I'm writing from Flores, the nearest town to Tikal national park, a nature reserve and historic site containing Mayan temples and pyramids, the most impressive in Guatemala.
We've been really lucky with the Weather, it rained most of yesterday on the bus trip up here, and absolutely chucked it down this morning during breakfast. I went out to try and buy a waterproof of some kind as I stupidly neglected to pack one, and got absolutely drenched to the skin within minutes.
Luckily, once we set off in the minibus to Tikal it cleared up and stayed fine all day.
Tikal is amazing, a whole complex of Mayan temple ruins deep in the jungle.There's plenty of wildlife to see if you're up early enough and lucky enough, but we're not early risers (which is good 'cause we'd have got drenched...).
We've seen some Toucans, some acrobatics from spider monkeys, vague sitings of some howler monkeys (I think) and some very vicious ants, which bit us both (grrr..). Of course, the ruins are also very impressive. I did promise myself I wouldn't mention the Star Wars connection, in an effort not to sound too geeky, but...
There's a wide shot of the Pyramids from above the canopy of the jungle near the end of the first film. it's meant to be the site of the rebel base. Anyhow, I always assumed this was a crane or aerial shot, but we climbed the wooden steps up temple 4, the highest structured, turned around at the top, and wow! It's that view. You're above the canopy and can see across the whole site. Most of it is under the canopy, but Temples 1,2, and 3 are visible, as is the great Pyramid (don't ask me the difference between a temple and a pyramid...) and you can see for miles. It's one of the most amazing things I've seen. Enough raving for now, I have a wife to feed...
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