Tikal
Our first full day in Belize we were up at 5am on the long drive to Guatamala. We went through customs and immigration again, changed US dollars for Quetzals at an exchange rate of about 8 to 1. Stopped for breakfast of black beans on tortillas with crema fresca. Baby was delighted to see a turkey up close, his fervent desire since Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble!
Drove onto Tikal National Park where we switched to an open truck for a ride uphill to the sites. Climbed wooden steps up Templo Cuatro. Above the forest canopy the view was spectacular. The Yavin IV scene from Star Wars was filmed from this spot. Breathtaking panorama of treetops with stone monuments peeking through.
The stone ledge we stood on was maybe a dozen feet wide and just dropped off at the edge. No rope. No guardrail. Just a sheer drop into the jungle. I am fine with heights, but the thought of Lex running around up there made me dizzy. I had to hold the baby tight and press against the vertical rise behind us that went up to the very top pyramid crowning the temple. We looked closely at ants moving along, small stones, sprouting seeds.
