Snorkeling the Barrier Reef
Although we had not even come close to exploring the region of San Ignacio adequately, we are getting short on time and Belize, with its almost extortionate monetary policy that forces foreigners to buy local currency at an extremely disadvantageous rates, is really hard on the budget. So we pushed on to that other great attraction of the country, the Barrier Reef.
Belize and Caracol
We finally left Guatemala after our jungle voyage, with hearts heavy but happy. The next step for us is Belize. We took a public bus to the border, where we had to pay yet another bribe to the Guatemalan border agents to get our passports back before making our way to the Belizean city of San Ignacio. The first thing we did there, of course, was book a tour to the fantastic Maya city of Caracol, some two hours south in the forest.
Jungle Trek to El Mirador
In order to close the Guatemalan chapter of our Maya Ruin Adventure in style, we put on our hiking boots and mosquito spray for the famous five-day jungle trek to the mysterious site of El Mirador. We had started our tour of ruined cities with the fine sculptures of the Mayan Paris at Copan, and capped it with the high rises of the Mayan New York at Tikal; what better way to end it than with the superlatives and mysteries of the Mayan Dubai? A recently excavated megalopolis rising up in the depth of a most inhospitable jungle, where you can watch the sun rise form the biggest pyramid ever discovered, and daydream at all the wonders still laying quietly under centuries of dirt and roots.
The Wildlife of Tikal
As we mentioned yesterday, Tikal is teeming with jungle animals. In fact, the site sits within a well-protected nature reserve that is brimming with flora and fauna. Any account of Tikal would be incomplete without a mention of these, and we got some great pictures of some pretty cool things.