Maya Biosphere Reserve adventure

For work last week I had to take a week long trip to the Peten department of Guatemala for an environmental project that we have.  The entire trip was spent in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, the last protected area in Guatemala that covers the northern most part of the country from the border with Belize to the border with Mexico.  Within the reserve are various zones that include the multiple use zone (where our sustainable forestry work is done) as well as national parks.  Monday - Wednesday were spent in one of the national parks, Sierra del Lacandon, which is at the western most part of the reserve.  After visiting several community projects on Monday, we hoped in a boat at Bethel and traveled about 2.5 hours downstream (the river actually flows south to north) to a park ranger station where we camped for the next 2 days.  The river, Usumacinta, is actually the border with Mexico.

Lizard camouflaged as a leaf

Spider Web

USAID, Rainforest Alliance, Defensores de la Naturaleza

Piedras Negras archeological site within the national park

1929 tractor used during the original excavation of the site

Rock on the riverbank at Piedras Negras that points to Yaxchilan ruins in Mexico

Mexican beer

Attempting to filter coffee through a napkin, anything is better than instant coffee

Busiljá waterfalls on the Mexican side of the river

Our boat coming out of the Cola del Diablo rapids (devil's trail).  We had a bit of a rough trip on the 1st trip though the rapids.  Everyone in the back of the boat got drenched by a huge wave of water and since I was up in the front, I was tossed a couple feet straight up in the air.  I was a little unsure if I was actually going to end up back in the boat, but it all turned out fine.  So for the return trip, to lighten the boat a little, we went through in 2 groups.

Our campsite at the Porvenir guard station

Yaxchilan ruins - previously visited in 2008 during my trip to Chiapas

On Wednesday we returned to Flores (where the airport is) and spent the night before heading north, passing Tikal, to Uaxuctum, one of the forestry concessions that is support under the new project.

And before heading back to Flores and finally to Guatemala, we made a quick sunrise stop at Tikal.  Unfortunately there wasn't much of a sunrise as everything was covered in fog.