I have been trying to get photos into this post for several weeks to no avail. So here is the text and I will continue to move photos as I can.
The Cruisers go to Flores and Tikal
After much research, our travel staff (Dorothy) was able to track down the same fellow who took us all to Quirigua back in June. He agreed to be our personal driver and take the nine of us to Flores and Tikal on our schedule for less cost than if we took public transportation,. Furthermore, we would travel faster, wait for no one and go where ever, whenever. If any travelers can get a group together like Dorothy did, that is the best way to go. Many tourists who had gone before us told us that we could not see the Tikal site and visit Flores in only two days, but by maximizing our travel efficiency I think we did just fine.
At 0730, Richard & Pam (S/V Tisha Baby), and Barb & I were picked up at our dock by the launch from Catamaran Marina with Bryan & Dorothy (S/V Pearl S. Buck), Walter, Herbie (S/V Soul Time) and Bob (S/V Viva), already aboard. We were dropped off at Bruno’s where we met our driver, Enrique. We loaded up and hit the road arriving in Flores a little past noon. On the way we were able to discuss possible hotel accommodations and we decided to try Barb’s first choice, Mirador del Lago.
Jim let us off right in front and we obtained modest rooms for between Q55 ($7.50) and Q100 ($13.50). Bob got his single room for Q55 and we got a room with a nice view of the lake for Q100. In between, two other couples got rooms for Q80 without the view.
Flores is a five-block in diameter town built on an almost circular spit of land extending into Lago Flores. We found a spot for a reasonable lunch at a reasonable price looking out on the lake making it a very pleasant opportunity to unwind. We met Enrique at the prearranged 2 pm time to drive 50 km. to Tikal to buy tickets for a 3pm entry into the park that would be good for the next day as well. We spotted some wildlife along the way and stopped for the photo op (yea, private van!)
When we arrived we were told that the time had changed for the tickets to 4pm, but that was okay because that gave us an opportunity to investigate the museum and then walk around and visit a crocodile. The tickets were Q150/person for persons of foreign origin, Q50 for Guatemalans.
At 4pm we guided ourselves through the awesome temples and climbed three of them to take in the majesty of the place. The third was climbed just before sunset and, even though it was farthest from the park entrance and once the sun sets it gets dark very quickly, Dorothy and I paid a small morida to the guard to go around to the cordoned-off west side of the temple for the opportunity to see the sunset from above the forest canopy. Photos were taken and then we endeavored to get as far back down the path as we could before it got totally dark. Enrique was there to help us while the rest of the group had gone on ahead. The light from a Guatemalan family’s video camera ended up being the best beacon through the jungle we could ask for. We piled back into the van and drove back to our hotel and then walked to pretty good dinner at a reasonable price at a restaurant at lakeside. After Pam, Barb and I spent some time on the roof of the hotel watching the stars, the bats, the lake and listening to the frogs and the night revelers we turned in, anticipating a 5am meeting with our hired guide, Locho, (Q55/person) and van ride back to the park.
We arrived hungry and found the café at the park open for some food, but not for business – no change in the till. Bob had bought some hotdog buns the evening before and a stick of margarine so we added some sugar to that and had our “breakfast rolls” with coffee and tea to start our day in the park. Locho had been a park guide for eighteen years and walked fast enough as he talked so that we saw all the sights, got all the stories, took all the photos and saw howler and spyder monkeys (but no jaguars) and some places in the park that many tourists do not visit. We had already climbed and photographed from the climbable temples except one the day before. Several of us notched the last and steepest one on the second day. We enjoyed Locho very much and it seemed that he enjoyed us as well. We practiced as much Spanish as we could and he was very patient with us. He spoke very good English, having taught himself over the years. He also speaks French and is in the process of teaching himself Italian. We arrived back at the van hungry and hot. Enrique drove us back toward Flores where we had planned to stop at a major shopping center to stock up on provisions as long as we had the opportunity and the means of transporting them. We dropped off Locho and went in search of our late lunch, but there no places to eat since the shopping center was not even half constructed inside. We found the grocery to be large, neat, clean and able to take our credit card, but the range of selection was disappointing. We all purchased some things and we loaded the luggage carrier with our booty. Now, we really needed lunch so we went to the local Pollo Campero (a nationwide cross between MacDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken) and got fed.
The van-ride back to Rio Dulce was very quiet as several of us travelers slept. Those who stayed awake speculated about the hundreds of undiscovered buried temples that we were certain we were passing as we drove past the nearby mound-like hills. We arrived at Rio Dulce in time to enjoy a cerveza at dockside tables and waited for the 5:45 launch back to the marina. We had two very full days, but I don’t think we missed anything. We saw both sundown and early morning at Tikal and got a very fine, guided tour of the amazing park. We toured, dined and slept in Flores on the lake and had the luxury of door-to-door service for touring and shopping. Dorothy deserves many thanks for finding Enrique again and we all enjoyed each other’s company. It couldn’t have been better; more relaxed, cheaper or more efficient.
Reviewing the logistics: Enrique’s clean, air conditioned Van (phone 4983 8872) quoted Q2300 for nine people, we paid Q280 ($37.85)/person including tip. Enrique is a very safe driver as well. Hotel Mirador del Lago – Lake-view room (not necessary, the Q80 room would do just fine. You are sleeping after all – the view is the same!) Q100/2 persons. Park fee Q150/person. Museum fee Q10/person. Wonderful guide, Locho, contacted through Enrique, Q500/ 4 hours, we paid Q65/person including tip and had him for eight hours including the travel time to and from the park. Rio Dulce to Flores +/- 3 hours. Flores to Tikal 45min to 1 hour.
