my trip to Tikal: from panic to serenity

4:30 am came way to early, especially since I was tossing and turning all night thinking about ants crawling all over me. I got up and dressed for my trip to Tikal in about 3 minutes, I was running late and didn't want to miss the van. Turns out, I didn't need to rush, the van was more than 15 minutes late. In fact, at one point I began to wonder if the driver had taken our money the day before, and was not coming. Finally, a van showed up and we got inside. I spent the one hour van ride drifting in and out of consciousness as the driver kept stopping and getting out of the van for no apparent reason. O Guatemala.

Once at the entrance to the Tikal park we left the van and began our walk to the ruins. At first we went down the wrong path, going the opposite direction of the entrance and more or less to the middle of nowhere. Sensing we were walking in the wrong direction, I asked some hikers who passed us going the other way and they confirmed my suspicion. Once at the actual entrance to the Tikal ruins, we paid a $20 entrance fee*. Showed the guard our ticket and began our search for Temple IV(the tallest temple at Tikal).

The map of the park was slightly inaccurate and very hard to read so we walked the same direction as the tour groups, we passed many small ruins and eventually saw a sign pointing the way to Temple IV. As we began walking down the narrow, windy jungle path I remember thinking the path seemed a bit raw. After another 10 minutes I thought it was odd we hadn't seen any other park visitors. That was when I began freaking out. At the park entrance there was a sign warning visitors, jaguars may be in the area and to stay on the marked trails. The path was getting more narrow, the jungle more dense and I swear I heard something, following us/stalking us in the nearby vegetation. Now twenty minutes down a crude jungle path, the end was nowhere insight and we had no idea where we were on the map. It just didn't feel right.

Fortunately, Melanie was also worried and suggested we turn back before we were too far into the jungle. Amy, who was not worried, wanted to stay on the path and see where it went. As we stopped to discuss turning back and once again check the map, I could hear a faint sound of sticks or leaves cracking in the jungle only a few feet away from us. Something was watching us, I knew it. Turning back the way we came; we walked/ran calmly but rapidly, worried running might encourage whatever was in the jungle around us to run too.

Finally back on the main trail. I felt a bit silly for feeling paranoid. Especially, when I discovered what was following us!

Yes that's right we were running from a very scary, half raccoon - half anteater thing, indigenous to the region, know as a White Nosed Coati or Pizote.

We arrived at the Great Plaza just as the sun finished rising. The ruins were stunning. Each structure constructed for a different purpose, I could stand in the middle and picture Tikal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) as a city of great importance and wealth in the Mayan world. Settled in 700BCE, Tikal was a cultural, religious and commercial center for the Maya for many hundreds of years. Eventually, around 900CE, Tikal's prominence faded and the city was slowly abandoned allowing the jungle surroundings to engulf the structures. In 1956 archaeologists began restoration and excavation of the temples and other various structures in the area and this work continues today.

As I looked out across the jungle, I saw some of the other temples peaking above the trees. I felt very clam and peaceful. Once again having a moment where I thought, "this is one of the greatest moments of my life." I imagined the Maya working diligently to construct each of the structures in the city, their dedication to community and their gods. It was a moment of awe, echoed by the sounds of the birds in the nearby trees. I resisted the urge to sing, a la the Sound of Music, out across the jungle. Nonetheless, the rest of my day in Tikal was spent in a state of peace and comfort.


* I would not mind the high price tag to see and explore these ruins if I were assured the money was used for excavation/restoration of the site or to assist the ancestors of the Mayan people. However, in Guatemala, a country with a great deal of political corruption, there is no guarantee the entrance fees are used appropriately.