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The Mayan ruins of the Caracol
Archeological Park are just amazing and
are the largest in Belize, rivaling Tikal in
Guatemala. By far not everything is excavated of
this expansive site, but what is excavated is
well preserved and was one of the highlights of
our highlight-rich trip.
Along the 50 mile/80 km road there is no
drinking water available, nor are there any
restaurants or shops. Therefore make sure
you bring some food and plenty of water. |
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| We couldn't take our rented
motorcycles across the border, so we left them
at our hotel in San Ignacio and hired a driver
to bring us to the border. We crossed the
border to Guatemala on foot and hired another
driver to bring us to our hotel in Flores,
Guatemala. The town of Flores is on an
Island and is very nice with cobble stone
streets and great hotels and restaurants. We
liked the boutique Hotel Isla de Flores. |
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| The next morning our guide Elmer and driver
picked us up at the hotel and took us to Tikal
in Guatemala. The site is even more
amazing than I had imagined it to be. Elmer did
a great job of leading us on some back ways
around Tikal. We saw all the pyramids and other
sites, while avoiding other tourist groups, for
the most part. Elmer was very knowledgeable, not
only about the history of the site, but also
about flora and fauna. He pointed out Toucans,
Howler Monkeys and more. |
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If you are a Star Wars fan you
might recognize these views.Tikal National
Park in Guatemala was used as the rebel
base Yavin 4 in the Star Wars Episode
IV, A New Hope.
Jayne is a MUCH bigger Star Wars fan than me and
she is totally bummed, but her knees didn't
allow her to climb the pyramid to get this view. |
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The next morning we were back in
San Ignacio, Belize and then rode our
motorcycles to the small, free, hand-cranked
ferry that leads up to the Xunantunich
Mayan Ruins.
Some people walk from the ferry to the entrance
and many regret it. It's a one-mile uphill hike
in the heat and humidity. |
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The Xunantunich Mayan Ruins
in Belize are very nice and also well preserved.
It is the second tallest structure in Belize,
after Caracol.
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| The main difference between
Xunantunich and other Mayan pyramids are
the fine
stucco or "friezes" on two sides.
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