Guatemala: Tikal

ABOVE: Tikal. The brave clamber up the first 60 metres on very steep steps - the belief is that Mayan priests wanted their subjects to climb up in a stooping, reverent position. The last 8 metres are a vertical climb on a modern metal ladder - for the very brave.

Getting to Tikal is about two hours over bumpy roads – but worth the travel. We recommend traveling in groups, as highway robbery is not unusual. Armed bandits are in the area and do intercept vehicles and tourist buses. This is not as frequent as it once was, but the risk is always there. Travel in Guatemala can be an adventure unto itself.

Most Belize-based tour companies offer tours to Tikal and other areas of Guatemala - including Guatemala City. You can easily find daily tour trips that take off from San Ignacio in Belize. Tour operators are knowledgeable about the area and since they are English-speaking, North American travelers will be at ease.

Tikal is the major Mayan center in Guatemala. It has been well developed over the years and the park that encloses it is huge. Tikal is spectacular – its five skyscraper-like temples punch through the tropical rainforest canopy. The tallest of these structures at 65 metres is the Temple of the Two Headed Snake built by King Yaxkin Caan Choc in 470 A.D. A must climb for the adventurous. Tikal was an important Mayan settlement for over 1500 years, starting about 700 BC. During the Classic Period 300 - 900 AD, the city prospered through trade and military conquest when the population peaked at 100,000.

"Early morning mists make the 1 km jungle walk to the first temple somewhat eerie. The jungle is as fascinating as the ruins. Fat-trunked ceiba trees and Spanish cedar bedecked with epiphytes and orchids, once provided timbers for houses and canoes. Spices and fruits abound and were used by the Maya, including pimiento and chicle, the source of chewing gum.

Grassy glades extend around the Great Plaza, the centre of the ancient city of Tikal. What a magnificent spot! East and west of the plaza are the Temples of the Gran Jaguar and The Masks, while to the north lies the sprawling Acropolis.

By midday the ruins are alive with tourists. The heat is stifling as the sun reflects off the white limestone walls and paths. I escape the blistering heat of the plaza by strolling the cool jungle paths - animals scamper here and there - the pizote or coatimundi, the rat-like capybara, and foxes do their thing. Being surrounded by jungle makes Tikal so different from the other famous Mayan sites of Uxmal and Chitchén Itzá in the Yucatán."

For those wishing to stay a while to explore Tikal and its surrounds, we suggest they overnight in nearby Flores, a colonial type Spanish village on the banks of Lake Peten Itza. Flores is the anti-thesis of Melchor – more like a tidy little tourist village with good and cheap lodging, cafes and restaurants – some with a great lakeside view. You can take tours of the lake in motorized canoes or visit the small town zoo. The local market is a good source of genuine Mayan and Guatemalan handicrafts at excellent prices.

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