Tikal Place and Culture in Guatemala

Author: Benedicto
Tikal Place and Culture in Guatemala

1. 1. Tikal Grew and Decline

The Maya city of Tikal, located in a dense subtropical forest in the center of the state of Petén in northern Guatemala, was one of the most important cities in the Mayan lowlands.
Its first permanent inhabitant settled in the area around the year 900 B.C. It saw its greatest growth between A.D. 700-800. Many of the structures you will explore today were constructed during that time.
The hot a humid climate throughout most of the year made the forest ideal habitat for an abundance of animal and plants species which provided food, medicine and construction material. The city was built on elevates areas, which were surrounded by "bajos", or slight depressions that flood during the rainy season.
The center of Tikal, with an area of 16 km2, has approximately 4,000 structures, including plazas, temples, palaces, ball courts, causeways and pyramids. Its population has been estimated at 90,000 people, including the living areas around the city.

Tikal was continuously inhabited for almost 1,800 years. Its history includes powerful rulers, great alliances, victorious battles, defeats, economic power and the monumental architecture that secured its legacy for centuries.

1. 2. Tikal's vegetation associations:

When you Travel in Guatemala and walk in Tikal you will be walking through a subtropical forest of the rolling limestone hills of marine origin.

Several vegetation associations are found in Tikal, that include tall forest, botan bajo forest and tinto bajo forest, among others. The bajos are the areas that flooding during the rainy seasons forming forested swamps. The plant composition differs between associations.

The city of Tikal is located in tall forest, with species such as Ramón, Mahogany and Cedar that can be over 40 meters tall (131 feet). The bromeliads, orchids and vines are also common in this type of forest.
Different types of bajos can be observed to the east of the hotel area. There trees have an average height between 15 – 20 meters (49 to 66 feet). Trees such as Santa Maria, Tinto and Pije, with very hard wood resistant to humidity are common. There is an abundance of palms such as the escobo.

The bajos have many species of thorny bushes and plants with lance-shaped leaves that can easily cut through skin. Many animal species find cover against predators in this forest type due to the forbidden conditions of the place.

The forest of Tikal National Park sustains a large variety of animal species. During your Guatemala Vacations in Tikal you may encounter ocellated turkeys, parrots and spider monkeys.

If you have the opportunity, take time to observe and listen to the howler monkeys, the collared peccary, toucans, hummingbirds and hawks. Unfortunately for many, it is improbable that you will come face to face with the jaguar. Once this feline senses your presence, he will walk away quietly without being observed.

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About the Author
MCM. Benedicto Grijalva
Marketing Director
Martsam Tour & Travel
PH: (502) 4009-5674
benedicto@martsam.com
www.martsam.com

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Guatemala - Things to Do
By Rich C. Smith

People ask me all the time what are the top things to see and do in Guatemala. I have made a list and limited myself to the top 10 things to see and do, and sorted them by distance from Guatemala City. To maximize, your travel time pick a must see destination and start branching out to destinations around your chosen area. There's plenty to keep one busy for a long time, these are my top 10 things to do in Guatemala (family friendly) and plan your vacation around:

1. Visit Zoologico Nacional La Aurora. Surprisingly good zoo in Guatemala City, great if you're traveling with kids. Driving time: 5-20 minutes from within the city depending on your location.

2. Visit Antigua Guatemala. View colonial architecture and walk the cobblestone streets. Even better if you can make it for Easter Week processions (book hotel early). Driving time: 45 minutes from the capital.

3. Climb the Pacaya Volcano. As close as you can get to a live, lava-spewing volcano. Driving time: 45 minutes from the city.

4. Explore Lake Atitlan. Surrounded by volcanoes, thought to be the most beautiful lake in the world. I agree. Driving time: 2 - 2:30 hours from Guatemala City.

5. Visit the beaches. You get a 2-for-1 here. Monterrico and its black sand beaches are to the west. Great place to relax. Playa Blanca in Izabal, and its traditional white-sand
beaches are to the East. If in Izabal, check out Castillo de San Felipe (San Felipe Castle), an old Spanish fort. Very scenic, on the water, and well-kept. Driving time for Monterrico: 2 - 2:30 hours from Guatemala City. Driving time to Izabal: 4 hours from Guatemala City.

6. Shop at Chichicastenango Market. Open Thursdays and Sundays, Chichi market is THE largest handicrafts market in the world. Haggling is accepted and encouraged. Buy your souvenirs here. Driving time: 3 - 3:30 hours from Guatemala City.

