Tikal Guatemala...a picture story...

We arranged for a shuttle bus to take us from Flores to Tikal in the afternoon...all along the road once into the park...signs were up for watching for cats...snakes...turkeys...all of the wild variety...and falling rocks.We got in around 4:30 in the afternoon and checked into Hotel Tikal....There are issues with power here...the generator only runs certain times of the day and there is no air conditioning...but there is a pool so Paul changed and went to the pool and I changed into my walking shoes, bought my pass into the huge compound area and began walking. A young French women who knew no English...and I were walking in about the same time so I asked if I could accompany her...yes, she knew Espanol...so that is how we communicated. I kept up with her...while taking some pictures...this of a Mayan temple with sacrificial alters in front of it.Another one that has been covered to try to keep it from continuing to deteriorate...We hurriedly walked the trails toward the temple #4...then we climbed, and climbed, and climbed steps up to the top of the temple...where in clear weather you can see the sun rise and moon set over the Great Plaza temples...it's an east/west thing...This late afternoon however there was going to be no visual of the sunset...or of the moon rise. The Great Plaza is located where the two temples in the middle of the picture are...and temple #5 is the one to the right.

A close up of the two Great Plaza temples above the jungle canopy....This is Mundo Perdido...the lost world...peeking above the jungle canopy as well. It is located to the right of the Great Plaza...This is the top of temple #4...

This is only ONE of the sets of steps that we had to climb to get to the top....we then walked (hiked) over to the Great Plaza, but only briefly as it was getting dark AND starting to pour down rain. It got dark FAST under the jungle canopy and I had forgotten my flashlight at the hotel...the French gal had hers but tried not to use it...we were both splashing in the puddles that quickly formed and were soaked by the time we got back to the beginning hut...then I continued on to our room! I found Paul still at the pool under one of the umbrellas! The next morning I got up EARLY and was suppose to start a tour at 6:00am...Then I found out that the tour guide wanted more money if another couple didn't show up at 6:30...I took a picture of the map of the area and started out on my own!Beautiful morning in the jungle...and a long hike back to the Great Plaza.One of the temples of the Great Plaza...The steps along the side of the only temple you are allowed to go to the top of in the Great Plaza...I went up these steps to get the following pictures... The 2nd temple facing the 1st temple directly...This shows the weathering that has happened over the years on the limestone temples...This is off to one side of the facing temples.....

More of the Great Plaza...

I walked down the steps of the temple (more like a VERY LONG ladder) and walked around more of the Great Plaza.....

Found this under one of the thatched roofs...............
Took a picture of one of the wild turkeys...

And this carving...

re-painted and under a roof now too....

Over to the other side of the Great Plaza. Hiking up the steps to the top and then wandering around...from those ruins...could see temple #5.

Then looking back across the Great Plaza.
This was a do not enter area...but shows there were tunnels under the Great Plaza....More hiking over to Temple #5...

Yes, I went to the top of this temple too...Not up these steps though....a ladder steps of wood...to keep the temples from increased wear...Looking down from the top of Temple #5.......Looking over to the Great Plaza from Temple #5.It was a little misty...Down #5 and over to the seven temples...........They have constructed models of what the area looked like and are now working to re-construct the temples...Then to an area that I just HAD to go to...Mundo Perdido...the lost world...I was mighty tired by this time...yes, I really wanted to go there but except for walking a lot further...I really enjoyed exploring the Great Plaza better!I wandered back to the main gate...and then to the hotel. Paul and I had a late breakfast, caught the shuttle back to Flores, our great comfortable hotel, Casazul and rested for our day tour to Yaxha the next day! Next blog...Yaxha!