Nov 29
Tikal, Guatemala - November 29, 2017
Last night I could hear the Howler Monkeys in the distance and the roosters and barking dogs in the not so distance. It is a little known fact that roosters do not only crow at dawn, they in fact never shut up!
We had our wake up call at 5AM in order to see the sunrise from a fire tower just outside of Uaxactun above the canopy that is 5KM outside of Uaxactun. From our high perch we could see the ruins that were 20km away in Tikal. At this early time we were hearing lots of different species of birds and the Howler Monkeys off in the distance. Our first bird of the day was a Laughing Falcon in the tallest trees and we could hear parrots nearby. We also had our first Spider Monkey sighting .
As the dawn faded and the sun rose, we were able to see the sunrise and take in the distance sites of the ruins for a while. Other than the Howler Monkey screeches, it was very peaceful and we ended up seeing some beautiful birds.
At 7:00am the sun was starting to warm us up as we were hearing the sounds of lots of bird chirping and pecking at wood. By now the Howler Monkeys had settled down and we were starting to hear motorbikes along the one road to and from Tikal. It was time for breakfast.
Marina served us another great meal, this time in her restaurant. We had 2 kinds of beans and 2 types of fresh, steaming hot endless tortillas, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, fried plantains and papaya with honey. She also served us some camomile tea that was made with dried camomile.
We went back to the campsite to pack up and we ended up seeing lots of birds. I had a better look at the Masked Tityra and the Keel Billed Toucan in the trees above our tent.
We drove a short distance to the other side of town and began the tour at Plaza or Group B at a palatial home. Saw 3 architectural examples of lentils - stone, wooden and stepped.
We walked a short distance and saw a neat bird, Blue Cowned Motmot. It’s tail feathers are plucked and shaped, the way it looks is not natural. It uses the tail feathers like a pedulum. It is extremely rare bird to see in this area.
The Pale Billed Woodpecker finally popped around for me to get a shot but I was unable to get a good shot of Chestnut Coloured Woodpecker stayed elusive.
Carlos was extremely happy to spot the email Mountain or Collared Trogan. Carlos was so happy to see this bird, the last time he saw one was 7 years ago and it was the male. This is the second one he has ever seen.
We also enjoyed the acrobatics of a spider monkey jumping from a high tree to a low dead stump before moving on to Palace A 18. This dwelling had the highest ceiling and as we were exploring it, we saw a Fruit Bat. We were told that it used to have a spiral stairs to connect to the 2nd floor, but it is no longer there.
We then drove back to the site our our dinner. It’s one of the oldest astrological sites dating back to BC. They marked the Solstices each year at this site.
On the drive Jonathan saw something on the side of the road, so we pulled over and we saw a large troop of Coatimundis. The live in female colonies and are simultaneously very curious and very shy. They would sneak a peek at us, then hurry off into the trees.
We parked and then saw another very cool bird, Montezuma Oropendula, which is part of the Orioles family. It is a really neat looking bird and almost appears like it could be part of the toucan family. I was trying to get a photo, but somehow the settings on the camera are all messed up. This bird creates a nest that looks like a pendulum which is part of the reason for its name.
After a great lunch, I had chicken and Bill had beef with fresh tortillas and habanero sauce we saw another Agouti and a flock of Collared Aracaris on our way to the ruins.
The first stop at Tikal was called Katuns (20 year site) was a pyramid with Stelles on the North side there would have been a palace. A new one was built every 20 years. This one was built in 300 BC. 9 is a sacred number. It is the number of levels in the underworld. There would have been 9 priests seated in front of the Stelles on the round stones.
Site 4 was 70 meters high and built by the son of a very imprtant king. It was also known as the Double-headed Serpent Temple. It was built 1,000 years after Katuns. From the top we could see the Acropolis to the far left, straight ahead was Temple 1, 2, 3 and to the far right was the Lost Temple.
While sitting on top of the temple, for a brief moment after the Highland Guatemala family in traditional clothing left, we were all alone. It was a beautiful way to experience the view. It was so peaceful until the Brown Jays showed up.
On our way to the next site, on the ground we saw a Great Tinamou. It was sitting so still that it really surprised Carlos. Bill was even able to walk up very close to it and take photos. This bird makes a beautiful call that carries 2 Km at dawn and dusk to start and end each day.
