Guatemala Day Four: Another Day Exploring the Jungles and Mayan Ruins In Tikal National Park

I awoke at dawn  Monday  morning, my third morning at the Tikal Inn,  near the entrance to the Tikal National Park in remote northern Guatemala.  It was around 6 a.m. and there was no coffee in my room or in the dining room until 7 a.m. So I left the Inn without my usual caffeine fic  and began my exploration of Tikal National Park.  

I walked the  1/4 mile to the park entrance , through the now empty parking lots.

There  were not many people near the entrance but there was a  large flock  of the beautiful ocellated wild turkeys native to this part of Guatemala.

They looked exactly like the many turkey that visit my backyard in Northeastern Pennsylvania except they were far more colorful.

I entered  the park with my valuable  ticket. As I explained in previous blogs they are not easy to obtain.  Iwalked along under the thick canopy of trees. There were only a few other people on the road at this early hour.   The entry to the national park shares, for about a 1/2 mile,  a public road.  It passes through the park and continues on through the jungle to Uaxactun another Mayan city and small town.  

The forest was quiet  as I began  my walk.  There was little bird activity and I only heard some howler monkeys in the distance. I decided to hike out the road to Uaxactun since there was almost no traffic on the and I thought it might be a great place to observe some tropical birds, monkeys or maybe even a jaguar.

Unfortunately I didn’t see much wildlife activity on the road just this crimson-crested woodpecker.

I started back to the park entrance but found a side trail that  took me into the park. I loved this narrow trail since it gave me a real feel of being in the jungle. However, I was again disappointed in not seeing a lot of wildlife or bird activity.

The trail took me back to a main trail near Complex Q  of the Tikal National Park. In addition to the six temples, the Grand Plaza and the acropolisies which I had visited on my sunrise tour,  the Tikal National Park is divided into complexes and groups. A complex contains twin pyramids while a group are just a group of related structures.

 The Q complex and group are off the beaten path and I was glad I just happened to stumble on the  impressive twin pyramids that are found here.These pyramids were built every 20 years beginning in 672 AD to signify the end of a  katun.   A Gatun is 20 year period based on the Mayan calendar Complex Q had the finest example of these pyramids in Tikal .

There was a group of tourists climbing the pyramid when I arrived.  There were stele and altars in front  of the pyramid.

I decided to follow the Maudsley Causeway to Temple IV. The causeways were named after the explores and scientists who first found Tikal. They  were the broad roadways covered in white limestone that connected the temples and pyramids in Tikal.  It is another remote causeway and was supposed to be a great place to see wildlife.

It took me through a deep jungle, with many roots of trees on the path.

Along the causeway were many structures which were still covered my the jungle. It will take years before all of the ancient city of Tikal, once home to 70,000 people, is excavated.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see a lot of wildlife on my hike. I did see this beautiful chestnut colored woodpecker,

this red crowned ant tanager,

and a ivory billed woodcreeper with it’s bill wide open. I had hoped to see more species of birds on  my hike on these remote trails.

I also saw this spider web and I believe, an orchard  spider.

I did hear the loud calls of howler monkeys on my hike and my path did cross a couple of spider monkeys,

that were scurrying through the treetops. I didn’t see the snakes or jaguar I was hoping to see.

I walked beneath the canopy of trees observing the many tropical plants along the trail including some ferns,

and this one wildflower. I was very surprised the were not more wildflowers blooming in the rain forest.

I also saw one more critter, a zebra longwing butterfly. This would be the last critter I would see on my morning hike.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog webpage with some more photos  of the wildlife I saw on my morning hike in the national park. Guatemala Day Four Tikal morning hike wildlife , November 11 2024.

I followed the causeway to Temple IV were I watched the sunrise the previous morning. 

I then hiked  through the rain forest  to Temple V.

This is the second highest structure in Tikal.  I climbed the step wooden stairs  to the top  of the temple.

I was the only one on the wooden platform and to take in the view of  the temples of Tikal now surrounded by the rain forest.

I later learned from some friends that this view was the scene in the first Star Wars movie, the rebel base on Yavin 4 in Episode IV A New Hope. I loved this movies and the Star War series and felt even closer to this magical place.

I again imagined the scene a 1000 years ago before the jungle reclaimed the city of Tikal.  There would have been broad white causeways surrounded by colorful templs, pyramdis and supporting residences and building where the priest and the higher class residnts of the city lived and worked. Large reservoirs could be seen  then the many wooden huts of the 70, 000 people who live in this large city.

After taking in the view I hiked to the Grand Plaza,

then to Temple IV and retraced my hike back to the Tikal Inn, getting back just in time for the end of breakfast at 11 am. I had hiked 5 1/2 miles. It was a wonderful hike but I really was a bit diappointed I didn’t see more wildlife.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog webpage with some more photos from my morning hike in the national park. Guatemala Day Four Tikal morning   hike  , November 11 2024.

After another hearty breakfast I edited photos and enjoyed the beautiful gardens surrounding the Inn, The many flowers were visited by a variety of species of colorful butterflies,

including a capucinus sister butterfly,

a ruby spotted swallowtail butterfly , and,

a red bordered pixie butterfly. I am no expert on butterflies and have relied on Google lens for these identifications.

I waited until late afternoon, when it cooled off a bit before I took another hike on the trail near my hotel. I first hiked over to the crocodile pond near the entrance of the park, but there were no crocodiles or even any birds active that afternoon,

I then visited another resort, the Jungle Lodge . I checked on the dinner menu and planned to have dinner there that evening.

I then followed the trail back to the pond where I  saw the  boat-billed  herons.

On the way I saw this beautiful social flycatcher perched on a tree ,

I walked the almost mile trail to the pond,

but there were no crocodiles, only the many loud boat billed herons.

I loved watching and listening to these birds.

I also saw a new wading bird among the boat billed herons, this yellow crowned night heron. It was the first one I had seen since I saw one in Key Largo eating a crab in Key Largo a few years ago. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog webpage with some more photos of the birds I saw on my afternoon hike . Guatemala Day Four Tikal afternoon  hike birds , November 11 2024.

I left the pond, and the herons, as the sun began to set in the west. The last rays of the sun filtered through the trees. I was again disappointed I didn’t see more  birds or other wildlife on my hike. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog webpage with some more photos from my afternoon  hike near  the national park. Guatemala Day Four Tikal afternoon  hike, November 11 2024. 

It was near 5 p.m.when I finished another 3 mile hike. I had hike well over 9 miles again and I was tired but hungry. I decided to not return to my hotel and shower but walked over to the Jungle Lodge for an early dinner.  It was a delicious meal. It was already dark when I was served my Guatemalan black bean soup with homemade bread. I love black bean soup and it  was very tasty.

I had a grilled tuna steak with rice and mixed vegetables for my main course also served in the dark.

I was still hungry and so had a large slice of chocolate cake for dessert. It was delicious too. I was full. It was  6 p.m. when I was leaving and the lights came on. I now realized that like the Tikal Inn the Lodge only had the electric generator running for a fixed time. At the Tikal Inn it was from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.

I enjoyed my walk back to my hotel in  the dark.  I slowly  walked  under the light of the almost full moon, listening to the sounds of the jungle. It was a great way to end another great day in the remote jungle of northern Guatemala.

“I find my soul in forests.”
– Kedar Dhepe

“Being in the woods at night is a beautiful thing.”
– Hugo Weaving

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