Day 197: I woke up at 230 am today; by 3 I was already on my way to some of the most famous Mayan ruins discovered to this date – those of the ancient city of Tikal. At 430 am I was walking barefoot down a skinny footpath through the jungle – my feet sinking into the cool thick mud with every step. Within the hour I had climbed to the top of Tikal’s Tower IV, high and above the rainforest canopy, where I sat and waited. What I was waiting for, I was not quite sure. I had heard there was something magical about being in the rainforest when the sun comes up, and I figured, “What better place to do this than from the top of an ancient pyramid?” So there I was. The sun had not yet risen, and the fog was so thick below that I was unsure whether or not I would see anything at all when the sun would rise. But still I sat and I waited. And waited. In the distance, other pyramids came in and out of view as the low-lying clouds migrated from one part of the jungle to the next. And although the fog remained thick enough to prevent a clear view of the sun breaking the horizon, the jungle still seemed to know the exact moment the sun rose, for it sprung to life as soon as the top of the canopy came into view under the dull glow from the east. The wail of the first howler monkey set off a chain reaction of howls that seemed to come from all directions below. It was an orchestra with Mother Nature herself as the composer. The monkeys played call-and-response while bright green parrots danced across the stage singing their part – the smaller birds singing backup. I sat and listened awestruck and in silence to the most beautiful song ever sung. For a moment, I regretted not having recording equipment to capture the beauty of it all, but I quickly realized that I was living a moment that could not be captured and replayed through the use of modern technology. No matter how technologically advanced we may have become, we have nothing capable of capturing nature’s beauty. An I-phone camera can record the most amazing sunset, but upon replaying the image, you will always hear, “This is a picture of it. You really just had to be there”, never “This picture actually looks better than it looked in person”. The visual show was no less awe-inspiring than the soundtrack, and while the photos do not do justice to what unfolded before me, I have included them along with this post. I spent the rest of the day climbing pyramids, walking around the ruins of the city, and wandering in and out of the surrounding jungle exploring. What I was looking for, I’m not quite sure. I guess it is true what they say………..“Not all those who wander are lost”.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 03:45:52 +0000
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