The Cruisers go to Flores and Tikal
After much research, our travel staff (Dorothy) was able to track down the same fellow who took us all to Quirigua back in June. He agreed to be our personal driver and take the nine of us to Flores and Tikal on our schedule for less cost than if we took public transportation,. Furthermore, we would travel faster, wait for no one and go where ever, whenever. If any travelers can get a group together like Dorothy did, that is the best way to go. Many tourists who had gone before us told us that we could not see the Tikal site and visit Flores in only two days, but by maximizing our travel efficiency I think we did just fine.
At 0730, Richard & Pam (S/V Tisha Baby), and Barb & I were picked up at our dock by the launch from Catamaran Marina with Bryan & Dorothy (S/V Pearl S. Buck), Walter, Herbie (S/V Soul Time) and Bob (S/V Viva), already aboard. We were dropped off at Bruno’s where we met our driver, Enrique. We loaded up and hit the road arriving in Flores a little past noon. On the way we were able to discuss possible hotel accommodations and we decided to try Barb’s first choice, Mirador del Lago.
Jim let us off right in front and we obtained modest rooms for between Q55 ($7.50) and Q100 ($13.50). Bob got his single room for Q55 and we got a room with a nice view of the lake for Q100. In between, two other couples got rooms for Q80 without the view.
Flores is a five-block in diameter town built on an almost circular spit of land extending into Lago Flores. We found a spot for a reasonable lunch at a reasonable price looking out on the lake making it a very pleasant opportunity to unwind. We met Enrique at the prearranged 2 pm time to drive 50 km. to Tikal to buy tickets for a 3pm entry into the park that would be good for the next day as well. We spotted some wildlife along the way and stopped for the photo op (yea, private van!)
When we arrived we were told that the time had changed for the tickets to 4pm, but that was okay because that gave us an opportunity to investigate the museum and then walk around and visit a crocodile. The tickets were Q150/person for persons of foreign origin, Q50 for Guatemalans.
At 4pm we guided ourselves through the awesome temples and climbed three of them to take in the majesty of the place. The third was climbed just before sunset and, even though it was farthest from the park entrance and once the sun sets it gets dark very quickly, Dorothy and I paid a small morida to the guard to go around to the cordoned-off west side of the temple for the opportunity to see the sunset from above the forest canopy. Photos were taken and then we endeavored to get as far back down the path as we could before it got totally dark. Enrique was there to help us while the rest of the group had gone on ahead. The light from a Guatemalan family’s video camera ended up being the best beacon through the jungle we could ask for. We piled back into the van and drove back to our hotel and then walked to pretty good dinner at a reasonable price at a restaurant at lakeside. After Pam, Barb and I spent some time on the roof of the hotel watching the stars, the bats, the lake and listening to the frogs and the night revelers we turned in, anticipating a 5am meeting with our hired guide, Locho, (Q55/person) and van ride back to the park.
We arrived hungry and found the café at the park open for some food, but not for business – no change in the till. Bob had bought some hotdog buns the evening before and a stick of margarine so we added some sugar to that and had our “breakfast rolls” with coffee and tea to start our day in the park. Locho had been a park guide for eighteen years and walked fast enough as he talked so that we saw all the sights, got all the stories, took all the photos and saw howler and spyder monkeys (but no jaguars) and some places in the park that many tourists do not visit. We had already climbed and photographed from the climbable temples except one the day before. Several of us notched the last and steepest one on the second day. We enjoyed Locho very much and it seemed that he enjoyed us as well. We practiced as much Spanish as we could and he was very patient with us. He spoke very good English, having taught himself over the years. He also speaks French and is in the process of teaching himself Italian. We arrived back at the van hungry and hot. Enrique drove us back toward Flores where we had planned to stop at a major shopping center to stock up on provisions as long as we had the opportunity and the means of transporting them. We dropped off Locho and went in search of our late lunch, but there no places to eat since the shopping center was not even half constructed inside. We found the grocery to be large, neat, clean and able to take our credit card, but the range of selection was disappointing. We all purchased some things and we loaded the luggage carrier with our booty. Now, we really needed lunch so we went to the local Pollo Campero (a nationwide cross between MacDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken) and got fed.
The van-ride back to Rio Dulce was very quiet as several of us travelers slept. Those who stayed awake speculated about the hundreds of undiscovered buried temples that we were certain we were passing as we drove past the nearby mound-like hills. We arrived at Rio Dulce in time to enjoy a cerveza at dockside tables and waited for the 5:45 launch back to the marina. We had two very full days, but I don’t think we missed anything. We saw both sundown and early morning at Tikal and got a very fine, guided tour of the amazing park. We toured, dined and slept in Flores on the lake and had the luxury of door-to-door service for touring and shopping. Dorothy deserves many thanks for finding Enrique again and we all enjoyed each other’s company. It couldn’t have been better; more relaxed, cheaper or more efficient.
Reviewing the logistics: Enrique’s clean, air conditioned Van (phone 4983 8872) quoted Q2300 for nine people, we paid Q280 ($37.85)/person including tip. Enrique is a very safe driver as well. Hotel Mirador del Lago – Lake-view room (not necessary, the Q80 room would do just fine. You are sleeping after all – the view is the same!) Q100/2 persons. Park fee Q150/person. Museum fee Q10/person. Wonderful guide, Locho, contacted through Enrique, Q500/ 4 hours, we paid Q65/person including tip and had him for eight hours including the travel time to and from the park. Rio Dulce to Flores +/- 3 hours. Flores to Tikal 45min to 1 hour.
