We arrived in Flores in the early morning - chilled to the bone - wearing every piece of clothing I could find and a blanket wrapped around my head to act like a hat. Outside the bus, reality was something different. Flores is in the northern part of the country - the main hub for anyone visiting the jungle or the Mayan ruins of Tikal. Its a tiny village situated on a small island in a large lake. The island is close enough to the mainland to be connected with a bridge. Its warm in the morning and hot by 11.
My plan is to spend a few nights in the national park of Tikal and get some night shots during the full moon. Unfortunately its rain season and I cross my fingers that it will remain clear and dry tonight. I've brought only minimal things with me to attract as little attention as possible when entering the park. As its not officially allowed to stay, not to mention sleep in the park after closing hours, I've brought only what I would need for a regular day trip. Only thing sticking out is my camera equipment, water purification system and an abundance of nuts.
I soon learned that in order to catch my connecting bus to Guatemala and on the Costa Rica I would only be able to spend one night in the park.
Brenda was also going to visit the park - no plans of spending the night there. However tempting it may have seemed, the tarantula, killer snake and damp ground sealed the deal for her and she returned to Flores following a four hour tour we took with a guide.
The park was quiet and empty by seven. I'd had little sleep on the bus and decided to rest a bit before wandering out later at night. I found an old ruin, in the previous "residential" part of Tikal. Rooms dating thousands of years back - still providing shelter. By the time I woke it was raining and the moon dimly lit up the gray sky...
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