Monthly Archives: September 2016

Tikal National Park – Mayan City located in Guatemala

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The trip to Tikal National Park located in Guatemala.

It has been over 18 years since I last visited the Tikal National Park in Guatemala, and today’s the day. What I remember of Tikal was the sheer size of the City and the amount of buildings and pyramids that made it up. I also remember being able to climb most of the pyramids and buildings and observe the spectacular views from the top of them.

Since Tikal is located in Guatemala, you really need to hire a tour group to assist you in crossing the border to / from Belize and Guatemala. Also because of the size of Tikal, you will need a guide to assist you in navigating this National Monument. As it was 18 years ago, there is still a lot of friction between the governments of Belize and Guatemala over ownership of the borders for each Country. As a foreigner to both countries, you do not want to make this crossing into Guatemala by yourself, or without a reputable tour company. Don’t forget to bring your passport!

Whatever tour group you book with, you will end up getting out, getting your passport stamped, paying an exit fee, and changing vans and drivers at the border. Apparently, only Guatemalan  vehicles and drivers are allowed to drive in the Country due to insurance and licensing regulations.

The tour company I signed up with picked me up at my Hotel around 8 am. and we were on our way to Tikal. The trip takes about 2.5 hours from San Ignacio, Belize to the Tikal National Park in Guatemala, including the stop at the border. The group I was with consisted of US, British, and Canadians for a total of 7 people in a van. The roads are paved and the ride is comfortable, considering that you are out in the middle of nowhere.tikal-2-of-51

Along the way, we passed a few lakes, one of which there were many Guatemalans down at the waters edge washing clothing. We stopped to stretch, which gave me a chance to take a few pictures. According to our guide, thistikal-1-of-51 particular lake (Laguna Salpeten Macenche) contains a lot of mineral content and therefore has been found to really help in cleaning soil from clothing. Apparently, there are no gators in the water either.

Our next stop right before the Route 3 split from CA13 highway, we stopped at a gift shop / restaurant to order lunch for later when we return from our day at Tikal. The gift shop had lots of fine wood carvings and tourist stuff for visitors to / from the Mayan ruins. Note the intricate carvings and grain of the wood on the Mayan face mask shown below.

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A few miles further and we came to yet another, a larger lake called Lago Peten Itza, which is the second largest lake in Guatemala.

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We finally reached the entrance to the Tikal National Ptikal-16-of-51ark, the first thing I noticed different from 18 years ago is that the parking and information center are now very close to where the monuments begin. In the past, you had to walk about a half a mile from the parking / information center to where the Mayan site began. This is great news since you will be walking and covering a lot of the territory while visiting the site. After unloading from the van, most of our passengers opted to go on their own to visit the Mayan city. Having been here before, I knew I wanted to go with the guide since he would know the best route and buildings to view while here. There are lots of informational boards posted around each of the structures that will give you good information on what the structure is and what it was used for by the Mayans.

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It is just amazing that the Mayan civilization could build so tikal-9-of-51many impressive structures and create such a complex city with over 3,000 structures, where estimates are that around 75,000 to 90,000 people lived at its height. The city is built on  limestone ridges that are surrounded by swamplands, and the only water they had was from a tikal-11-of-51collection of rainwater into 10 reservoirs. They used a sophisticated ditch system to collect the rainwater and direct it into these reservoirs. All of the structures built here were made from the local limestone, and wood from the trees here. There are still wood beams that were used when these buildings were constructed that are still intact and have not been replaced or refurbished.

There is lots of fauna and wildlife roaming or flying around, so keep your eyes open and you might catch a glimpse of white-nosed coatis (see picture),

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spider and howler monkeys (see picture),  harpy eagles, falcons, turkeys, guans, toucans, green parrots and leafcutter ants (everywhere). This whole city remained hidden under the rain forest for over 1,000 years before being re-discovered in the 1840’s.

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The views from atop of some of these structures are impressive.tikal-42-of-51 Another thing I noticed different from my previous visit was that some of the structures have been closed to climbing, but they have now constructed stairways on some of the higher monuments so that it is much easier to get to the top, along with safer and less damage to the structure by those that choose to make the climb. My guide explained that recently a climber slipped and fell to their death while climbing on one of the pyramids that did not have wooden stairways built to assist in climbing. The original stone stairs / steps were very high and steep. This was because it was expected that whoever wanted to ascend these structures would have to use their knees to do so, which meant they would never be standing while ascending or descending the structures out of respect for the gods. I can tell you first hand that back in 1998 when I was first here, it was very difficult to climb any of these monuments, and hard on the knees to do.

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You can spend days or weeks here exploring the site, but you will be exhausted after just a few hours of walking. So much to see and do while here at Tikal. Don’t forget to stop at the visitor center to get lots of great information on the Mayan civilization and the city. Of course there is also a souvenir shop at the parking area, but as usual, it is full of overpriced touristy stuff.

