Here’s a post-trip post. Mostly it’s an excuse to put up some photos of Tikal. This place was the original reason that I decided to come to Guatemala. I’m glad I did, as it’s been a very positive experience for me, and I think also that I’ve had a positive impact on the people of San Andrés. That’s something that as a traveler I’m not always sure of.
Tikal is an amazing place, especially at sunrise and sunset. Jeremy and I spent a couple of days walking around climbing stairs and exploring ruins. The second day, we took a predawn “sunrise” tour and promptly ditched the loud tour group. We needed them to get into the park, but it was dark and we were quiet. We each took a monument to ourselves and enjoyed the sunrise and the jungle sounds. The horde headed for Temple IV which we had seen the day before. While I was on Temple II enjoying the sunrise over Temple I, Jeremy was heading to the Pyramid and almost literally ran into some girls who had hidden in the park the night before and camped out in one of the ruins. They were cold and scared and didn’t sleep much, and that was before he surprised the bejesus out of them.
In the “Safety is Job None” category, here are a couple of funny photos. Look at what somebody left at the bottom of Tikal’s Great Pyramid. Yes, it’s about 100 feet tall. Click the thumbnail image for the big picture.
Here’s a shot of the inside of a microbus in San Andrés. Every window and door had large fractures in the steel around them. Most had been welded at least once. The road was a little BUMPY!!!, and there were often around 20 people in the microbuses. I was told that this particular bus was 3 or 4 years old.