Tikal, Guatemala – May 23-24, 2011

We took the shuttle from Poptun to Flores or rather the city just the other side of the causeway from Flores.  Our intention was to get a cab or tuk-tuk to Flores from the shuttle stop but instead we decided to go directly to Tikal.  Several other travelers had told us to stay at the Jungle Lodge because it was right in Tikal National Park, which allowed for more actual touring around the ruins, and because it had a swimming pool, which would be needed after all the touring around the ruins.   So two hours later we arrived at the Jungle Lodge and checked in. 

It was just 3 p.m. and we decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing at the pool instead of heading off to the park on the 3:30 tour going from the hotel.  We hadn’t had lunch yet so really needed to eat.  We went to our room, changed into our bathing suits, went to the restaurant and ordered lunch to be delivered to the pool, then went to the pool and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.  It was wonderful.  The water in the pool is almost too warm but it’s still refreshing.  The monkeys were playing up in the trees for part of the time so they were fun to watch but impossible to get a picture of.  The birds were making beautiful music for our enjoyment.  There are only about a dozen people in the whole resort so it is very quiet.  Some of those people left the next day so by the time we left I think there were only four or five of us left.  We were the only ones in the dining room the final night.

Bedtime came early the first night as we had to be up at 4 a.m. to take the 4:30 a.m. tour through the ruins to Temple IV where we were to watch the sun rise.  There were five of us on the tour – one American and four Canadians.  We all had our flashlights so we could see the way.  I really had no idea where we were walking but I knew there were lots of trees around most of the time.  Occasionally we came to more open places but you couldn’t see what was there.  Only a couple of times did I glimpse a high structure nearby and then it was still too dark to photograph it.  It was slightly foggy as we moved along the trail and eventually after almost an hour of walking we came to Temple IV.  

The temple rose high above us and had trees right around it so that only the top part was really visible to us.  To get to the top to watch the sunrise we had to climb the wooden stairs beside the temple.  As these were nice even steps it was a much easier climb than if we had to use the Mayan steps that are often quite steep, of varying and often great height and very narrow.  Apparently these types of stairs were used on pyramids so people had to keep their heads down to watch where they were going and because their heads should be bowed as the approached the gods at the top. 

Once at the top we joined about 30 other people sitting quietly on the steps down on a very thick green jungle.  Because the fog or mist was so thick, we could just see the tree tops and nothing more.   The sounds were amazing as the various birds awoke and called out their morning greetings.  There was not much action although a couple of birds did fly past at one point.  Instead it was just very relaxing sitting and listening to the sounds of the jungle come alive.  The world gradually got lighter but there really was no sunrise because there was just too much fog.  Two of the folks with us had also been up the day before and they said it was totally different and when the sun rose you could see the rest of the temples in the park and it was really amazing.  Oh well, I guess the rest of us will have to catch that on our next visit.

We went back down about 6:30 to continue our journey through the ruins.  At the bottom our guide gave us a talk about the Mayans and Tikal but I didn’t understand much of it.   He seemed to be jumping all over the place so it was very hard to follow.  Luckily he didn’t stop many times for lengthy explanations but just named sites as we went past for the rest of the trip.  Two of the people left us after we came down Temple IV, the two people who had done the tour the previous day, so that only left three of us and I think the guide lost a bit of his interest.  Sometime before 8 a.m. he left us on our own and assumed we would wander back to the resort for breakfast.  We decided to keep wandering since it was only going to get hotter, and we didn’t get back until almost noon so it was more lunch than breakfast and we had it at the pool once again while we cooled off.  About 4 p.m. we headed off to the ruins again and wandered around until about 7 p.m. when it was getting dark.  I don’t remember seeing a single other person during that time so that should tell you how uncrowded the place was.

Tikal National Park was declared a Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity site by UNESCO in 1979.  It is just one of many historic Mayan sites in the northern part of Guatemala sandwiched between Mexico and Belize in the Peten province.  It is a heavily forested area and many of the archeological sites did not get discovered for years because they were buried in the growth of the forest.   Mirador is a new site even farther north right on the Mexican border that was discovered just in the last decade or two.  It is a huge site and has the largest Mayan pyramid ever found.  We talked to several people who had been to Mirador and said it was really amazing.   However, it involves a four or five-day hike to get there so I was quite willing to skip that site and just enjoy Tikal instead.

Tikal was discovered in 1848.  Much archeological work went on early in the 20^th century and it was finally opened to the public in 1955.  The Mayan civilization dates from 800 BC to 900 AD and Tikal around 750 AD covered about 55 square kilometers.  Ti’-ak-al in Mayan means in the lagoon but it was commonly referred to as the place of the spirit voices.  The reference to the lagoon may refer to the fact that this entire city was built nowhere near a river or lake or other water supply.  They had to collect rain water and save it for use in the dry periods.  In several places we did see drainage ditches that would carry the water to and from the buildings.

