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(updated 24/10/07) new link 1st Feb 08 modifications, repairs & installations new 1st Feb 08
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Update
T.R.Y.C. burgee
26th August On our return from Canada, we made arrangements to take some Spanish lessons with Iliana, a local teacher/Doctor who runs a language school from her home on an island in the Rio. We now how to say "no comprende" and "dos cervesas por favor". Hopefully we'll learn a bit more as we go along. We decided to visit some of the Mayan ruins since we were in the heart of Maya country, so a trip to Tikal seemed the most obvious choice. We took a 5 hour bus trip to Flores in the Petan region, in the north of the country, where we booked into a "hotel" if you can call it that. We checked out some of the hotels in the area and there was not much difference between the ones charging $50 U.S. a night and the ones charging 50 Quetzals. they were all disasters by N. American standards. Our trip from Flores to Tikal started at 5am in the morning with a 1 1/2 hour bus ride. This cost us 150 Quetzals a head including a guide in the park and another 150 Quetzals per head to get into the park. The trip round the ruins involved walking about 5 kms, quite a pleasant little hike through the rain forest. Pics of some of the Tikal ruins can be seen on our "picasa" site. Although we walked quite a distance, we only saw a fraction of the Park. (the area has been turned into a national park to help preserve the structures) It covers more than 25 square miles and only a small fraction has been excavated and much of it is under exploration by universities and archeological groups. We stayed in the Flores area for 5 days when Montezuma took his revenge on me on the last day there. (mus'nt have liked what I said about his hotels in the area) It took a full week to get rid of but no ill after effects. Shortly after our return to Rio, our daughter-in-law gave birth to our first grandson about 5 weeks early, so that calls for a return trip to Canada to see and meet him. We have arranged to go at the end of September. (Another opportunity to pick up more boat supplies). We had a local guy wash and polish the topsides of the boat from the waterline to the toerail he spent a day and a half working in the sweltering heat and it cost us 400 Quetzales. Sounds like a lot of cash but in fact it works out at just under $50u.s. We were told later that we had over paid him but we thought it was worth it anyway. more to come soon
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