up. Driving past El Retiro and Batan Lakes, we enter the rainforest. A thick canopy covers the valley. I close my eyes and breathe in the dewy sweetness of morning, thinking how blessed these people are.
The three-hour drive to Tikal is pleasant. The entrance complex reminds us of Etosha National Park in Namibia, with it's flat ground and white limestone gravel. When we arrive, Hermando, our guide meets us. Group tours are not our first choice, choosing rather to set out on our own path. However, it soon becomes evident that for the next five hours, we have made a good choice. Hermando, a University student, is a wealth of information on flora, fauna, Mayan history, and general anthropology. We are in small group and everyone is pretty easy going. Over the course of the day, we hike 4 miles throughout the park and that just scratches the surface. We see a climbing gray fox, turkeys that look like they were bred with peacocks for their iridescent feathers, howler and spider monkeys, toucans, parrots, and dozens of other colorful birds.
Climbing Temple IV is a right of passage in this park. It's what people who have been tell us we must do. However, we no longer can climb the steep stone steps in the front, as Russ did 16 years ago. The jungle has overtaken them once more. We climb 154 ladder rungs on the side, and at the top are rewarded for our work. The view from this tallest structure is amazing. We sit in reverent awe of the far-reaching dense canopy that we are now above, and can spot the other temples that we will soon walk to.
The civilization at Tikal lasted roughly from 900 BC to 900 AD (the pre-classic to post-classic periods). Seeing so many structures uncovered gives us a good idea of what it must have been like, and Hermando's vivid stories take us back in time. There are far fewer tourists in the park than I would have imagined, and that is very pleasant surprise. We are lucky to have a cloud cover because of the heat and humidity.
As we enter the Mundo Perdido (Lost World), another imposing pyramid awaits us. We walk up another hundred or so steps to the top, which give us a 360-degree panorama. It is a rush to climb up and down these steep steps with nothing to stop our falls. From there, we enter the Gran Plaza, a complex where announcements and proclamations were made. Temple I is at the west end, Temple II faces it on the east end. There are estellas and altars in front depicting warriors, animals, and other scenes of life. Royal living quarters are on one side, and there is a ball court on the other with a huge grassy area in the middle.
Hermando shows us underground storage facilities, Mayan graffiti, and hints of what is still to be excavated. He talks at great length about the theories on why the great Mayan civilizations died out. The most plausible is that they simply overworked the land. They cut down all the trees to build fires to burn the limestone needed to make plaster for the temples and structures that were continually being built. In addition, the poor soil could not sustain crops for the numbers of people. The handwriting in the present day is clear on the wall: What is it that WE are doing to the earth? It is an eerie reminder.
We "call it a Monday" to get some lunch around 2:30. Wonderful grilled chicken, tortillas, rice, and plantains. Discover that Gallo beer is better than Belikan, but the fact that it is cold is the most important. The rest of the group then heads back to Belize and we stay on to spend the night. Checking into the Jungle Lodge is refreshing as we go to the pool, nap, and hang out in the shade.
Just before dusk, we trek back into the park, back to the Gran Plaza to climb Temple II and watch the sun set. We get a closer look at the stellas and peer into smaller structures. We walk through the central and northern acropolises, which are smaller living quarters. It is quiet and it seems that we have the park to ourselves.
On our way back to the lodge, we hear a noise in front of us. Thinking it is a nut that has fallen, Russ shines his flashlight on it. Good thing - it is a red snake of considerable length that has dropped from the tree in front of us. It then climbs up another tree, but not before we can get a really good look at it.
The lodge caters to gringos, mostly Europeans from what we can see. As a result, the menu suffers from a generic vagueness. However, we have tortilla soup, and make it an early evening, only to wake up in the middle of the night to the awful wail of a howler monkey outside our window. Wild.
We wake up at 5 am to head back into the park before
sunrise. With headlamps strapped on, we head straight for Temple IV, only to
find 15 or so people already at the top. After sitting for a reasonable time, reflecting
in the quiet, still damp vista before us, we climb down and venture over to
Temple V. Out of the whole of the park, I am most impressed with this
structure. Newly renovated to its former splendor, it is imposing. And no one
else is around. It is only our tired legs that prevent us from climbing to the
top. Nearby is Temple VII, under a yellow tarp, waiting to be rescued from the
grips of the jungle. In the dew of the morning, we see toucans, parrots,
monkeys, and turkeys, but sense there could be a jaguar lurking somewhere.
After a breakfast of tortillas, eggs, and watermelon juice, we walk over to the museum, which contains pottery, jewelry, jade, cutting instruments, and the first skeleton and all of its trappings recovered at Temple I. There are also a few stellas in excellent condition. We walk around some more, buy a few curios, and then in the late morning, leave the park. Time is too short, we think. We travel towards Belize, via the small island community of Flores, where we need to pick up a couple of people. Flores looks a fun place to hang out, but probably without much to do after eating and shopping.
After a long yet scenic drive, we are dropped off at the border and find a taxi to take us back to San Ignacio. We are hot and tired. Rum punch awaits us, and it is nice to sip in the shade. We are not on a schedule, so when we are hungry, we head down the hill into town. I am amazed at the number of Chinese owned shops and supermarkets in town - there almost seems to be a monopoly. For dinner, we settle on the obligatory Eva's - a recommended watering hole for expats, with decent food. We walk around town in the dusk of the day and then begin the slow sojourn back to our thatched hut on the hill. We sleep soundly.
After a breakfast of tortillas, eggs, and watermelon juice, we walk over to the museum, which contains pottery, jewelry, jade, cutting instruments, and the first skeleton and all of its trappings recovered at Temple I. There are also a few stellas in excellent condition. We walk around some more, buy a few curios, and then in the late morning, leave the park. Time is too short, we think. We travel towards Belize, via the small island community of Flores, where we need to pick up a couple of people. Flores looks a fun place to hang out, but probably without much to do after eating and shopping.
After a long yet scenic drive, we are dropped off at the border and find a taxi to take us back to San Ignacio. We are hot and tired. Rum punch awaits us, and it is nice to sip in the shade. We are not on a schedule, so when we are hungry, we head down the hill into town. I am amazed at the number of Chinese owned shops and supermarkets in town - there almost seems to be a monopoly. For dinner, we settle on the obligatory Eva's - a recommended watering hole for expats, with decent food. We walk around town in the dusk of the day and then begin the slow sojourn back to our thatched hut on the hill. We sleep soundly.
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