Guatemala Tikal & El Remate
Five Islands
John & Sue
Fri 2 Aug 2013 23:15
| We have just returned from an enjoyable 3 day visit to the northern province of Guatemala called Peten with Olivier and Vivienne. We packed our back packs and headed up to the main road in Rio Dulce where we all squeezed into the back of a Tuk Tuk (good thing we are friends) and headed across the bridge to Fronteras where we purchased our bus tickets for the 4 hour journey to Flores. We decided that air conditioning and an express service was the way to go which cost Q130 ($19AU). We had an hour to kill prior to the bus departing so had lunch at our Guatemalan mate's roadside BBQ. He cooks the marinated meat on a grill over coals then slices it very thinly. The fresh bread rolls are brushed with garlic oil and lightly toasted on the inside before being spread with Guacamole. Then comes the meat onto of which goes a coleslaw type salad, onion & tomato salsa and any or all of tomato sauce, mayo, chilli and/or mustard. They are amazing and have become a personal favourite & cost Q10 ($1.45AU). We then headed to the Sundog Restaurant for a huge Margarita before heading for the bus. The countryside on the way north was mostly cultivated either by large corporations or the local Guatemalan farming plot predominantly of crops of corn (maize) or cattle. We saw very little forested areas most of which appeared to be in the mountains where the terrain would reduce the ease of farming. We arrived in Flores at 7pm and took a mini van/taxi to the village of El Remate where we had booked a couple of rooms at 'Mon Ami' for a couple of nights. This place had been recommended to Olivier by another cruiser and was rated as number one backpacker accommodation in the area by Tripadviser. The rooms were rustic but comfortable with hot water and a private bathroom and cost Q200 ($29AU) per night. We met a number of (younger) backpackers from germany, france, holland etc. Some of them were very well travelled, like one young german couple who travel to a different part of the world every year. The food was good with an average cost of Q35 ($5AU). A beer was Q15 ($2AU) and a glass of wine Q30 ($4AU), making the alcohol the most expensive part of our stay. We organised to do a 'Sunrise Tour' of Tikal the next day which had us out of bed at 3am and on the mini bus at 3.30am, a bit of an early start for yachties who don't normally rise before 7am. It was still dark when we arrived and then we walked by dim torch light for 30 minutes to reach Temple IV, where we ascended multiple stair platforms to about half way up the temple structure to view the coming of the sun. The mist swirled around us for more than 40mins while we waited patiently and quietly for the sunrise and the jungle to awaken around us. A fox came to visit briefly and birds were calling off in the distance. The daylight came but no sunrise spectacular as the mist did not burn off in time. A bit disappointing but nice just to close your eyes and listen to the different bird calls (would make a good relaxation/meditation CD). Our guide took us from one Maya temple to the next for the next 5 hours explaining the discoveries, meanings and history of the Maya peoples and identifying plants and animals present within the jungle. It was interesting to hear that the jungle around the site has been cleared twice since the area was discovered in the 1700's. There are a number of other Maya sites in Peten Provence, but Tikal is the largest and most visited. The tour cost Q200 & the park entrance fee was Q250, well worth the $65AU. After being dropped off at the main road and walking the 500m back to our hotel, we all crashed for a few hours to catch up on lost sleep. In the afternoon we went for a swim in the lake over the road. A long jetty leads out into clear blue water with little fish swimming around. The water temperature was very comfortable (warm). Following an evening of eating and drinking (yet again) it was decided to walk a 6km trail through a biotopo protegido (nature reserve) called 'Cerro Cahui' (Cahui Hill) which was just down the road from where we were staying. Well i'm not sure i would call it a hill, it certainly felt like a small mountain and provided 3 hrs of solid exercise. This, with the walking the previous day, has been the most exercise i have done in a long time. When we arrived at the entrance gate the first thing to greet us were a row of snakes that had been preserved in jars. Always a reassurance prior to setting off on a bush walk in a foreign country and yes they have poisonous/deadly snakes in Guatemala, one or two that will actually attack rather than slithering away. Anyway off we went, climbing up the 'hill' to get a great view of the lake. We saw an Agouti, several birds, spiders and lizards but no Ocelots or Jaguars, which, on this count, was probably not a bad thing. Although out of breath and muscles burning I thoroughly enjoyed the hike and i was even able to walk the next day, which was a pleasant surprise. The next day we headed into Flores to catch the bus home. Flores is situated on an island in the lake (Lago Peten Itza) and Saint Elena, the town on the shore of the lake, has shopping malls, a Burger King and traffic lights. Tourism has impacted this region considerably. We arrived home a bit weary but had a great time with Olivier & Vivienne, who were great company. |