Tikal , tarantulas and toucans

If you visited Guatemala and didn't stop to see Tikal (the famous ruins), people would probably call you crazy . So naturally Dinh and I planned to go to yet another Mayan ruin. After you see one, the others just kinda mush together. Like the temples in Thailand, the monasteries in Tibet, the rainbows in Hawaii.... 

You get the picture.

As some of you might know, I have a short list of irrational fears. Gracing this embarrassing list is: bears, sharks, heights and large spiders. It's not something I'm proud of, and if you asked a psychologist he would probably give you some fancy explanation as to why I am so afraid of these things. But that's not the point. The point is, I'm scared to death of these certain things. 
Large spiders would be at the very bottom of this list. Sharks are probably #1. Well, anyways, I'm specifically afraid of TARANTULAS. Ewww. The word alone makes me squirm. Big, black, hairy, and full of piss and vinegar. So I thought.  

Like all my other fears, I try my best to get over them by facing them head on. 

I had a sneaking suspicion that I would run into my first wild tarantula while in Tikal. This area is teeming with them.

Sure enough, while touring the ruins, our tour guide, Samuel, pointed one out to us. 

The 8 legged creepy-crawly was relaxing on one of the ancient stones. I approach the insect cautiously and quickly learn that these furry creatures are very docile. 

"God, why do I put myself through this torture?!!", the voice in my head screamed. 

Every ounce of my body told me to run like a mad woman, but I forced myself to inch closer, knowing it was something I had to do to overcome yet another fear. 

I handed my camera to Dinh. I needed evidence that I was actually this close to a tarantula. 

the evidence

I started to feel more comfortable around him and actually thought he was a little cute. Fuzzy, black, slow-moving. They really aren't that bad. I really believe that society conditions us to have these irrational fears. And I'm determined to undo them!!

The cool thing about Tikal is that it's one big jungle. Many of the ruins are still enveloped by the lush jungle. It takes a lot of time and money to excavate them, which is why a large portion remain a mystery under the jungle's growth. 

I expressed to our tour guide that my goal was to see a toucan. He said he would do his best, but the chances were slim. 

As we traversed through the jungle, getting eaten alive by swarms of mosquitoes, we see a shy fox cross our path. It made me uneasy to think that there are also jaguars in this jungle. Yikes. 

Suddenly, we hear a peculiar sound, and our tour guide stops dead in his tracks. He points to the sky and is as still as a pointer dog. We all listen intently . 

We hear the distinct croaking sound of the toucan. My heart races. Are we REALLY going to see a toucan??!!

We move swiftly through the jungle, towards the purr of the toucan. Samuel grabs his binoculars and scans the canopy of trees. 
I pray . 
After what seems like an eternity, he exclaims "Ah, there you are!"

He shows me where this beautiful bird is perched and I search with his binoculars. After a bit of a hunt, I spot him. His tail is long with a patch of bright red coloring and his body is black with a dazzling yellow neck. He turns his head and I gasp as I see the shockingly bright colors of yellow, green and orange on his enormous bill. Imagine the most vibrant colors ever. That's what it looked like. Nature is so awesome.

It's toucan Sam from Fruit Loops!!! Only much, much prettier!! 

I watched with wide eyes as he hopped merrily from one branch to another. Wow. What an amazingly gorgeous creature.

After Dinh snuck a peak, the stunning bird flew off and we continued our tour, in awe of it's beauty. 

We climbed to the top of temple 4, which gave us a bird's eye view of Guatemala. Above the canopy of trees, it was peacefully quiet at the top of this ancient ruin. Bushels of trees could be seen for miles, with the peek-a-boo tops of the ancient temples. 
With only one other couple at the top, we had our privacy . Everyone sat in silence and just listened. There was a powerful energy emanating from the jungle. We heard the occasional squawk from a bird or the whacking sound of a machete. 
Nature in the raw.  
I could have stayed up there all day .

This is a popular place to watch the sun rise. I bet it would be spectacular, but I'm not a fan of getting up before the sun. 
As we were exiting the park, we encountered a family of 3 spider monkeys. We cranked our heads up and watched the graceful creatures swing from tree to tree. I made all kinds of silly noises at them and they curiously stopped to look down at me. We noticed that one of them had a bulging stomach. Soon a new batch of cute monkeys will be added to the jungle.

As we drove back to the town of El Ramate later that day, I reflected back on our experience in Tikal. Overall, it was a very memorable time. But, minus all the animals and insects and Tikal would have been just another Mayan ruin.

By the way , if you're ever in the Tikal area, I recommend staying in the little town of El Ramate. There is a hotel called La Casa de Don David. It's run by a man from Florida and his Guatemalan wife. You never did see a cuter couple!!
They are so sweet, they will give you a toothache. We just loved them! 

The hotel is located on a lake that is so clear you can see to the bottom. 

The water is warm, but we didn't swim in it because there are rumors that cocodrilos (crocodiles) live in the lake!!! Another one of my fears! Ahhhh!!