Today, May 26th, we got back to the field station at around 5 pm after a weekend excursion to Tikal, Guatemala to visit one of the most famous cities of the ancient Maya, Tikal. We arrived in Tikal at about 1 pm yesterday, and had some free time to lounge by the pool before we embarked on our hike to watch the sunset from one of the tallest temples in the city! We had to rush to beat the sun, so we sped-hiked through the jungle and up many flights of stairs in order to catch the sun going down over the entire jungle and city of Tikal. While at the top, the guide had us stay as quiet as we could, and it was incredible to just sit there and listen to the sounds of the forest. After walking home only by light of flashlights, we all headed to bed to get some rest – because we had to be up to leave for our sunrise hike at 4 am! At a slightly slower pace this time, the group trekked through the jungle in the dark, boxed breakfast in hand, and climbed all the way up the current highest building in the Mayan empire, one of Tikal’s temples to watch the sun come up and listen to the jungle awakening! It was definitely a once in a lifetime type of experience. After a tour of the whole city once we descended, we went back to our rooms and got ready to go back to Belize. We first stopped on the beautiful island town of Flores for lunch, where we got some lovely photos and had a nice rest before crossing the border back into Belize. Overall, it was a super exciting and memorable weekend! – Louise Ferris and Kelly Shannon
Maymester in Belize 