Flores, Guatemala

Temples, toilets and the mother of all rope swings.

Flores is another tiny island, located on the inland Guatemalan lake, Lago Peten Itza. It's accessed by a small and heavily trafficked causeway, or by tiny wooden boats. It's a balanced mix of local culture and tourism, yet to be completely overwhelmed by extraterrestrial wealth.

For us, Flores was the launching point for a day trip to the Mayan Ruins at Tikal. Tikal once was the central hub for thousands of square kilometers of Mayan communities, hosting temples, palaces and towering pyramids. Today, the ruins lie half buried deep in the forest, partially exposed and restored for archaeology and tourism. We opted for a guided tour in english (read: spanglish...you have to speak spanish to understand their english). It departed the hostel at a brutal 4.30am in order to get out to Tikal as the park opened, ahead of the crowds.

The ruins were impressive; giant limestone structures emerging sporadically from the lush green canopy of the Tikal Forest. Large areas of ruins had been restored and cleared of vegetation allowing us to envisage life in the Mayan era. Unfortunately for me, I was suffering a hefty case of the runny bum, which made for some uncomfortable occasions, many in fact, between the van ride each way and four hours on foot. Thankfully, the park had numerous baños, freshly cleaned for the start of the day. A stroke of luck I won't forget!

We also witnessed a variety of wildlife including the long billed Tucan, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, hideous turkeys and a few other shrub dwelling mammals I will never remember the name of. Quite the zoo!

By 11am we were starting to battle fatigue and the intense heat and humidity the jungle turned on. We retired back to our accomodation (hostel Yaxha) for a nap (or a run if your name is Scott or Mike) and another toilet break. It only took a moments contemplation to decide to dine at Burger King for a late western lunch and some AC. Muy bien!

During this time Cat did some research and lined us up the perfect afternoon activity. We dawdled down to the lake front (not far at all) and for once openly recieved an offer for transport on a river boat. Our destination: Jorges rope swing. A spot of hestiation saw the price drop from $3 to $2 each, return. Jorge is about as ancient as the morning's ruins. He lives on the lakeside in a respectable house only accessible by boat. He's set up a giant rope swing and a diving board beside a viewing platform and terrace, all of which sit up on the hill a few metres above the lake. I admire his business prowess. It's about $2 entry for the swing and he offers a variety of marked up beverages, while his wife provides some local cuisine to the hungry swimmer. The whole site faces west, perfectly presented to the setting sun. We swung, swum, dived and drank the afternoon away before our captain returned to ferry us back to Flores under the dwindling twilight. Not a bad arvo at all.

We're still largely on the mexican food. Tacos and burritos on offer at every turn. Thanks to Scott's sniffer and appetite for the sweet treat, we've found some great bakerys - or more commonly, road side bakers - and treated ourselves to doughnuts and whopping slices of cake. Dinner varies from $3 - $8 depending where you get it and your appetite for the runny bum. Accomo at hostels is usually around $10-12 for a respectable joint. The cost of transport and tours is where the dollars go, so we have to choose wisely for them especially when we're on the move as much as we are.

I'm writing this one on my phone in the back of a van that makes Pauline's '87 Mitsubitshi Sportpac look new (no offense mum, I know you loved that car). I've almost got Cat on my lap, and from the looks of the row behind I'm about to have vomit on my shoulder. AC and seat padding? Maybe in a decade or two. Looking forward to completing the eight hour trip and a dip in the pool in Lanquin. Travelling really is a two sided coin.Read more