Tikal Mayan Ruins Guatemala

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The Peten Inza lake looks like the caribbean sea from the air. I was a little confused when I saw the clear and turquoise water. La isla of Flores is a wonderful place to stay when exploring the ruins of Tikal. There isn't much to do but take in the lake, have some atoles (drinks like horchata and tamarindo) and tostadas and maybe go for a Tuk-Tuk ride but the ambiance gives you a nice taste of the Guatemalan countryside. We were lucky enough to find a festival on the river with music, piñata’s and lots of local food including empanadas made with Xiquinche, mushrooms that only grow after a big rain this time of year. Some would advise against eating street food but as long as what you’re eating is cooked I say it's a must if you want to indulge all the senses in local culture. Things are very inexpensive in Guatemala. The three of us ate dinner for under 5USD.

When booking your tour of Tikal there is no need to get a package (transportation-entry and guide). Just buy a bus ticket at a travel agency (10USD), there's one on the island and one across the bridge called San Juan. It takes about an hour to get to Tikal from Flores and when you arrive at the gate, the bus will stop for you to buy your ticket (18USD). At the visitor center there are licensed guides. They too will bargain with you. Our 1st offer for a private tour was 65USD but we paid 300,000 quetzales (about 37 USD).

Tikal is huge. 36 square miles to be exact. Most of the sites have not been uncovered. They are better preserved that way, we were told. The area has lots of clear signage, which is nice, but the distance and terrain between to places can be pretty treacherous. Plan on spending a good 4-5 hours just seeing the main sights and climbing the highest temple (templo IV), a must for the view above the canopy with the top of each temple and pyramid poking out.



While checking out each massive structure and trying to wrap your mind around how they were built with out the wheel, there is lots of history to hear. I’m sure every guide tells a different story and I am by no means an expert on history, but hearing it while you are there brings the place to life.



The Mayans lived in Tikal from around 1000 B.C. to 900 A.D. In 300 B.C. the population started to grow. Tikal thrived for a long time. The proof of this is each monumental pyramid. In front of each temple you will see large tombstone shaped stones that were used to keep time using astrology. Each Mayan period is 5,000 years and the next one starts in December 2012. In front of the temples there is also an alter space where sacrifices were made. It was an honor to be sacrificed. The winner of the ball game was scarified. Now the modern Mayans use the space for rituals. The courts where they played ball were much smaller than I imaged. You can also visit the grounds where they slept and ate. I found it much easier to imagine myself as a Mayan here than while looking up the steep steps of Tikal. As we walked through the forest we came across many plants that the Mayans used in various ways. For example birth control comes from the root of a plant that Mayan women used to prevent pregnancy. Many medicinal remedies are copied today in modern medicine but many others can’t be because the remedy has to be prepared when it is needed. Some plants and trees were also used for navigation such as vines that always wrap around the roots of trees facing north. One fun fact that our guide told us was that the Mayans used chocolate as currency. There is a lot to learn from the Mayans.



The fall of Tikal seems like it was a perfect storm. Problem #1 being there wasn’t enough water. As small groups left in search of water the Spanish conquistadores took advantage of their vulnerability. Problem #2 the Mayans had no defense against Spanish weapons. Throw some disease and famine in the mix and it’s the same story throughout Latin America. People still speak several of the indigenous languages of the Mayan times but the numbers drop with each generation.

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