On Wednesday, I left Chimaltenango and went to Antigua. I was able to leave my suitcases with the pastors of Iglesia del Camino and book a trip to Peten.
I took an overnight bus (9+) hours to get to Tikal. During this bus ride, I sat next to an Israeli man who asked me tons of questions about Jesus and what Christians believe. He was my divine appointment and, I believe, one of the primary reasons I took the trip.
Tikal is in the region of Peten and the place where there was once a vast Mayan civilization. It was absolutely astounding! (Pictures below.) In my hotel, I was the only guest. My view looked out on Lake Itza Peten. GORGEOUS! On my second night there, I went hiking in an ecological preserve. I spent all afternoon in Flores (AKA most boring city ever) before taking an overnight bus back to Antigua. Tonight, I am in Guatemala City and tomorrow I head home. I CAN'T WAIT TO BE HOME!!!!
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| Lake Itza Peten |
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| A school in Peten |
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| I think this was a spray painted styrofoam replica of the origial |
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| Woodworker at a tourist trap |
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| Replica of a Mayan tomb. The Mayans worshiped jade, believing it could contain energy of the cosmos. |
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| It's not every day that you see "puma crossing" signs. |
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| Can you find the crocodile? |
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| This crocodile was waiting for someone to disobey the sign in the picture above. |
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| Backstrap loop worker....incredible to watch! |
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| A model of Tikal |
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| This tree was HUGE!!! |
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| The backside of Mayan ruins that were left covered |
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| Human sacrifices were offered here |
I learned so much about the Mayan culture. I am not sure I can remember
it all, though. One the things I found most interesting is that all of
their temples were built on bedrock and therefore are earthquake-proof.
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| No words can describe the view...breathtaking! |
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| A sweet Swiss lady and I |
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| A Mayan refrigerator below the ground |
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| Pepper grows on trees and this is the seed! |
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| Rich Mayans lived here at one point |
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| This is a moth- not a leaf! |
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| No monkeying around... that is a REAL monkey! |
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| The trees are HUGE!! |
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| My hotel..."Gringo Perdido"..."Lost Gringo (American)"... FAR away from any other form of civilization! |
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| My view :-) |
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| Not exactly private rooms, but it didn't matter since I was the only one there! |
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| Lake Itza Peten |
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| The water was SO CLEAR! |
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| It's a rough life ;-) |
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| This is the entrance to the "Biotopo" that I hiked for 2-3 hours on my last day in Peten. "Biotopo" basically means "Ecological Preserve." |
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| God's creation astounds me!! |
I am writing this post from the concrete jungle of Guatemala City. I can't wait to board my plane tomorrow. God has spoken so much to me and I am eager to get started with the next chapter of my adventure!
