|
Tikal, Antigua & More Guatemalan Surprises
September 15, 2004
Exchange rate: $1 = about 8 Quetzales
This is the third edition covering my travels in Guatemala with my son Matt: five weeks
exploring a country in Central America that's chocked full of beauty, variety and challenges - plus some of the
most likable people you'll ever meet anywhere. We'd already visited the stunning regions of Atitlán, plus
some of the Highland country, and were now almost ready to move northward. That's almost, as first there was Antigua
to see.
Antigua is easily and widely visited and is unanimously regarded as the most beautiful city in Guatemala, if not
in all of Central America. First of all, the setting is spectacular, nestled as it is between three volcanoes…
not a bad start! In addition, it was the initial capital of Guatemala from 1543 to 1773 when it was destroyed by
earthquake. Consequently, upon its grand rebuilding it's retained a stunning colonial character with cobblestone
streets and rich architecture and in 1979 was declared a World Heritage Site.
If you're a photographer you'll especially love strolling the streets of this city of 30,000, as the colors and
textures in the early morning and late afternoon sun are delicious and the backgrounds an artist's dream. Impressive
ruins are tucked away here and there among beautifully restored homes with flower-filled courtyards, along with
rustic churches and various other attractive buildings, many covered with terra cotta roofs and splashed with brilliant
bursts of red bougainvillea. The streets are immaculately clean and Parque Central plaza is filled with large trees
and plenty of wooden benches surrounding a 300-year-old fountain.
Make no mistake, this is a city you'll surely want to check out and casually explore - and many do as it's loaded
with tourists and language students learning Spanish. It's very tourist friendly with lots of things to see and
do: restaurants, cafes, bars, book stores, internet sites, and a lively market. Admittedly there're some travelers
who find Antigua too full of gringos, as well as pretentious and too perfect, a bit artificial. It's certainly
more expensive than just everywhere else in the country and it's also overrun with vendors. Just try to sit in
the square without getting hassled… go ahead, try! But Antigua's charms are undeniable, nonetheless.
From there, Matt and I made a one-and-a-quarter hour bus trip to Guatemala City - only because we had to. The next
person I meet who has something good to say about "Guate", as it's called, will be the first one! I'm
sure there must be a few redeeming qualities in Guatemala's capital city but I've yet to have anyone tell me just
what they are. It's dirty, expensive and rife with gangs who roam the streets at night and, as I heard it put by
a local, "Gun down people like dogs!" I mentioned in a prior OTR that about six people a day are murdered
there. The reason I was hired into the excellent job I now have is that I replaced a teacher whose husband was
murdered there during a car jacking, forcing her to move back with her family in another city. Matt quickly flew
in and out of Guate and he and I changed buses there twice, but did so quickly and during daylight hours. I'll
be there for five days in early November for a teacher's conference (all expenses paid for by my employer) and
perhaps at that time I'll have an opportunity to find something good to say about it.
After walking a few blocks in the city to a different terminal, we made our connection to Coban - not to be confused
with the Mayan ruin Copan across the border in Honduras. Located almost smack dab in the middle of the country,
we went there only because it's close to Semuc Champey, the famed natural wonder I'd heard so much about. We stayed
in Coban for one night and I didn't like it at all. From the minute we stepped off the bus I felt it had a weird
energy and found virtually nothing appealing there. Hotel La Paz was fine and there's a great bakery near the post
office, but that's about all I can say about the town. (I know… I'm harsh sometimes.)
In the morning we left at 6 am on a shuttle bus (Q25) to Semuc Champey, a terrific ride weaving through jungle-like
vegetation along narrow dirt roads. We entered the tiny village of Lanquin and stopped for some time while the
other passengers ate breakfast and Matt hunted down some fresh fruit. Lanquin is known for caverns with all the
obligatory stalagmites, stalactites and bats that accompany them and some travelers combine a cave excursion there
with a visit to Semuc Champey. I don't like caves.
