http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Guatemala , El Peten en-us Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:08:41 +0000 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:08:41 +0000 Taking a break from the rigors of Organic Chem and the balmy slightly subtropical breezes of December in Chicago I decided to check out some of Central America this winter break that is before meeting up with my family in Cancun for the traditional Bernard Christmas of lights on a palm tree and chips and salsa happy hour feasts. Leaving on the 200 a.m. red eye I had no other option but to he http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-460249.html BE SURE TO VIEW THE EXTRA PHOTOS ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS TEXT Today we woke up at 4am and by 5am we were out the door to pick up Lydia Max and Ivy and head out to the airport. We arrived at the airport at 605am for our 630am domestic flight to Tikal. Much to our surprise we were told that we couldnt board the plane because they had closed the http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-435328.html sd http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Flores/blog-420733.html Hace unos aos en un programa de radio tuve la fortuna de ganar un viaje estupendo para dos personas a la Riviera Maya . Slo tena que responder una pregunta El nombre de una ciudad muy antigua con enormes edificios que aun existen en la actualidad pero que fue abandonada por sus habitantes de forma misteriosa. Quizs a primera vista no pareciera fcil la respuesta pero di la casualidad http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-419863.html wow imaginez 40C humidit 100 la jungle perte de vue et des temples mayas qui surgissent partout par del les arbres o s'batent perroquets toucans singes...magnifique norme a voir absolument dans sa vie guatemala 2002 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-390046.html encore un superbe lac fleur de jungle... quelques kilomtres du Belize...guatemala 2002 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/blog-390045.html eo eoeo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-379429.html Behold the mighty Tikal We decided to take the back route to Tikal from Coban via a town named Chisec where there were supposed less visited touristic attractions.Well we can tell you why they are less visited the attractions are overpriced and quite frankly boring the town of Chisec itself I guess is ok but has no tourist infrastructure apart from an overpriced hotel that we now wish we ha http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-379172.html At the heart of tropical El Peten lies the tourist hub of Flores. A small island on Lago Peten Itza a causeway separating an idyllic bubble from the dirt and crime of the mainland. Flores serves as a base for the hordes that spend a couple of nights here to visit Tikal. I ended up spending a week in the hostel Los Amigos mainly because the food was so good but also psyching myself up for the http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Flores/blog-377944.html We took a shuttle from Antigua to Guatemala City then a ten hour bus to Flores in the El Peten region of Guatemala. Flores is often used as a base to visit the Tikal ruins. It is a sleepy little lake island with a bridge to the mainland we can walk all the way around the island in about 15 minutes. We booked a tour to Tikal leaving at 4am since we have a better chance of seeing animals in t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-374037.html The Mirador Basin is an area of pristine tropical forest geographically defined on the west south and east by a low range of karstic mountains and bordered on the north by the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. The Mirador Basin covers 2169 square kilometers about four times the area of Tikal National Park and a little less than the area of Rhode Island. The Mirador Basin is located in the e http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/blog-373501.html Tikal is a national park and preHispanic Mayan ruin site in the northern Guatemalan department of El Peten. The park and ruin site is easily accessible by private vehicle bus or tour group from cities throughout Guatemala Belize and Mexico.Upon entering the park vehicles must register at the entrance gate. Within the park there are three hotels and a camping area with bathrooms wash area an http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-369037.html Wednesday January 21st we drove north to the Peten which is the largest most visited and least populated department similar to a state in all of Guatemala. Our first stop was the archaeological site of Ixcun accessed through the town of Dolores. The town has a small museum featuring a collection of preHispanic artifacts from the region. Admission was minimal. To get to Ixcun one must http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/blog-369027.html The flyer from Mundo Maya sounded confident and filled with opportunity for activities from regional cooking to canoeing round the lake. I signed up for a week's worth 20 hours schooling and a week with a family in San Jose.My new 'Mum' was Mirtala she showed me around the family home. It consisted of two concrete and breeze block buildings. The first being the main home had two 'bedrooms' s http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Flores/blog-355426.html We've not updated for a while due to being sooooo busy so we'll make this one a short update so not to bore anyone too muchSo First stop in Guatemala was Lake Atitlain and the hippy town of Panajachel we liked it here and we understood why so many people just stayed the lake is amazing So Gorgeous We spant the fisrt day checking out the town and the surrounding lake and then the 2nd day we http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Tikal/blog-353550.html The Night of Terror began at dinner. It was the first night since staying with our host family in San Jose that I parted from being veggie. I had a traditional Guatemalan dish a bowl of soup containing a whole fish its head and tail sticking up out of the soup at either side. Well I asked for it The disection began. As the fish gave me a look of defiance I glanced up at the rafter over the ki http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/blog-349782.html Theres nothing wrong with a beer and a slice of lime. It must have taken off in Eire around the 90s. First consumed by the cool ones. And then the suits on Friday nights in town stuffing city bars after a weeks work. Now beer and lime is popular almost everywhere. I quite like a cool bottle of beer with lime.But when youre given beer lime AND salt on the sideJessica and I looked at one anot http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/blog-349776.html Bundled into a colectivo 10seater minivans that act as buses crammed with 24 Guatemalans James and I found our way to San Jose a half hour around the Peten Itza lake from Santa Elena. We headed out to the small quiet town to learn Spanish and stay with a family.Les gustan los nios Do you like children asked the school director Glenda a lady who had an unnerving constant surprised smil http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/blog-349442.html Ran out of time yesterday so will fill you in on the last 24 We were planning to go to a reserve in El Remate yesterday and camp there the night but we got talking to a local who said it's pretty dodgy and there have been cases of muggings and assault as it is pretty isolated. We headed there just for the day instead and felt quite disappointed at the entrance as prices had doubled and the beach http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Flores/blog-349405.html HiGot to Belize City late night and met some pretty crazy people including Prince Charles Paris III who sounded like one of the most educated people I have ever met not too mention one of the most insane. The hostel we stayed at was right over the river and the people were really friendly in fact everyone in Belize is It is an absolutely fantastic city and beautiful in a very different way.W http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/El-Peten/Flores/blog-349160.html