Tikal, Guatemala

I was just visiting the amazing Mayan ruins at Tikal in Guatemala.

Some of the earilest Mayan ruins here date back to the 4th century BC. 
The peak for the Mayans was 100 to 1000 AD when most of the temples were built.

These Guatemalan "racoons' live around the ruins.

About 10% of the Mayan ruins have been excavated from an area of 200 square miles. 
The soil and the jungle have overgrown the the unexcavated ruins so they look like small mountains. 

The tallest tower reaches 230'.
The Temple of the Jaguar.

One is allowed to climb up most ruins here.
The view from the top is worth the steep, scary climb up!

I will now go back to Barra de la Cruz for more surfing,
I miss the waves!

Guatemala

Here I am on the boat heading down river between Mexico and Guatemala.
The day started with a 5 am wake up in Mexico and a 4 hour van ride to the river.
This 20 minute boat ride took me to the primitive boarder crossing into Guatemala.
Then I boarded the Guatemalan van from hell which bounced for a few hours over a rough gravel road.
On the van were 3 other travelers, 2 Philipinos and a German guy.
When we stopped in Flores to change some money the van stalled. 
Then we were forced to push the van down the road as the driver attempted to to jump start the deathtrap.
After much pushing and sweating the van was declared dead.
 After a few calls a car appeared and took us to our hotel.
The locals looked at it as a typical day here in Guatemala.

My fish dinner the other nite.
Gallo beer is one of the better beers I have had in my travels.

Compared to Mexico, Guatemala is a simple and slow life.
The natural beauty is everywhere.

Check back soon as I will add a post from my visit to Tikal.
This Mayan site is considered one of the best. 
Adios!

Palenque

Palenque was a Mayan city state in Chiapas, Mexico that flourished in the 7th century.

The ruins date back to 100 BC to its fall around 800 AD.
After the decline the community was absorbed into the jungle, which is made up of cedar, mahogany and sapodilla trees. 

The discovered area covers 2.5 square km.

It is thought that less than 10% of the city has been explored leaving more than a thousand structures still covered by jungle.

Temple of the Cross

I arrived here very early to enjoy the ruins without the crowds of tourists.
Also it gets very hot and humid later in the day.

St. Christobal de las Casas, Chiapas

I am now in the nice town of San Christobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
What a change from the beach in Oaxaca where the weather is HOT day and night.
Here its cool during the day and cold ay night.
I have not worn shoes and socks in a few months in PV.

I have spent 3 days here wandering with my camera.
This is a mellow tourist town with an empahsis on shopping.

The architecture here is classic Mexican style.

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I stumbled on a tiny Thai restaurant run by a kind Thai couple.
I have wonderful memories of touring Thailand last year with Jelli.
Thailand is the best country for eating amazing food...by far!
To find more coverage of me and Jelli in Thailand look back to November 2010 in my blog.

In the market I found a stall selling these 'zapatistas' rebel dolls.
This is from Wikipedia...

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, EZLN) is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico.

Since 1994, the group has been in a declared war "against the Mexican state," though this war has been primarily nonviolent and defensive against military,paramilitary, and corporate incursions into Chiapas. Their social base is mostly rural indigenous people but they have some supporters in urban areas as well as an international web of support. Their main spokesperson is Subcomandante Marcos (currently a.k.a. Delegate Zero in relation to "the Other Campaign"). Unlike other Zapatista spokespeople, Marcos is not an indigenous Mayan.

The group takes its name from Emiliano Zapata, the agrarian reformer and commander of the Liberation Army of the South during the Mexican Revolution, and sees itself as his ideological heir. In reference to inspirational figures, in nearly all EZLN villages exist murals accompanying images of Zapata, Che Guevara, and Subcomandante Marcos.

Here is a photo of the real thing...I found in a restaurant.

During lunch, this little guy approached me about buying a souvenir...

After much speculation I chose this one.
The kid promised this rabiit with a snake would bring 'buenas suerte'...good luck.

I had chile relleno at the restaurant...to be honest..not as good as moms.

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Keep checkin back in as a explore more of Chiapas.
I am on an early morning bus to Palenque.