The trip to Guatemala was not as bad as I anticipated. We arrived safe and sound and checked in to our hotel La Casa De Don David. It is right on the lake and in walking distance of many shops that sell different artifacts. We made a day trip to visit the Ruins at Tikal which is about a twenty minute drive from where we were staying. We headed off at 5:30 a.m to see the wild life and it is also much cooler at that time. Toucan Sam's, crocodiles, and monkeys are among the animals we came across at Tikal. It is currently the low season right now for tourists so, it wasn't as busy at Tikal which was nice. It was fairly quiet and relaxing actaully.
Our guide for the day was Lousie who had an accent that sounded Guatemalan / from New York. He grew up around the Ruins so his knowledge and stories about Tikal were very informative and credible. He mentioned that Jade is something has been found in the past and currently today as well as new artifacts that are always being discovered. You are able to climb to the top off many of the ruins however, there are still some that you can't due to preservation. Most have wooden stairs which are situated at the sides of the Ruins which you are able to climb. The entire day was about nine hours in length but we got a great workout from walking and climbing all day.
The Ruins were absolutely spectacular and such a great experience. I wish we had more time to explore Guatemala and see what else it had to offer although, I'm pretty sure I will be back within a few years. The friendly people and hospitality we received was awesome and would recommend anyone to come to Guatemala. Off for now...
