Tikal - Day One

Our plan to head south through the El Petan region of Guatemala towards the highlands and Lago de Atitlan took us near the Colossal Mayan site of Tikal. The pictures we had seen previously of towering pyramids poking out through steaming jungle was just too good to miss.

The jungle location meant there was a vast amount of wildlife to hopefully encounter, and this made us decide to head out late in the day so that we arrived on site after three in the afternoon. This meant our tickets were stamped with the following day's date enabling us to camp just outside cheaply, then enter the site early in the morning to hopefully get a glimpse of some of the animals before the maraunding tour groups arrived.

I was slightly concerned about the pegar, as the guide book says that to see all the major sites, you would walk about 10km. It wasn't until we headed off for the Gran Plaza that we realised quite how mahoosive the site is, and there are still parts they have barely started excavating. My foot had got really sore in Chetumal after stomping around all day and checking out the great museum, but in the end, it actually held up really well (praise the lord.....I'd had quite enough of being a feeble little git).

Tikal is set on a low hill above the surrounding swampy ground and it is believed this is probably why the Maya setted here around 700BC. The surrounding land had an abundance of natural materials such as flint that could be used to make various tools as well as exported and exchanged for other materials. The great Plaza was created in its present shape almost 2000 years ago. However it was around 700BC that a king named Moon Double Comb (also known far more entertainingly as Lord Chocolate) restored Tikal's military capabilities and was responsible (along with his succesors) for building most of the city's huge temples.

At the entrance to the site, was this vast Cieba Tree (the Mayan tree of life). And yes, Clair is carrying all our camping stuff for the night, but I've got a sore foot...alright.


Here was our first sighting of the big temples. Clair was well chuffed with this photo. Particularly the pinky tree with all the air plants.


Right over the Gran Plaza were these bizarre Oropendola nests. I'll hopefully put a little vid together of some of the wildlife, as the sound these guys made was amazing.


Some Americans asked us to take a picture of them in front of Templo I (under which Lord Chocolate was buried), so we got ourselves one as well. The temples have been quite heavily restored. Later we saw some pictures of the restoration process and in parts they have almost completely rebuilt them. Its suprising how quickly they weather and look old again.


The North Acropolis.


The Gran Plaza, south side.


Oh god yeah! She just can't get enough of those crazy air plants! Clair didn't actually rip this one off a tree. It had fallen to the floor, but still seemed happy enough in all its flowering glory.


Here's a little secret passageway we found round the back of the West Plaza an area still undergoing renovation. We were too chicken to actually go down it, particularly after the giant ants we saw patrolling the entrance.


A view of huge Templos I and II facing each other across the Gran Plaza.


We wanted to head back and get the tent set up before it got dark, and on the way we came across the quite spectacularly beautiful Wild Turkey (they look quite similar to Peacocks up close). This one kept pegging it away from Clair as she tried to take a piccy.


Just as Clair went off to check out the shower facilities (not bad I might add, although no lighting or hot water), I spotted this Toucan up in the tree next to us. Clair legged it over excitedly and got a few snaps. It has a raspy call you don't quite expect from such a pretty thing.


For dinner, we had tuna, tomato and refried bean finger rolls, oh yes! By this time there were swarms of insects about and I realised then that head torches meant they mainly flew straight into our eyes.


After scoffing down our gourmet treats I threw myself back in the tent trying to avoid filling it with mosquitos and whipped off all my clothes as it was outrageously hot. Obviously then, no sooner had I done that when a voice came from right outside the tent (we just had the mozzy screens up and the main doors down to let in a bit of the non-existent breeze). Hopefully poor Alberto, the guide who was going to take us into the site at 4.30 the next morning didn't catch too much of an eyeful!

Here's a little video montage of some of the animals we saw (and some we just heard!). Turn your volume up nice and loud. The first roary beast in the mist was the howler monkeys (I was a bit worried for Clair on her own right where the noise was coming from), then we have a spider monkey clambering about above us, then some seriously busy leaf cutter ants, then those crazy oropendola birds and wild turkeys and finally the unbelievable racket of the crickety things that Clair was sure were going to fall on her.



Edit - I've just looked at the vid and the quality is a bit naff now I've uploaded it. Sorry!