Guatemala I

Where to begin? I've been in Guatemala now since Sunday I think, so about 6 days back here... Monday we (Anh, Colleen, and I) took the trip up to Flores, the closest town to Tikal, where we stayed two nights. The town itself is nothing to speak of, but we picked up another traveller, Debbie (a Guatemalan from Toronto), who stuck with us until today! We went to Tikal on the 5am bus, since we'd all been getting up at ridiculous hours anyway to catch buses, etc, and because we wanted to beat the heat and the other tourists. Tikal was practically deserted, which was wonderful. We got to climb about 5 or 6 temples, many of which we were the only people on. Photos to come once I have a way of getting them off my camera!

Unfortunately, it's hard not to compare Tikal to both Chichen Itza and Machu Picchu, and after much careful consideration atop ancient temple ruins, I've come to the following conclusions: Machu Picchu simply can't be beat: the craftsmanship, the location, the views (nor the price, which was ridiculously high). Chichen Itza has been very well preserved, and although it is overrun with tourists any day of the week, it is impressive and has a lot to examine closeup. Tikal, however, has bugs. This was pretty much all I could think about for a few moments, but then I realized, "Hey, I'm sitting 60 feet up in the air, looking out over the jungle with barely another soul in sight." So Tikal has that, the experience of climbing where thousands of people have climbed before, yet sitting in the middle of a tranquil jungle with howler monkeys and birds creating a wild cachophony of sound all around you. Score one for Tikal.

We were done by early afternoon, so returned to Flores, where we learned that it was impossible to leave until the next morning, a ploy we're pretty sure has been carefully organized by businesses to keep you there another day to spend some more money. So the next morning we left for Semuc Champey, where there are caves, waterfalls, and general splendor to behold. When we got there, however, there was no room at the inn for us in Lanquin, the closest small town. So we were convinced, along with our fellow travellers, to stay at the next best place, which was in Semuc Champey. A half hour bumpy ride later in an open air truck bed, we were there, where we learned we had no access to either phone or internet, which we needed to get in touch with our other friend, Franz, the German dude. On top of this, we were there so late there was no time to do anything that day, and the only buses out the next day were at 7am (another tactic to keep us there, I think), which Anh and Colleen had no choice but to take, since their flights out of Guatemala City were early the next morning. So we were not happy campers. Debbie and I were in foul enough moods that we decided to leave with the other girls and come straight to Antigua, a decision I regretted in the bus on the way here, but forgot about the instant we arrived to this beautiful city.

More in a bit, I have to spend some time scratching bug bites and then berating myself for giving in to the itch.