The next morning we were woken before dawn by the roaring of Howler Monkeys in the trees. We set out early for La Danta. Passing various excavations on the way, at one point our guide removed a tarpaulin to show us something of archaeological interest but all we could see were squirming snakes, tarantulas and what has to be the world’s biggest beetle. It was a scene straight out of Indiana Jones! Walking along more wide calzadas we reached the base of La Danta and then proceeded to climb, going from one terrace to the next, until finally we reached the top of the temple to emerge to a spectacular bird’s eye view of the jungle – green as far as the eye could see. There were mounds of varying sizes all around, each hiding a structure which had yet to be excavated, testimony to the remarkable fact that as many as 200,000 people are thought to have lived here during El Mirador’s hey-day around 500 BC – almost certainly the biggest Mayan city of them all, and also one of the biggest cities in the world at that time. We spent probably two hours sitting at the top, soaking in the view and contemplating the extraordinary construction skills of the remarkable Mayan civilisation.
Base at La Danta
La Danta in El Mirador
Later in the day we visited the main plaza and viewed the excavations (being carried out by the US archaeologist Richard Hansen and his team) of a sculpted frieze showing scenes from the Popul Vuh; the quality of the carvings is truly remarkable, and far more impressive than any I have seen elsewhere. We also viewed many other carvings, some of which are of a similarly spectacular quality, and spent the rest of the day wandering around the huge site, drinking in the immensity of what we were seeing and imagining what life was like in that great city 2,500 years ago.
Frieze
And then the next day it was, sadly, time to go back. We walked back to El Tintal, camped there, and then on to Carmelita the next morning. We had walked a total of 80 Km over the five days, often in quite intense heat, but it had been totally worth it. At one point a helicopter flew overhead, no doubt bringing some tourists on a day trip. But, insect bites and all, we felt we had had much the richer experience, with our mule train, camping in the jungle, listening to the wildlife! That remarkable and very privileged experience made even the insect bites seem tolerable!
Our guides and cook with the team
At the top of La Danta
Our way back
One of the many animals we saw