Tikal has six main temples and they are imaginatively named Temple I through Temple VI.  However, each does have another name as well.  Temple IV for instance, where we climbed to watch the sun rise, is also called the two-headed snake temple although at this stage I don’t remember why.  It is at the extreme west edge of the complex and is the highest structure in the park at 65 metres.  It was built in 740 AD and apparently if the sun does rise and the mists clear you can see all of the other main structures right in front of you.  Temples I, II and IV are virtually in a straight line from the east to the west of the complex.  Temple III is just off that line and temples V and VI are further to the south.

 Temples I and Ii are at either end of Grand Plaza, which was the main gathering place for the Mayans.  Temple I is also known as the Big Jaguar, is 47 metres high and was built in 700 AD by the then governor whose tomb was found inside the temple.   Temple II or the Mascarones Temple is 38 metres high and was also built in 700 AD by the governor.  Supposedly there is a wooden carving in this temple that looks like the governor’s wife.  Between these two temples is an open grassy area and to the north is the North Acropolis which holds eight funerary temples built over a period of 300 years.  You can climb all over this area and it really is quite large.  Much of it though is still in runs and not complete buildings.  You could climb part way up Temple II but could not climb Temple I at all.

You also could not climb Temple III, the Great Priest Temple.  It is the second highest at 60 metres and has two inner chambers instead of three like temples I and II – not that we ever got to see the inside of any of them.  Temple V is 51 metres high and was built between 550 and 650 AD.  Temple VI or the Inscriptions Temple is the shortest at only 25 metres but the crest carved on the top of the pyramid is over 12 metres high so very impressive.    You could not climb Temple VI but you could climb Temple V.  Well, you didn’t actually climb them temple but rather the very narrow and steep steps built up the side of it.  They were more like a ladder in places but I did make it up and down safely always facing the steps.  I couldn’t turn around and come down them as if they were steps.  They were just too steep for me.  Aside from great views of the ruins in front of you and the jungle around you there really wasn’t anything to see as you couldn’t go into the temples themselves.

I mentioned Acropolis North off the Grand Plaza but there was also Acropolis Central and Acropolis South.  Acropolis Central was just to the south of the Grand Plaza and consisted of many buildings and patios that we assumed were probably part of a residential area.  Acropolis South is farther to the south obviously and it has not yet been fully excavated but there are apparently several palaces surrounding an even larger building that was not identified.  There were also west and east plazas but they have not been excavated fully and the general thought is that these were the market areas.  A couple of palaces have been excavated such as the Palacio de Las Ventanas or windows and the Palacio de Los Cinco Pisos or five somethings.  Don’t you just love the accuracy of this blog?

I’m sure there are other areas I am forgetting as well.  Oh yes, there was the Plaza of the Seven Temples so named because of the seven small temples in the area.  There was also a triple ball playing field, something unique in the whole Mayan area as most are only double playing fields.  There was also a Plaza of the Lost Worlds, so named because the pyramid here was of a totally different design from the rest of Tikal.  The rest of the areas were simply labeled alphabetically and some had been excavated and some hadn’t. 

We didn’t visit everything but we certainly hit all the highlights in our eight-hour morning walk and our three-hour evening walk.  It would be nice to do it at a more leisurely pace but it was so hot that I couldn’t have handled another day anyway.  The ground was so dry that the leaves just cracked under your feet while you walked.  They definitely needed some rain but having it so dry meant we didn’t have to worry about mosquitoes and that was definitely a nice bonus.  Having the pool was also a bonus as was being right in the park.  This was certainly a better arrangement than staying in Flores and then having to bus in and out for 1.5 hours each way each day. 

Staying in the park also got us more of a jungle feel.  The birds sounded lovely although I have to admit that I didn’t see many of them.  The flowers were fantastic and the monkeys were very entertaining.  There were also some coati and deer around the area and lots of lizards.  I can’t remember whether this was also where we saw the wild pigs and the wild turkeys but I know we saw them somewhere on our travels so this is a likely spot.

I really enjoyed Tikal and Yaxha and Flores and Poptun, all of which are in Peten state or province or territory, whatever they call it.  We actually had to debate whether we were going to go to these places.  They were on the original destination list but then some trouble happened and the entire state was placed in a state of emergency just before we were to go.  I believe it was 27 people who were murdered and decapitated in what was thought to be part of a drug war.  The Canadian government website definitely advised against going but we decided to go anyway.  I’m glad we did.  If anything the state of emergency made it even safer than before as there was a very strong police presence.  I felt very safe at all times and heard of no further problems.  I just wonder how many people were scared away from the area and if there might have been larger crowds at some of the sites if this had not happened.  I’m glad we and at least some others decided to continue on with our Peten adventure because it was definitely worth it.