Flores & Tikal (Guatemala)

After Lake Atitlan, we took the bus north to Flores, Guatemala.

Flores is a city on the edge of a vast jungle that stretches well into Mexico. We stayed on Isla de Flores, an island in the middle of Lake Petén Itzá. It's a nice, small island with many colorful houses and the charm of a jungle town. From our hostel, we could paddle out onto the lake in a canoe.

This area was inhabited early on and was part of the great Maya Empire. The capital was Tikal and housed about 50,000 people. After the fall of the empire, which is still unexplained to this day, the city was reclaimed by the jungle and rediscovered in the 19th century.

Many of the impressive temple complexes have been well preserved through extensive restoration work. When strolling through the streets of Tikal or climbing the temples, you feel transported back in time. Even today, important rituals are performed there by the descendants of the Maya on special holidays such as the summer and winter solstice, equinoxes, and full and new moon. We were fortunate to be able to witness a ceremonial celebration between the Great Jaguar Temple and the Temple of the Masks during our visit.