Tikal, Travel Diary

After leaving Playa del Carmen, we still didn't know what awaited us. From the relaxing beaches of Mexico, we would move on to a stressful and continuous bus ride until reaching the capital of Honduras, and then take a plane and leave Central America for good.

But let's go step by step... we had left off at the station in Chetumal, from which we had caught a bus with the intention of reaching the largest and most important Maya site in all of Central America: Tikal. We left Mexico on a practically empty bus, sharing the journey only with two young Dutch people and two Mexican ladies: this allowed us to stretch out on the seats and make up for the hours of sleep lost during the previous night at the station. The bus route involved crossing Belize, passing through its capital (Belmopan), and then heading straight on to the Guatemala border. The usual ritual procedures, followed by a brief lunch break, and in the blink of an eye our little backsides were once again on the bus seat.

On the road again, within a few hours we arrived at the bus terminal, from which we were picked up with a small truck and transported to Flores, a pleasant little town, built on a small island in the middle of a large lake. From there, still in the company of the Dutch girls, we reached the hostel and, once we had settled our bags, we swooped down to the agency to gather information ahead of our excursion to Tikal. After a brief discussion with the owner of the agency, we decided not to waste time and head to the archaeological site the following day; not content with that, we also booked the bus for our next destination, Honduras... you certainly can't say we wasted time!!!

The excursion to Tikal involved, as usual, an early wake-up... at 4:30 in the morning (or night!) we were already up to get into a small van packed with tourists, which would take us to the entrance of Tikal National Park. Along the way, we were bombarded with countless pieces of information about the discovery and history of the Park, provided by some guides, who then offered themselves for a guided tour... obviously for a fee!

Given the importance of the archaeological site, it seemed appropriate to us to make use of a guide's services in order to fully understand what it represents for the history of Maya civilization. It seems, in fact, that it is precisely this first settlement that is the cradle of one of the greatest dynasties of Central America. After a Spartan breakfast, eaten at a little shack at the entrance to the park, our tour began, in the company of two other people, an Austrian and an Indian. What makes this site special is that it stands within a nature reserve; alongside its historical value, the beauty of untouched, wild nature blends with flora and fauna of considerable note. In fact, if it weren't for the imposing acropolis that forms the main plaza, it would be hard to realize you're in one of the most important Maya archaeological sites...

most of the route unfolded within a dense jungle, from which the ruins of ancient buildings occasionally re-emerged, partly still covered and hidden by vegetation because there is a lack of funds to continue the excavations. Within three hours we reached the main plaza, and with that the guide took his leave, leaving us time to contemplate individually the beautifully preserved buildings of the acropolis. We checked the time: it was already two in the afternoon... our batteries were, to say the least, drained, and so, rich in culture but exhausted, we headed toward the van that within an hour would take us back to the fold. As soon as we arrived at the hostel, just enough strength to open the door, and we fell flat on the bed, aware that the odyssey was only just beginning, given that the next morning another early wake-up awaited us to catch the bus to Honduras. One thing at a time...

after partially recovering our strength, we took a much-needed shower (not everyone, since there was no water) and treated ourselves to a little dinner in a small restaurant with a lake view: how fancy! With full bellies and eyes closing, we plunged into bed once again and within a few seconds we were already in Morpheus's arms.

At five the following morning we once again had our backpacks on our shoulders and our backsides on the bus seat: it was time to reach Honduras.