Holiday pt 2: Tikal and flores, Guatemala

Wednesday 18th
Maggie and I took a bus, which we were told was airconditioned but wasn't and which left about an hour later than we expected, to Flores, a couple of hours west of the Belize-Guatemala border. On the bus I met again a Canadian volunteer who's been in Honduras, who I'd met on Caye Caulker and who was also heading to Flores.
Border control passed without event, and not much was immediately different on the far side except having to speak in Spanish and pay in Quetzales. As we drove along I did think that the countryside was very different to what I am used to in Belize; there were many humpbacked cattle grazing by ponds and streams, and green hills. However, in retrospect, there is a fair amount of this in the west of Belize, it's just that I normally fall asleep in the passenger seat and don't notice it!!!
We arrived in Flores, an island jutting onto Lago de Peten Itza and joined to the mainland by a causeway, early afternoon, and spent the afternoon soaking up the uberly European traveller vibe, sorting out accomodations and our tour for the following day, and admiring lights reflected on the lake.
Thursday 19th
Rose early and admired sunrise over the lake. Our tour to Tikal, a large Mayan site in northern Guatemala, left at 8, and the journey there took just under an hour, plus an extended stop to shop! Walking around Tikal proved quite exhausting in the heat, not to mention climbing up three pyramids, the tallest of them 77m high I believe. However, we were rewarded with excellent views across the forest canopy, and sightings of tarantula, toucan, spider monkey, ocellated turkey, and a squirrel/monkey like creature I've forgotten the name of which pinched someone's much-needed biscuits and spent a long tim enjoying them, just out of reach (and out of sight of cameras, too). By 2pm when the tour ended we were quite ready for a lunch of meat, rice (but not a belizean portion, it was tiny!) and the torrential downpour which accompanied it. We also admired at length some rather spectacular black and yellow caterpillars, nearly a handspan in length, which were massed in a tree near our table.
Friday 20th
As well as making our way to the market in Santa Elena on a tuk-tuk (three wheeled cab thing), lots of looking for souvenirs and nibbling on fruit and less healthy snacks, we took a boattrip on the lake for about an hour, including a stop off to climb to a vantage point over Flores. We were brought back in the face of dark brooding clouds which waited to release their load until we were safely on dry land, although we had been silly enough to climb the short distance to the church and so got rather wet on the way back. (Flores is tiny, however). Also managed to hear a little bit of beautiful marimba music.
Saturday 21st
Headed back to Belize on another not-so-comfortable bus. Spent my evening first at a young adults social at Wesley and then at the JVIs' (Jesuit Volunteers International)'s BBQ, which was a nice party with fairy lights and EVERYTHING. Once again I tried to dance and once again I made a lot of Belizeans laugh. And Americans, for that matter.