Tikal - Kingdom Of The Maya by Simon Hillier
Parque Nacional Tikal is located in Guatemala, about 50
miles northwest of the Belizean border. Within this jungle
you will find the remains of the greatest of all ancient
Mayan cities.
The Maya settled in Tikal around 700BC, and no one knows
why it was abandoned around 900AD. The Spanish conquistadors
didn't arrive to do their spring-cleaning until the 16th
century, so this is one place in Central America we can't
blame the removal of indigenous life on Chris Columbus and
friends.
You will need at least a full day at the site, November to
February being an ideal time to visit. March and April are
hot and dry, and the June to October wet season is muggy
with pesky mosquitoes running rampant. Apart from camping,
accommodation around Tikal is quite expensive. Flores, a
small island town 45 minutes from the site, offers an array
of places to eat and sleep at much more reasonable prices.
Tikal is breathtaking. Unlike Mayan sites such as Chichen
Itza in Mexico, the pyramids rise above vines and trees in a
jungle thick enough to swallow you. With raucous howler
monkeys swinging through the trees, colourful toucans and
parrots observing overhead, and the heady scents of the
earth, vines and huge trees winding through the temples,
it's difficult to fathom that the twenty-first century is
going about it's business elsewhere on the planet.
Climbing amongst these ancient ruins and rummaging through
the humid jungle playing Indiana Jones and Lara Croft is an
exotic experience. The raw beauty and mystery surrounding
the site, makes Tikal one of the most romantic spots in the
country.
The complex is 16 square miles, so it would be ambitious to
imagine you could explore it all in one day. The urban core
has over 3000 buildings, including five pyramids with ornate
stone temples on their summits, rising 40 metres into the
air. When you climb to the top of one of these ancient
skyscrapers above the jungle canopy, it's like looking at
five islands floating in a sea of greenery and mist.
The showpiece of the site is the Great Plaza, an open
expanse of pyramids, temples, courtyards, and palatial
structures. From the top of the towering Temple 2 you can
cast your eyes over the entire site and fantasise about what
life must have been like as a Mayan chief in 500AD.
It was here, as I stood with arms outstretched and began
referring to a group of tourists 40 metres below as "my
loyal subjects", that Lara Croft ducked for cover within the
nearest jungle canopy to avoid embarrassment or arrest.
Despite the comfort of an air-conditioned bus awaiting, I
knew it would be a long grueling trip back to Flores for
this adventurer.
About the Author
Simon Hillier is a freelance writer based in Sydney,
Australia. His company, Get There, provides copywriting,
travel writing, feature articles, scripts and ebooks that
leap out of the mundane masses to do cartwheels for your
audience. For more articles and further information visit
http://www.getthere.com.au
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