At 8:45, we pulled into Las Marias, the only accommodation nearby Semuc Champey. It's a hospedaje (guesthouse)
completely built from wood and nicely blended into the natural setting. We paid Q70 total for a room that was upstairs
in a semi-open cabin. When we initially checked out the room a staff member removed a black spider from one of
the beds that was about the size of a small Dominos' pizza. The basic bathrooms are shared (cold showers), the
meals are quite tasty, and it's blissfully peaceful and friendly.
We were soon off to the park, only a short walk away. Paying Q20 each to enter, we soon found ourselves at what
we'd come all that distance to see: a long limestone formation with a stepped series of pools filled with turquoise-colored
water flowing from one pool to another. All this is framed by a jungle-like backdrop of trees and other plant life.
And if that wasn't enough, there's a raging river that races headlong directly at this idyllic setting and then
suddenly drops below it all, plummeting downward and disappearing. It's both dramatic and serene at the same time.
Once you reach the actual pools there's really no path and you need to carefully pick your way along wherever you
can as you wander around. Wear footwear that you don't mind getting wet, and bathing suits too if you wish to swim.
Matt and I wanted to get away from the other visitors so we walked to where we saw a sign indicating we were entering
a restricted area… and entered anyway. We climbed over rocks and up and down a primitive trail until we found some
massive boulders along the river, upstream from the main area. It was here that we spent a couple of wonderful
hours.
Completely alone, we could just soak in the atmosphere. Across the river was a steep cliff covered with dense vegetation.
In fact, at this lower elevation it was extremely dense with a vast variety of plant life and that plus the constant
roar of water wrapped us in a nurturing blanket of nature. Matt'd packed a fresh coconut which was easily opened
with my ever-handy Swiss Army Knife, so we drank the sweet milk and devoured the delectable meat while perched
on a huge boulder. It was heavenly!
Early the next morning we left via mini-bus to Coban and once there negotiated with a few different shuttle buses
for a ride to Flores in the region of El Petén in the north. We were on our way to Tikal, the famed Mayan
ruins, and this would be our first step getting there. We finally found one that agreed to take us all the way
through for Q40 each, which seemed like a reasonable price. So we tossed our packs up on to the roof, climbed in
and left…. after the driver took a few more spins around town to get the van sufficiently jammed full of passengers.
The ride north was through some attractive tropical countryside and after a while our shuttle bus stopped at a
crossroads. At that point in time we were informed that that was it for us! The teenage kid that we'd negotiated
with pointed at a full size bus parked across the road and told us that it would take us further. Huh?!? We quickly
and firmly pointed out that the Q40 per person was to get us all the way to Flores, but he shook his head no and
asked for the Q80. We immediately grabbed our packs off the roof and walked over and got on the other bus. He followed
us on to it and once again demanded the money.
In front of the bus passengers we pointed out to the little shit who was trying to swindle us that he'd not kept
his end of the deal and there was no way we were paying him what he was asking. Since this was all in Spanish,
Matt was doing most of the talking since his skills are far superior to mine. I mostly nodded my head in agreement
with him and occasionally chimed in with a timely comment or two. Finally, I pulled out my wallet and gave the
kid Q20, what I felt was a fair payment for the distance we'd gone… far short of our destination!
At first the other passengers seemed to be sympathetic to the kid, with a couple of them mildly interceding on
his behalf. But after a few minutes of this standoff we could see the expressions on their face change as they
realized that this lying punk was playing the local game called "Let's screw the tourist!" So as we felt
public sentiment shift in our favor we dug in our heels even more and let him know the discussion was over. Finished.
Sensing defeat he finally departed. We then paid the bus driver Q20 each to get us to Sayaxche where we then got
off the bus and paid Q1 for a boat ride across the river. There's no bridge, a fact we hadn't known before. So
the initial shuttle bus driver couldn't have taken us all the way to Flores even if he'd wanted to!
