TEMPLES IN THE MIST, TIKAL GUATEMALA
Written: Dec 10 '03 (Updated May 09 '05)
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Pros: Fantastic glimpse into history.
Cons: Maybe a little off the beaten track, but then is that a con?
The Bottom Line: Well worth the trip, but if can manage more than a day then do so.
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| JAMES23's Full Review: Tikal |
The climb up the slippery ancient stonework still partially covered in vegetation is tiring. On the way up even in the dim pre dawn light your senses are bombarded. The thick smell of the plant life competes with the noises from the jungle around you. The sharp cries of the Toucans seem to carry on a conversation with screeches of the howler monkeys. Above them all is the throaty growl of a jaguar, or maybe it's just your imagination.
Eventually though the climb ends and you reach the top. The sun slowly rises and burns off the mist. You take a quick moment to catch your breath and take in the view. It's guaranteed to take your breath away as easily as the climb did. You’re standing on the pinnacle of Temple IV the highest point in this ancient place. Stretched below you peeking through the verdant green jungle is Tikal the largest Mayan city yet discovered.
Tikal located in northern Guatemala was the pre-eminent Mayan city-state. It is believed that the first inhabitants of the region arrived around 500 B.C. The present city state probably began around 200 B.C and within two hundred years was a major city with a population that would eventually grow to an estimated at between 50,000 and 100, 000
Over the next nine centuries Tikal became the largest and most powerful of the Mayan cities. It was the centre of the Mayan world and trade. It's influence spread south to Copan in present day Honduras, west to Altun Ha on the Caribbean coast of modern Belize, and northwards to the Mayan cities of Tulum, and Kobe in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
Tikal was not always the power in the region. It's power and influence grew and waned according to varying circumstances. Over the years trade wars and even real wars with rivals affected the size and wealth of the city. No one is also quite clear on why Tikal eventually fell around 900 AD. Evidence supports various theories including everything from an earthquake to a popular uprising. Within another hundred years though all of it was gone.
Whatever the reason that it fell, the remains of this great civilization remained hidden in the thick jungle of Guatemala's northern Petan region for almost another thousand years. In 1848 it was "discovered" by an expedition to the region. It would then take almost another one hundred years after that before major work was commenced.
In 1951 the Guatemalan Government constructed an airstrip that allowed archaeologists to reach the area relatively easily. Prior to that the only way to get to Tikal was by horseback on jungle trails. Soon after the excavations and restorations of the ruins commenced, the first tourists began to arrive. They've been coming in the thousands ever since.
Tikal is an easy place to visit, despite its remote location. The Guatemalan government is more than aware of the tourist potential of the place. There is an International Airport in the nearby town of Flores. From here dozens of mini buses make the sixty to ninety minute drive to Tikal and back throughout the day.
There are several regular round trip flights a day from Guatemala City. Many are timed to allow a visitor a day at the ruins and be back in the Capital by the evening. In addition there are organized tours available from Cancun Mexico and Belize City also by air.
It is also possible to drive from Belize City to Tikal but doing it and back in one day would be hard. If one doesn't like flying, one can also take the bus from Guatemala City to Flores but it can take six to ten hours. The overnight express bus is the best bet both in terms of comfort and the fact that it puts one at Tikal just after dawn.
The ruins at Tikal is part of the Parque Nacional Tikal, which is 370 square kilometres in size. The main site itself, which contains most of the excavated and restored ruins, though is rather compact. The site is open daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. Entrance costs at time of writing were $8.50 US.
At the entrance to the site is the visitor centre that boasts a massive scale model of the site. This is an excellent first stop to help orient yourself and ensure you don't miss anything. There is also an excellent museum containing many smaller artefacts recovered from the site.
There is also a gift shop containing camera film, batteries, guidebooks and a selection of grossly overpriced souvenirs including replicas of Mayan art. If you're coming from nearby Flores or Guatemala City the selection and prices are better there. The attached cafeteria in addition to serving light meals will also store excess luggage for a small fee while you're touring the site. This is especially convenient for back packers.
