Guatemala
Waterfall on the Usumacinta River
Usumacinta River Boat
Yaxchilan Temple, beside the river
Chiminos Island Lodge
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Usumacinta - The River of Ruins
Camping adventure on the Usumacinta River. 9 days/8 nights; expert
guide and meals included. Three nights of camping. Five nights of
luxury jungle lodge or hotel.
Day One
Arrive Guatemala City
Arrive Guatemala City to be met and transferred to your hotel.
Day Two
Guatemala City - Yaxchilan
Transfer from your hotel to Guatemala City's International Airport
to register for your flight to Flores, Peten. Arrival and breakfast
before departure to the village of Bethel Embark on a Peten style
lancha (boat) with an outboard motor that will take us down the Great
Usumacinta River. We will set up camp on a white sand dune after enjoying
a full afternoon at the impressive site of Yaxchilan, still used to
this day as a place of worship and ceremony by the Lacandon Maya.
This unique site is strategically located atop a knoll set on a natural
omega formed by the Usumacinta River. Once the park closes, we will
go for a dip and get refreshed before dinner at our campsite. We will
spend our first night watching the clear skies, surrounded by beautiful
jungle, and gathered around a cozy bonfire. (CAMP 1) (B, L, D)
Day Three
Bonampak - Los Chorros
After breakfast we will continue our journey up river to the Mexican
border of Corozal. We will proceed to check customs and drive on to
the magnificent Maya Classic site of Bonampak. You will appreciate
the marvelous art work contained in 3 exquisite chambers with murals
painted on all sides and depicting different ceremonies and war scenes
affording us a glimpse into the daily lives of the ancient Maya. Enjoy
lunch at the site. We will return to our boat and we will reach our
next camping spot by sunset at Los Chorros, a unique geological formation,
where we will enjoy a wonderful evening listening to the babble of
the creek and the sounds of Nature. (CAMP 2) (B, L, D)
Day Four
Lacantun, Salinas and Pasion Rivers
Before breakfast we will enjoy a refreshing morning dip at Los Chorros,
where lovely cascades pour into the powerful river stream. Surrounded
by dense subtropical vegetation we will discuss the natural balance
and human interaction with the nature and learn about community-based
ecotourism in the Maya World. We will make a quick visit to the archaeological
site of Planchon de las Figuras on the Lacantun river. Continue upriver
until we reach La Estrella, where we will camp on a river dune where
the waters of the Pasion and Salinas rivers meet to form the Great
Usumacinta. (CAMP 3) (B, L, D)
Day Five
Pasion and Pucte Rivers and Petexbatun Lagoon
We will make an early start until we reach the pristine waters of
the Pucte Stream, its waters so clear we'll see the many hues of green
and red of the plants dancing with the current. We will make a quick
stop in Sayaxche and then continue our explorations on the Petexbatun
Lagoon. Overnight at Chiminios Island Lodge, a beautiful ecolodge
located exactly at the site of the Last Maya outpost, in the middle
of the Peten jungle. (B, L, D)
Day Six
Punta de Chiminos and Aguateca
After breakfast we will explore the fascinating history of the Petexbatun
region as we walk up to a reconstructed palisade at Punta de Chiminos.
We will discover more about this important passage of history as we
continue to Aguateca through a winding creek. After exploring the
archaeological complexes at Aguateca we will also explore the "trench",
a natural formation (a geological fault) which served as part of the
Maya's defensive system during the Late Classic period. The site is
currently undergoing restoration. Lunch included back at your hotel
where you will have the opportunity to enjoy swimming and nature at
its best. Free afternoon. Overnight and dinner at Chiminos Island
Lodge. (B, L, D)
Day Seven
Ceibal - Lake Peten Itza
We will start very early this morning from Chiminos Island Lodge towards
Sayaxche and continue overland to the Ceibal Archaeological Monument
and National Park. Ceibal is known for its beautiful architecture
and for its stelae. It was probably a dominant city during ancient
Maya times, and probably controlled the trade route. One of its most
unique and outstanding features we will visit is a circular pyramid,
as we explore the different architectural complexes. After lunch at
the site we will return to Flores and continue to our hotel, where
you will enjoy a beautiful sunset over Lake Peten Itza. Dinner on
your own tonight. Overnight within a nature preserve at Hotel Camino
Real Tikal. (B, L, D)
Day Eight
Tikal - Guatemala City
After a very early morning breakfast and check out we will visit the
monumental city of Tikal. A full day discovery of the site will allow
us to explore most of the fascinating natural and archaeological wonders
of the most extraordinary of all ancient Maya cities: Tikal. It is
the most impressive of all Maya Ceremonial centers due to the magnificence
and monumental proportions of its architecture and the abundance of
structures that have been excavated and restored at the site. Enjoy
lunch behind a Temple. We'll enjoy Tikal's museums before catching
our afternoon flight 973 back to Guatemala City. We will arrive in
the Guatemala City airport in the afternoon. End of services with
Ecotourism and Adventure. Evening on your own. (B, L, D)
Day Nine
Departure
Transfer to Guatemala City Airport for flight home.
DEPARTURE DATES: Dec. 4, 24, 31, 2004. Jan 8 and 22, 2005.
PRICE PER PERSON: $2,184, based on min. 4 participants.
Price decreases with additional participants.
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