just a few impressions from this interesting mayan site…
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Monthly Archives: January 2017
yaxha
tikal
once tikal was one of the most important mayan sites and the ancient city is located in the rain forest of the petén. The petén was considered as the seventh largest rainforest area on earth but on our way from rio dulce to tikal we hadn´t seen rainforests – instead there was maiz fields, cattle pastures, oil palm trees and waste land.
From the beginning of the 3rd century there was a lot of activities in tikal and in honor of the gods they had to build temples, pyramides and of course residential sites for the kings. Tikal subdued neighboring cities and had a long enmity with calakmul from which it was hammered down 562. But in 695 there was the revanche and calakmul was subjugated, this meant for tikal a new heyday.
in the city and in the surrounding area there once had lived up to 200.000 humans but in the beginning of the ninth century suddenly the game was over. Why the exodus came remains unclear up today but one assumes that an extreme drought happend between 800 and 830.
Perhaps the mayas had cleared too much rainforest for growing crops etc. and thus might had changed micro climate?
livingston
After the Spaniards had slaughtered the indigenous people or they were carried off by contagious diseases, workers were missing to exploit the natural treasures. So African slaves were brought to the country, whose descendants still live on the caribbean coast like here in livingston. Little africa in guatemala.
Quiriguá
We arrived in the lowlands of guatemala, the petén. from now on it’s humid and warm. Quiriguá, meanwhile unseco world cultural heritage, was founded in 426 a.d. by „yax cow mo“, the god king of copán. Says our travel guide. Here you can see the most beautiful steels of Central America, large stone squares, covered with hyroglyphs and reliefs.
The zoomorph „p“ is probably the most impressive object and the laymen is amazed, what the experts can read from the engravings. The covered objects are now protected from the sun and rain, understandable but unfavorable for taking photos.
cabaña suiza
Overlanders going through Guatemala City will know the “cabaña suiza”. It is like an exotic oasis on the edge of the huge city and offers a safe harbor and engardiner tart to travelers. The bernhardiner avalanche dog became a life guard, the black and white cow is made of plastic, but who needs to get married urgently: the chapel is genuine.
hotel la guitarra / pacific coast
Street parking with family connection
Montericco Hawaii is a narrow peninsula with black lava sand. It´s located in the south of Guatemala between the pacific coast and the mangroves of the plains. The so called ‚canal’ is navigable until El Salvador.
Seven months ago, Fredy and Katy opened their small family hotel, which they had build by their own: Hotel La Guitarra. The large pool with jacuzzi is Fredy’s pride. On weekends, families from Guatemala City having a break here from the big city jungle. Then the 6 rooms are occupied with up to 40 persons and more. From Sunday afternoons, the beach again belongs to the small fishing community, the pigs, the chickens and the dogs. Thank you for your hospitality, family connection and Katy’s Venezuelian food. We wish you all the best for your young business! By the way: Overlanders are welcome!!
antigua / 2
Once antigua was the capital of guatemala, but 1776 it got hit by a major earthquake which distroyed the city completely . Many churches were not reconstructed afterwards and if, they got thiscker walls and smaller towers. besides this, the government was moved to guatemala city. However, the city has not lost its charm and its lively nature, and is now a tourist highlight, flanked by three powerful volcanoes of which the “fuego” is active at the moment.
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