Adventures in Guatemala (Part 1) – The Mayan City of Tikal

Deep in the Guatemalan rainforest, about 64 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Flores, Tikal is one of the major sites of Mayan civilization. It was inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 10th century AD, and at its peak, had a population of over 100,000 people.  The Mayans built the city from limestone, much of which is still standing.  Today you can see the remains of temples that tower over 70 meters (230 ft) high, large royal palaces, many smaller pyramids, residences, administrative buildings, platforms and stone monuments.


We left Flores before sunrise, heading for Tikal by van.  At 6am, we were at the park gates along with a dozen or so other vehicles.  After parking the van, it was an uphill walk along a jungle path.  We passed beautiful tall Ceiba trees and then came upon a small ruin by a large pond.  Our guide explained it was a reservoirs that supplied the ancient city and that the park had now restored it to use.

 As crowded as the parking lot was, we didn’t see many other people once we passed the visitors center.  In reality, it was so foggy that morning you couldn’t see more than 30 meters in front of you.  Who knows, other groups might have been all around us.  For me, the mist enhanced the mood.  It gave the ruins a surreal ghostly quality.  It was as if the city could still be alive just out of reach behind the thick haze.

 Later, after climbing to the top of temple IV, the sun burned a hole in the mist.  Within minutes, the sky went from gray to blue and we had a breathtaking view of the rainforest canopy and the ancient city of Tikal.

 The remainder of the day was bright and warm.  We had a chance to see Howler monkeys, toucans and parrots among the ruins.  It was another wonderful 'Adventure in Traveling'.