Once across the river we then coughed up another Q10 apiece to finally reach Lago de Petén Itzá,
our final destination. The trip had taken us 6 hours from Coban and we'd been on public transport that day for
8 ½ hours. We were tired and my ass was sore… remember I was traveling with a broken tailbone. Plus I was
dealing with giardia so was weak from not eating, something I wasn't willing to do while on the road since anything
I ate went straight through me… if you know what I mean.
Lago de Petén Itzá is kind of a staging area for trips to Tikal since most people don't stay within
the national park and can easily make day trips to and from there. Visitors spend the night in either Santa Elena
or Flores, the latter being an island on the lake connected to the former via short causeway. We opted to stay
in Santa Elena since we'd heard that Flores was much more expensive and kind of touristy. In retrospect that was
not the best choice, since Santa Elena is a trashy, noisy place where we paid a total of Q60 for a very mediocre
room. After being in Tikal we did later stop in Flores and found it to be an attractive little town we very much
enjoyed. The Mirador del Lago had agreeable accommodation and a terrific view over the lake. I didn't write down
what we paid but it was very reasonable, I do remember that. Live and learn… as usual.
If you go to Tikal you need to plan a strategy. As I said before, most people stay outside and arrange transport
to and from the park. The reason is that accommodation inside the park itself is limited. You basically have two
choices: 1) pay something like $40/night (!) for a hotel room, or 2) sleep either on the ground or in a hammock
for Q20 ($2.50) per person. If you opt for a room you'd better reserve ahead, I'm told. You can also stay in tiny
El Remate along the road from the lake to Tikal where there are some basic hotels and pensions. I've heard good
things about it there.
Regardless of your choice of where and how to sleep, if you choose to stay within the park it's wise to arrive
no sooner than 3 pm, because anyone who enters after that time can also use his/her ticket for the next day. This
also means you can enter the next morning when the gates open at 6 am and enjoy a couple of hours of relative peace
and quiet before most visitors arrive from the lake. What's more, you can take advantage of the cooler early morning
temperatures. Another advantage is that guides can arrange nighttime hikes inside the park boundaries and one small
group I spoke with raved about it, saying they even spotted a rare jaguar. They'd paid something like Q400 each
and said it was well worth it.
To get to Tikal from Santa Elena we once again negotiated for a shuttle bus and once again had a bad experience.
Let me say right here and now that when it comes to dealing with shuttle buses it's better to arrange a reputable
one through your hotel. You may pay a little more, but it's a better option… believe me! In our case we paid Q15
each up front when we got on to get "to the park entrance" - a mistake. We got dropped off about 30 minutes
later in front of a shop in El Remate and told another bus would be by in 5 minutes to take us through the rest
of the way. Right!
Sensing the futility of the arrangement from the onset, we gave up after 45 minutes, knowing we'd been lied to
and ripped off… again. We paid a different driver who happened to come by another Q15 each to get us to the park
gate. We waited until 3 o'clock, paid the Q50 entrance fee to cover us through the end of the next day, and then
paid another Q10 each to get by bus from the gate to where we'd be staying. So we'd spent Q40 for the whole trip,
with delays and aggravation to boot! Returning to Flores the next day we only paid Q30 for a comfortable direct
ride all the way! So I reckon that proves my point.
Once at the campgrounds, we went to where the Lonely Planet Guide says you can rent tents only to find that you
can't. So we spoke with the guys at Jaguar Inn about hammocks and placed our bags in an overhead storage bin and
relaxed. I took a shower and rested while Matt went for a walk into the park. When he returned we discovered that
there'd been a misunderstanding and what I'd thought were our hammocks had been given to some other people. So…
we had no tent and no hammock and there was no way we were going to spend $40 each for a room! It was rainy season.
This keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?
Overhearing our dilemma a young gal named Merris who'd booked a package deal from Antigua with both flight and
room included came to our rescue. "I have a hammock on my front patio and you guys can sleep there if you
want. At least you'll be protected from the rain." So we did. It was not a restful night for me since I couldn't
sleep worth a damn in the hammock, but at least we both woke up dry the next morning… and it cost us nothing.