7. Visit IRTRA parks in Retalhuleu. Central America's Disney/Water Park destination. Kids will have a blast. Stay at the affordable IRTRA hostels and enjoy its spas, restaurants, tennis courts, pools, bowling alley and other grown-up amenities. The grounds are amazingly well-kept and you'll enjoy the peacocks strutting all throughout the hostel complex. Driving time: 3 - 3:30 hours from Guatemala City.

8. Take a stroll in Xela. A slice of Europe in Central America. Competes with Antigua for sheer beauty and as the destination to learn Spanish at its many schools. Safe to walk at night, its beautiful architecture (and international cuisine) can be enjoyed anytime. Driving time: 4 - 4:30 hours from Guatemala City.

9. Explore Semuc Champey. Enjoy peaceful rock pools filled with turquoise blue waters explore amazing caves by candlelight. You will not find a single picture online that will do it justice. It's that breathtaking in person. Driving time: About 5 hours from Guatemala City.

10. Visit Tikal National Park. Last, but in no way least. View the awe-inspiring Mayan temples, right in the middle of the jungle. Ponder if the end of the world starts here in 2012. Driving time: 8 hours from Guatemala City (flying to Flores' airport from Guatemala City is the often-chosen, time-saving route).
There's plenty more to mention. Eco-tourism is huge here, for example Hard to limit it to ten things, but these will get you started.

Rich Polanco, World Traveler

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Ex General Leads the Vote in Guatemala

A right-wing retired general promising a crackdown on rampant crime led Guatemala's Sunday presidential election, although he fell short of the votes needed to avoid a run-off in November.

Silver-haired Otto Perez, who promises to send troops into the streets to fight criminal gangs, won 36 per cent support with almost all the votes counted, far short of the more than 50 per cent needed for an outright first-round victory.

Centrist Manuel Baldizon, a wealthy hotel owner and former congressman with a populist message of supporting the elderly and the poor, had 24 per cent of the vote and seemed certain to face Perez in a Nov. 6 run-off.

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Guatemala Presidential Race

Otto Perez Molina, a conservative former general who promises to crack down on violent gangs and drug cartels, finished first in Guatemala's presidential election Sunday but lacked the votes to avoid a November runoff.
With 95 percent of the votes tallied Monday, Perez Molina, who played major roles both in Guatemala's bloody civil war and in negotiating the 1996 peace accords that ended it, had won 36 percent, short of the 50 percent plus one vote required for outright victory. Manuel Baldizon, a wealthy businessman running as a populist, had 24 percent of the vote and seemed destined for the Nov. 6 runoff. In third place with 16 percent was Eduardo Suger, a 72-year-old academic who built a network of private universities.

Perez Molina, 60, had been polling stronger before Election Day, and his failure to win outright suggested that concerns among voters about his military past and his "iron fist" plans for crime-fighting may have been greater than polls showed. Still, Perez Molina told reporters early Monday that with the 10-person field winnowed to two, he expected to win. "We are confident that in the next round," he said, "we will win again and win by a strong margin."

The election, the fourth since Guatemala ended a 36-year civil war that left 200,000 people dead, was less marred by violence than the last election in 2007.

Voters waiting to cast ballots from the capital, Guatemala City, to the countryside over the weekend said they were motivated mostly by the fear of violent crime, which has become epidemic, with as many or more killings per day than during the war. Those who voted for Perez Molina said they appreciated his strategic experience and his plan to put a better-equipped military on the streets to fight crime.

Baldizon, 41, has also pledged to fight crime and the Mexican cartels, which are strong in the northern border region where Baldizon has built a network of businesses. His campaign emphasized a plan that would require companies to give workers an extra paycheck, which Parliament would likely not support in a country long controlled by a powerful corporate sector.

But he has also said he would expand the Guatemalan National Guard and increase use of the death penalty, even if it meant pulling out of regional human rights agreements.
Experts say the get-tough approach of both candidates highlights how desperate Guatemalans have become.

Guatemala's first lady files for divorce

GUATEMALA CITY, March 22 (UPI) -- Guatemala's first lady filed for divorce from her husband three days after she announced her candidacy for the presidency, court records indicate.
Sandra Torres de Colon submitted a divorce petition to the Second Family Court in Guatemala City on March 11 in a civil enforcement proceeding, The Guatemala Times reported Tuesday.
Guatemala's constitution prohibits relatives of the nation's chief executive from running for president.
Constitutional attorney Carlos Molina Mencos said once the divorce has been finalized Sandra Torres will be able to legally seek the presidency.
However, he called the divorce a "mockery" and "immoral."
Zury Rios, a member of the Guatemalan Republican Front Party, told Guatemala's La Hora newspaper "it is sad that for the love of power she left the love of her life."
"One can divorce for many reasons, but for the love of power, is unthinkable,." Rios said.
Former Gen. Otto Perez charged the first couple is using the law to do something illegal, Prensa Libre reported.

