Getting from Belize back to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala meant 20 hours worth of bus time. We broke it up with a visit to Tikal, Guatemala's standout Mayan ruin site set in dense jungle.

This is the site where you are likely to spot howler monkeys, jaguars,
and tarantulas. We did see a group of monkeys high in the trees and the odd wild Turkey. We also defied the prevailing view that walking boots were required and made the trip in thongs. A rainy afternoon made it something of a mosquito infested swamp and Nat excited the locals by falling face first into the mud.