Tikal Mayan Ruins, Guatemala
December 17-19, 2011
Our first stop after crossing into Guatemala was the famous Tikal Mayan Ruins. This was an absolutely amazing experience and we are so happy to have toured these magnificent ruins. Its one of those things that you just have to see for yourself but we can tell you that it was definately one of the highlights of our travels so far.
Our Accommodations - Hermosa Pedro
There are two towns close to Tikal called Flores (a small city built on an island in the middle of the lake) and El Ramate (a tranquil town located at the lake edge and closer to the Tikal Ruins). Though Flores sounded really neat, we ended up staying in
El Ramate at a great hostel recommended to us called Hermosa Pedro. A little rustic, but great price, good clean rooms.
Photo's of the Town El Ramate
This was a really tranquil little town with a hand full of restaurants and shops along a main street with lots of friendly locals.
Great place to be hanging out for a few days.
Lake Peten Itza
El Ramate's lake is called Lake Peten Itza. It was extremely beautiful especially in one particular location where we ended up taking these photo's. The water was so clear and calm. It was like a living postcard!
The Town of Flores
We did a day trip to Flores (about 30 minutes away from El Ramate) just to have a look at the city built on an island. It was pretty cool. Lots of neat old buildings and cobblestone streets, which gave it a lot of charm. The bridge you see crossing into Flores is attached to a very busy and noisy city called Santa Elena.
Tikal Ruins
We booked an early morning shuttle for 5:30 am to beat the crowds in the park and had 7 hours to tour the ruins before leaving at 2:00 pm It was great getting up so early and entering the park just as the sun was coming up. The Tikal Park itself was set among an expansive area of jungle and forest and the ruins were spectacular. It was a fantastic day!
Feeling the Mayan Spirit
One of the first things we did, was climb to the top of Temple 4. It was an inspiring moment standing at the top of this temple where the Maya people had stood thousands of years ago. Because it was still early in the morning, there was a light cloud of mist hanging over the tree tops when we reached the top. As we were sitting there looking out over the sea of green, the sun began to break through the clouds and shine down on the temples in the distance. It was a very mystical and magical experience!
The Tikal Plaza
The plaza courtyard was very impressive with 2 large and identicle temples facing across from each other. Flanked on either side of the temples, were living quarters and other structures used for various reasons. We were able to climb the top of one of the facing temples and gazed out over the courtyard. The area had a really palpable energy to it and it felt very spiritual.
Photo's of other Tikal Ruins