You can read the introduction here, which lists everywhere we stayed in Belize and every service we used, with links, and can easily be used to put together your own itinerary.

Part one of the travelogue is about our arrival in Belize and first days in Hopkins.

Part two is about our motorcycle ride to San Ignacio and visits to St. Herman's Cave and the interior blue hole.

Part three is about our ride to Caracol by motorcycle and all about that incredible site.


Flores and Tikal Advice

Before I tell you our experience in Guatemala, I want to offer these recommendations if you are thinking of going to Tikal:

• I highly recommend you book a tour guide for the site. We did and it was one of the BEST things we did on the entire trip. I booked with Elmer at Tikal VIP Tours. Among those rave reviews on Trip Advisor is mine. Stay overnight at Flores and then Elmer and his driver will pick you up in the beautiful, air conditioned van, he will take you on a tour of the site that's unlike anyone else's, he'll answer any question you have as though you are the first person to ever ask thim the question, you get a delicious meal after the tour at Tikal (included!) and then he takes you back to the border with Belize (included!). It's some of the best money we spent there. A private tour meant we didn't have to wait for anyone else, no one else could divert us from what we really wanted to do, no one would get frustrated with all of our questions and desire to linger somewhere.
   
• Stay in Flores the night before, get up early and do the tour, then go back to Belize (although staying another night in Flores after Tikal would also be nice!).
  

Walking in San Ignacio

We had no reason to go to Flores early in the day, so after a nice breakfast at the restaurant at the Midas Resort, we walked into San Ignacio. One goal was to see if we could possibly find replacement boots for Stefan. The other was that we hadn't done a walking tour of the town and we wanted to - we try always to do that for any town we stay in or near.

We stopped by the official visitor's center, which was lovely, air conditioned, and with a friendly staff. But not much in terms of literature or things to see. We found a quaint little street that had an some restaurants and bars. We suspect the street is very nice at night. There was also a bank with an ATM there. It was interesting to walk through San Ignacio and see some old wooden buildings remaining - the police headquarters has some nice ones in particular. We saw where the Saturday market is held, and it looks like that, indeed, it must be huge. But I didn't find the city as interesting as I was hoping. And I was also horrified at the condition of several dogs - the condition there is much worse than in Hopkins. 

Most stores in San Ignacio sell everything - not just clothes, or not just electronics, but EVERYTHING. We went into one that had a lot of shoes (and chairs and toys and on and on). The owner pushed hard for Stefan to buy boots, ANY boots, but all the shoes were very poorly made and looked quite uncomfortable. We said we would come back the next day, knowing we wouldn't - it was just a way to get away. There was a guy repairing shoes across the street, right on the sidewalk, and another on the sidewalk next to the park we passed on the way back to our hotel, but Stefan decided the zip ties were doing okay and his boots might survive Tikal. 

We went back to the hotel and repacked for Guatemala. We would be taking my purse and Stefan's bag. That's it, We took our bathing suits, just in case, our non-hiking shoes, toiletries and clothes to change into. But not much else. We were hoping we could take all we needed for within Tikal in my purse and leave Stefan's bag in whatever Elmer, our guide, was driving.

We folded and packed up everything else in the bag I was leaving behind, except for our motorcycle pants, jackets and helmets. We stacked everything neatly in the corner, in case the hotel had to move them if they let the room that night. Then we went to the counter and the receptionist ordered a cab for us to the border. The cab driver was very funny and lively and asked if we wanted a cab on the other side of the border to take us to Flores. Absolutely! So he texted a Guatemalan friend on WhatsApp. We tipped him for that extra service.

We were at the border in less than 30 minutes and our driver walked us across the border and introduced us to his counterpart, who turned out to be a very lovely man in a very beatup car with no air conditioning. We were not looking forward to the more than 90 minute ride to Flores in it but, what the hell, he needs the money. The driver was terrific, actually: he explained to us what we were passing, what we were seeing, why the road was crap, about his time working illegally in the USA and how he did it just to make enough money so he could come back to Guatemala and buy the car we were in now, how much he hates Putin and loves Ukraine, and on and on. He was delightful. He got us to Flores just fine.

The difference in Guatemala and Belize was startling, in terms of road conditions and police presence. There were heavily armed soldiers and police everywhere. Our driver said every time we saw a group, "Don't worry! It's good! They are keeping things safe!"

It was very hilly and there farms and ranches amid the jungle. Wonder what Mayan ruins are hidden in those hills... we longed to ride it all by motorcycle.

You come to the bustling, modern city of Santa Elena first, to get to the island city of Flores. Santa Elena is a reasonably big city and we were greeted with McDonald's, Burger King and an array of US-based food franchises. It was startling, as we'd seen nothing like that since we landed in Belize. We turned off the main road and went on the causeway to the island of Flores, which was instantly way more picturesque and charming than I had imagined - I hadn't looked it up beforehand because I had just assumed it was a big, ugly over-developed party island. It is, in fact, a lovely, quaint village that looks straight out of the Mediterranean. There are people that actually live there - not just tourists. The cobble stone streets, the colorful buildings, the bistros, the hills, the rooftop patios - it was lovely!

