23 November
Breakfast at Bruno's and a four hour bus to Flores, comfortable - rarely said of Guatemala's buses - but some mechanical performance problems with low gears. We were following the main drag from Guatemala City to the countries main tourist attraction so the roads were paved with no bumps and but a few towns. A countryside with cattle ranches, such beautiful cattle. There was even an air strip just outside Flores replacing the now disused one at Tikal itself.
We have a nice hotel, Villa del Lago, on the outskirts of this small island town, in fact the first one we saw after walking across the causeway into Flores. All mod cons and a very pleasant balcony overlooking the lake. We have booked for four nights then hope to reach the little used border crossing by river to Villa Hermosa for just one night leaving just two in Mexico City before flying home.
We explored Flores by the simple expedient of walking the main street which as near as possible skirts around the lake shore. Finishing with more fresh lemonade in a cafe watching the sun go down.
To Joan's delight there was a kingfisher it the tree nearby a who suddenly dived into the lake to emerge with a fish, polishing it off on the telegraph wires above. Bigger than our beautiful bird black with white cheeks and a black crest which appeared when startled. A young man is trying to tempt us with a sighting of turtles, crocodiles and parrots.
Wednesday 24 November
Up at 5am breakfast at six and a bus to Tikal at 6:50 - I'm sure its good for me. A perfect day blue sky and no clouds to be seen. We picked up passengers around the town including the ten Czechs we had seen the previous night at the Internet cafe. We arrived at Tikal around 11am passed the of Lago Itzai, I hadn't realised the lake was so big for Flores and St Elana are just one end.
We walked to Temple 4 with it's 155 ladder steps to the top for magnificent views over the tree tops with just two lower temples tops peeking above the tree line.
Through tall trees with dense foliage gave welcome shade from the full sun, as we walked passed other temples on route to the central plaza. Enormous structure made us how many people had died during the building process. These temples had been built over previous temples reaching back 2000 years, the burial sites gain in power from having been built on older sites.
There are modern stones of worship used today by the Maya people but placed the ancient stones. A group of four young people were performing the ancient candle rite, blessing candles, then burning them in the fire whilst pouring water around it. We noticed that they were chatting and counting in Spanish.
Temple 5 even steeper steps!! The restoration being a joint venture between the Guatamalan and Spanish governments and dedicated to Infanta Caroline.
The shady jungle walks are pleasant way to get out of the sun. On one walk we saw a creature rather like a fox, though its legs were longer than those of a pizote, but like that it had a pointed snout. After four hours we had had enough and made our way back to the restaurant and found as on arrival the toilets were closed and we were directed to the campsite opposite. The minibus back, same firm, left us with an exhaustingly long walk over the bridge to enter Flores, but were soon refreshed by a nice meal overlooking the lake.
25 November
A rest day walking around the shops but saw nothing much to buy except perhaps a little boat or a tortoise for grandson Joe the two hours catching up with emails on the Internet.
A boat ride took us to a small zoo on the far side of the lake. Kenny our driver was a Primary teacher on school holidays who taught 7-12 year ages, but also worked in the Spanish school so tried very hard to improve Joan's Spanish. He had done some painting in our hotel and the sign for a restaurant opposite.
The zoo consisted of two very cage restricted jaguars quarreling with each other, a beautifully marked wild cat, some nocturnal creatures sleeping, a not very visible pair of baby crocodiles with an adult, noisy red and white faced parrots and a pen of pisotes but not the creature seen a Tikal. A bees nest in the parrot cage was oozing honey and a swarm of minute bees.
Our meal that evening finished off in the dark as the island suffered a far from unusual power cut. Luckily the Toucan restaurant shared a diesel generator with the pizzeria opposite. The power came back as we were walking back to the hotel carrying candles.
26 November
Walked across the causeway to St Elana to see them progressing with new crazy paving with a new park at the middle. The main purpose was to make enquiries about the little used river crossing into Mexico recommended by the Lonely Planet, just as well it was more off beat and longer than we thought with a start at 5am - this late in the holiday was not the time to fail on our last tricky journey. We should have checked earlier, normally travelling in this way the first step on arrival is to determine the next onward journey.