There are three hotels in the park proper, the Tikal Inn, the Jungle Lodge and the Jaguar Inn. All of them offer basic but clean accommodations and meals. Due to the popularity of the site and the number of overnight package tours, reservations are almost always required. Another small museum is located near this hotel strip. There is also a campground nearby. For those wishing to rough it hammocks and mosquito nets can be rented.
In addition to the cafeteria in the visitors centre and the hotels, there are several "comedores" or small food stalls in the area where cheap basic meals can be found.
Just past the visitor centre is the actual entrance to the ruins. Multi lingual guides can be hired to help explain the site but are not necessary. A good map, available at the main entrance or the visitor centre and/or a guidebook are all that is really needed.
The easiest way to explore the main site is to go clockwise from the entrance. This allows you to see the smaller collections of ruins first and saves the main larger ones for the end, a sort of a teaser tour if you will.
Taking the right hand paths form the entrance, the first set of ruins you'll reach is a set of twin pyramids (complex Q and R) and a few smaller ruins. From there head north along the path beside the Maler Causeway to a second collection of different sized ruins (complex P, and M). All of this area is still mostly covered in jungle, although the footpaths are wide and clearly marked.
From here you now head southwest along the footpaths that parallel the Maudslay Causeway and eventually come to Temple IV, the highest point in Tikal. The temple itself sits atop a brush-covered hill and towers over the rest of the site. You can climb the hill, and as noted the view is well worth the effort. There is a wooden staircase in place now to help get to the top, a marked improvement over the rope that was there originally.
From Temple IV you can see most of the main site including the tips of Temple I and II peeking out of the jungle. To your immediate right is a cleared area full of several ruins of different shapes and sizes. The most prominent ones are the Bat Palace, the Great Pyramid, and Temple III. The last of these can also be climbed at time of writing.
Heading East through the jungle paths you'll pass two of the five reservoirs on the site. Eventually you'll come to the South Acropolis and the massive Temple V. A long term reconstruction and preservation of this temple was started in 1991 and at the time of writing it was still covered in scaffolding.
From Temple IV you head north again along another short path. Eventually you’ll come to the greatest concentration of ruins and temples surrounding three large open areas, the West Plaza, East Plaza and in the middle the Great Plaza. Flanking the Great Plaza are Temples II, and I that are the most photographed and recognized buildings in Tikal. Two large collections of smaller ruins, the North Acropolis and the Central Acropolis are also in this area.
You'll spend most of your time at Tikal here moving around and inside the smaller buildings, and staring at the two larger temples. In the past you were able to climb both of them, but this is now prohibited. From the Great Plaza it is a short walk past several more small groupings of ruins back to the entrance.
The best time to explore the ruins is in the early morning. Not only is it cooler then but one also has the ruins almost to them self as the large groups of tourists don't begin arriving from nearby Flores don't begin arriving until mid morning. One can better appreciate the majesty of the place without the crowds, and it is quite easy to stay ahead of them.
Tikal can be explored in a single day, but if time permits a couple of days here would not be wasted. This would allow more time for the museums and a chance to explore the more remote outlying sites. An overnight stay at one of the hotels or the campground is recommended. This is preferable to driving back to Flores for two reasons. One it eliminates the couple of hours transit time each way. More importantly it allows one to remain in the ruins for sunset and sunrise.
This is the ultimate Tikal experience for the adventurous. You rise early before dawn and head down the trails to Temple IV, and then climb it. Viewing the sunrise from the top of the temple is well worth any inconvenience that getting up early may cause.
Other Articles on Guatemala
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Puerto Barrios
http://www.epinions.com/content_55183642244
Border crossing Honduras/Guatemala
http://www.epinions.com/content_2442043524
Night Bus to Tikal
http://www.epinions.com/content_3104678020
Recommended:
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Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Member: James Smith
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