Thread: Guatemala

FROM: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107596.html


Geography
The northernmost of the Central American nations, Guatemala is the size of Tennessee. Its neighbors are Mexico on the north and west, and Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador on the east. The country consists of three main regions—the cool highlands with the heaviest population, the tropical area along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and the tropical jungle in the northern lowlands (known as the Petén).

Government

Constitutional democratic republic.

(Wikipedia's map of Guatemala):






Its climate is hot and humid in the Pacific and Petén Lowlands – more temperate in the highlands, and drier in the easternmost departments. The rivers are short and shallow in the Pacific vertient, larger and deeper,such as the Polochic that drains in Lake Izabal Río Dulce,(Motagua) and Sartún that forms the bouderie with Belice in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico vertient (Usumacinta, wich forms the boudarie between Chiapas, Mexico and Petén and its tributaries such as [[La Pasión) andSan Pedro all navigable

Tikal is the largest excavated site in the American continent. It is Guatemala’s most famous cultural and natural preserve. Tikal possesses a certain magic... Like all puzzles without answers it fascinates everyone



Tikal remained a mystery for centuries, after being abruptly abandoned by the Maya over 1000 years ago and overgrown by a relentless jungle. Only a legend survived among the Indians of a lost city, where their ancestors had achieved a high cultural development. In 1848 the legend faded, giving way to an exciting era of discovery.It was a serendipitous discovery made by Ambrosio Tut, a gum collector or chiclero.

He saw the temple’s roof combs in the distance. He ran to tell Modesto Mendez, the Governor of the Petén Province. When they arrived at the site the impressive temples, the open plazas and the several-story buildings, where priests and kings once lived, stood in front of Governor Mendez’ and Ambrosio Tut’s very eyes...


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These ruins sound fascinating!

Has anyone here visited Tikal?

Or do you have anything you can tell us about:
the port of Santo Tomas de Castillo...
or Guatemala in general?

Here is my Guatemala page from a recent cruise:

NCL Sun 2006 Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla Guatemala

We didn't make it as far as Tikal. We did visit some pretty amazing ruins at Quirigua Archaeological Ruins. The boys and myself very much enjoyed visiting these ruins. They are well preserved and rather extraordinary I think.
I would recommend the tour!

We have been to Guatemala several times -- but never on the east coast.

Just the west coast. The port there was Puerto Quetzal. The first time we were there we flew down to Copan. What an experience that was. It was a small plane that seated only 18 people (and I hate flying even in big planes). We had the first 2 seats behind the pilot. It wasn't bad until we saw that we were landing on a grassy piece. To get back, the lane taxied to the top of a hill and then took off -- that was scary. And we had to fly low and barely missed a storm on the way back. We landed just as the lightning began.