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El Remate
Second night in "Tikal".
We wanted to hike 3 h. on a site through the tropical forest to meet other species of birds, but the trail is not maintained and therefore impassable ... the jungle takes back possession of its territory.
We spend the day on the edge of the "Lago Petén Itza" to rest and update our website.
Tikal
We are awakened by the gentle song of the birds who greet the sunrise ... getting
up at 6:30 am to browse this major site.
The night was cool ... 12° ... we had put our duvet on !!!
"Tikal" is in Guatemala what the Machu Picchu is in Peru.
This jewel of the country attracts tourists from all over the world to discover this exceptional archaeological site.
Yesterday, on our arrival in the middle of the afternoon, the car park was packed.
"Tikal" or "Echoes Site" has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.
Inhabited by the Mayas since the 4th century BC, Tikal dominated much of Central America, influencing even the civilizations of the Mexico Valley such as Teotihuacan.
The site covers an area of 16 km² where magnificent temples stand in the jungle of Petén, the highest of them reaching 70 m.
It is not uncommon to see howler monkeys, spider monkeys, parrots, agoutis, squirrels, grey foxes, coatis, turkeys ... and toucans !!!
We leave at 7:30 am, before the arrival of the hordes of tourists and walked 10 km following well-signposted shaded trails.
* Gran Plaza: Rectangular in shape, it is the heart of social, administrative and religious life. In the centre is a cement platform that is used today by the Mayas for their rituals. We are witnessing a baptism ... colourful ceremony.
* Templo Del Grand Jaguar: 45 m high, it housed the funeral chamber of the king "Ah Cacao" filled with jade jewellery (8 kg). From its top we have a 360° view of the site and the jungle ... impressive.
* El Mundo Perdido: Life center under the reign of "Pate de Jaguar" it was mostly used as an astronomical observatory.
Other structures cover the site, some well-preserved others a little less. We visit all « groups » of "Tikal" almost alone.
Throughout our visit we see a multitude of birds ... but above all we have the immense luck to see a "Toucan" ... sequence of great emotion and happiness.
The pyramids of "Tikal" have been the backdrop of many films, including "Stars Wars" and "Indiana Jones"
Border / Tikal
Today we cross the border to Guatemala.
It is Saturday and there are a lot of people, most of them are pedestrians, crossing the border to do some shopping in Guatemala.
It takes us two hours to complete all the procedures, whereas normally one hour is enough.
As soon as we enter Guatemala the scenery changes. It’s very similar to Mexico.
We do some shopping and buy a SIM card. Prices are now very reasonable compared to Belize.
On our way we won't be able to see "Yaxcha", a famous Mayan site. The road is unpaved and it is advisable to have a 4x4 to get there... Apparently this will be the case for several sites ... We’ll see.
We head up to "Tikal", one of the most beautiful Mayan sites where we stay overnight.
After the entrance gate of the site, one has to drive another17 km at a maximum speed of 40 km/h. Time of departure and arrival are checked…... Watch out for animal crossing !
We are in the middle of a tropical jungle among a colony of "Coatis", a small, sociable mammal and a few birds parading around the camper.
At nightfall, the sky fills with thousands of stars ... superb show. We are almost alone in the camping area.
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