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Published: April 4th 2006
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We're back, and it is day 3 of the father and son expedition through the ancient land of the Mayans. We said our farewell to the Rio Dulce and saddled up for another exciting bus ride across the country. On this occasion, we were not the only gringos along for the ride. There was one other couple by the names of Sue and Biff Johnson (a classic name). Poor Biff and Sue didn't know what was in store when they decided to travel across Guatemala by bus. The sweat soaked, long sleeve shirt and look across Biff's face was priceless. These greyhound style buses are all on their last leg. Most of the overhead compartments are broken and hanging open, a number of the windows are cracked or shattered, passengers fill up the center aisle, and you occasionally catch a glimpse of a roach or two scampering across the wall. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that there is no A/C to relieve the humidity of the jungle. As crude as this sounds, this is still a luxury compared to the chicken bus. Along the way, Biff nearly freaked out, the unripe fruit I had carried for the past four days
was confiscated at a check point, and Dad was nearly decapitated by a passing semi-truck, but aside from that all was lovely. The four hour trip ended in Santa Elena, which is directly across the water from Flores. The second we stepped off of the bus we were swarmed by taxi drivers. I quickly hushed them all by raising my hand and then informed them to leave us alone. There was this funny looking character (Rahul) that spoke English and was quoting some extremely low prices for hotels and transportation to Tikal. We summoned him over and questioned the validity of what he was claiming. Much to his surprise, I pulled out my cell phone to confirm the hotel prices. Soon I discovered that the actual costs were more than double what he was claiming. This is about the time my Dad and I started having some fun. -“They must have just hit peak season.” -“The tax in the Tikal region must be 110%.” -“They must have just upgraded to 5 Star status.” …..and so forth. He tried to stutter his way out of it but we were too quick. We actually didn’t think it was too outrageous so we
went ahead and booked a room. We also tipped poor ole Rahul just for the fun we had with him and because we left him in a baffled, speechless state.
We arrived at the
Tikal Inn just in time to make our way out to the ruins for sunset. Few people had gathered atop the temple of El Mundo Perdido (The Lost World) to watch as the sun dropped below the horizon. As darkness crept in, the Howler monkeys roared (sounds like the roar of lions, no joke) and parrots fluttered all around from branch to branch. The sunset was absolutely beautiful, especially with the presence of Mayan Temples towering above the tree line. Dad and I just sat there and imagined what it must have been like when tribes inhabited the area.
We crawled out of bed early the next morning, ate our complimentary breakfast, and headed out to the ruins. The structures of Tikal date back date to 700-200 BC and are surrounded by jungle and giant Cieba trees. Swinging about the jungle canopy are Howler (rarely seen but definitely heard) and Spider monkeys. We spent most of our morning off on side trails chasing down monkeys.
They were tough to get pictures of because they were constantly moving or behind branches and foliage. We ran into a family of monkeys, which had three little babies just bouncing about the tree tops. The critters on the ground were just as interesting. Dad and I watched as thousands of Cutter ants marched single file through the brush clearing everything in there path. We also came across a scorpion, which of course I had to prod with a twig and irritate into a fight. There was one point in the day when numerous Howler monkeys were all roaring at once. It was awesome! The fierce sound echoed through the jungle.
The panoramic views you get from the tops of the temples and the sounds of wildlife that surround them are breathtaking. Each temple had a different purpose and a different story. Just seeing where they used to offer people up as a sacrifice was wild. The area was thought to have had a population of around 100,000, which was amazing to think about as I looked out over the ruins. They used to play games similar to soccer against other tribes, and the team that lost was tortured
and killed. This would probably happen in Tennessee at the UT games if it were allowed. The kings that ruled over the centuries all had very unique names such as King Great Jaguar Paw, Moon Double Comb, and Yax Moch Xoc. All of them great names, but I'm going to have to say my favorite so far is Biff Johnson. Speaking of, we ran into the couple as they were taking a group tour and they informed us that they would be flying back to Guatemala City, no more bus travel. I bet old Biff can't wait to get back home to his country club and favorite golf course.
Dad and I were told when entering the park that it would take 2-3 days to see everything. Well, we knocked it out in just under 4 hours. We accomplished this by reading up on Tikal prior, plus Dad had been on a tour here before, and we are some serious speed walkers. So after we had finished our tour, we grabbed our bags and hopped a shuttle back to Flores. The island of Flores sits in the waters of Lago de Peten Itza. A causeway connects the island
The View from Temple IV
This was the planet of Endor view in Star Wars Return of the Jedi. - May the Force be with you! to the lakeshore town of Santa Elena. Flores is a tourist haven with no Guatemalan housing at all; only restaurants, shops, and travel agencies. It is also not cheap, so backpackers beware. The island is more like a European community than it is Guatemalan. Although, I must say that we did get some good food in our system. We found us a nice covered patio sitting lakeside, enjoyed the breeze and sipped on some fruit smoothies. When we felt like leaving the island for a spell and seeing Santa Elena, we just waved down a Tuk Tuk (a small three-wheeled cart) and off we went. There really wasn't much to see in Santa Elena. It is mainly just a go between for transportation to Tikal and Belize City. Back in Flores, we set transportation to Belize, got some laundry done, and chowed on some tacos and burritos at our hotel restaurant.
Well, another few days has flown by and we're about to cross the Guatemalan border into Belize. We can't wait to cool off in the Caribbean and explore the barrier reef. I just want to give a quick recommendation to travelers. I highly recommend staying in Tikal rather
than shuttling from Flores. If you get to the park after 3pm, you don't have to buy an entrance ticket (50Q) for that day. This allows you to go catch the sunset at El Mundo Perdido with almost no tourists around. Also, at sunset and in the early morning the wildlife is out and about the most because the tourists are not. So, definitely spend the extra money (or stay in thier campground), it is totally worth it. Well, we are off to bask in the Caribbean sun. Oh yeah, I finally found out why people are always firing off fireworks between 4am and 6am in the morning. This is a tradition done for people's birthday. They wake them up to the deafening sound of explosions. Just think, everyday is someone’s birthday down here, love that tradition! See Ya!!!
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Josh Yarbrough
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Biff
Biff is still not as good as Seabass, but close. Also, we all voted and decided you have become your father's twin. Adios and enjoy.