I forget why we booked the Hotel Isla de Flores but I am so glad we did! It is one of the nicest boutique hotels I have ever stayed in. And it's affordable - it was the most we paid for a hotel room on this trip and it was still far, far less than what a similar hotel room would be at a resort in Belize (maybe a quarter of the price). Super comfy beds, adorable decor and an easy walk to everything - and we were so ready to walk! But first, I checked in with Elmer again, and we changed into more comfortable shoes and I changed into my dress, and then we had an errand: I needed fingernail clippers. It was strange: my toe nails and fingernails had grown rapidly, unnaturally. My nails apparently love beach and jungle environments. It took a while to find a place selling such (we bought the last pair at a pharmacy). We also bought some snacks for the next day - we always have snacks.

We loved walking around the beautiful island of Flores. What a treat. The lake was flooding the island in parts. Somehow, we all found a way around the water on some roads and pathways. As we walked on a wall amid the flood waters, I saw a restaurant that looked intriguing: Nativo Peten. Oh my, it was SO the right choice! We not only got fantastic food and oh-so-friendly service, but also this gorgeous view. I fell in love with the wooden masks on the wall. I so wanted one depicting a jaguar - I was still aglow from seeing one (even if I saw it only from the shoulders down). But I knew a wooden one would be way too big to bring back.

I had insisted we stay in Guatemala overnight and then go to Tikal early in the morning, then return to Belize that evening - rather than coming over just for the day, as most people recommended. I could not imagine coming all this way and NOT taking the opportunity to spend the night in Guatemala. I was so right - it was a beautiful, relaxing evening. A highlight amid a sea of highlights. We had the local beer - Gallo - and liked it very much. My supper: Aguachile Nativo. I have never eaten anything like it, ever. The flavor was entirely new to me. It had this faint, underlying bitterness that I adored. I don't know how to describe it at all to make you understand how good it was. Here's how it's described in the menu. And here's what mine looked like. We also splurged and had dessert: chocolate mousse, made with locally-harvested chocolate. It was a religious experience.

Night had fallen. We went to another place for a beer and watched a pontoon boat ferry one or two passengers from a pier at a restaurant across the lake to a resort on another shore. We watched lightening in the clouds in the distance. We listened to the sounds of music and laughter. There was a hen party where we were having our beers - a group of women celebrating one of their own about to get married. But for the most part, there weren't many people out. We walked to a liquor store hoping for beer, but they were either out or didn't sell beer - I don't remember. They had a guy at a table in the front of the store, ready to mix you the drink of your choice to take away. We walked back to our hotel and went to the roof top bar, but it was crowded and the music was blaring. We bought beers and went down a floor to the tiny, tiny pool, and stood on the balcony watching kids play basketball in the beautiful court in the town square. It was a lovely evening.

I was now in my 40th country.

The next day, we were up, packed, and downstairs for breakfast at 6:30 a.m. sharp. Elmer would be meeting us at 8. Breakfast wasn't included, but wow, it was SO worth paying extra for. It was delicious. Especially the coffee.

Afterwards, as I went to the lobby to check out, there was Elmer, already waiting. Hurrah!

I found Elmer on Trip Advisor, where his Tikal VIP tours get RAVE reviews. I was under the impression that we had to have an official guide in order to tour Tikal. It turns out we did not need that. HOWEVER - wow, Elmer was amazing and this was one of our very best experiences on this entire trip. The price includes not only his outstanding expertise, but also transportation from your point of origin, whether the border or a hotel in Flores or Santa Elena, to Tikal, in his beautiful air conditioned van, and transportation back to where you need to go, and lunch after your tour in Tikal, and all the water you can drink. We would have missed out on SO MUCH if we had done this by ourselves. Elmer took a great experience and made it a PERFECT experience.

He walked us to the van, introduced us to his driver, we all got in, and the tour started immediately - he was telling us about Santa Elena, about what we were seeing in the passing landscape, about recent history, about other tours he does, and on and on. I was peppering him with questions about the area, about his education, about previous tourists, and on and on. We entered the park flawlessly - you have to show your tickets and what not before you even get to drive into the long driveway, and everything was already all taken care of - we just sat there while Elmer handled it all. We were able to leave our big bag at the van, which his driver would stay with, and once we went through the ticket line, we were off on our hike to the site.

Yes, we covered ourselves in sun screen, especially our faces.

