Tikal: From Stones to Stories
BELIZE --
It was time to embark on our voyage, a voyage across the Belize Guatemala border to a land now known as Tikal (the place of echoes). Today there remains birds and monkeys lurking with the shadows and stone beneath overgrown canopy. But for 1,300 years from approximately 300 BC to 900 AD this world was alive. Hustle and bustle filled these streets, farms flourished and rulers negotiated. This was a place of power, and now we stroll up and down the silent ruins of pyramids trying so hard just to fathom the reality of the Ancient Maya. Once there were candles lit right where we stood, once these walls were painted with vibrant colors. We tried so hard to hear the stones telling their stories… but soon we found we were listening in the wrong place! For the stories were here and all around! The Mayan languages were spoken all around us as we sat atop the temples overlooking the landscape. These families that came to visit this ancient place were visiting a part of themselves. And all we really had to hear was the inner realization of the honor of being present. The stories of the Maya are told every day, as Mayan tour guides lead the way with pride. This place, these stones, are alive. We could only do our best to soak it all in, every detail was jam packed with a story, of which we now carry in the form of photos and memories.
It was time to embark on our voyage, a voyage across the Belize Guatemala border to a land now known as Tikal (the place of echoes). Today there remains birds and monkeys lurking with the shadows and stone beneath overgrown canopy. But for 1,300 years from approximately 300 BC to 900 AD this world was alive. Hustle and bustle filled these streets, farms flourished and rulers negotiated. This was a place of power, and now we stroll up and down the silent ruins of pyramids trying so hard just to fathom the reality of the Ancient Maya. Once there were candles lit right where we stood, once these walls were painted with vibrant colors. We tried so hard to hear the stones telling their stories… but soon we found we were listening in the wrong place! For the stories were here and all around! The Mayan languages were spoken all around us as we sat atop the temples overlooking the landscape. These families that came to visit this ancient place were visiting a part of themselves. And all we really had to hear was the inner realization of the honor of being present. The stories of the Maya are told every day, as Mayan tour guides lead the way with pride. This place, these stones, are alive. We could only do our best to soak it all in, every detail was jam packed with a story, of which we now carry in the form of photos and memories.
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