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As you know, I love to
see archeological sites and especially anything connected with pyramids!
I
have seen Kufu's Pyramid in Egypt.
In the
Yucatan (Chichen Itza).
The pyramids outside of Mexico
City the (Pyramids of the Sun and Moon).
Also ruins
near Cusco in Peru (Machu Picchu) and so on.
I have always wanted to see Tikal,
the highest pyramids of the Mayan in the Western Hemisphere, so on the spur of
the moment, I went to my travel agent on Monday, August 25, 2003, and said, I want to take a quick
12 day trip to see the volcanoes in Guatemala and the ruins at Tikal!
This is the same travel agent that made up a great trip for me in 1999 when I
went on the ship from Chile to Argentina through the Magellan straits and then
on to Easter Island.
So here I am, ready for
another adventure in travels!
Click on this link for statistics about Guatemala.
Wednesday, September 03, 2003: I checked in
at American Airlines in the new San Francisco International Terminal, ready to
fly to Dallas/Fort Worth and then transfer to an other American Airlines
flight to
Guatemala City. After arriving in Guatemala City, I was transferred to
Antigua and the Casa Santo Domingo Hotel. The hotel is suppose
to be one of the best five star hotels in the country. This is a picture
of one of the fountains by the lobby and a
picture of my bedroom, complete with a
sitting area and French doors to a private patio.
Casa Santo Domingo Hotel - Antigua
Fountain
My Bedroom!
Thursday, September 04, 2003:
This morning was an early transfer (seven AM), to Chichicastenango over mountains 10,000 feet tall to meet with a group to
visit the market in Chichi. It took three hours and I arrived about ten
AM. I was told Clark Tours had all ready left and would be back at
11:30. What to do, I went across the road to a garden and saw two people
and a guide talking. I told them I missed a tour group, they laughed and
introduced themselves as being with my tour group! Kaye and Bob had decided to hire a private guide
and go around the market by themselves and very nicely asked me to go
along! So a nice way to meet some of the tour members. Here is a
shot of the group and where they are
from!
Transfer to Chichicastenango
Driving through the Mountains
Kaye, her son Bob and Our Guide Carlos
Our Tour Group!
Elsa - Hildegard - Bernard - Ricardo - Chuck - Bob -Carmen - Kaye
Elsa, Ricardo and son Bob are from Fremont CA.
Hildegard (German) and Bernard (French) a marriedcouple!
Chuck from San Francisco CA.
Carmen from Spain
and
Kaye from Alabama!
We spent the rest of the morning checking out the market in Chichi before boarding our bus to
continue on to Quetzaltenango! This was one of the many churches we saw along the way and then we
stopped to eat at a restaurant called Pocholos!
Checking out Markets and Churches in Chichi
Markets
Orange Church
We finally
arrived at the Hotel
Pension Bonifaz where we found a nice dining room.
Kaye and I decided to go to the bar and have a few glasses of wine and we saw
Ricardo and his family hustling off to see the sights. We found out that
Mr. Lanuza and Elsa were born in Guatemala and were married there. They
went to California for their honeymoon and decided to stay in California.
He first worked in this building at a
newspaper over 45 years ago before moving to Fremont! The building is
still here and so is the house he was born in! He worked for 17 years at
the Oakland Tribune and now is thinking about retiring from the San Francisco
Chronicle after 23 years where he is working in the engraving
department!
Checking out Markets and Churches
Hotel Pension Bonifaz Dining
News Paper Building
Our Guide Carlos
Now some strange and interesting stories about our guide Carlos and some of the fun we had
along the way!
Friday, September 05, 2003:
Today we visited the market in Tondos Santos
Cuchumanatan, the hot springs at Turicentro, "Los Georginas" and then continued on to Lake
Atitlan, and the Hotel Atitlan. The Zunil market is a vegetable market and
not only feeds Guatemala but ships produce to Honduras, Mexico, and other
countries. They produce fantastic cabbages, carrots, and also some types of flowers which the natives
carry on their heads! Along the way we saw farming on the steep hillsides with
families cultivating the bountiful corn and vegetables. Of course we had
the obligatory
church again in a small village we visited before we began the climb to the
top of a mountain to soak in the hot springs of Los Georginas! The waters
are contained in a pool by a grotto
filled with ferns and plants. The steep cliffs along the way were covered with
greenery and a heavy mist promoting exceptional growth! After a refreshing
soak in the sulfur waters of Los Georginas, we continued our trip to Lake
Attilan, viewing the fantastic views of the many volcanoes from the tour bus.