We caught a minibus to El Remate paying twice the going rate but he dropped right outside the wood ornament carving shed we had come to see at the roadside. Some woodworking activity was clearly ongoing. They had many things on show, a beautiful four feet long horrendously heavy 'legato' - alligator to me and you - and a superb jaguar - we would have loved to buy either, but couldn't possibly carry them home. It was all very high standard work mainly using rosewood. We were content to buy two dishes, a boat, a box and a coati mundi - pizote (still a real favorite) all heavy, so it was as well our homeward flight was nigh.
A stroll to explore this side of the lake on what turned out to be a fine day for walking. Minibus back to St Elena in a crowded minibus, but much friendlier and half the fare.
Saturday 27 November
Over to St Elana to the start of the minibus for the four hour very bumpy westward journey along the Rio Usumacinta to Bethel and the river crossing border at Frontera Corazal with Mexico. There were just a handful of backpackers with the same idea, but around another ten came on board not far from Flores filling the minibus.
Travelling through land where the vast majority of large trees had been felled apart from the odd Ceiba. In their place poor maize crops, habanero chilli peppers but mainly grazing for cattle. Past small groups of house and groups of people washing in the shallows. We had read yesterday of the plans in 1988 for dams and hydro electric stations, long since ditched but Joan clearly thought it would have been sad to see such a fast flowing of whirlpools and eddies being tamed.
The hotel at Bethel had a goat hanging from its doorway, already skinned, being dismembered by a group of small boys and a number of hopeful dogs who were allowed to lick the blood off the floor and chew the skin. Two dogs controlled the pecking order and snarled at the rest if they tried to join in.
On the Guatemalan side at Frontera Corazal there were custom's sheds where for the first time ever we had to pay in order to get our passports stamped. Joan recorded 50$ each. This was not an official tax but convenience money for getting exit stamps, though in fairness we saw very few such transactions.
From there we were directed to walk along an unmade riverside path not knowing quite where we were going. Passed a pet parrot.
It it was not too long before we came upon a couple of small wooden boats waiting for us.
It took us across the stream to land just inshore of a group of small boats on the other bank where we disembarked and climbed the steep bank, thank full to find it wasn't slippy.
Taxis were waiting to take us to the Mexican customs. On exit (free) we found a minibus waiting to depart for Villa Hermosa. There was also a German family on board with a three year old shouting Hola to everyone and seemed to cope with all the travelling. Joan records it was like being back in the real world again.
The drive back to Villa Hermosa was fast on good roads and through wonderfully hillside forest of the Sierra del Lacandon.
The comparison between the high quality of Mexican public transport and Quatemala with its ex USA colourfully decorated Chicken Buses and their tatty private buses and minibuses was vivid. We had re-entered the prosperous world again. Regardless we will always treasure the experiences and the wonderful welcome we received in Guatemala. It pays to get off the beaten track.
The army however were a continual presence with about five check points. One of our passenger's passport was checked, but local drivers had a thorough check of car/van luggage as well as papers.
As we entered Palenque we saw banners campaigning against the army presence wanting to enjoy their freedom and their countryside.
We stayed overnight at the Madero hotel conveniently near the bus station in the next town Villa Hermosa which Joan described as a lovely ugly town but with a pedestrian area and great coffee at cafe Juarez.
.
Breakfast at Bruno's and a four hour bus to Flores, comfortable - rarely said of Guatemala's buses - but some mechanical performance problems with low gears. We were following the main drag from Guatemala City to the countries main tourist attraction so the roads were paved with no bumps and but a few towns. A countryside with cattle ranches, such beautiful cattle. There was even an air strip just outside Flores replacing the now disused one at Tikal itself.
 |
| FLORES |
We explored Flores by the simple expedient of walking the main street which as near as possible skirts around the lake shore. Finishing with more fresh lemonade in a cafe watching the sun go down.
 |
| SUNSET AT FLORES |
Wednesday 24 November
Up at 5am breakfast at six and a bus to Tikal at 6:50 - I'm sure its good for me. A perfect day blue sky and no clouds to be seen. We picked up passengers around the town including the ten Czechs we had seen the previous night at the Internet cafe. We arrived at Tikal around 11am passed the of Lago Itzai, I hadn't realised the lake was so big for Flores and St Elana are just one end.