But that's enough of the trials and tribulations of travel… let's get back to the cool stuff.
In the northeast of Guatemala is the region of El Petén, an area utterly different from the cooler highlands
farther south we'd been in. This is jungle and within it is Parque Nacional Tikal where ancient towering pyramids
rise above the canopy and stun the senses and stagger the imagination of those who come. Tikal is a phenomenon
of massive proportions and for me to try and aptly describe it is a mismatch, a hopeless task, and as I write this
I'm nearly brought to tears reliving the experience of being there.
For hundreds of years the Maya lived in this area and over the 576 sq km preserve are thousands of structures,
with the central area of 16 sq km containing more than 4000 of them.At its peak it supported a population of perhaps
100,000. Matt and I arose early and at 6 am the gate near the visitor's center was raised and we walked straight
to the Great Plaza, a distance of about 1 km. Initially dating from the time of Christ, around 700 AD a king named
Moon Double Comb (sounds like one of Frank Zappa's kids, doesn't it?) ascended the throne and he and his successors
had most of what you can see today built. Around 900 AD, this remarkable civilization began its mysterious collapse.
At the Great Plaza were two huge pyramids facing each other: Temple I and Temple II. When we arrived, there was
but one German couple in sight and we soon climbed up the 44m high Temple I to where we had a spectacular and peaceful
view. Once there, we devoured some fresh pineapple we'd bought the previous day while watching and listening to
the jungle awaken. With a mist lightly hanging in the air, birds flew every which way, chattering away with delight
to the emergence of another dawn. But there was another sound that caught our attention, or should I say, dominated
our attention. This was the amazing howler monkey.
I believe that they're misnamed and should be called the "roaring monkey" because that's what they do…
and I do mean roar. What a sound they produce! Exactly what was provoking them was not clear to us: perhaps a dispute
over turf; perhaps some lustful bellowing from a hopeful suitor; perhaps just some good old-fashioned hooting,
hollering and hell raising? In any event it sounded as though a few lions had been put in a cage and were being
repeatedly and vigorously poked with sticks. Unbelievable!
While in Tikal we also saw lots of spider monkeys and got brief glimpses of a deer and a couple of coatis - a strange
raccoon like critter. Toucans are often seen within the park, however we didn't spot any. We did see plenty of
the Petén turkey, a large impressively colored bird reminiscent of a peacock. While strolling down a path
we later learned to be going nowhere we wanted to go to, we encountered a small snake we gave a wide berth to since
this is home to the notorious fer-de-lance, one the world's deadliest! Within the park and region is a sizable
and healthy population of many birds, mammals and amphibians, along with numerous butterflies and insects. Included
in this selection are the previously mentioned jaguar, ocelots, pumas, peccaries, tapirs, armadillos, three species
of sea turtles, two of crocodile and very large rattlesnakes.
We spent five hours wandering around and exploring Tikal. If you're into Mayan history or  archeology
you'll be in heaven there. Matt and I we were content to merely climb up those pyramids that you're allowed to
do so just to kick back and savor the beauty and imagine the lives of those who'd lived there. The highest building
is Temple IV at 64m and from there and some others you're actually above the canopy and can see for miles and miles.
To ascend there are very steep wooden steps with sturdy handrails. We also enjoyed our peaceful strolls along the
dirt paths under the rain forest canopy, smelling the earth and vegetation and listening to the numerous animal
noises. We walked several miles that day and saw most everything. I recommend you bring along all the water you
can carry… it can get hot.
Feeling satisfied we'd done what we'd wanted to do and seen what we'd wanted to see, Matt and I left that same
afternoon and retuned to Lago de Petén Itzá and Flores, as referred to before. The next day we left
on a shuttle bus going south we arranged at our hotel… we'd learned our lesson. This is getting long so I'll close
and write yet another edition to cover the remainder of our trip, as well as fill you in on where I'm now living
in Guatemala. Until then…
Peace,
|
Peace,