The next place I stayed at was in small, tourist-ready Flores which is close to Tikal.
Somebody asked me where I'd just come from but I blanked out. The countless buses, taxis, hostels, and places visited - I start to forget where I've just been.
No sooner had I arrived than I booked a sunrise tour to Tikal for the next morning. Our tour departed Flores at 3am and began with a walk in darkness.
All prices were clearly listed for tours and buses. Little things like this matter since it makes you feel that you're probably not getting ripped off.
The conditions were on the cloudy side, but it was still cool to sit on an ancient ruin watching the sun rise over the chattering Guatemalan jungle. Even with so many tour groups visiting Tikal each day, the wildlife is abundant in the jungle which surrounds the ancient city.
They call Tikal the New York of the Mayas with its tall intimidating temples peeking through the tops of jungle vegetation. The higher the temple, the belief was that you were closer to God. Copán in Honduras is the Paris of the Mayas due to the prolificacy of sculpture.
Tikal was a powerful commercial centre, so naturally it was attacked often. The city is over 16 square kilometres with around 4000 structures, though there could be thousands more underground, still uncovered.
playful monkeys
Can you see the spiders?
These big-headed ants bite. Watch out!
Only the warrior ants look like this - with the giant head. Endlessly resourceful, the Mayans used them for stitches.
Toucans look like they have just walked out of a cartoon.
Climbing steep staircases, you are supposed to zig-zag your way to the top. This way is safer and less tiring, but also takes longer.
Our guide with a tarantula on his head.
What you probably picture when you think of Tikal:
Even soldiers use their phones to take pictures.
Back to Flores.
No matter how many 'don't flush your toilet paper' signs there are, party hostel toilets inevitably have disintegrating tp in their bowls.
From Flores I allotted a few days to head into Belize before heading back here to pick up my bags and move further north.
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