Mexico & Guatemala - Home of the Mayans
In San Cristóbal de las Casas we gave ourselves three days of rest and recovered as best we could. However, it should turn out that the break was too short.
We also informed ourselves here about our planned route and unfortunately we got the same answer from everywhere: "no vayas allí" which means "don't go there". All tour providers no longer travel towards the border with Guatemala and all Mayan archeological sites in this region are closed for security reasons. We could not find out more specifically. However, we were later informed that the border crossing is also closed. We were quite bent because we were really looking forward to this section, but now we had to find a new border crossing. We said goodbye to Greg and Luke (our temporary neighbors) and took the bus to a northern city called Palenque.
In Palenque, we ride to the Mayan archaeological site there. We were able to rent a small rocked-down hut in the middle of the jungle. However, our new anti-mosquito investment makes every shack a little romantic.
On the way to the temple complexes, we hiked a bit through the jungle. We saw in the treetops a species of monkey that we did not know yet. Then we twitched, an incredibly loud roar went through the forest. They could only be howler monkeys. They are with approx. 100 decibels one of the loudest land animals. Not without reason was their sound used for some dino-scenes in the movie Jurassic Park. It's really scary the first time you hear it.
We liked our tour through the temple complexes very much, we are now even more looking forward to "Tikal" in Guatemala, one of the largest archeological sites.
We ride back to the city of Palenque to do some errands. On the way to shopping, Michelle then discovers a scarlet macaw in the tree. He made his way over the fruits of the sea almond tree there and did not let us disturb him. A few nice photos for our album were the result. We were surprised how tall he was, this adult parrot species measures up to 90 cm.
On the way to the border town of El Ceibo, we noticed that the last few weeks are still quite deep in our bones. The route was relatively flat, but we were exhausted and it we quickly decided that we would soon take another break for a few days. Near the border with Guatemala, we have seen several refugees on foot on the almost car-free roads. The mostly young men with whom we talked to, will try to work in Mexico or in the USA, as their countries of origin (mostly Central America) unfortunately offer very few options to earn money.
After 5 months, we leave Mexico with a heavy heart. We liked it incredibly much, a country that can't be more varied. Mark and Hana have created a fascinating route here. But now it's time for something new: Guatemala - The land of eternal spring.
In the island town of Flores in Lake Petén Itzá, we have planned a few days break to really recover. It was also a great fit, because for the next 5 days Felix tormented himself with diarrhea and a strong fever. After recovery, we enjoyed the beautiful restaurants and explored the small town. The water level in the lake is currently quite high and the street in front of our hotel was completely under water. It was therefore very quiet and we could jump directly into the water from the balcony.
With new forces we make our way towards Tikal, a short boat tour took us from the island. The path to the national park also leads to the rainforest in the Petén region. The ride by bike was very exciting, countless spider monkeys hung in the trees.
Tikal is an ancient Mayan city in the rainforest in the Petén region. It was one of the most important cities in the Mayan period and is now one of the best explored. Shortly before the entrance to the park there is a great campsite, the "Host" (an ocellated turkey) has played the boss in front of our tent. It is disputed whether he is pretty or quite punished.
In order to observe the sunrise from one of the temples, a guide is mandatory. At 4:00 in the morning we had an appointment at the gates of the park. From temple number IV you have a magnificent view over the jungle and when the first rays of the sun came up, the whole jungle sounded loudly to life.
Until noon, we walked through the temple complexes in a small group. Our guide Henry explained a lot to us. The buildings were made from 800 BC to the 9th century. Everything visible today was completely overgrown when discovered. All buildings were painted in red while kings were still living here. During construction, the wheel was not yet known on this continent and horses came later with the Europeans, so everything was built by hand.
Some temples could also be climbed, Michelle made a race with a white-nosed coati who was the first to arrive at the top and Felix was able to photograph the red-lored parrot at "eye level".
Because the brutal heat hits hard on us, we are now making a detour from Guatemala to Belize to enjoy a fresh breeze on the Caribbean beaches.