This day starts very early for us as our flight to Flores takes off at
6:30 AM. Once in Flores we will decide if going to the Tikal by bus or
taxi.
We’re allocated at Jaguar Inn, inside the park, so
we’ll
have the entire day to explore it at our will, enjoying also the jungle
and the hotel. Our thought is joining the tour for watching the sunset
from the top of one of the temples as a magnificent end for this day
and for this country too.
After
We could hear the storm outside from our room. It
seems it has taken the entire night, but when we’re out of the hotel at
5 AM it is over.
Everything goes fine in this airport, quite
crowded at this early time, and we board into a plane smaller than
usual to reach Flores around 7:30 AM. The airport here is very small
and we leave the plane to go walking to a hall in the airport where we
can see customs, immigration and the unique baggage carousel in the
same room.
We find a sign with my name at the same door to go
outside the airport. The man who stands showing it is our driver.
In this ride, a bit longer than one hour, we make
two stops: one in a very expensive gift store but with a good free
coffee and another one in the entrance to the park where we purchase
our admission tickets by 150 quetzals per person.
We arrive to Jaguar Inn, where we check in and
rest before going to explore the archaeological site.
We see a group of adorable coatis eating with no
stop from a tree, just before the entrance to the park, where they
check our tickets.
The following is
a pleasant walk through the jungle, where we see a spider monkey and a
woodpecker between the dense foliage.
After 20 minutes we reach the first Mayan ruins,
labeled as Group F, which are quite disappointing. Somehow, the known
“Gran Plaza” is near.
But before we explore the group known as
“Mercado”.
Then, after get amazed by the back of the Temple I,
also known as “Gran Jaguar”, we reach the wonderful square, with that
temple showing its long staircase, in front of a smaller brother. At
both sides, the acropolis structures complete this incredible place.
I climb up to the top of Temple II to take a
formidable view of the square, but the effort is paid with such hot.
We pass by Temple III, which is still buried, and
can show how the jungle can hide such a building with the vegetation.
Temple IV is the furthest point of this park and
is covered by vegetation in the most of it. But people are not coming
here to see it, but to climb to the top, as it is the highest temple of
the complex. On its top you can get the best views of Tikal: an endless
green sea from which emerge the tops of the other temples. It is so
fantastic as per George Lucas used it in “Star Wars” and I as header of
these pages.
We’re coming back by different paths to explore the
buildings we haven’t seen before, as the group labeled as “Mundo
Perdido” (Lost World).
We go on with the Acropolis and Temple V, which
looks
lonely and magnificent. From there we go back to the hotel tired from
all the trekking.
We eat pasta this time by around 300 quetzals and
go to bed for a rest.
Before getting dark we come back to the beginning of the park just for
a walk and some of bird watching. We want to see toucans. We meet the
same group of coatis still eating from the same tree than before. Then,
toucans appear on the highest part of the trees.
As usual, sleep is coming soon and we don’t fight
against it as tomorrow we must be ready at 6 AM.
We find a sign with my name at the same door to go
outside the airport. The man who stands showing it is our driver.
The following is
a pleasant walk through the jungle, where we see a spider monkey and a
woodpecker between the dense foliage.
