Among The Mayans of Tikal
Welcome to Part III of my series on our trip to Belize. Click here to read Part I, all about the grounds of our hotel, The Blancaneaux Lodge, and here to read Part II, which covers the interiors.
Today, I’m taking a diversion from design to take you on our journey to the Mayan city of Tikal. Travel is my second love, so I’m mixing it up a little and indulging myself. I hope you enjoy my little excursion.
Our day started with Ramon, an employee at Blancaneaux, who drove the three of us on the three hour car ride to Guatemala’s Tikal National Park. The border crossing was interesting. We had to pay “about $2″ per person. It didn’t matter if it was half US, half Belizian, and not quite $2.
We met our excellent guide, Armando, just outside the entrance to the park. We ate lunch at that restaurant on the left, dubbed: “Chicken-eatsa” by our guide.
The Mayan city of Tikal dates from the 4th century, BC. It was a highly organized culture. I’ll spare you the history lesson, but if you’re interested, you can read about it here. I love history and really enjoyed learning about how their civilization was structured. Armando was a wealth of info. That’s me with my cane and my butt looking as big as that temple.
If you’re planning a trip to Belize, there are Mayan ruins you can visit. But Tikal is much larger and well worth the trip. There are actually several Mayan “cities” within the park – each with its own palace and temple.
The park serves as both a museum to the Mayan culture and as a nature preserve.
Here’s a shot of the Gumbolimbo tree. It looks like it’s made of copper. The bark of this tree is great for treating anything that itches. Well, almost anything.
These are the roots of the famous Kapok tree. Parts of the tree are used in flotation devices. Aren’t you amazed?
The trees were brimming with Spider and Howler monkeys. The Howlers are appropriately named. Their howls are really loud and sounded more like T-Rexes. Don’t ask how I know that. I’m older than I look.
Finally, Armando told me he had a surprise. He walked over to this round hole. I thought a snake probably lived in there. He took a long twig with a little tassle at the end and poked it around in the hole.
It wasn’t a snake.
Our furry friend attracted a little crowd. Armando told us he’s suffered a few bites grabbing tarantulas, but they’re not that poisonous. Good to know!
That’s it. Don’t forget to arrange for Armando as your guide before you go to the park. I hope you enjoyed my little excursion outside the world of design. I’m off to the gift shop.
