Kelsey Mason: Tikal Mayan Ruins

Today was a day of great anticipation for a lot of us in the group; we got to explore the archaeological site of Tikal, which has the tallest temples of all of the Mayan ruins. We stayed in the actual park just a small hike away from the site. It’s astonishing how alive the jungle is, the sounds during night are much louder than in the day. There is a symphony of different species but only the sounds of crickets were recognizable to me. We met at 4:45 am (which meant we had to get up around 4am or 2am Vancouver time) in order to start the hike up to watch the sunrise over the Mayan ruins. It was pitch black when we woke up and there was only electricity provided at the hotel from 6pm-10pm and 6 am-8am in the morning so we had to get ready with our flashlights and headlamps. The sky was clouded over as we walked towards the site. The entire walk was in the dark with only our flashlights to guide us. Finally we reached the site and climbed through the clouds which filtered through the trees and water drops collected and fell from the branches onto the wood stairs that led us to our lookout point. When we arrived at where we would see the sunrise there were already about 30 other tourists sitting in silence listening to all of the noises of the jungle staring in to the mist going through the trees. We sat and hoped that the clouds would clear as it continued to get brighter and brighter. Unfortunately, he sun had risen without us being able to see. We then moved on to the grand plaza to see the temples that we are so familiar with from pictures in magazines and from our school lessons on the Mayan civilization. The site was impressive! The temples were massive and there were so many to discover. We barely had the chance explore the site so I would definitely love to return one day in order to explore some more. This opportunity has been the highlight of my trip. As I approached the day with such anticipation I was worried that the site might not meet my expectations but I’m happy to report that it exceeded them! One more thing checked off my bucket list.

While staying in the jungle we got to see many animals that are native to the area. What I was looking forward to seeing the most was a monkey, and I still hadn’t seen one when we were leaving Tikal walking back to the hotel. As we descended someone spotted one up in the trees, so my goal of seeing a monkey in its natural habitat was achieved. Then we got back to the hotel and spotted three monkeys and their baby playing up in the tree. In addition to the monkeys today alone I saw geckos, two poisonous snakes, toucans, a tarantula, and another creature that looks like an anteater crossed with a racoon and a monkey called a Pizote. Packs of  Pizotes would wander around the hotel in the jungle, some of them you could get really close to while others would run away. We all got back to the hotel and packed for our next leg. The skies have now cleared and the sun is out and in the van we go. Our next adventure is boarding the boat in Rio Dulce to go up to Livingston which we are all looking forward to some much needed R&R.

This trip has been pretty amazing, but very intense at the same time. We are constantly on the go always preparing to leave for our next destination. Many of us as are not early risers so it has been a big adjustment to get up every day usually around 6am Guatemala time. I definitely have not had a single night with 8 hours of sleep and doubt that I will until I return to Vancouver. It has been very interesting to watch some of the other students on this trip grow as they deal with the perils of their first travel adventure. This trip has helped me become more aware of how lucky I am for the life that I live at home. Many of the modern things that I use daily and feel I could not live without only the wealthy in Guatemala have. For example, I felt the biggest different between my social class and that of Guatemalan’s when in Chichicastenango, a village where almost all of the population are indigenous.

I believe that travelling is one of the most valuable ways to learn. I have learnt more about myself while travelling than by living my everyday life in Vancouver. Travelling creates opportunities to get to know and bond with people that you wouldn’t normally meet in your social circles at home, and these people challenge the way you think broadening the scope and view of how you used to think before. One of the most valuable things that I have learnt from this trip so far is the importance of surrounding yourself with people that are different from you. Being around people of sometimes opposing views has helped me re-evaluate some of my choices and decisions that I make. I have also learned to appreciate my classmates and know that they will all contribute a lot to our ever changing society. I look forward to my final days in Guatemala.