Zunil Market
Cabbages
Carrots
Flowers
Los Georginas Hot Springs
Hot Springs - Healing Waters Perhaps
Very Steep and Dangerous Cliffs
Another Church
Young Men Working on Steep Hill Sides.
Volcanoes All Over the Country!
Western Quatemala Covered with Volcanos
Saturday , September 06, 2003:
I have to admit this was one of my favorite places in
Guatemala. Hildegard and Bernard and I stayed here at the Hotel Atitlan
and we all agreed it was fantastic! We arrived here Friday evening and I
had to walk all over the grounds as there are acres of flowers and plants
cascading from the veranda
of the hotel down to Lake Atitlan and the fantastic volcanoes surrounding the
lake. There were many birds, Macaws, parrots, and so on. We had
drinks in the bar and talked until after 11 PM and then to bed for our early
morning breakfast and a trip across the lake. Here I am on the terrace just before
boarding our boat!
Hotel Atitlan
Hotel
Gardens and Views!
Macaws
Chuck on the Terrace.
Once we got to the village of Santiago Atitlan which
was on the other side of the lake, we saw native boats
carved from a single piece of a log! We of course saw all the numerous
items for sale all over but..... our guide took us to a side street where we saw
a mixture of Catholic and Maya religious affectations in this small room.
The men were celebrating tobacco and liquor and they had bowls of branches
burning and smoking up the place! One could hardly breath! In the
center was a wooden
idol and it had a cigarette in it's mouth! One man would put an ash
tray under the cigarette and knock off the ash so it wouldn't hit the
floor! Bizarre! I just saw a television show on the Maya on History
Viewpoint and this idol is still used by the Guatemalans when they celebrate
Christ's death. This idol and the tree of life is still in use after
almost 2,000 years! So after a hard day of climbing rocky roads, viewing a
pagan ritual, and shopping, it was good to get on the boat again (Hildegard and Carmen
were having fun!), to cross the lake and then onto the bus to go to Antigua and
the Hotel Antigua where I would stay for an extra day to rest up before
going to Tikal!
Note: Carmen announced that
she thought my laugh sounded like Humphrey Bogart!
Village of Santiago Atitlan - Idol Worship
Native Boats
Cigarette Smoking Idol!
Hildegard and Carmen having fun!
Sunday , September 07, 2003:
We left early again to visit the ' Water' and the 'Fire' volcanoes and the
villages around them. The one volcano is called water due to the time
the crater filled with rain water and the side slipped causing horrible
flooding. We stopped at a church which was built in 1537!
This is only a little over 40 years since Columbus landed in the Bahamas!
We then went to a market where the women weave the fantastic fabrics on a hand loom! One
mother's little girl
of about four was holding her younger sister on her back. No wonder they
have a short life span.
We saw an ice cream wagon outside the church and
then drove back to Antigua and the main square where we saw men in costumes dancing and young
girls doing skits of
religious themes.
We saw a young man selling cotton candy and by then we were ready
to go to lunch at the Hotel Antigua where I was staying!
Local Photos
Water & Fire Volcanoes
Church - Built 1537!
Weaving
Four Years Old
Ice Creams
Cotton Candy
Festival Costumes
Dancing
It was sad as I
was staying here for another night and would have a free day before going to
Tikal on Tuesday, Kaye was going to Tikal on Monday, Bob and his parents off to
El Salvador and Hildegard, Bernard and Carmen off to Honduras to see
Copan! So our group was splitting up but we all exchanged addresses, I
gave everyone my web site address so we shall see if anyone contacts me!
Monday , September 08, 2003:
Well after the last few days I needed to relax before flying to Flores and
Tikal. So I walked around the grounds with the pool and the
volcanoes in the background, ate fantastic meals along with a good wine, and then
a nap, a swim in the
pool, more eats and time for bed! One thing I had to laugh about,
obviously someone has a lot of time on their hands as can be seen by the toilet paper and
this design was also used on the box of tissues!
Antigua Hotel
Hotel Grounds
Great Food
Swimming with a View!