The hike in is a bit difficult. The trail is not flat - it's covered in tree roots. Some people pay extra and stand in a flat bed truck that takes them closer to the ruins before they have to get out. We hiked it. Before we got to the main plaza, Elmer took us on a trail to the left. Turns out he has a very particular way he likes to introduce visitors to the site. It's not the way most visitors enter it. And he provides so much background on how people actually lived in and around Tikal. We had never seen where anyone slept. We had never seen where people were taught. We had never seen a Mayan throne. And we never would have if Elmer hadn't been there to tell us that's what we were seeing.

I'm not going to describe every moment of Tikal. I can't. Also, you would be bored. But I will tell you that, as soon as I saw this, I started to cry. Hey, it's what I do. But you see, I wasn't just at the most famous Mayan site (in my opinion). I wasn't just in an extraordinary Mayan site. I was on the Fourth Moon of Yavin.

And, yes, I forgot to wear my Star Wars shirt. I brought it, and damn it if I didn't forget to put the damn thing on.

Elmer not only knew absolutely everything anyone can possibly know about the site in ancient times, he not only knew everything about any and all of its excavation, he also knew all about the Star Wars / George Lucas connection. Did I mention that he was a GREAT GUIDE?!?

We saw a toucan because of Elmer. We saw a sleeping howler monkey because of Elmer. We saw an entire spider monkey family planing in the trees above us because of Elmer. We saw a big red headed wood pecker in a tree because of Elmer. We finally knew what the big brown things we saw sometimes in trees are because of Elmer (termite nest).

We learned so much. It was incredible to look at a small group of structures and not think anything special about them, and then Elmer telling us how they were a calendar, one that was more accurate than anything Europe had developed before the Gregorian calendar, what most people use today.

But there was a big, big disappointment on the day. I decided I could not climb to the top of Temple IV. I therefore could not get the photo of me at the top of the pyramid I wanted so, so badly, the one Stefan got instead. I will never know if I made the right decision in not climbing. To get up it, you climb wooden steps, not the pyramid itself. But I had heard they were ridiculously steep. I was relatively sure I could get up them. But I had no idea how I would get down, even with my walking stick. I had debated and debated... and ultimately decided I couldn't do it. And so I didn't. It still feels like a gut punch that I didn't do it. I hate being old. Oh, how I hate it.

And if you don't know why I'm so upset, you don't know anything about the fourth moon of Yavin.

I think we were in Tikal more than five hours, including lunch. It felt longer, in all the best ways. And lunch was DELICIOUS, by the way. 

We were so tired when we left, but we still left reluctantly. We didn't want the experience to end. This had been a dream of both of ours for so long. This had not only been amazing, it made Caracol more amazing to us. We now saw the whole area as a series of grand, sophisticated Mayan empires. It was extraordinary. Elmer told us that he is part Mayan, and his grandparents still spoke a native tongue, but they didn't teach it to their children or grandchildren. He also told us some of the Mayan traditions that many families continue to practice. 

Elmer's tour wasn't over - we kept asking him questions all the way to the border, and he kept right on answering them. He told us a bit about modern politics and some area land disputes. He told us how horribly the tourism industry had been affected by COVID. He told us about his only trip to the USA and all that he had seen. He told us how much he loves his job and how hard he works to make it special.

We were back at the border. We said our goodbyes, crossed, and waited for our cab driver, the one who'd brought us to the border the day before. Elmer had called him for us so he would be waiting for us. But he wasn't waiting for us. We waited almost an hour. Another cab driver had let me tether to his phone service so I could text him and say, "Where are you?!" I was not happy. He had seemed to really want our business. He'd now been contacted TWICE. On hindsight, we should have gotten a different driver - there were plenty waiting.

In the meantime, I had fallen in love with this young dog at the border crossing, who didn't want food - he just wanted to lay his head in my hands and let me talk and sing to him. And he wanted to lay between my legs. And he wanted to follow me everywhere. And I wanted him so bad I later looked up how to bring a dog from Belize into the USA.

Not sure why the cab driver was so late, but we were not back at the hotel by nightfall, which further ticked me off.

And once we had Internet access, we had a moment of panic: Warrie Head Resort had texted and said they had made a mistake and we couldn't stay there. NO! We'd already let go of our room at Midas!

But then there was another message saying that they did have a room after all and we COULD stay there. Whew!

We swam one last time in the Midas pool. We were so going to miss this pool. We were so going to miss this sweet, helpful staff. I hoped switching hotels was the right decision, that staying in more of a jungle would be the unique experience I was hoping for. It would actually put us farther away from the two next archeological sites we were visiting the next day, Xunantunich and Cahal Pech.

One last sleep at Midas Resort. And then... 

Part 5, Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, & Down to Punta Gorda


You can see my favorite photos from our trip here (there are about 500 and most are taken by me or feature ME). You can see Stefan's favorite photos from the trip here (there are about 800 and most are taken by him or feature him).

Return to the main page for our Belize and Guatemala 2023 Adventure.  

 
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