Going Back into the Past

On Friday morning before the sun rises or the roosters begin to crow, we flew to Northern Guatemala to see the Tikal Mayan Ruins. It was hot and humid. There were many miles to hike and pyramids to climb. Our legs protested having yet to recover from the abuse of last week-end. The scenery was worth the effort.

The mayans lived for 3000 years in the rain forests. Tikal was the capital that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of Ancient Maya. The Mayans had a complex canal system to bring water to the city. Salt and agriculture was important. Religion and customs were highly valued. They created 26 temples for their gods that represented everything from weather, harvest, birth, death and war. The temple shown measures 150 feet high. We climbed only 2 of the temples.

The jungle is never quiet. Parrots bickered, insects buzzed and monkeys played and you never felt alone. Even the howler monkeys joined in the chorus. They wanted everyone to know they were hungry. A busy community of creatures live in the jungle. This is a photo of a spider monkey.