On Sunday, we left Lake Atitlan with Walter at the wheel. Walter will be forever in our hearts for leading us in several rounds of “Sweet Caroline.” After saying adios to Walter for the last time, we flew from the Guatemala City airport 350 miles north to Flores, a tiny town on an island in the Guatemalan jungle.
We enjoyed Flores by taking a boat ride on Lake Petenitza, eating dinner on a rooftop overlooking Lake Petenitza and walking, except not very far because the island isn’t much bigger than a Mexican watermelon. Actually, we were in Flores to see Tikal, the Mayan ruins about an hour north. Archeologists estimate Tikal was built around 250 AD as the center of the Mayan Kingdom. With 100,000 residents, it was one of the largest cities in the world at the time, with palaces, housing complexes, commercial buildings, temples and pyramids. Like so many ancient civilizations, the Mayans used their deep knowledge of math and astronomy in the ways they designed their monuments and cities, and to do things scientists still don’t understand. (That’s what she said.)
No one knows what happened to the powerful Mayan kingdom at Tikal, which disappeared around 900 AD. The spirit of the Mayans remains, however. We walked through the site for several hours, listening to stories by our amazing tour guide, Luis, and looking for the park’s wildlife, including monkeys, jaguars, coati and toucan.
The real surprise of our time in Guatemala might have been Guatemala City, which locals call “Guate.” We stayed two nights in delightful Good Hotel, which donates its profits to educational programs for local children. In the rooftop restaurant upstairs, Chef Philip serves amazing dishes. Watermelon ceviche with tzatziki and grilled yucca. Fusion-y ceviche. Ice cream made of parmesan cheese and pralines.
The hotel, which we barely left for two days, is in Zona 4, full of cafes and restaurants and murals. At lunch time, Zona 4 is packed with young people in business suits. But Chico in a black t-shirt is its jefe — a man who has advocated for the neighborhood’s revitalization for years, and drives a mean truck.
We are home in San Miguel tonight and happy!
Camino Milagro 
Hi Kim – Another great travel journal entry. John and I went to Tikal about 35 years ago and spent a few days. It was magical.
Thanks Kathy! It’s a special place.
Amazing to think of Tikal—lonely, abandoned, mysterious-stone-ruins-in-the-jungle Tikal—as being the largest city on earth in 900 A.D.! Glad you got to take in all those mythical hallucinatory sculptures in situ, Kim. Welcome home…
Thanks Fred — yes, it was surreal.
Hi Kim, I enjoyed your Guatemala posts…..brought up memories of my family visiting there in 1969 enroute to Caracas to see my Uncle who was involved in PanAm. We were at Lake Atitlan and Chichicastenanga……magical and mystical….beautiful scenic vibe…..eyes and soul of the Mayan descendents….I was only 18 yrs old and it was an unforgettable experience.
Wow, you were in Guatemala during some dangerous times. The people I met in Santiago remembered US soldiers invading their little town at Lake Atitlan. But yes, beautiful and mystical under any circumstance.
Great post Kim- and the photos are very special! The ruins of Tikal appear remarkably different and very much more interesting than the ones at Monte Albán we visited so many years ago. The rain forrest/jungle setting is much more “romantic” than the arid conditions around Oaxaca. Climbing those steps in the heat and humidity had to be trying! I imagine jaguars kept out of view, but were the monkeys evident? If so, were they thieves like the monkeys I encountered in Langkawi? Those guys were true rascals and pirates! lol
Gracias! Yes we saw monkeys, but they were quite wild so not trained to be thieves.
Beautiful photos, Kim, especially the vibrant colors in the captioned 🙂 As a young undergraduate, I fell in love with the ancient Mayan civilization. So many mysteries still remain. You’re fortunate to be able to climb 190 steps. My knees would’ve given out long before the halfway point.
Oh yes, my knees almost didn’t make it. I find the older I get, the more determination I need.!
Ain’t that true 😀