Another great update from Joe and Andy showing how Trek Light Gear has been with them every step of the way as they explore Central America. For more in this series, click here.
So we did some trekking. Starting at the border of Belize and Guatemala we hitchhiked to the beginning of the park entrance leading into Yaxha. We didn't have the 80 quetzales to enter the park so we found another way in (we'll leave it at that). From Yaxha, which is an amazing, off the main path, Maya site, we hiked through the jungle to reach another extraordinary site by the name of Nakum.
The first pic is at Nakum, this place is special. This pic doesn't show much, but it is a great free place to camp (once you enter the park) with shelter from the rain and a hidden city in the surrounding jungle. There are some seasonal workers that stay up in jungle to maintain the area but other than that we were the only people around. It is not like other Maya sites where you find guards armed with shotguns and lines of people everywhere. The overgrowth that covers the ancient temples makes for a mystical experience. Here we celebrated Andy's birthday as we walked the site with only the spirits of the old accompanying us.
Later in the evening we were surprised by another group of trekkers from Chile and Colombia who helped us celebrate Andy's birthday in fashion as we cooked up some good food over the fire with some much needed greenery from our new friends. The next morning we asked some of the workers if we could make it to Tikal because Andy had read something about a guy doing that trek. With their help and the help from some other really nice people we were able to do just that, hike all the way from Yaxha, to Nakum, to Tikal. It wasn't so easy, however, so if anyone really wants to know the logistics of it let us know. Put it this way, the machete we bought as we entered Guatemala was put to good use as we found ourselves trekking though overgrown jungle trails that would be lost for portions as fallen trees would make for an interesting detour through the tangles of the Peten jungle.
We made it to Tikal in style, dirty, wet, and with huge vans of tourist starring at us with the question "where did those kids just come from?" The second pic is at the camp ground in Tikal, they let us have one free night because we explained the trek and later took our passports because we had not paid... but it all worked out. All three Maya sites are amazing and worth the trip and now we know the trek is possible even though a lot of people will tell you that it's not.
Push on... Push Up...
The third picture is from a hostel we stayed at in Poptun, Guatemal called Finca Ixobel. A great place to stay with all sorts of outdoor activities and amazing fresh meals from the farm.
Shout out to all the wonderful people in Guatemala that made this portion of trip 'the shit', if I may. Joe and Andy – Team Free Base