So, today would be a trip to the ruins of Tikal but first it was breakfast.

We have been having a buffet for breakfast so far but this was either option 1,  2 or 3, none of which were particularly nice. I don't do pancakes and syrup (yuk), nor do I do continental which is very carb laden, so it was the cooked breakfast which was a tasteless omelette. Never mind, breakfast has been great everywhere else by comparison, so move on Jilly.

It took and hour and a half to reach Tikal, so this was a really early start for us. We drove through the lowlands of Guatemala which was mostly small villages and agriculture. Once again the living conditions were pretty basic but that seems to be the norm here in Central America, a big contrast between rich and poor.

Tikal is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was once home to approximately 100000 Maya. It is roughly six square miles and has approximately 3000 structures, the majority being domestic. The larger more important structures have been released from the clutches of the voracious jungle, the rest are still large, vegetation covered mounds, still waiting to be explored.

It is pretty awe inspiring to see the way these buildings were erected with such precision 1800 years ago. The blocks of stone are cut and placed with hardly the smallest gap between them. How did they do this so accurately, all those years ago?? Especially when you see how modern houses are thrown up!

The Maya were pretty amazing people. Their calendar was one of the first to recognise the 365 day cycle, they predicted solar and lunar eclipses, they introduced the concept of zero in mathematics and also developed a complex writing system. Where did this knowledge come from and why did we have to wait for Copernicus and Galileo to confirm that the planets revolve around the sun?

We were lucky that Walter was with us as he persuaded the powers that be to allow us to take the bus right into the site, near the first big pyramid. We passed dozens of hot and already weary walkers as we rode past in style.

I won't go into vast detail about all the structures we saw as this can easily be Googled but suffice to say that this place should be a must-see on anyone's bucket list.

I made myself climb the dozens of steps up to the top of one of the highest accessible pyramids from which you can see over 20 miles across nothing but jungle.

It was stiflingly hot and humid and I was glad that we were there early enough to miss the crowds of tourists who arrive later. As it was ,the place took on a magical feel and you felt truly humbled by the magnificence of the whole site.

What a pity that, after surviving earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and 36 years of Civil War, some numb nuts had decided to carve their names on some of the buildings. Makes you wonder, a total lack of respect.

We managed to do a spot of bird watching on the way back to the bus with Walter who was very knowledgeable and he also turned out to be a bit of a comedian, as well as an avid twitcher.

We had left the park and headed off for lunch. When we arrived there were a couple of minivans parked closely together. Between them, there was a man changing his clothes, hoping to be out of sight, His 'friends'  were all gathered round taking incriminating photographs.

Walter came over to Sharon and I and said ' Ah look, the Hairy Chested Nut Scratcher!' Well Walter, really!!

After lunch we had time for a short stroll or visit the museum or waste money at the tat shops. I did the stroll. There was a small lake/pond and numerous trees all around. Loads of bird life and I managed to snap a few. Sharon joined me and as we were walking about, I looked down and saw loads of tiny little froglets - the more you look, the more you see!! We were committing mass murder. I've never seen such tiny frogs, I have no idea if they were full grown or not. 

Sorry froggies!!

Due to the length of time it took to get there and back we only had a short time in Tikal, which is a pity. However I did have a chance to see a Coatamundi in the flesh, What a funny little chap he was. He looked a bit like an animal made up of different parts of other animals. Definitely a raccoon type of tail, with maybe an anteater snout and the body of a shaggy dog. Cute as cute can be!!

Once back at the hotel, Ivania had arranged a boat trip on the lake to watch the sunset. This was yet another freebie from OAT and not to be missed. We spent a good hour puttering around, taking photos and admiring the little colourful town of Flores. Something I would not have missed.

Dinner was at a kind of pizza place. I really get bored with pizza and, needless to say, the were enormous. I only ate a quarter but Steve and Lesley to the rescue, once more. They took all the remaining bits of pizza back to their room, in case they got peckish in the night!!

The chocolate cake for dessert was good though, hands off Steve!!

We're on the move again tomorrow as we travel across the border to Belize.

Time for heads down and a bit of zzzzing.