What a great day at Tikal, and now it was time for my return triptikal-45-of-51 to the hotel back in San Ignacio, Belize. But first, we need to make a stop for lunch back at that shop we stopped at on the way to Tikal. Our lunch / dinner was good, and we had more time to watch a wood carver creating a new mask for sale in the shop out front. I also noticed and took some pictures of a cacao or cocoa tree with some ripe fruit on it. I had never seen one up close before.

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After our stop for a late lunch / early dinner, we headed back to Belize and again stopped at the border to get our entrance visas and change vans and drivers again.

By the time I arrived back at my Hotel in San Ignacio, it was getting dark and I was exhausted. Tomorrow is another big day for the Turtle.

Coming up next will be my blog on a trip to Xunantunich, another Mayan Site located in Belize.

 

San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize – Day 2

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San Ignacio, Belize – Iguana & Nature Walk – Day 2

After a good nights rest in the Hotel (Midas Hotel), it was time to get started on seeing the many sights in and around San Ignacio and Western Belize. The Hotel offered a complimentary breakfast in its dining area, where the first thing that catches your eye are the many Iguanas that are either on the ground or in the trees around the Hotel.

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One of the first things I want to do was go see the San san-ignacio-2-3-of-27Ignacio Hotel & Resort, which I was unable to get a booking in, but was rated as one of the top Hotels / Resorts in the area. The San Ignacio Hotel / Resort is located on the south side of the town, the opposite of where I was staying and is home to the Green Iguana Conservation Project and a highly rated Nature Walk – Herbal Medicine tour , both of san-ignacio-2-2-of-27which I was interested in seeing while here in town. The Hotel is located at the top of a large hill from downtown San Ignacio and offers great views of the surrounding countryside. You immediately know that you are in an upscale hotel, once you enter the lobby area. The marble floors, and beautiful flower arrangments, and paintings or photographs on the walls. Once I walked through the san-ignacio-2-14-of-27lobby and to the back of the hotel and looked out on the vista and the pool area, I knew I wanted to stay here. This was probably the best Hotel and Resort I have seen since leaving the States. Unfortunately, they still had no vacancies and I would have to stay where I was at the Midas Hotel.

At the Hotel / Resort, they have the Green Iguana Conservation Project and Nature Walk – Herbal Medicine tours, that I read about and wanted to do while here. The first tour that was available was the Iguana tour, which I only had to wait about 30 minutes before it would start.

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The Green Iguana Conservation Project was created in san-ignacio-2-8-of-271996 by Mrs. Mariam Roberson and Daniel Velasquez due to the decreasing survival rate of Green Iguanas in Belize caused by overhunting. It’s a continuous effort that aims to conserve and look after the endangered Green Iguana species in Belize. The Project uses interactive exhibits and programs to help educate visitors and create awareness san-ignacio-2-6-of-27among the general public. The tour takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, and will get you up close and personal with lots of Iguanas. Our guide, Abdon, was great and very knowledgeable about the project and Iguanas. There are three separate caged areas, one for the juveniles (about 1 – 2.5 years old, one for the babies, and one area for the incubation of eggs. They let you feed the juveniles with san-ignacio-2-9-of-27fresh vegetables that the guide will give to you. Just make sure you don’t hold on to the food too long because the Iguanas will climb right up your pants to get to the food (See pictures and video below). You can even pick up and hold some of the Iguanas. Once the Iguanas reach about 2.5 years of age, the project lets them loose into the forest. There are hundreds of Iguanas located all around the hotel / resort, and surrounding area. Everywhere you go in Western Belize, you see Iguanas in the trees or on the ground.

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Below is a quick video showing how the iguanas will climb right up your pants leg if you are holding any food for them.

Later in the afternoon, I was able to book the Nature / Herbal Medicine Tour, which is also located on the Hotel property. This tour lasted about 2+ hours and I was lucky enough to get the same guide (Abdon) as I had for the Iguana Conservation Project tour. This tour follows a path through the jungle located behind the Hotel and down the side of the valley towards the river. All along the path is located these information boards that identify the name of the tree or shrub behind it along with information about the item and their medical use. If you are lucky, you will also see some very interesting wildlife, including birds, butterflies and even monkeys.

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After the tour, I headed back to my Hotel where I ended up walking towards town to get some dinner and was able to capture a few pictures of the moonrise.

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What a great way to spend a day in San Ignacio, Belize.

Up next will be the trip to Tikal, a large and famous Mayan Ruin City located in Guatemala.

 

 

 

San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize – Day 1

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San Ignacio, Belize – Day 1 (Travel from The Belize Zoo)

After spending hours of fun at The Belize Zoo, it was time to start making my way to San Ignacio to spend a few days. I kept traveling west on the Western Highway for about 68 km from the Zoo.

