Monday, April 28, 2008

Tikal, Flores & Finca Ixobel

I have been in Guatemala for a week now and am really enjoying it.
I arrived in a small town called Flores, which is actually an island joined by bridge to the mainland. It's a really pretty town with brightly coloured shops and cobbled streets. Most travellers stay here on their way to Tikal, a huge old Mayan city set in the jungle. It supposedly has between 10,000 and 30,000 Mayan structures, most of which have not yet been excavated. Of those that have, it takes all day to see them.
A group of us backpackers decided to camp near the ruins so that we could be up early to see the sunrise from the temples. We rented hammocks and slept by the jungle which was pretty amazing, even if the hammocks weren't too comfortable!
I spent another night in Flores and then came to Finca Ixobel where I am staying now. Basically it's a farm set near the forest, with horses, monkeys, parrots and many other animals, and you can camp or stay in a dorm or treehouse. From here you can do horse treks, caving and hiking (or just lie in a hammock with a Gallo beer and a good book)...
Tonight I am leaving for Antigua, the old city of Guatemala, to enrol in a Spanish school for a couple of weeks.
I will try to post more photos soon when I have a faster internet connection!
Hasta luego
Helen

No comments: