A world of mystery to explore

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After Antigua I headed up to Flores to visit the great ruins complex of Tikal. On the way though I stopped briefly (in transit) in Guatemala city, late at night. I jumped in a taxi and between bus stations noticed a guy with a shotgun standing on the street. This hasn't been unusual outside banks and the like but this guy was stood outside a very cheap family restaurant. I asked the cab driver (in my pigeon Spanish) why there was a guy with a shotgun outside and he said 'well you know it's a violent place'. To which I said 'yes but it's a restaurant!!' and then he said 'yes but they need it'. So, friendly place then?!

Anyway the next morning I arrived at Tikal where I was spend a night in a tent that I rented from a campsite there, which I was too tall for and even when I lay diagonally across it I still had to bend my legs slightly when lying down.

I was expecting massive ruins that were over run with tourists and tour groups but was pleasantly surprised to find the place was, if you go late in the afternoon or early morning, deserted. It's incredible. So so much has yet to be uncovered and the complex is HUGE. I watched some local maya people for a while doing a ceremony in the center of the grand plaza one night, which shows the place is still very much an active centre of worhship. There was a fire going and they were burning all sorts of things and praying to the four cardinal points/temples.

The first evening I climbed up one of the big pyramids (not the tallest by far but it offers great views - the big one in the lost world complex) and sat down for sunset. I couldn't actually see the sun because it was too cloudy but nevertheless the sky turned red and there were no people to be seen. All I could here was the sound of the jungle around me - and it really is jungle. I boiled myself some water using my little gas stove and had perhaps one of the best latte's ever made in the history of man... Thankyou to whoever invented instant latte!

The next day I got up early and did the same thing - climbed that pyramid and sat down to enjoy the sunrise by myself. After an hour or so though a tour group climbed one of the nearby pyramids and spotted me. I got told off so made my way down and started exploring some more. Later in the morning lots and lots of tour groups come but it's easy to avoid them and, for most of the day, I felt like I had the whole, huge, complex to myself. I'd stop now and again to watch spidermonkeys in the trees or a humming bird drinking pollen or a pair of hornbills hopping through the trees. There's so much wildlife there.

I had wanted to get a guide but bought a little book instead because it was going to be too expensive and I'm so glad I did now. Having the place to myself and being able to take my time was so so good. OK so I didn't perhaps learn as much as I would have with a guide but I learnt other things from the book that a guide would never have told me and the peace and quiet was well worth it. After a tour from a guide I'd have had far less inclination to go around myself afterwards to all the same places and spend time there.

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Photos

Temple
There are several huge temples like this at Tikal -around 60-70m high.

Tree House
I did a 5km walk along one of the nature trails in the park and was the only person to have gone down it in 2 days so had the whole place to myself. Along the way I found this Mirador which is apparently 30m high. It was held to the tree by very dodgy rusty old wire and I most definately did not feel safe but the views were great

Temple
Another of the enormous temples at Tikal

Over the Tree Tops
Looking out over the jungle from the great pyramid as a hornbill flies past.

Jungle
Looking out over the Jungle just after sunrise from the great pyramid

More Jungle
Looking out from Temple IV - The largest temple at Tikal

Central Complex
The area where most of the Kings are buried - During a small Maya Ceremony of some sort.

Sundown
Here I'm boiling a latte on my little camp stove whilst looking out over the jungle surrounding Tikal. Not quite fair to call this a sunset but still I sat on top of the Great Pyramid to watch it get dark and there was no one else around at all. Just the sounds of the jungle - toucans, howler monkeys etc etc. Amazing.

Excavation
Masses of the place is still under excavation with a lot of large temples still completely overgrown lumps of mud where excavation still hasn't started. What secrets are still to be discovered I wonder?

Ruins
Moss and some light vegetation is allowed to grow back over excavated ruins, giving them a cool lost world feeling.

Play time
A gaggle of Spider monkeys larking around in the trees. My favourite monkeys - these guys are always playing stupid games with each other.

Prey
This enormous bird hangs around outside the entrance sometimes. I watched it quite literally stalking the local kids, who were terriffied of it and would have to duck under tables when it flew at them

Hornbill
I saw a lot of different hornbills during my two days there but this is the only photo I managed to get of one.

Humming Bird
I saw a couple of these guys who would always stop at this plant to search for nectar. They were seemingly unconcerned about me even though I was only a couple of metres away.

No biting
I reckon you'd know about it if one of these guys bit you. There are huge troups of ants crossing the paths carrying leaves in places and these soldiers patrol around acting as protection and looking out for trouble. I for one wasn't going to mess with them.