Wow! What a day! We left our hotel very early this morning in order to get to the Mayan ruins of Tikal before it got too hot. We’ve been to other ruins in Mexico and Peru, but Tikal is like no other of the ancient cities. Hundreds of structures built over 1000 years ago have been buried by the fast growing jungle. Now only 7% of the 222 square miles of structures have been excavated, leaving 93% of the buildings under cover. Our five hour tour included multiple temples, plazas, and ancient pyramids that once housed 70,000 Mayans. Along the way we saw spider monkeys, howler monkeys, and a rare anteater, in addition to a tarantula, toucans and coatimundi. We’ll let the photos do most of the talking today.
Author: marniesteve
Travel Day – Belize to Guatemala
Flores, Guatemala
Today we left Belize City via public bus and it wasn’t like the express bus at home. We lined up behind a fence and when they said go, we worked in pairs. Steve loaded luggage in the back while I elbowed through the crowd to save us a seat. Apparently, the bus can’t leave the station with anyone standing and most of our group was still outside. We pulled out of the bus station and the rest of the group boarded from the street. Most didn’t have a seat for 20-30 minutes but eventually everyone settled in and we drove two hours with the windows down and reggae blaring. Oh, until we were stopped by the highway patrol. We think it was because we had people standing, but who knows. Along the way we passed what we think was the Tour de Belize, or something like that. We cheered them on just like the Tour de France. An unexpected surprise…why we love to travel. After a quick stop in Belmopan, the capitol of Belize, we continued onward toward the Guatemalan border…until the bus broke down.
Waiting for the new bus
Eventually we were rescued by another bus and made it to San Ignacio, Belize. Here we had lunch and then we took a van to the border crossing. To leave Belize, it’s $20 each, a two step process, another passport stamp and a short walk to the Guatemala check point. Another $2 and we were through. Another more comfortable bus was waiting to take us another 2 hours to the town of Flores, Guatemala. Flores is on an island in the middle of Lake Peten Itza. This small little town is a jumping off point for visits to Tikal. Once we were settled in to our air-conditioned room we set out for a walk and happy hour, followed by a group dinner. We leave for Tikal tomorrow at 5:00 am.
The Day We’ve Been Waiting For
Belize City, Belize
Thanks to sister Marla and brother-in-law Cory we made it to the airport in time to catch an early flight to DFW. Our original 7:00am flight was delayed and we would have missed our connection in Dallas. Luckily we got the last two seats on the 6:00 am flight, which gave us an extra hour in Dallas. We’ve flown through Dallas last two years on our way to Argentina and Brazil, so we know how to pass the time. Free wifi, walks, and lunch.
The arrival into Belize City was uneventful and we’re at the Coningsby Hotel for our first night in Belize City. This isn’t really the kind of place to wander around, so we’re in for the night and on the road early tomorrow morning.
Basic room at the Coningsby Hotel in Belize City
Our room can best be described as basic. This evening we met our fellow travelers (3 Europeans, 6 Canadians & 4 Americans) and our guide Daniel who is from Costa Rica. After a brief orientation (don’t flush paper in the toilets, how and where to exchange money, and other important details), we shared a few Belikins (Belize’s beer) and dinner with our new friends.
Welcome to Belize!
Tomorrow we travel by public bus to the border of Belize and Guatemala, cross the border, and then settle into the town of Flores, our base from which we’ll explore the Mayan ruins of Tikal. It will be a long travel day but worth it. Stay tuned for details.