Before I got too far, thought I might stop and get san-ignacio-1-3-of-7something to eat along the way. Not far from the Zoo and right before you get to the Hummingbird Highway turn-off, I found this great little restaurant called Cheers. This place was great, and believe it or not, I had been here before back in 1998. I immediately recognized the place from all the shirts hanging from the ceiling. The last time I was here, was with a group of scuba divers from Sports Chalet (now closed and out of business) in Southern CA. We were there to dive on asan-ignacio-1-2-of-7 live-a-board boat (Belize Aggressor) for a week but first wanted to visit some of the Mayan Ruins found throughout Belize. We donated one of our tour group shirts (Sports Tours) to the restaurant after stopping for lunch on our way to San Ignacio to visit some ruins. As you can see from the pictures, this has become the custom for most people stopping to eat at this place. I looked for our old shirt but could not find it. I asked the owner about our shirt, san-ignacio-1-1-of-7and she stated that they only have room for about the last 5 years worth of visitors, so it must have been taken down and trashed. Oh well, this time, I donated one of my shirts from the gym where I work out most evenings back home in Southern CA. (Proactive Sports).

Afer a great meal, it was time to head out and make my way to San Ignacio. I wanted to arrive before sunset, so I wouldn’t have to worry about the wildlife walking on to the road at night.

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I arrived and checked into my Hotel (Midas Hotel) before dark, and was able to get off a few shots of the sunset from the hotel balcony. The Midas Hotel is located within walking distance of downtown San Ignacio, yet in a quite part of town. It is located along the Belize River, which runs along the back of the property.

Next up, Touring San Ignacio, Belize – Day 2

The Belize Zoo – Belize

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The Belize Zoo – Belize

This is probably the best little zoo on earth! belize-zoo-32-of-32

I was at the Belize Zoo one time before back in 1998 and thought it was a great little zoo then. Now, 18 years later, I know it is one of my favorite zoos.

The Belize Zoo and belize-zoo-29-of-32belize-zoo-27-of-32Education Center is located some 29 miles (47 km) west of Belize City on the Western Highway. It’s only about 29 acres in size, but set in a tropical forest, so it seems much larger, and it is easy to get turned around in.  It is home to more than 170 animals of about 48 species, all native to Belize. It uses gravel paths to travel through the vegetation and trees to view the various animal inclosures.

The Zoo focuses on educating visitors about the belize-zoo-28-of-32belize-zoo-30-of-32wildlife of Belize through encountering the animals in their natural habitat. It also gets upwards of over 15,000 school children a year visiting the zoo. The Zoo and Education Center provides video, sound clips, photos and key facts for the over 170 animals native to Belize.

Because the animals are mostly kept in large natural habitats native to their wildlife homes, it is sometimes hard to see or find the animals on display at the Zoo. But, because there are so many animals here, you will be able to get great views and photographs of many of them.

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Each inclosure has a sign and educational information about each animal that is within.

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Plan on spending 4 or more hours to wander this great little zoo and Education center.

Next blog will be on the trip to San Ignacio, Belize – Day 1.

Altun Ha, Belize District, Belize

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After a fantastic morning a the Baboon Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing (see my previous post), I decided I needed to find some lunch and drove North on the Northern Highway towards Sand Hill.

Found a small roadside shack that was offering some local Belizean (chicken, rice, beans, and yucca). Not bad, but very messy to eat. After lunch, I continued north to just past Sand Hill, where the highway splits. I decided to take the Old Northern Highway since it was headed towards the coast, and being the Turtle that I am, I wanted to see the Ocean.

A few miles up the highway, I spotted a sign for a Mayan Ruin called Altun Ha. I have been to Belize before and visited many of the Mayan Ruins, and always found them interesting and worth viewing if you have the time. I have never been to or heard of this site before, so I decided to go visit it.

Once you reach Lucky Strike, you leave the Old Northern Highway and drive west for about 4km and you arrive at the entrance to Altun Ha.

altun-ha-1-of-23 altun-ha-21-of-23At the entrance, there are some shops and information center that will give you the history of this site and what the layout for it is. Of course, there are plenty of guides for hire, and I recommend that you hire one. The guides are all licensed and knowledgeable about the site and the current theories on what happened at this site and where and why the Mayans left here. They also know where to go, and what to see based on how much information or time you have to explore the ruins.

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I negotiated a good price ($20 US) for one of the guides and told him I had the rest of the afternoon to spend here, and I was interested in getting some good photos and information on the ruins.

Turtle with Guide

Turtle with Guide

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I was really impressed with the size and scope of these ruins. Some of these structures seemed to be as high and big as the ones I remembered from my last visit to the Tikal ruins in Guatemala. The nice thing about these ruins is that they are off the beaten tourist path, so not many visitors and you can still climb many of the structures. I am always amazed at how an old civilization like the Mayans was able to plan, construct and build such large, ornate, and geometrically accurate structures without the modern tools of today.

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As with all the Mayan sites found in Central America, only about 10-20% of the site has been excavated, many of the structures are still buried under the earth and trees of the forest. This is to preserve these structures for future generations, since once exposed to the elements, most of these ruins will fade away to nothing.

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One of the exciting objects found at this site is the jade head at Altun Ha, which is considered a national treasure of Belize.

Turtle at Altun Ha (I am not a national Treasure of Belize)

Turtle at Altun Ha (I am not a national Treasure of Belize)

Coming up next will be the Belize Zoo.