UNBELIZEABLE VACATION DAY 5 :: TIKAL NATIONAL PARK, PETEN DEPARTMENT, GUATEMALA :: Today we visited the magnificent ruins at Tikal, the largest city of the ancient Mayan civilization. Our adventure started at Chaa Creek with our first wake-up knock at 6:00 AM. This gave us time to eat breakfast and meet with our group that included two exchange students studying in Belize and a friendly military couple enjoying their leave between tours in Iraq. Our Belizean guide for the day was none other than the world-famous Miguel, who I have seen on TV in a couple different travel shows. Like the other tour leaders at Chaa Creek, Miguel underwent training at the US Park Ranger Program in Utah and was an excellent guide, driver and entertainer throughout the day.

Kristie and I are always reluctant to join any tours while we're traveling, but in this case, we're very glad we did. Tikal is in neighboring Guatemala, and we did not want to deal with the paperwork and sketchy process for crossing the border in our rental car or a public bus in which we would likely being sharing a seat with livestock. Our Chaa Creek van was air conditioned and comfortable. Our group was very small, and we enjoyed getting to know everyone as Miguel expertly navigated the potholes in Guatemala's dirt highways.

Tikal is about a two-hour drive from the Belizean border. Near El Remate, we stopped at a roadside store for a pit stop, local coffee, and some shopping. This is also where we met with our Guatemalan guide, Walter, an aspiring lawyer who shared his deep knowledge of Mayan history and culture. There are still many Mayans in Central America, and like many indigenous populations, they haven't always been treated fairly. Walter hopes to be able to defend them in the near future.

The entire park covers an area of 222 square miles. Ten square miles of Central Tikal have been mapped. More than 3000 buildings have been discovered in this area, but only 15% of these have been excavated. Our guides took us on a large loop to see the most prominent temple complexes. We passed by dozens of mounds that still hide structures buried under hundreds of years of jungle growth.

During our entire six-hour walk through Tikal, Kristie and I were enchanted by the mysterious temples and the dense jungle. She paid more attention to Walter's lectures, and I tried my best to sneak away from the group to take photos. I've always dreamed of exploring a Mayan ruin and running up the stairs of a pyramid, so it was hard for me to stand still. But I tried my best to stay within earshot, because the ceremonies, myths, science and numerology of the Mayan civilization were truly fascinating.

Our loop started with the pyramids and stelas at Complex Q and R. We then hiked to Temple IV, which towers 212 feet above the jungle canopy and above all other Mayan structures. Kristie counted 179 steps on the way up. (Nerd Alert: The view from Temple IV is famous for a scene in Star Wars: Episode 4, which you might recognize in the first photo below if you imagine an X-Wing flying over the forest. This was the location of the secret Rebel military base on Yavin 4, where the attack on the Death Star was launched and coordinated. Yes, I was totally geeking out while I was up there!)

We then continued to the Plaza of the Lost World, where Tikal's oldest temple structures can be found. These pyramids were built between 250 and 300 A.D. Finally, we ended our tour at the Great Plaza, where Temple I and II face each other across the "Times Square" of Tikal. We were given 30 minutes to climb up the temples and explore the acropolis before meeting up again for a meal and drinks at the park's restaurant. During that time, we saw a several coatimundis foraging for food from other tourists. A group of howler monkeys also got riled up and filled the park with the most amazing sound. They are the loudest animal on earth, and I certainly wouldn't want anyone to have one as a pet within my zip code - area code even.

After our amazing day at Tikal, we stopped at the park gates to do a quick zip-line tour through the treetops, coming face-to-face with spider monkeys and other jungle creatures.