5am. A time that always comes way to early in the morning. But today, 5am was a little too late. I was so excited to get up that i couldn’t sleep anyway. The time had finally come. A trip I had been dreaming about for 2 years was about to begin… A 6 day trek in the jungle of Guatemala to the lost Mayan city of El Mirador. Indiana Jones style adventure here i come!
Somehow I talked 3 other people into joining me on this adventure. They saw past the thought of 6 days of jungle, hot and humid conditions, long trekking distances to the thrill of adventure and the reward of seeing a place most people will never see. El Mirador is a Mayan city deep in the wild jungle of Guatemala. The city was abandond over 2000 years ago as the Mayans had used all the local resources. The city itself is huge and the trek covered 4 separate cities with El Midador being the largest.
We woke up early for our 5am pickup. Meeting the translator at the hotel was fun, he was a fun little 24 year old Guatemalan who would soon become our friend. We piled into the van for a 3 hour ride to the starting location. Once there we met the guide, cook, and donkey wrangler. All of whom not only lived in the town we were starting it but grew up there. We would later learn that our guide was actually on the crews that first begin to explore and excavate the El Mirador Complex.
The trek itself was daunting. An average of 10-15 miles a day plus exploring mileage and one 20 mile day. All total it ended up being around 70 miles on foot. But it was completely worth it. Each day brought new discoveries, new sights, new animals, and new friends.
Each stop along the trek held new and amazing sites. The expedition guide provided expert knowledge of the area, the people, and the discoveries. His insight provided us with more than you could possibly get by doing the trek on your own. As we learned more about him we began to realize that not only was he a guide in the area but he led and participated in many of the archaeological digs in the area. He even was responsible for discovering several of the sites and helping to uncover and interpret them. What a rare treat to be guided by one of the few people who discovered many of the sites we visited.
The main event of the trek was the lost city of El Mirador. It is difficult to describe the way it feels to stand on top of the worlds largest pyramid where Mayans worshiped their gods thousands of years ago. Climbing the steps to the top is a humbling experience in and of itself as only the elite members of the community were allowed up there and now I am. There are so many structures at El Mirador that it becomes overwhelming and difficult to take in all of he history and culture. There is even one smaller pyramid that houses a small alter. 
A quiet respect and reverence over took our group as we learned about the human sacrifices that were made here. The intensity of the sacrifices increased as the desperation of the people grew due to the lacking natural resources. All the way to sacrificing babies. It was hard to stand near it and know that so many people had lost their lives there.
At the end of the day we visited one last site at El MIrador. It was a reservoir that was used to hold water in the dry season of the jungle. It has been completely buried and time hadn’t destroyed it like it did other sites. The stucco sculptures were in pristine condition. This was one of the areas that were being currently unearthed. It was amazing and beautiful to see the original art work. It was breathtaking to be a witness to something that hadn’t been seen by human eyes for thousands of years. It was at this point where we went into cultural overload. It was too much history, too much culture, too much for one person to handle. Lucky for us it was all down hill from here.
The last few days were spent hiking in the jungle, and seeing smaller cities. Covering so much ground in a short time was an impressive feat to itself, but taking the time to explore ruins along the way made it more than just a trek in the jungle. There was something special around each corner the following day. However the second to last day held a 20 mile march through the jungle to La Florida where our trek would come to a close. After the long day we were greeted with an amazing meal (as we were every day) and left to rest. The final day was a short one with a quick visit to La Florida. There is an amazingly resorted Mayan house there that really helps you get a feel for what they looked like.
Coming out of the jungle and back into town on the last day was a relief for all of us. Blisters, sore joints, injured legs, and fatigue had taken their toll on our little group, but we all made it. Riding one of the donkeys had always been an option if someone was injured or too tired but no one ever ventured onto what affectionately became known as the ‘donkey of shame’. Even our young interpreter who was exhausted, sore, and plagued with blisters on his feet avoided taking a turn on the donkey of shame. The sense of accomplishment as we entered the village produced a confidence in each of us that we could do just about anything we were to put our minds to. 70+ miles in the jungle is nothing to laugh at and we had not only accomplished it, but learned about Mayan history, each other, and ourselves. We even came out of it with some new friends, and a profound respect for the local Guatemalan people.
Use our contact to arrange your Trek which can range from 4-7 days.
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