I went to the El Mirador ruins over the 140 km jungle of Guatemala

When going to a tourist destination abroad, mostly there are transportation means such as buses and trains. However, to go to El Mirador, a giant ruins of Maya civilization in Guatemala, I had to walk the jungle 2 days on foot. This is a record that pushed the way for about 140 km in 6 days.

Hello.World newspaperA special reporterKeihito Kiyais. I am in the town of Flores, Guatemala, now, throughout the world. I will enter Honduras in the future and plan to go down to Central America to Panama as it is.

Green is Flores, Red is El Mirador Ruins

On a larger mapRoute of travelShow

Flores town floating in Lake Petten Itza. It is a relaxed atmosphere.


Speaking of ruins of Guatemala is a World Heritage SiteTikal remainsAlthough it is famous, this time we went to the El Mirador ruins that access is too bad and tourists rarely step on foot.

To go to the El Mirador ruins, you need to participate in a tour with Flores. The market price is about 25,000 yen on 6 day tour. The tour price includes round trip buses, guides, serving and assistance to the base Karmalita, horses carrying baggage, meals and drinking water for days, tents and so on.

In Flores I was based in the guest house here. Tickets to the El Mirador ruins can be purchased at the guest house or a travel agency.


Ticket get! It was 25,000 yen as quoted. It is quite expensive to think that one can of Coke can be bought for 60 yen around here.


Ready for the trip. You should be survived for six days with this ... ...! Insect repellent spray is mandatory.


Departed at 5 am the following morning. Take the shuttle bus and head for the city of Kalmarita that will be your starting point.


I approached Karmalita.


About four hours arrived at last by being shaken by the bus. Will a 140 km journey start here ...?


At the end of the road that is visible briefly below the center is the Karmalita, the red landmark is the El Mirador remains. It is the process of going through the perfect jungle.

On a larger mapRoute of travelShow

Food and water to support the trip etc. We are talking about how to load on horses.


Mr. Ma, thank you very much.


Finally departs! At first it was a feeling that the tree was low and walking in the mountain rather than the jungle ... ...


As we move on and on ...


It has become like a jungle.


A tree like this ghosts grows around there.


It seems that it is a tree ... ... It is strange that nature is.


I found many animals in the jungle. The monkey got pretty intimidating as it approached the territory, but it felt like being treated as an animal rather than a human being.


A snake that appeared from the bushes. It seemed likely to bit me in battle mode.


Birds with brilliant feathers took their eyes away.


An anneous Princess with a large beak. I've seen it only at such a zoo.


The 6 day tour will be based on several base camps. I basically have a meal here and spend the night.


With tour participants. People from various countries get together and the conversation gets momentum.


Soul food of Guatemala, tortilla. It is a feeling to make it even in the jungle.


Bedding is a hammock. I was tired from walking everyday and I was asleep at around 20 o'clock.


Sometimes the road is blocked like this.


Cut the roads themselves!


I managed to pass it somehow.


No matter what kind of obstacle appears, in order to go forward, we have to overcome it.


I am tired and a little break. Why bother to say such a troublesome thing ...... It is supposed to have come to a pleasant trip ... a simple question comes to mind.


After a while, a horse that carries food and water arrived.


I am making sandwiches.


Water is the source of life. If I thought that there was not enough water due to some mistake .... I felt like I was holding my life somehow. Even though I usually do it, I ask myself, I wonder if I do not care about other important things.


As I continued walking through the jungle, I became even more honest about anything other than 'walking'. What I was thinking about in my head was being scraped away and I felt a very refreshing feeling.


And on the second day, suddenly, from among the trees ......


Oh!


Finally I showed up. El Mirador remains! I already walked 50 to 60 km.


The El Mirador remains was discovered in 1926 and has an area of ​​16 square kilometers. Although the three-step staircase pyramid is not very high one by one, a large number of pyramids are distributed. Among them, "El Tigre" reaching 55 m and architecture called "La Danta" reaching 70 m are famous. This is the highest among the Mayan buildings, and the base of the pyramid on which it is located seems to have 18 km.

It is the whole picture of the El Mirador remains.


Since the El Mirador ruins are not well maintained, we are growing vegetation from ruins like this.


It seems that he got lost in the ghibli world.


Roots break through ruins and you can feel strong life force.


Ruins are rolling around the corner of the jungle.


What is this relief?


Those being excavated are covered with black vinyl sheets. It is likely that the whole picture of the El Mirador remains will be revealed.


One of the many pyramids in the El Mirador remains, "La Danta". It reaches a height of 70 m, and it compares with the person in the lower right to know its size.


Expectation for the view from the top! When sticking a tired body and climbing the stairs ... ...


360 degrees spreading in front of you, jungle as far as you can see. You can realize that the earth is round. Impression!


I went to see a sunrise ......


Looking at the setting sun setting ......


Jumping in spite!


Day 1 15 km, Day 2 35 km, Day 3 10 km, Day 4 20 km, Day 5 50 km, Day 6 10 km ...... Total distance Approximately 140 km.

It was 90% tough, but I feel very much that I walked hard to see this majestic view. "If there is a scene you want to see, you have to walk on your own feet." It may be a matter of course, I felt most strongly while keeping on walking.

We walked down 140 km!


(Sentence / coverage: Keihito Kiya@ T_kiyotani
Supervision: World newspaper
http://sekaishinbun.blog89.fc2.com)