Fifteen hundred years ago, as barbarians roamed through the plains of Northern Europe and the art of writing was known by only a chosen few, a great civilization rose in Mexico and Guatemala.  The great Mayan civilization.

The northeastern department of Petén is covered with lush jungle which hid most traces of the lost great Mayan empire for almost a thousand years.  

There are many fascinating ancient Mayan cities in el Petén.  We visited the lost cities of Ceibal and Tikal.

The journey to Ceibal is almost as wonderful as the city itself.  The hour and one half journey upstream on the Rio de la Pasion took us past small indigenous farms and schools, as well as tropical jungle landscape.

Kelly and Jodi enjoy the boat ride along the Rio de la Passion while not getting too close to the crocodile infested waters.

Rich treks through the jungle as we near our destination, the lost city of Ceibal.  In total, the journey takes over two hours.  For this reason, Ceibal sees very few tourists compared to some of its nearby sister cities.   

Ceibal attained great importance in 900 AD when it reached a population of 10,000.  The Mayans of Ceibal were great agriculturalists and traders.  Religion was still the center of their world.  Around Ceibal one can find many stelae featuring priests (like this one) and governors.  

What happened to Ceibal?  Why did everyone leave?  One can only speculate.  Perhaps it was disease.  Perhaps they were driven out.  Perhaps they left for other reasons.  If only the stelae could talk.

The granddaddy of the Guatemalan Empire is, of course, Tikal.  Here is a view of the back of Temple I as we approached the Great Plaza.  

Temple II stands directly opposite of Temple I inside of the Great Plaza.  As Temple I has proven too dangerous to climb, the visitors climb Temple II for fabulous views of Tikal.  Temple IV nearby also provides stunning views.

Tikal is located in the Guatemalan jungles, and it is easy to remember this as we walk through the lush forests, listen to the howler monkeys shouting directly above our heads and see the toucans sitting up in the trees.

We especially enjoyed the atmosphere up on top of El Mundo Perdido (the Lost World).  This preclassic pyramid reaches 32 meters.  From the top, you can see the other great temples and a canopy of trees filled with birds and monkeys.  The initial structure dates back to 700 BC.  Of course, many levels have been constructed on top of the ancient base, yet the name reflects the fact that this monument represents the lost world of the lost world of Tikal.  

After a full day in Tikal, we all boarded a night bus for an 8 hour ride back to Guatemala City.  We would be flying back to the USA the following morning.  It was time to say Adios to our beloved Guatemala...but not forever.

If you would like to learn more about Tikal and the beautiful Mayan city of Copan, see our earlier features:  2 Go Tikal Photos and 2 Go Copan Photos from our earlier visits to Guatemala and Honduras at the early stages of 2 Go Global.

If you would like to continue with us on our journey to our last odyssey--see USA Road Trip.

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