We also saw a male White Whiskered Puffbird. It is one of two puffbirds in this region. It has a very fluffy looking face like our kitties. Carlos said it is very rare to see this bird too.
We then arrived at The Lost World Temple. It was built not in the local style because it was built by a Mexican. The builders of this temple were important foreigners and the locals crowned him the King. The temple was white in colour instead of the red of this region, and had different style balastrates. The Lost World Plaza was the largest with 38 buildings in it.
Beside it was a pyramid, it has inset stairs unlike a temple. It had been closed for 7 years because people were injured climbing it, but they are building stairs on the back so people can climb it again. There was a mound nearby for dancing. Fun!
Beside the pyramid was ruins of elite residences. We saw the top of Temple 3 from a nice wooded path. We passed some ball courts and one of the 13 reservoirs.
Temple 5 was very impressive. It is the only one facing north. All others face east and west. It was built by an overthown ruler and faces another temple in another city to create a triangle of commerce. It became the burial chamber of the fallen king.
The grand finale of the tour was the Great Jaguar and The Mask Temple. They were built in 700 AD and 682 AD. The first was for the King and the one we climbed was for the Queen.
At the top of the stairs in a huge tree we could see an Orange Breasted Falcon. It was thought to be extinct in this area, but made a reappearance at Tikal. This falcon, the Puffbird and the Trogan are birds that you only see once a year.
We were also luck to see at one bend in the path on the way back to the SUV 3 species eating ants - Rose Throated Tanager, Ivory Billed Woodcreeper, and Ruddy Woodcreeper.
Also along the path we rand into the Great Curassao males and females again, this time they were just a big blur thanks to Bill. We saw more Oscillated Wild Turkeys strutting their thang. The colour is amazing and iridescent. They have feathers that remind me of a peacock. I had another chance to take a photo of the Montezuma Oropendula; this time got a great shot!
In the pond by the car I was able to see one more new species, a Grey Necked Wood Rails and a Green Heron to cap off an amazing day!
Species of the day:
Laughing Falcon
Spider Monkey
White Fronted Parrot
Masked Tityra
Black-Throated Green Warblers
Short Billed Pigeon
Yucatan Flycatcher
Royal Flycatcher
Blue Cowned Motmot
Pale Billed Woodpecker
Chestnut Coloured Woodpecker
Mountain or Collared Trogan
Spider Monkey
Fruit Bat
Squirrel Cuckoos
Great Curassaow
Agouti
Montezuma Oropendula
Oscillated Wild Turkeys
Collared Aracaris
Yucatan Flycatcher
Dot Winged Wren
Great Tinamou
White Whiskered Puffbird
Orange Breasted Falcon
Rose Throated Tanager
Ivory Billed Woodcreeper
Ruddy Woodcreepers
Oscillated Wild Turkeys
Grey Necked Wood Rails
Green Heron
We drove back toward Flores and checked into the beautiful resort, Las Laguanas. It is beautiful and our room is spacious and even has a closed in deck with a jacuzzi.
We had a great dinner and Elmer took great care of us. We ordered a local fish and a Guatemalan chicken and beef dish. It was very good and we enjoyed a bottle of wine from Chile, Alegoria.
I used the facilities after dinner off the main dining room. I had some seasoning in my teeth and decided to rinse my mouth to get it out of my teeth. I realized what I had done immediately - essentially drank water from the tab. Oh no! Bill’s solution to the problem was to follow it up with alcohol, so I finished his wine and then ordered a Hendricks. Not sure if it worked or not, but I still feel fine 3 days later.
Nov 29, 8:31am
Nov 29, 6:22am
Nov 29, 8:07am
Nov 29, 10:36am
Nov 29, 2:23pm
Nov 29, 3:40pm
Nov 29, 4:29pm
Nov 29, 5:52am
Nov 29, 6:46am
Nov 29, 9:17am
Nov 29, 10:34am
Nov 29, 2:07pm
Nov 29, 3:21pm
Nov 29, 3:41pm
Nov 29, 6:16am
Nov 29, 7:42am
Nov 29, 7:42am
Nov 29, 9:38am
Nov 29, 10:53am
Nov 29, 1:10pm
Nov 29, 3:32pm
Nov 29, 5:58pm