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G u a t e m a l a |
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It seems like the best adventurous can be had when made with the most spontaneous of decisions. Although the desire to go to Guatemala, and especially Tikal, had been brewing for sometime, I had no idea I would actually go even 24 hours before arriving in Guatemala. I returned to Palenque town from my trip to Agua Azul and Misol-Ha waterfalls late, at around 9pm at night. I was due to catch a bus from Palenque to the north Yucatan capital of Mérida at around 10pm that night when I saw a sign at a travel agency window saying “Guatemala- Flores y Tikal - Mañana!”. Unable to control my curiosity, I simply had to enquire and would you know it- they had one more space left. Seizing my chance, I bought my ticket, quickly changed my bus reservation and found myself a crummy, yet great bargain of a hotel for $6 a night in Palenque. A few hours later, before the crack of dawn, I was picked up by a minibus and on my way to Guatemala!
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The destination was Flores, a tiny island village in the Lago de Petén Itzá. Flores is a very small but peaceful and cozy place. It has a population of about 2,000 and a diameter of probably the number. Despite being an island, Flores is connected to the mainland via a 500m causeway into the more industrial city of Santa Elena.
Getting to Flores was an adventure within itself. As there are no direct roads linking it to Palenque, the minibus only took us as far as the Rio San Pedro, which is also the Mexico-Guatemala border. From here we took a boat from La Palma (on the Mexican side), down the river to El Naranjo, on the Guatemalan side. This was where the real fun started. After waiting for several hours at the rather bland El Naranjo, we finally caught the bus to Santa Elena/Flores. To be honest, it seemed as if we’d never get to Flores. After numerous delays, our bus driver then crashed into a school bus! It was all good fun though, as the bus was packed with good-humored travelers from all parts of the world looking to make the most of it. The Mexican contingent did their country proud by sharing their tequila and metzcal (see picture above). We finally arrived in Flores late in the evening and I was able to find a hotel just before nightfall.
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As it was the end of the Semana Santa, Flores turned into a huge festival that night and a huge procession was held. The villagers carried an effigy of Christ around the island’s decorated streets, while flares were lit and people sang. Flores turned out to be a very humble and pleasant place to spend the last leg of my Mexican journey. I had no reason to go there other than that it was a necessary stopover to Tikal, but turned out really enjoying the place. I think “tranquil” is the best word to describe Flores. I took a canoe around the entire island as well as a boat ride into Lago de Petén Itzá on my second day in Flores.
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Right: An aerial view of the island town of Flores.
Unfortunately, there’s no rest for the wicked when traveling at a fast pace - and it was another pre-daybreak start the next morning. This was necessary however as Tikal is best experienced at dawn, before it becomes swarming with tourists. The ancient Maya began settling in Tikal as far back as 700 BC. The massive pyramids and plazas that are cherished today were not, at least from my understanding, built until the early 8th century under legendary King Moon Double Comb.
Below: These Mayan girls worked at the Flores mercado.
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Today Tikal stands beside Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and the Pyramid of Giza as one of the world’s finest archeological treasures. The distinguishing feature that sets Tikal apart from its rival Mayan sites is its exotic jungle setting. The Tikal ruins are situated in the middle of the enormous 576-sq-km Tikal National Park and there is even a pleasurable 30-minute walk from the main entrance to the Great Plaza. Here, massive 44m high stone temples surround a plaza (see panoramic photo below). There are also many other temples and plazas scattered about the park. Walking between these through the jungle canopy is a mesmerizing experience on all senses as you can hear, smell, see, taste and feel the life of the ecosystem around you. Howler monkeys, colorful birds and exotic plants are just a few of the many natural wonders that kind be seen in Tikal.
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After a second night in Flores, I said goodbye to this mystical part of the world and began my exhausting journey back home. I spent the next several days bussing, boating and flying all the way back to Abu Dhabi: via Palenque, Mérida, Mexico City, Guadalajara, San Francisco and Amsterdam. So which Mayan city is the most spectacular - Palenque or Tikal? Hmm…. Well after all that traveling, I’m going to have go with Tikal!
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