Special Toilet Paper!
Tuesday , September 09, 2003:
A 4:30 AM transfer to the airport and a flight on Tikal International Airlines to
Flores and then a transfer to Tikal and a tour of the site along with lunch.
Then to the Jungle Lodge next to the site for a two night stay at Tikal. My
guide picked me up at the airport and there was one other person on the tour, a
woman lawyer from Montana! So off we went to the Jungle Lodge, my bungalow and into the
Mayan Biosphere Reserve for a day of trekking through the jungle and climbing
temples!
Tikal Jungle Lodge
Jungle Lodge & Dining Room
Chuck's Room!
The Tikal National Park lies in the
northern lowland of El Peten and its tropical rainforest, one of the lungs of
our planet. There are several protected areas in Peten, one of them is the
Mayan Biosphere Reserve with over one million hectares of subtropical
rainforest. Today, natives still call it "El Mundo Maya" the
world of the Maya. The development of Mayan culture covers three periods, Pre-classic, Classic and Post-classic.
The Great Plaza: The most spectacular structure in Tikal is the plaza surrounded by stele and sculpted altars, ceremonial buildings, residential palaces, and a ball court.
The Great Plaza
Temple of the Great Jaguar (Temple I): This temple is located on the eastern side of the great plaza, it is more than 150 feet in height. The temple was erected in 700 CE. Note: This is a panoramic view of the Temple of the Great Jaguar and the grounds - fantastic greens from the trees, moss, and other growths!
Temple of the Great Jaguar
Temple II: This temple stands in the western end of the great plaza and rises to a height of 120 feet. It was constructed in 700 CE.
Temple II - 700 CE
Temple of Double Headed Serpent (Temple IV): This temple, at 121 feet, is the highest standing structure in Tikal. It was built around 470 CE by Yaxkin Caan Chac. Note: This is a picture of me on the top of the temple at noon! (This is a panoramic view of the rain forest and the ruins during a sunrise from Temple IV at 7:00 AM!)
Temple of Double Headed Serpent
I climbed this one three times!
And once six AM to watch the sun rise and hear the Howler Monkeys!
7:00 A.M. Sun Rise Panoramic of the Plaza
Temple V: This temple was constructed around 750 CE and is located south of the Great Plaza. This temple is close to 190 feet high.
Temple V
Wednesday , September 10, 2003:
Today is a free day in Tikal and another over night at the Jungle Lodge!
I did the early morning hike at 5:30 AM and walked to Temple IV to watch the sun
rise in the mist. This
picture taken from the top of Temple IV at around seven AM as we
watched the sun come up over the misty rain forest! Howler monkeys yelled out their territorial threats
which echoed across the rain forest. Toucans flew overhead and Black
Vultures! Many animals were up and about, Ocellated Turkeys, a rodent animal
called an aguti, gray foxes, spider monkeys and coatimundi, a raccoon like
animal.
Temple IV
Thursday , September 11, 2003:
Another morning at the Jungle Lodge and time to go for one last look at the
ruins of Tikal. Then a 2:30 PM transfer to the airport for a flight to
Guatemala City, arriving at 4:30 and a transfer with the hotel shuttle to the
hotel Viva Clarion Suites, close to the airport. This allows me a chance
to catch up on some well deserved rest before boarding my next days flight to
San Francisco!
Friday, September 12, 2003:
Today I boarded a shuttle to the airport and my American Airlines flight to
Miami and on to San Francisco! All in all a fantastic vacation. I
have taken over 350 photos but only put some of the most interesting ones on
this site.
Souvenirs from Guatamala
I Collect Wooden Boxes all over the World!
I also Collect Masks from around the World!
My travel agent is Americas Travel at 348 Hayes Street, San
Francisco CA 94102 - Toni Moore can be reached at toni@americastravel.net or www.americastravel.net. The agent
in Guatemala City is Gerlinde and can be reached at guatours@quatours.com.
The National Park: The
park covers 222 square miles among the thick tropical jungle of El Peten.
It was created in 1958, UNESCO declared the park a "Monument of the
World". It is regarded as one of the most important cultural and
natural reserves in the world. The most important plazas and temples in
Tikal National Park are as follows:
San Francisco California
Created on:
2003.09.24
Updated on:
2020.11.17