(Top of Temple Four)
May 25th was an adventurous day! First, I reluctantly woke up to my alarm blaring in my hotel room in Petén. After a delicious breakfast, I suited up in my burnt orange hiking pants that unzip into shorts, my sleek, pink-purple, long-sleeve shirt, long socks, hiking boots, and floppy hat, and headed out the door for Tikal National Park with my study abroad class. After a long bus ride, I stepped foot in the jungle for the first time. The trees reached up high into the sky, and I began to realize why the Maya focused on them so intensely. The world tree of course was stunning: it had gigantic thick roots and branches with fuzzy plants and leaves at the top. Another tree I loved was the tree of love. Our tour guide, Benedicto Louis, said it was called this because of the vine that wraps around the tree giving it a hug. However, this vine is actually a parasite slowly poisoning the tree! A little pessimistic if you ask me. Walking across the path, I spotted hundreds of tiny leaf-cutter ants carrying their food from the trees and down to the ground. Next to their neat assembly line, small mushrooms contrasted the rest of the green and brown landscape with their orange and yellow luminosity. Looking up, I saw several spider monkeys swinging through the branches, showing off their skills. Along with interesting animals and plants, there were also many of gigantic Maya temples. One of the remarkable temples we climbed was temple four. After much huffing and puffing, I eventually reached the top. It was a gorgeous view; from there we could see the tops of Temples 1, 2, and 3. What an experience! I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit Tikal and connect with the Maya landscape in this way.
–Alexis Ikemba