Tikal Sunrise

Oct 11, 2012 by Mike Cotton     6 Comments     Posted under: Destinations, Guatemala

As I drifted off to sleep inside the stuffy tent I fervently prayed I would emerge the next morning unscathed, it wasn’t the infamous Puma I worried about – it was the bloody mosquito. The buzzing, that damn, bloody buzzing, one of the little bastards was inside the tent.

The next morning came soon enough, after a short, rain interrupted sleep I awoke at 4am. I drained the dregs of my water bottle, it’s warm.

Heading off through the darkness to meet our guide, the air was still. It would no doubt be another hot, stifling day, once the sun rose. Yet that was still two hours away.

As we approached the park entrance, a dark guard hut was a flurry of activity. The soldiers were busy taking money from various groups. A ‘bribe’ is required to enter the park before dawn – 100Q each, a bargain.

The rain-forest was dark, eerily so. Each sound, of which there were many, was magnified and quickened the heartbeat.  High above the forest floor, in the canopy, howler monkeys were waking -their name accurate as they emitted loud howling growls.

As dawn approached we climbed the steps to Temple IV, the mist hung low over the forest. In the distance various temple peaks stuck their heads above the clouds. All the time the howler monkeys continued their calls.

The sun peaked through the forest and clouds. The Tikal sunrise had begun.

Sunrise in Tikal

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Tikal

Have you been to Tikal or experienced an epic sunrise? Let me know in the comment below.

Like this? Why not check out Semuc Champey.

About The Author: Mike Cotton

Mike is a writer and wannabe mountain man, if he could grow a big bushy beard he would. Lives in Fernie, BC.

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