Day 2 Tical

We ended up in bed by 8 pm and were awake at 3 am even Lara she got up with  out any one waking her. We all had a couple of cups of coffee then at 4.30 we started the walk there was about 20 people in our group. And the tour guide led the way it was dark without a flash light but we had ours. but there was a few without them. He took us to a couple of the stone carved tablets and explained what was on them with the flash light shining on them they really stood out. Then we had to climb to the top of the highest ruins around 200 feet high cant remember how high it was but it took some climbing to get to the top. Then we had to sit on the stair case and be quiet and wait for the Jungle to wake up. But some of the people we were with had no idea how to keep there mouths shut. So there was lots of noise from talking bags be rattled around and Cameras. So as far as hearing the jungle wake up all I heard was a couple of Parrots. But watching the mist roll across the jungle and sky change colour. It was a great show and I would recommend it for anyone going there.  

This is Antonio our guide if you can get him he is one of the best I have ever had. And he took us into areas the other groups could not go to.

He lead us around for about 3 hours showing us the ruins and explaining them for us.

Got to see some of the wild life like the Turkeys.

I always thought that the Mayans had tunnels

into the ruins but he explained that these are tunnels that the archaeologists dig to try to find the tombs of the kings that are buried under them.

Another thing I didn't no was that all of the ruins that look like this have been rebuilt.They were buried under the jungle.

This shows the earth over the ruins and the top has been opened up and most of it rebuilt. You can see the tunnel in this one also.

Then we saw some spider monkeys.

They were fun to watch.

This is a nut or fruit not sure what it is called but if you squeeze it a white gum stuff comes out of it. And it is what Chiclets are from.

See the marks on this tree this is to collect the gum that comes out of it and this is what Wrigley's gum is made from. 

Saw and heard a lot of these large green Parrots 

This is a mask carved inside this wall.

You have no idea how big this place is. The first ruin we climbed they found a green jade mask buried with the king that weighed 16  kil. The ruins are in an area 16 square miles 3000 ruins with 10% explored so it will be years before they have any idea what is really here. This area was were the ruling class lived.

 I even got into one of the pictures.

They think this is the field where people came to watch the ball games there is 4 ball courts at the end of this area.

More of the ruling class homes.

This area was about 3 square acres.

The wood over the doors is original from around 500 ad.

And a couple more of these squawking birds.

After our guide left us we wandered around the rest of what we had not seen. Then we headed back to the lodge had breakfast packed and left' We drove for about 2 hours with another pain from the Belize border Guard she would only let us be in Belize for 2 days I think she just did not like me. We stopped at the Tropical Education Center it is across from Belize Zoo where every  one said we had to do the night tour but at 105 US dollars each we decided not to do it. They only had screened in Dorm rooms but it was ok with us. We were tired and were in bed early It was in a swampy area and had a pond with a Alligator but never did see it saw lots of birds and could hear the Howler monkeys.

they fed us diner and breakfast and we were out of there at 9.30 this morning and back in Mexico at 2. Tomorrow we are going back to Palenque if all goes well.