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On 9th July, after exploring Japan for almost 2 months, I caught a direct flight across the Pacific to Vancouver in Canada. I was a little sad to be leaving Asia, but now I had the Americas to explore!<br /><br/><br/>
1996 Travel Diary (Part 2)
Gjcmcclurg2005-12-23 14:43:41
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we managed to get a good deal at the Jaguar Inn. Since we were staying right next to the ruins we were able to visit them in the late afternoon when all the tourists had gone. Tikal thrived between the 3rd and 10th centuries AD and was one of the most powerful Mayan cities. The huge temples and public building complexes were spread over a large area in the rainforest. We watched the sun go down from the top of Temple IV, from where we could see dense jungle in all directions punctured by the towering temples of the ancient Mayan city. The following morning we watched the sunrise from the top of the Lost World Pyramid. I will never forget standing on top of the pyramid and watching the sun rise over the misty tropical forest, with the eerie sounds of the Howler Monkeys and the brightly colored Toucans flying just above the tree tops.
From Tikal it was a couple of days journey back via Flores and Antigua to the beautiful Lago Atitlán. Lago Atitlán, at an altitude of 1,562m, was a deep blue color and surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. Around the lake were several villages named after the apostles and housing three different Indigenous tribes. We caught a launch across the lake to the pretty village of San Pedro la Laguna and found a nice little guest house run by American missionaries. The village was set on the steep slopes of the Volcán San Pedro and surrounded by coffee plantations.
After traveling together for over 4 months, Eric returned to Switzerland on 21st December for Christmas. I met some fun people at the hostel and stayed on for Christmas and New Year in San Pedro. Christmas Day was really great as Glenda, the American manageress, cooked a huge traditional lunch and in the afternoon we all went swimming in the lake. I became pretty friendly with the owners of the guest house and ended up running the place for several weeks while they returned to the US to visit relatives. I had a fairly calm but pleasant New Year at a local bar with the other guests from our hostel.
See photographs from:
United States Gallery
,
Mexico Gallery
,
Guatemala Gallery
,
Canada Gallery
,
Belize Gallery
