Tikal

We took our first extended inland trip to the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal and to the city of Flores on Lago Peten Itza. We traveled with Ray and Vonnie, sailing on Wishbone from Toronto, Ontario. It is a three-hour bus trip to Flores, and Tikal is another 63 km. The trip could not have been better. We got to our hotel, La Casa De Don David, which was 2/3 the distance between Flores and Tikal, in time for a late dinner, which was included in the room price. We arranged a guided tour which would start with our ride from the hotel at 5:30 am. We had an excellent tour guide, Caesar Moran. By 1 pm, we were all exhausted from the heat, hiking, and climbing, and called it quits to return to our hotel. Beyond the ruins, the park has such an incredible variety of flora, fauna, birds, and wildlife. We would have liked to spend several days, but our time (budget) was limited. The following day, we went back to the city of Flores to get a hotel on the little island connected by a causeway. We liked the minivan driver who took us to and from the park, so we had made arrangements with him to take us to Flores. It was also a treat to walk around this very quaint city. After a short three days, we were back on the Rio Dulce, but with great memories.

Ray and Vonnie