The packing list.

C

ountdown to when I leave for a trip always begin for me with putting together the packing list. By this time, all research and planning has been done and I have a good idea of what I need to bring with me. I'm a bit obsessive about planning so the packing list is usually in the works at least two to three weeks before I leave. I know, it's obsessive but that's me :-)

Over all my trips, I've learned what I really need to bring with me. I now have a tried and true list of items. Even then, I do need to put together list as some of the items do have to change to reflect the travel, weather and health conditions of the place I'm going to.

Tikal.

Deep in the heart of the lush Guatemalan jungle, lies the ruins of one of the greatest cities of Mayan civilization, Tikal.

Lore has it that Tikal was discovered in 1848 by Ambrosio Tut and Modesto Mendez, who were respectively, the Commissioner and the Governor of the Petén department which is the *province* that Tikal is located in. On a return visit to the site, they brought along an artist who recorded some of the carvings at Tikal. Their findings were published by the Berlin Academy of Sciences in 1853. It was only a matter of a few years before curious scholars started traveling from the corners of the world to see for themselves what they had discovered. Flash forward to the 20th century. From 1956 through 1970, major archaeological excavations were carried out by the University of Pennsylvania Tikal Project. They mapped much of the site and excavated and restored many of the structures. The Tikal Project recorded over 200 monuments at the site. In 1979, the Guatemalan government began a further archeological project at Tikal, which continued through to 1984.  The site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

The Chicken Bus.

An iconic form of public transportation throughout much of Central America, a chicken bus is a colloquial English name for a colofully painted, often modified, retired US school bus. Yep, THAT yellow school bus....the one that I spent many years bouncing around on in my youth going back and forth to school.  THAT bus that is no longer safe to shuttle around US kids but is perfectly suitable for Guatemalan public transport :-)

Guatemala. Itinerary.

W ith my brother and Soon on board, I decided to go ahead and firm up the itinerary. We're traveling with GAP, one of my favorite tour companies. The GAP trip does not to Tikal which is a "must-see". Luckily, there are plenty of local tours that go there so it's just a matter of finding the one that works best for us. Here's the tentative itinerary.

Mar 23/24. Depart SF/DC, arrive into Guatemala City, bus/shuttle to Antigua.

Mar 25. Depart Antigua via bus to Flores. (It will be a 12 hour bus ride....ugh)

Mar 26. Tikal/Flores.

Mar 26-27. Overnight bus from Flores back to Antigua.

Mar 27. Antigua.

Mar 28 - 30. Chichicastanango/Lago de Atitlán/Panajachel.

Mar 31 - Apr 5. Antigua.
Apr 5. Depart Guatemala for home.

As I do more planning, I'm finding out there's a lot of activities that we can take part in ranging from visiting coffee and macadamia nut farms to ziplining, paragliding, horseback riding and hiking. The guys are up for anything so I think we're going to have a lot of fun on this trip!!