Guatemala Day One: Many Memories On My Travels From The Land Of The Lenni Lenape To The Land Of The Mayas
I decided to visit the Mayan ruins in Guatemala a few weeks ago. My usual Autumnal wanderlust set in and I was looking for a place to explore. I wanted a place that was a fairly close flight, have some history and, of course, have a lot of natural beauty and wildlife. After doing some late night research I came upon the Mayan ruins in Tikal National Park in northern Guatemala.
I remembered first learning about the Mayan civilization in the Lost Cities How and Why book I read in elementary school. Tikal intrigued me, so I booked my flights and hotels. And last Friday morning I was flying out of the Wilkes – Scranton International Airport in Avoca in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The airport is only a few miles from the Susquehanna River my favorite river and one that I explored all Summer.
I have been on many flights out of Avoca but they were usually early and it was dark. And I usually flew to Raleigh or Newark. This time I was flying to Washington D.C. My flight took me over many of areas I have hiked and explored this past Summer and were the topics of many of my blogs. I first flew over Crystal Lake and the Thornhurst Track of the Pinchot State Forest in Luzerne County where I hiked for the first in July. 
The plane then flew over Moosehead Lake, White Haven and the Lehigh Gorge and Lehigh River. I spent many hours hiking in these areas in the Summer and over the years. I looked at the ridges below where I stood on the overlooks above the river. 
I could see the Belzville Lake and the Lehigh Gap in the distance. The plane continued west and took me over Lake Hauto. I attended my first New Years Eve party there my senor year in high school.
I next flew over Tamaqua, a small town I explored just last week. It is near the head waters of a third river I love and have spent many years exploring, the Schuylkill River.
I believe this next photo is dam on the Schuylkill River near Auborn where I hiked for the first time only a few weeks ago. These three rivers were home to the Lenni Lanape Native American tribe , known to me in my youth as the Delaware Indians. I had spent most of this Summer exploring these three rivers and the learning about the Native Americans who lived here and respected the land before the Europeans arrived.
The plane next took me over Lake Ontelaunee and Middle Creek in Berks and Lancaster Counties. I have visited both to watch the migrating water fowl. Seeing the snow geese migration in the Spring is always an amazing sight to at Middle Creek, I then was surprised the mighty Susquehanna River flowing into the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace, which I just visited for the first time in August. I also visited the headwaters of this, one of the oldest rivers on Earth, at Lake Ostego this past Summer. 
My flight down memory lane didn’t end there. I saw another river and realized it was the Potomac River near Harper’s Ferry. I hiked there on a cold, clear February day when I was in law school in Washington D.C. I remember it like it was yesterday. A friend from back home pointed out the snow birds along the trail, also know as dark eyed juncos. I remember walking on the rocks in the river below. 
My flight landed at the Dulles International airport, and I reflected on my days in the city and the many weekend excursions hiking and camping in the Blue Ridge mountians, kayaking on the Potomac River, and visiting and hiking in the many historic sites around the city. 
After a short delay at the airport, I boarded my plane for the 4 1/2 hour flight to Guatemala City. I again had my window seat as we flew over the ocean along the coast. 
However, as we approached the coast of Florida I looked down and realized we were over Cape Canaveral. Again this brought back so many memories. First, from my youth watching the Gemini and Apollo launches . I was fascinated with the space program and NASA. And I recalled my first road trip as an adult. I drove to Florida with three friends after my first year in college. We visited the Kennedy Space Center and I celebrated my 19th birthday on the shore of Lake Okeechobee. We were staying with relatives of one of my friends. And sure enough my flight took us right over the lake. 
Next we flew over the Everglades. If you follow my blog you will know how much I love this unique river of grass and how I love to explore in every Winter. Our fight took us directly over Key West another memorable place for me. I first visited it with some friends right after I was elected Mayor in the small town I lived. 
Our smooth flight came to an end when we ran into the edge of a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea. Although the captain told us to expect turbulence it wasn’t too bad and we were soon flying in the sunshine again. 
And I flew over one more memory . Our flight took us over Belize. I visited there in 2015 , the year I first began writing my blog. My stay at Crooked Tree was my first adventure I shared here on my blog. We flew right over where I stayed. It truly was a remarkable flight passing over so many places that were part of my life experience. I felt I was destined to make this trip. 
We soon flew into Guatemala City and it’s modern skyline and buildings. 
I had about an hour at the airport and knew I had to clear customs. I had hoped I would have enough time to purchase tickets to the Tikal National Park. The tickets could no longer be purchased on-line and had to be purchased at a Banrul Bank in Guatemala. My flight would be arriving to late to get tickets at the Flores Airport and I hoped to purchase them at the Guatemala airport.
Well , this plan didn’t work. When we landed my boarding pass only had 1mc as the gate I would depart. None of the stewardesses were able to help with the location of the gate. I tried to get help in the airport and was finally told I’d have to leave the International Airport and enter the Domestic Airport by walking through a parking garage and taking an elevator to the airport entrance. It was a nightmare. Very few people spoke English, and when I finally found the parking garage the elevators were our of order. I had to take a ramp up three floors to get to the airport entrance. After some inquires I finally found my gate but there was no time to get the Tikal tickets. It was a short 45 minute flight to Flores and I was soon departing the airplane ,
and, after leaving the small airport, looking for my ride to the Tikal Inn near the entrance to the Tikal National Park.
It was now around 7 p.m. and it was over an hour drive to the Inn. I met my driver and waited for two more guest. We were told the restaurant at the Inn would be closed when we arrived but we could get some food near the airport. Our choices were McDonalds, Tacho Bell or Pizza Hut..
And we decided on pizza hut.
It was a slow ride on a winding road in the dark through small town, villages and then the jungle. We arrived at the hotel around 9 p.m. The staff were friendly and I was soon in my small bungalow. It was good to be sleeping under mosquito nets again. 
I was exhausted and fell asleep[ listening to the sounds of the jungle and reflecting on my flight filled with ,memories. I spent much of the Summer learning about and exploring the land of the Native America Lenni Lanape people and now I would be doing the same in the land of Native American Mayans. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my travel to Tikal. Guatemala Day One: travel November 8 2024.
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