We finally made it to Tikal, the Mayan ruins in the north of Guatemala. This site is known for having the tallest pre-Columbian structure in the Americas. It is in the heart of the Mayan Biosphere, the second largest protected jungle in Central/South America next to the Amazon. Over the years, the jungle has overtaken the pyramids, many of which are yet to be unearthed. We didn't see any jaguars or get to raid the tombs, but we did see a ton of monkeys and other critters. When we first arrived, all four of us took a blazing hot afternoon tour with a group we couldn't really keep up with. When it cooled off, I got to have a nice evening walk alone through the park, and Michael woke up at 4:30 a.m. the next morning for the sunrise tour. We got a package tour which included the short plane ride there and back, and two nights in a hotel walking distance from the ruins. The pool at the hotel wasn't working, though, so we spent our second night at the air-conditioned Westin with a pool and a little beach on beautiful lake Peten Itza.
