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Published: March 17th 2005
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Rebel Base
Why am I wearing a downhill skiing helmet? Tikal, immortalised forever in pop culture as the rebel base in Star Wars, a few seconds of celluloid imprinting it indelibly on the visual cortex of geekdom. I was no exception, and instantly recognized the view this morning when we had clambered up 200 odd steps to the top of one of the temples. Looking out, I could almost see the Millenium Falcon swooping in to deliver the plans and the princess.
We arrived in Tikal late yesterday afternoon, expecting to secure cheap accomodation that our guide book assured us was available. No fools, though, the Guatemalans, they had torn down the bungalows in the campground that were our first objective. Lacking a tent and the desire to sleep in the open with the howler monkeys, tarantulas, and sundry other large insects, we were forced to head to a hotel that claimed to rent hammocks. But not only were the hammocks gone, the hotel itself was full, as was the next one we checked. Starting to sweat, we headed to the most expensive place in the compound. There, for only $86 dollars US, we were permitted to share a small bungalow with one large spider. Preferring one large spider to a jungle full of animals and insects of various descriptions, we sprung for the room.
Having thus blown our accomodation budget for the week, we were determined to make the most of our night near the ruins. Despite the fact that it was five past six, closing time in the park, we headed off to see what we could see before it got too dark. Passing the odd couple stragglers leaving the ruins, but happily seeing no park rangers, we headed briskly down the path that, as far as we could tell, led to the main body of ruins 20 minutes into the jungle. Arriving in twilight and alone, we contemplated the piles of rubble that rose ghostlike out of the jungle floor. Walking slowly through the complex of roofless hallways and crumbling courtyards, we came upon a small hill. Under the tree roots, large square rocks lay at broken angles, clearly marking this hill as another, unexposed ancient temple or house. Climbing over it, I looked for the rest of the ruins but found only small jungle pathways. Clearly this was not the ruins complex we thought we had come to see.
Heading back, we saw another path veering to the right. Convinced that this must lead to the main area, and still having plenty of light, we headed off, deeper into the jungle. But ten minutes in the light was fading. Another ten minutes and it was nearly dark, and the path led into the gloom with no sign of arriving anywhere. Vanessa pointed out that besides the friendly spider monkeys, the small tarantulas, and the harmless wild turkeys crashing through the brush around us, there were supposed to be jaguars and pumas in this park. Probably not near the Tikal ruins themselves, but nonetheless. So we turned around and started heading back.
In reality, I was more concerned with the thought of human predators. But as we walked, the jungle got darker, and it got noisier. While my rational mind assured me that anything out there would be making a bee line away from me, my imagination turned every thump and crash into some unanticipated creature. As the light drained finally and completely from the sky, the jungle became uncomfortably quiet, the path just visible thanks to the moon. We were now walking just slow enough to convince ourselves we weren't running, while scanning the darkness ahead for any sign of danger. As usual, in these situations, the return trip seemed to take forever, and we were just about convinced we'd taken a wrong turn when we emerged into the large cleared compound where the hotels clustered.
The next morning we headed back into the park at daybreak. The next five hours were spent happily clambering up and down almost vertical temples, admiring the jungle (by daylight), and generally exhausting ourselves. Tikal is a magical spot, largely because unlike other Mayan sites, they have not razed the jungle between the various excavations. So you get some sense, as you emerge from the jungle to behold these enormous monuments, of what it was like for the first european explorers who "discovered" them, or for the generations of Maya who, after abandoning the city 1000 years ago, continued to return here year after year to perform certain sacred ceremonies. And as you climb each of the temples, emerging above the treetops to look at the roof of the jungle and the towering monuments poking out from it, you realize that here, a thousand years ago, was a city far beyond anything in Europe at that time, save perhaps the ruins of Ancient Rome. And you wonder what happened.
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Scott
non-member comment
Now that's funny
I've been to Tikal 3 times now and everytime I go I have to hike to the top of Temple 4 and check out the Star Wars view. Thanks for the photo.