El Petén

Yaxhá Narum Naranjo National Park

After crossing the border, I ended up directly in the El Petén region of Guatemala. It is a hot and humid region, with dense jungle, and numerous archeological sites, one of which is Tikal.

I tried to drive some small jungle roads to visit some less-known sites. The challenge was to successfully reach these places despite very tough roads. Sometimes, the road seems to be dry on the surface, but it is a trap. Below the dry crust, there is some deep and thick mud. In short, it's quite the sport to drive in these conditions. Being by myself, I limited the risk of getting stuck.

I still managed to reach the site of Yaxhá. This small city has been occupied as early as 600 BC, and it reached its apex in the 8th century AD. Its population was then some 20,000 inhabitants, and it contained nearly 500 buildings such as temples, palaces, and residential complexes.

Road Signs

I am still adding road signs to my collection. The region had a nice plethora of animal crossing signs.

Uaxactún is another archeological site lost in the jungle of Guatemala. Surprisingly, near the ruins, there is a village built on each side of an airstrip. It is a very strange location.