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Guatemalan Judge Shot Dead

GUATEMALA CITY – A civil court judge died Tuesday at a hospital in Peten, a province in northern Guatemala, after being shot by unidentified assailants, firefighters and police said.

Judge Eddy Caceres Rodriguez was shot at least four times, including twice in the head, fire department spokesmen said.

The 48-year-old judge was attacked near his residence in El Porvenir, a neighborhood in the city of San Benito.

The attack was carried out by three unidentified men who shot the judge from a vehicle, National Civilian Police, or PNC, spokesmen told Guatemalan radio, citing eyewitnesses.

The motive for the attack on Caceres, who worked in San Benito, is not known, the PNC said. EFE

Source: Latin American Herald Tribune - Guatemalan Judge Shot Dead

Guatemalan fishing trip filled with excitement

The Pacific coast of Guatemala is well known for the fantastic fishing found in what is commonly called the Iztapa region.

Billfish, particularly Pacific sailfish, blue and striped marlin are easily accessible to anglers within a short distance from shore.

Also available are dorado (Mahi-mahi), jack crevalle and yellow fin tuna.
Recently, I visited this area with two friends from Wyoming.

We left in a snow storm and were really looking forward to trading winter clothes for those designed for tropical climates.

Besides looking forward to hooking plenty of billfish with a fly, we were also looking forward to basking in temperatures that were almost 100 degrees warmer than what we had been experiencing in the Cowboy state.

We flew to Guatemala City, where we quickly went through customs, grabbed our luggage and took a shuttle to Porto San Jose, where we would be base-camped for six days and fishing out of Marina Pez Vellato on a 38 foot Billy Knowles custom express with a captain and two mates while pursuing billfish using fly fishing tackle.

Fly fishing for trout is fun and the reason Cody is home.
Bill fishing with a fly, however, is an exponential step up in every regard.
Fly rods are 12-16 weights and designed to land fish that can weigh as little as 60 pounds, or exceed the weight of an NFL lineman.
Reels have super heavy duty drags and carry a minimum of 500 yards of 50 pound backing, plus fly line.
Fly lines have 70 pound monofilament cores and weigh four times as much as a typical floating 5-weight trout fly line.

Leaders are not tapered, but designed using a series of knots called "Biminis," with 15-18 inches of 16-22 pound test IGFA class tippet knotted to 100-pound mono that is called a bite tippet.
Far different than a typical tapered trout leader, but necessary to take the abuse a billfish can dole out during the fight back to the boat.

Flies are six inches long, or longer, and are designed to imitate squid, sardines or dorado, a billfish's preferred diet.

Due to the La Nina (little girl in Spanish) cycle impacting the Pacific Ocean, we didn't have to travel far to find fish.
Almost as soon as our hook less teaser baits were dropped into the water each morning, sailfish (no marlin this trip) would be in the teaser rigs slashing at them with their bills.
Our boat's crew would pull the teasers away from the sailfish, increasing their desire to eat the escaping meal as they teased the fish ever closer to our boat.
When the sailfish came within 40 feet in back of the boat, the teasers would come out of the water.
Immediately, the captain would put the boat into neutral and the angler would cast his fly as a replacement for the missing bait.

Within seconds after the fly hit the water, the sailfish would attack the fly as if it were the only edible thing in the Pacific.

Words cannot describe the adrenaline rush when the fish turns and literally attacks the fly.
Nor can words describe the battle that takes place after the hook is set.
Bill fish can swim almost 60 mph. They are also acrobatic and can perform incredible leaps and greyhounding runs that can burn 300 yards of backing in an amazingly short time.

Can you imagine having your fly firmly hooked into something that fast?

Fortunately for us, this wasn't our first billfish rodeo, so we had our drags cranked down to within the breaking point of our leaders and often had our fish to the boat within 12 minutes, or less, after setting the hook.

The three of us landed a plenty of sailfish last week.
We also had just as many throw our flies, cut our leaders during the fight or ignore our flies when presented, but that is fishing, whether in Park County or Iztapa.

While the temperatures are in the single digits in Wyoming, I highly recommend a billfish trip to Guatemala to chase away the winter doldrums and soak up some much welcomed warmth and sunshine.

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