Tikal is one of the great archeological sites of the world. Excellent. No one leaves disappointed.

I travelled with Ron & Mollie from San Ignacio, Belize to El Remate, Guatamala.

Ron, Molly and I — 3 Canucks fretting about the lack of offence of the Canadian men’s hockey team at the Olympics — travelled across the Belize border to see the ruins and do a US$25 jungle zip-line adventure same day.

By our first evening in Guatemala, we already loved the country. The people are charming, helpful, polite. Reserved to the point of shyness. But quick to smile and very friendly.

In 1996 a peace accord was signed ending (sort of) 36 years of civil war in Guatemala.

Ten years later, the country is perhaps the most popular in central America with travellers and volunteers. Everyone is upbeat and enthusiastic for a better future.

Tikal has more animal life than any other Mayan ruin. The highlight are dozens of pisotes (coatis), which climb like monkeys but forage on the ground.

At the gates of Tikal is what they call a canopy tour. There’s no tour. It’s a zipline course through the jungle. Mollie went first. She had done this before in Costa Rica.

See more photos of Tikal by by jumping to flickr.