Sofia Somewhere

The next stop of our trip was up north to Tikal , an ancient Mayan citadel. I knew close to nothing about the Mayan culture and civilization, and was very much looking forward to this part of the trip. We woke up early and took the 6:30 am flight from Guatemala City to Flores. In Flores we found our guide and shuttle waiting at the airport, and then with the rest of our group we were off to Tikal. It took us about an hour to reach the main gate of the Parque Nacional Tikal  complex (including a short 20 minute stop at El Remate), and from the gate another 20 minutes to reach the gate to the park itself. We changed our tickets to wristbands, and were off to explore the park. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal is the ruins of an ancient Mayan city nestled in the jungle in the north of Guatemala. Once a major political, economic, and military center of Pre-Colombian Mayan civilization, it is now one of the civilization's largest archaeological sites. In

On the Wednesday we were at Lake Atitlán we took a day trip to visit Chichicastenango . Chichi , as it is called by the locals, is about an hour away from Panajachel and is famous for its market. The market usually happens on Thursdays and Sundays, but I was told that on Holy Week, the Thursday market is moved to Wednesday to make way for the festivities. The market is reputed to be one of the largest in Central America, with locals from nearby villages coming in as early as the day before to set up. Setting up in the morning We had read about the crowds that the market draws, and were prepared to be pushed and shoved, and have to squeeze our way through people. Nevertheless, it was a fun day (we love to shop, and my mom is an amazing haggler). We started off near the Iglesia de Santo Tomas which is the main point of the market. The steps were crowded with flower vendors, and we opted not to go inside the church anymore. Flower vendors on the steps of the Iglesia de Santo