We walked to Temple 4 with it's 155 ladder steps to the top for magnificent views over the tree tops with just two lower temples tops peeking above the tree line.
 |
| TIKAL TEMPLE |
 |
| WE CAN STILL CLIMB MONUMENTS |
 |
| TIKAL IN THE FOREST |
 |
| A MAYAN RITE ? |
 | |
| TIKAL CENTRAL |
25 November
A rest day walking around the shops but saw nothing much to buy except perhaps a little boat or a tortoise for grandson Joe the two hours catching up with emails on the Internet.
A boat ride took us to a small zoo on the far side of the lake. Kenny our driver was a Primary teacher on school holidays who taught 7-12 year ages, but also worked in the Spanish school so tried very hard to improve Joan's Spanish. He had done some painting in our hotel and the sign for a restaurant opposite.
 |
| BY BOAT TO FLORES ZOO |
Our meal that evening finished off in the dark as the island suffered a far from unusual power cut. Luckily the Toucan restaurant shared a diesel generator with the pizzeria opposite. The power came back as we were walking back to the hotel carrying candles.
26 November
Walked across the causeway to St Elana to see them progressing with new crazy paving with a new park at the middle. The main purpose was to make enquiries about the little used river crossing into Mexico recommended by the Lonely Planet, just as well it was more off beat and longer than we thought with a start at 5am - this late in the holiday was not the time to fail on our last tricky journey. We should have checked earlier, normally travelling in this way the first step on arrival is to determine the next onward journey.
We caught a minibus to El Remate paying twice the going rate but he dropped right outside the wood ornament carving shed we had come to see at the roadside. Some woodworking activity was clearly ongoing. They had many things on show, a beautiful four feet long horrendously heavy 'legato' - alligator to me and you - and a superb jaguar - we would have loved to buy either, but couldn't possibly carry them home. It was all very high standard work mainly using rosewood. We were content to buy two dishes, a boat, a box and a coati mundi - pizote (still a real favorite) all heavy, so it was as well our homeward flight was nigh.
A stroll to explore this side of the lake on what turned out to be a fine day for walking. Minibus back to St Elena in a crowded minibus, but much friendlier and half the fare.
Saturday 27 November
Over to St Elana to the start of the minibus for the four hour very bumpy westward journey along the Rio Usumacinta to Bethel and the river crossing border at Frontera Corazal with Mexico. There were just a handful of backpackers with the same idea, but around another ten came on board not far from Flores filling the minibus.
Travelling through land where the vast majority of large trees had been felled apart from the odd Ceiba. In their place poor maize crops, habanero chilli peppers but mainly grazing for cattle. Past small groups of house and groups of people washing in the shallows. We had read yesterday of the plans in 1988 for dams and hydro electric stations, long since ditched but Joan clearly thought it would have been sad to see such a fast flowing of whirlpools and eddies being tamed.
The hotel at Bethel had a goat hanging from its doorway, already skinned, being dismembered by a group of small boys and a number of hopeful dogs who were allowed to lick the blood off the floor and chew the skin. Two dogs controlled the pecking order and snarled at the rest if they tried to join in.
On the Guatemalan side at Frontera Corazal there were custom's sheds where for the first time ever we had to pay in order to get our passports stamped. Joan recorded 50$ each. This was not an official tax but convenience money for getting exit stamps, though in fairness we saw very few such transactions.
From there we were directed to walk along an unmade riverside path not knowing quite where we were going. Passed a pet parrot.
 |
| FAREWELL TO QUATEMALA |
 |
| THE 'OLDIE BACKPACKER' at FRONTERA CORAZAL |
 |
| MEXICAN SIDE OF FRONTERA CORAZAL |
The drive back to Villa Hermosa was fast on good roads and through wonderfully hillside forest of the Sierra del Lacandon.
The comparison between the high quality of Mexican public transport and Quatemala with its ex USA colourfully decorated Chicken Buses and their tatty private buses and minibuses was vivid. We had re-entered the prosperous world again. Regardless we will always treasure the experiences and the wonderful welcome we received in Guatemala. It pays to get off the beaten track.
The army however were a continual presence with about five check points. One of our passenger's passport was checked, but local drivers had a thorough check of car/van luggage as well as papers.
As we entered Palenque we saw banners campaigning against the army presence wanting to enjoy their freedom and their countryside.
We stayed overnight at the Madero hotel conveniently near the bus station in the next town Villa Hermosa which Joan described as a lovely ugly town but with a pedestrian area and great coffee at cafe Juarez.
.
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