We woke up at 5:30,after killing some big bugs before bed, with the sound of crickets filling the woods. By 6 we were entering the jungle, and as we approached the plaza, the light sprinkled through the trees. The fog was thick and air was moist. We sat down to take in the new world, and the howler monkeys started up howling. If you haven't heard a howler monkey, it sounds strangely like something out of Jurassic Park, a raptor or some kind of dinosaur. The howlers were singing from all sides; the sounds echoing between temples creating an eerie, mind bending experience. Next came the birds that joined the chorus. A quick exploration of the North Acropolis followed by many other temples, and then we were off, just the two of us, to discover some new trails. We stumbled upon the Plaza of the Seven temples. Here a family of spider monkeys greeted us as they swung through the trees. We witnessed one spidermonkey brawl, and watched the tiniest, tinniest spidermonkey cling to its mother. As the spidermonkeys bounded from one tree to the next, some extremely loud, possibly extremely angry birds squawked through the trees. Despite the birds, the area had a very fun, jovial vibe. It seems the happiness of this area carried through the millienums.
Plaza of the Lost World
After Tikal we cruised to Flores where we grabbed a bite to eat and beverages from Villa del Chef, a nice little place with a small patio overlooking the lake. A huge burrito, nachos for 3, and 6 Cuba Libres for $22... I can handle that. A little tipsy on rum, we walked to the boardwalk which goes all the way around the island until we found a seat for sunset. We sat and watched the town come out to join us. I always love when people line the beaches or mountains to watch the sunset. This happened twice already, with the volcano being one, sitting on the top of Temple IV in Tikal the other. Night bus time then the surf camp.
love the trees!
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