Guatemala jungle journey

Wednesday 23.12.09 - woke early to get the Air coach from Bray to Dublin. Praying the ice didn’t cause flight delays. Excited to be off on our first Adventure Life holiday and so relieved that we got a rescheduled flight after our Christmas day plane was cancelled. There were delays – frustrating queuing in sloth slow lines due to …

Thursday 24.12.09 - The International Airport Hotel was great, real close to the airport with complementary transfers. Got up 5:30 am and searched out the pool (open 24 hours). It certainly woke me up – non heated and outdoor it was invigorating! Pete went in search of a warmer and dryer occupation – internetting! After breakfast …

Friday 25.12.09 – Got the complementary shuttle to the airport to meet the shuttle to Antigua. However no shuttles at the airport due to it being Christmas day so we got a taxi which cost $24 and was well worth it. Antigua is amazing. It is like having been transported back in time to 16th century colonial Spain with its cobbled streets, …

Saturday 26.12.09 – 6:30 am flight to Flores – plane didn’t ascend to any great height so good views of the mountains as we flew over. Met on arrival and straight away started our adventure. After about an hour on the road we transferred to a small motor boat on the Passion river. The trip to Ceibal Archaeological site was …

Sunday 27 December 09 – After a delicious breakfast of black beans, chilli, lime, onion and tomato with scrambled egg, melon and pineapple juice we set off on the river to Aguateca Maya site. This was about 15 minutes on the water and then a scramble up a steep, rocky path to a track that wandered up and down around the site that offered …

Monday 28th December 09 – After breakfast Melvin took us around the Chiminos site where we saw the mounds that still covered Maya ruins. The howler monkeys were in full voice and when we were getting ready to leave the spider monkeys came close to us as they feasted on the fruits of a tree on the relaxing deck by the restaurant. We …

Tuesday 29th December 09 – Today was a full day tour of Yaxha Site. This pre Columbian city was a ceremonial centre and is huge with over 500 structures including 2 ball courts and 9 temple pyramids. Pyramid 216 is worth climbing up to via a wooden staircase as from the top the view of jungle and lake is stunning and gives a feeling of the …

Wednesday 30th December 09 – it was raining today but nothing could detract from the scale and fascination of Tikal. Walking around and looking up, and climbing onto, the towering restored temples and residences you could imagine the bustle and colour and noise that must have a bounded on market days. Clearly this was a major economic …

Thursday 31st December – Free morning and then met at 2pm for Ixpanpajul Sky walk. Ixpanpajul is a private natural park near to the airport where you can enjoy Tarzan zip lines, horse riding, camping and experience the jungle close up by the sky walk where you follow an up and down track to 6 hanging bridges offering fantastic birds eye …