In 2011 nosotros ended upwards trekking to El Mirador inward Guatemala, the largest Mayan ruins ever discovered. This is our story.
“What are nosotros doing here?” is a enquiry that backpackers, travellers as well as basis explorers sometimes are forced to inquire ourselves piece nosotros are out discovering the wonderful places as well as things that this planet has to offer.
The enquiry tin stalk from fearfulness of the unknown. From a disconnection of the comforts nosotros guide keep grown used to. From shear disbelief at the adventures nosotros are undertaking, or precisely from frustration of existence on the route for an extended menses of time.
For me, the kickoff fourth dimension I really asked myself, “What are nosotros doing here?”, came from absolute amazement.
I pondered the idea piece I was standing on a hastily-built, makeshift distich constructed from a branch no thicker than my large toe, suspended over waist-deep mud.
A venture helmet of mosquitoes surrounded my head. Ann intense, spiked tree jabbed sharply into my kidneys. We had precisely passed our fourth highly-venomous snake, hidden with the shrubs precisely to the side of our temporary path.
We were drenched caput to toe from the torrential downpour that the skies had decided to unleash upon us. And our guide had turned to us as well as said inward a linguistic communication that was non my own, “Can’t acquire this way. Will guide keep to crusade something else.”
At this point, I looked at Alesha and couldn’t aid but cleft a smile. We were 60km from the closest indicate of civilisation, deep inward the Guatemalan jungle.
That’s when I mouthed the enquiry to her, as well as nosotros both started laughing.
Before nosotros had begun our 7-month chance inward Central America in that location were only a handful of things nosotros had seat on our “bucket list”. Trekking to El Mirador was ane of them.
This journeying comprised of a 130km, 5-day hike to the ancient Mayan ruin complex, which happened to household the largest pyramid inward Meso-America.
The only ii ways of accessing this amazing site was past times helicopter, or to seat ane human foot subsequently the other until y'all were standing on top of the temple of La Danta.
The helicopter was definitely non inward our budget, as well as then nosotros packed our bags, double-tied our shoes as well as headed into the jungle.
Before nosotros had arrived inward the town of Flores, inward the Peten part of Guatemala, nosotros had discussed the possibility of doing the hike inward the moisture flavour with a friend of ours, who was an English-speaking guide for the hike.
His respond was, “Sure, y'all tin practise it at that fourth dimension of year. I won’t go though. Just depends on how adventurous y'all are!”
We took that as a challenge.
We arrived inward Flores at 6pm on a Sunday. Our goal was to pass the adjacent ii weeks trying to organise a grouping of every bit adventurous people to come upwards with us on the hike to El Mirador.
Through a twist of fate a local jumped on our motorbus as well as sat inward front end of us. I started upwards a conversation with him inward my broken Spanish, as well as asked if he knew anything almost the hike to El Mirador.
He replied, “My friend is leaving tomorrow at 5am. Do y'all desire to acquire too?”
It’s funny how things ever seem to autumn into your lap when y'all are backpacking.
Before nosotros realised what was happening it was 5am as well as nosotros were squatted inward the dorsum of a pick-up truck with v other people on the iii hr bumpy-ride to the modest hamlet of Carmelita, the closest town earlier the Mayan ruins.
We had received rattling petty data the previous nighttime almost what to pack, who our companions would be, what would go provided as well as who our guide was. After a quick briefing when nosotros met our team, most of our questions were more-or-less answered.
Our beau hikers were ii Guatemalan sisters, as well as ii French men. Our squad comprised of a local Carmelitan farmer, his ii helpers with mules that would go carrying our supplies, as well as a create who was seven months pregnant.
The people who nosotros had entrusted with taking us deep into the jungle seemed quite friendly, excited to help, as well as knew no English.
Alesha and I had learned a chip of Castilian inward the months prior to task the hike to El Mirador, but nowhere nigh plenty to fully appreciate all the data as well as history the guide was going to go giving us inward his native tongue.
Luckily for us our beau trekkers spoke both Castilian as well as English linguistic communication fluently, as well as were to a greater extent than than happy to interpret the stories. Once the introductions were made as well as the instructions given, nosotros loaded upwards the mules to demeanour our supplies as well as began our trek.
The feeling of existence inward the jungle was quite spectacular. The sights, the smells, the abundant shades of greenish as well as dark-brown as well as the hundreds of different species of insects as well as animals nosotros came across were a sensory overload.
Everything was as well as then still, yet as well as then alive.
The guide, Antonio, had spent his entire life walking through this jungle as well as was total of noesis which he happily passed on to us.
He pointed out which parts of a certain tree to suck on if nosotros were bitten past times a snake. Taught us almost the agency sure enough vines grow as well as then that the kickoff gyre or as well as then a branch ever points east. We learnt that crushed termites brand a non bad temporary insect repellant, as good as providing an first-class beginning of poly peptide when consumed (they gustatory modality similar carrots).
The thrill of bush-bashing through flooded paths, howler monkeys screaming inward the level as well as finding fresh jaguar footprints inward our military camp subsequently a nighttime camping ground ensured that the trek to El Mirador remained exciting.
Having spider monkeys interruption off branches the size of my leg as well as trying to drib them on us when nosotros ventured likewise unopen to their territory kept it light-hearted when exhaustion kicked in.
Besides the wonders of existence consumed past times the jungle, the Mayan ruins were precisely breathtaking.
As the location is as well as then remote, archaeologists guide keep only managed to excavate a modest part of the sprawling metropolis.
What appears to go tree-topped mounds plotted throughout the expanse are really the remains of ancient buildings that over fourth dimension guide keep been enveloped past times the unforgiving terrain.
The select few which guide keep been uncovered guide keep yet to go fully restored, as well as then different some of the other to a greater extent than pop sites similar Chichen Itza as well as Tikal, y'all experience similar y'all are the kickoff people to stance these epic monuments inward centuries.
Climbing as well as exploring 2200-year-old Mayan temples was surreal.
Trying to imagine how the metropolis would of been inward it’s heyday was a mental challenge. The sheer size of the site as well as buildings was awe-inspiring.
To know that upwards to ane hundred chiliad people thrived inward this inhospitable surroundings blew our minds.
Learning almost the history as well as rituals of the ancient civilization was fascinating.
The miraculous scale of what the indigenous people of Central America learned as well as constructed makes y'all reverberate on how things are done inward this twenty-four hr menses as well as age.
The agency they used the stars to pattern as well as inspire their cities as well as lives makes y'all await at the cosmos inward an exclusively different light.
The skies influenced them, as well as many other civilisations, inward profound ways. Being with the ancient basis forces y'all to discovery what is higher upwards us.
And when the finish was reached, as well as the crew had arrived, nosotros reflected.
We sat on top of the pyramid, El Tigre, as the Sun rose over the canopy.
The vastness of the jungle stretching out as far as the oculus could see.
The stars disappearing as nighttime became day.
Only the sounds of the wild animals awakening as well as our breaths existence taken away from us. And nosotros knew that it was through the conclusion of trekking kilometre subsequently kilometre, with the aid of our local guides, piece the residual of the basis slept as well as got on with their lives, nosotros had experienced something genuinely special.
We had achieved what nosotros wanted as well as learnt as well as then much to a greater extent than than history inward the process. We had experienced the feeling that only those who operate out the comforts of their home, who venture out into the basis to run into what is out in that location guide keep experienced.
Through seizing chance when it presents itself nosotros had accomplished to a greater extent than than nosotros anticipated.
When nosotros await or as well as then at each other as well as ask, “What are nosotros doing here?” nosotros tin answer, “Anything nosotros desire to!”
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