We woke up at 5 am and pretty much headed straight to the park. On the way we saw ocellated turkeys walking around in the parking lot. We admired how large they looked and commented on how different they look in the wild. We were happy to see one of them spread out its tail in the morning light but we wanted to proceed to the gate hoping to see a nice sunrise from Temple IV. Fotunately the morning felt cool in comparison to yesterday although it was still humid. We paid Q50 per person for re-entrance to the park, and we spent Q5 on a map of the ruins. We had to wait until the gates opened, which wouldn't happen until 6. While waiting we met Jennifer and John (both American, he lives in Antigua and she was visiting him). We walked with them to Temple IV and had a nice chat along the way.
Temple IV is supposed to have a spectacular view of the sunrise. This morning was rather foggy, so we didn't really see the sunrise, but there was still a beautiful pale yellow glow in the sky, reflecting off the fog. We saw some toucans from the top of the temple and although very tranquil and peaceful we decided that we only had a few hours remaining in the park and that we should use the time to see a bit more of what we were unable to see yesterday. We descended the temple and proceeded to Mundo Perdido, Temple Siete, and Temple V. Temple V is climbable but is also very steep, and we didn't attempt it because we wanted to try to cover more ground.
We had been hearing howler monkeys all morning, and when we arrived at the Gran Plaza, we finally saw some. There were five of them in the tree, eating, climbing, and jumping from branch to branch. You could see their tails wrapping around branches and it was so amazing to finally see these animals in their natural surroundings. We were very happy that we got to see them before leaving the park and we were also able to show them to a few other small groups of people that wandered along but hadn't noticed them. Feeling rather satisfied, but out of time, we headed back to the hotel. Tikal really is an extraordinary place and we were very happy to be there for an overnight. This gave us a chance to experience the park in the heat of the day, when there are so many other tourists, but also allowed us to enjoy an overnight and see the park in the tranquility of the morning light. It was amazing how few people had been in the park this morning. Quite a difference from mid-day yesterday.
We could have easily stayed at the park for at least another day and found plenty of interesting things to see but as always we needed to keep moving along. After a hearty breakfast of eggs, beans, fruit, biscuit, and plantains with Gerry and Judy, we got everything packed. This was the end of the Guatemala Easter trip for us but unfortunately we didn't see many of the folks in our group to say goodbye. We knew that we were to be picked up by a representative from Pook's Hill at around 10:00 so we needed to be ready. The front desk knew nothing of our plans but we were confident all would be fine. Soon after 10, Ben Cruz, our Pook's Hill guide, arrived. Roberto was our driver to the Guatemalan border. On our way out of Tikal we stopped at the visitor's center and converted our remaining 60 quetzales into 6 bottles of Gatorade. Making sure we were properly hydrated was very important after visiting Tikal and we were amused at the way we chose to convert our money before heading to another country with a different currency.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.