Having taken a huge, largely unnecessary detour to Rio Dulce / Livingston it was time to get back on track and head up north. Fortunately the morning ‘tour’ boat didn’t attempt to hang around on route so we were soon back in Rio Dulce. We were in plenty of time for the 11.30am bus to Flores but it transpired the timetable painted on the wall was merely decoration! The ‘10.30am’ bus pulled up but we weren’t allowed to buy tickets for this as it was already jammed packed and obviously others had been waiting longer. Once it had pulled off we were allowed to buy tickets (Q65) for the next bus that eventually put in an appearance at midday. This was already packed to the rafters but another 20 of us squeezed in and we shuffled and jostled into position as best we could.
Most of the seats were occupied by young blokes and I was dismayed to see that not one of them offered their seat to people carrying babies and toddlers. Watching the ladies hang on whilst carrying an infant is unbelievable in itself but how they manage to breast-feed as well is mind boggling feat of dexterity. We were all twisted and contorted into uncomfortable positions and never seemed to gain any extra space as those at the back fought their way to the front to disembark. There was an audible sigh of relief as we pulled into Santa Elena, the terminal for Flores, where we unlocked limbs and luggage and stumbled down the steps into space. To then be pounced upon by a taxi driver who clearly wanted to rip us off – he was the most persistent chap we’d met since leaving Asia - but we soon shrugged him off.
Just to add to our woes it was chucking it down and we didn’t have a reservation. We jumped in a tuc-tuc and directed him to a place that sounded okay but in the end was decidedly odd. Steve dashed out into the rain but came back declaring places to be full, too expensive or too shabby. I had a turn but didn’t fare any better so we ended up looking at a room in the hotel whose lobby we’d been sheltering in. Steve had already inquired but he was met with an uncomprehending / incomprehensible stare so gave up. I tried the lady of the house and got to see a room which we chose to take since it seemed the best / only option at the time. Hotel La Union was okay with a big room and tiny, soaking wet balcony but was rather ambitiously priced at Q200.
The next morning was grey and overcast but at least the rain had stopped so we went to see if Flores had any better accommodation on offer. Flores is actually a small island, in Lago de Peten Itza and connected to Santa Elena via a short causeway, which can be walked around within minutes. By midmorning we were re-packing, checking out and ensconcing ourselves in Posada de le Jungla. The room was the same price but much nicer with a dry balcony, the wifi worked and we were given a warm, friendly greeting. In fact the wifi connection turned out to be a bit temperamental island wide so we went to see if there was a bit of Flores we’d not walked round yet.
Half an hour later we’d circumnavigated the place twice; once via the road running along the shoreline and once using the inner route! There are plenty of places to stay, eat and shop but we found it more expensive than the rest of Guatemala. Were they readying us for Belize and Mexico? In amongst our wanderings we’d purchased tickets for the 5am shuttle service to the Mayan ruins at Tikal for the following morning and, tickets for the 7.30am shuttle to Belize City for the day after that.
Tikal
We peeped round the curtains to ascertain what the weather was up to – very cloudy again but at least it wasn’t raining. An hour later we were entering Tikal’s main gates and had handed over Q150 each for our tickets. From there it was a further 30mins drive through the nature reserve to reach the visitors centre and car park. Obviously the main reason people visit Tikal is to take in the wonderful structures but the beauty of this ancient site is its setting. Tikal covers a vast area that includes the protection of the local flora and fauna resulting in wildlife spotting and monument gawping go hand-in-hand.
Light was just dawning as we sat supping a brew and having our breakfast – it was already approaching 7am and the sun was battling to conquer the clouds. A thick atmospheric fog hung over the area and we willed some power into the sun rays as we popped on raincoats. The most important thing was it wasn’t raining so we set off to see what we could find. As per usual we declined the services of a guide but had brought our Lonely Planet along which had more than adequate information for our needs. Better than that was we had a map so Steve carefully directed us around this huge site ensuring that nothing got missed along the way. We were just ahead of the early morning tour groups so walked swiftly towards the central plaza group of structures before the crowds arrived.
We were almost over-taken as an agouti distracted us along the way but we maintained our lead position! These early morning tour groups tend to be smaller and fewer in number than those that start arriving later in the morning. As we were leaving the park we were definitely walking against the flow of traffic and hence were pleased we’d opted for the early rise. On reaching the grand plaza complex we had to squint through the gloom in order to discern any buildings but sure enough there they were towering above us. The sun by now was beginning to defeat the cloud and soon we could see a plethora of buildings and the very tops were emerging. While we were waiting for the weather to clear we had a good stare at the Peten turkeys; a kind of cross between a peacock and a turkey with colourful feathers and bald head. However, it lacks the majestic poise and tail of the peacock but sports the slightly bemused, baffled expression of a turkey. You would too if someone had come along and stuck orange mapping pins in your head!
Even though there was a sizeable number of people already enjoying the park it was far from over-run like Machu Picchu. Apart from anything else there are acres and acres of jungle for everyone to share and the network of paths linking the main sites is extensive. We (OK, Steve) seemed to plan our route perfectly as we reached many of the lesser groups of building / temple sites ahead of everyone else. It seemed that each time we reached the next area of interest there was an animal there to greet us. We’d expected / hoped to spot some coatis and spider monkeys and the former didn’t let us down as one was spotted snuffling along an ancient wall. A highlight was entering one ancient courtyard to find ourselves face to face with a fox – finally we’d found el zorro.
As the day progressed the number of people we encountered steadily rose but as I’ve said not in huge crowds. Sure enough it wasn’t long before I spotted something swinging through the trees and there was one of the ‘promised’ spider monkeys. In fact we regularly saw them throughout the day and at one point it felt like one was following us. We’d hoped to hear the howler monkeys but it seemed they’d moved into a quieter area of the reserve. In fact we never did hear them but went one better and found a group foraging in the canopy. It was wonderful to be walking through a beautiful forest with ancient monuments to enjoy and the added bonus of wildlife. Along with a regular supply of furry creatures there were loads of birds around too including; woodpeckers, wood creepers, tree creepers, storks, parrots, toucanets and toucans.
The overall highlight of the day was entering one area of impressive buildings and spotting a group of coatis. The females and young live and feed in large groups and this was no exception with around 50 individuals. We spent ages watching them rummaging in the undergrowth, rooting through the grass, shimmying up trees for juicy flowers and tearing away bark with their powerful claws. All told quiet a frenetic feeding frenzy to the point where they virtually ignored us humans. In fact if you stood quietly still they would approach within inches and I felt at one point as if I could reach out and stroke one. They’re incredibly endearing creatures with a slightly comical air as they forage through the jungle with their tails straight up like antennae.
The ruins, jungle and wildlife kept us entertained for almost 5 hours and against the odds we got to enjoy it all in the dry. We even spied a patch of blue sky at one point! One huge structure you can climb up via a wooden staircase proved to be well worth the effort. The views looking over the protected forest with ruins poking out above the canopy was wonderful. Not surprisingly, since this city was founded up to 2000 years ago, many of the buildings are actually just piles of rubble now. Many of the smaller buildings have been left that way but the largest and most important temples and structures have been painstakingly restored. In some case they have been left partly as they were found and restored to show how they would have looked in their heyday. Whether this is deliberate, or they haven’t got round the corner yet, we’re not sure but it demonstrated the extensive work that’s already been undertaken. A fantastic day out and the more famous ruins in Mexico are going to have to be mighty impressive to top this experience!
