Holiday in ruins

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FRENCH

Le réveil sonne. Il est 2.45 du mat'. Une fois de plus, je me fais violence: je m'arrache du lit et me traine jusqu'au minibus (J'ai toujours eu un peu de mal le matin...) alors que Jason, lui, est tout souriant et radieux. Après une heure de transport dans un état de semi-coma, on arrive à Tikal. Puis, c'est 40 minutes de marche dans l'obscurité à travers les bois jusqu'au pied du temple IV. On gravit les marches. On attend... On attend le lever du soleil... Pas si spectaculaire que ça malheureusement car c'est le brouillard total. Visite sympa mais j'aurais pu rester au lit 6 heures de plus pour voir la même chose...

ANGLAIS

The alarm rang at 02:45. That's early. Before God we think, because we heard him snoring (actually, Nathalie didn't as she was in a semi-coma for a good hour).

The reason for this madness was to see the sun rise over the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal in the jungle of El Peten, north east Guatemala. After an hour minibus ride and a 40 minute hike in the dark banging into trees and stumbling into puddles, our group of 8 reached Temple IV. We climbed the stairs anticipating a peaceful and majestic sunrise but found 15 or so other early risers already sat on the pyramid. We waited.....for another 50 odd camera toters to clamber up. We waited.....the low mist and cloud slowly rising so we could just make out the next temple. Then the mist descended again, so no sunrise, but what we did get were all the sounds of the jungle waking up. All sorts of insects, birds and monkeys croaking, whistling and roaring to a surprising crescendo after the almost silent start.

The guided tour that followed was good but was more about the flora and fauna than the ruins and what we did learn about the ruins and Mayan society had to be decoded from the guide's weird riddle-like narrative. The animal sounds at dawn and the troupe of mini-anteater things made it worth it though.

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Photos

...and the crowd waits
...et la foule attend

..to see this pillar in the mist
...pour voir ceci dans le brouillard du matin.

Above the tree line from Temple V
De la jungle à perte de vue

Temple III from the great pyramid
It's not little, it's far.
(Ce n'est pas petit, c'est loin.)

La Ceiba
L'arbre sacré des Mayas