The Mayan Adventure

Few people know of the historic Mayan civilization which often gets eclipsed by its relatively modern Inca brethren in the south both due to its geographical remoteness and economic backwardness.

Some ruins are still to be discovered and not a lot is known about this fascinating 7-9th century civilization.

I had often read stories of the strange customs and traditions, the prevalence of human sacrifice, copper coins and magnificent pyramidal architecture and hence was overjoyed when I finally had a chance to witness the glory of this long forgotten kingdom for myself.

Armed with Lonely Planet and the movie 'Apocalypto', I boarded the plane for Guatemala city. 

Guatemala City: Like any other big central american city, full of bustling traffic and tourist guides, was our first stop where from the airport itself, we took a taxi to Antigua and met the most friendly tourist cab driver Jose. An amazing guy speaking very little English, Jose still managed to charm us with his funny antics and within minutes we had warmed up to him.

On the way to Guatemala City, we stopped on the top of the hill overlooking the valley to see an ariel view of the old city of Antigua.

Antigua: Known as the old capital of the province, Antigua is now on the map for its immersive Spanish language programs. A small but busy city, its stone narrow streets and colorful markets give it a distinctive cultural identity. We stayed at a really small hotel with mud walls and painted floors, very basic accommodation but close to the city center. Antigua has lots of old churches built on Spanish colonial architecture and museums worth seeing. It is also a great base for traveling across the country, which is what we had planned too.

Lake Atitlan: Our trip to lake Atitlan was nearly washed away by the rains but here too, Jose managed to save us by taking us around the lake as far as we could go by car. The water is very blue and very deep and its neighborhood boasts of may Mayan villages that still try to preserve the old cultural heritage and are great places to buy Mayan handicrafts like shawls, scarfs and other clothes that showcase some fine embroidery and lace work. Panajachel the town by the side of the lake is actually famous for water sports but being rainy and cold, we decided to skip the boat ride to Santiago de Atitlan and went instead to the Cakchiquel and Tzutuhil Indian villages for lunch and souvenirs.

Chichicastenango: The famous Mayan market still boast of some of the old flavor but though has now become unsafe and dirty. We found some very exotic fruits and handicrafts and the Spanish church behind the market is one of the most rustic looking churches that I have ever come across. We spend a few minutes here but quickly returned to Antigua to get some rest before our 4AM flight to Tikal.

Tikal: Though more Mayan pyramids and temples are found in Mexico (Yucatan peninsula), the Tikal archeological complex is one of the most impressive in architecture and has some of the largest Mayan ruins ever found. Said to have been built when the Mayans were at their prime, this huge area is covered with dense forest and unwelcome foliage. Our adventure started with a small 16 seater aircraft trip to Flores from where we first took a jeep to the edge of the forest and then hiked for about 4 hours to reach the complex. One of the more strenuous hikes because of the heat and the humidity, we were completely exhausted and understood why this place had not yet been completely excavated. The old ruins, especially the Jaguar temple and the moon temples were awe inspiring, especially when considering the effort it must have taken to build it. It is said that Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period, ca. 200 AD to 850 AD, during which time the site dominated the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica, such as central Mexican center of Teotihuacan. Old artform and scriptures can also be seen at Temple V or the Lost World Pyramid, and one cannot help but wonder how developed this civilization was. The best sight is from the top of the pyramids were one can see the top of the temples towering over the dense forest. 

There is a lot to learn from these majestic civilizations and their rise and fall only re-emphasize the transient nature of human life. Powerful and developed that they once were, the ruins are a reminder that nothing last forever.