Tikal Ruins
Peten, Guatemala

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The big enchilada. It can be said that Tikal is the New York City of the Maya world. The place is big. Tikal's temples tower well above the jungle canopy. They reach up for the stars and they are very steep. I can imagine how they were constructed, but exactly how they could have been maintained is another question. New York City window washers would be challenged here. Not only are the temples large but there are a lot of them. It takes two full days to appreciate Tikal and like New York City, what Tikal lacks in grace, it makes up for in its sheer size.

Temples I and II face each other at either end of the Great Plaza. The North Acropolis with its many temples where the tombs of Tikal's early rulers face the Great Plaza. The Central Acropolis which also faces the Great Plaza has many places and courtyards. While these areas make up the core center of Tikal there is so much more. Comfortable shoes are a must.

Walking west you see Temple III towering above the trees. A little further the massive Temple IV dominates your field of view. Temple IV was the tallest and most massive structure in the Americas until the late Nineteenth Century. So impressive is the view from the top of Temple IV that George Lucas used it in the filming of some of the final scenes in Star Wars Episode IV, the original Star Wars movie.

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