THE FOOTNOTES

Tikal was the centerpiece of the formidable Mayan empire that dominated Middle and Central America prior to the Spanish conquest. The temple behind me was where the head honcho gave his speeches to a thousands of citizens below. The best known ruler was called "Moon Double Comb," which was more commonly known as some other funny name I've forgotten that ends with "Chocolate." Don't tell the yuppies -- they'll start a new trend in baby names that we'll all live to regret. Anyway, the Mayans were way ahead of their time -- they invented the concept of zero, knew that the world was round, and (like the Incans) had very well developed calendars. No one knows why/how this empire suddenly crumbled...famine, disease, drought, transcendence to another plane of existence? It's still a mystery.

Guatemala is a fascinating, but frequently overlooked, country. I highly recommend that you consider it for your next vacation. In only 8 days, went from Antigua (an old colonial city), to a volcanic lake with little villages that are only accessible by boat, to the maginficent Tikal National Park. In Tikal Park, I saw monkeys, parrots, tucans, and other wildlife. Very interesting trip!!