Tikal

We visited Tikal in 2016. Tikal is located in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Northern Guatemala. Our visit was short, only about 2 hours but we climbed to the top of Temple IV which has a stunning view of the overgrown city. Temple IV was completed in 741 CE and is the tallest building in the city at 66 meters high. You climb a steep wooden stairs of over 140 steps to reach the top, but the view is worth it. Then we walked through the forest to the Grand Plaza where we spent most of our time. Temple I and Temple II bookend the grand plaza, both build around 734 CE. Temple I is 44 meters tall, while Temple II is a hair shorter at 38 meters tall. While you can no longer climb Temple I you can still climb a wooden stairs on the back of Temple II to get a great view of the plaza. Under some thatch roofs on the North Acropolis there are is a large stone mask and hieroglyphs that have been uncovered. North Acropolis was started around 600 BCE and the final construction phase of the current 12 temples was completed around 800 CE. Just in front of the North Acropolis there are some Stela on display that have hieroglyphs and figures carved into them praising their kings. The Central Acropolis housed the nobles of the court as well as had some ceremonial significance. There are a lot of small rooms which still have the original wood beams over the doors which support the entrance. In some of the rooms portions of the original paint remain.