Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Ideal Nature Hike Awaits in Guatemala

By Linda Patterson


Close your eyes and imagine yourself deep in the lush tropical countryside, listening to the calls of exotic tropical birds, feeling the sunlight on your bare skin and the jungle mist curl around your feet. To most, an experience like this can never be more than a dream, especially since the world's tropical rainforests are being consumed daily by the hungry machine of human industry and expansion. Only a fortunate minority will ever have the opportunity to hike through true equatorial wilderness, surrounded by nature's untouched majesty; the good news, however, is that you can be one of these few, even if your survival skills are limited to opening tin cans. Guatemala's jungle trekking tours provide you a rare glimpse of exotic animals, enormous mountains, and awe-inspiring Mayan ruins, all in the midst of natural splendor that has to be seen and felt to be truly believed.

The Adventure of a Lifetime

Taking a jungle trek is an experience that will remain a part of you for the rest of your life. Whether it's your first and only voyage into the open arms of the forest, or if you repeat the journey many times in many places, each experience is singular and full of serendipitous memories never to be duplicated. However, one aspect we do advise you to carefully duplicate every time you trek is to go with an experienced guide. There are many companies who specialize in offering guided tours of various sizes to many different locations throughout Guatemala and Central America. For one thing, you'll need to make sure you have the right gear: clothes, tents, canteens, and other survival gear are at the top of a long list of things you'd need to haul with you in order to survive for days out in the jungle. Instead of worrying about making all these preparations by yourself, locate a reputable company and put the arrangements under their purview. A list of all necessities that the tour company doesn't provide will be made available well before you embark, and their experienced multilingual guides will show you the ropes while ensuring your safety a consideration not to be taken lightly if this is your first time out in the jungle.

In fact, almost all jungle tours make a point to pass by and pay homage to some of the great empires those ancestors forged, as Guatemala is rich in the remnants of the ancient Mayan civilization. You'll climb atop the rocky remains of the jungle's one-time rulers, and gaze at their ornate and beautiful sculptures, carvings, and architecture. That's only the beginning of the treasures you'll unlock as you voyage into the remote forest, however.

The bosom of the jungle is alive with flora and fauna of all description: colorful birds, snakes, and reptiles, strange and perplexing insects, the shrieks and calls of curious primates, and the sounds of tiny mammals scurrying through the underbrush will all be your constant companions. You may choose a tour that dives deep into the ground below the jungle floor, descending through a cenote to float down an underground river. Just be sure to bring your camera there's little doubt that your jungle trek in Guatemala will be something you'll want to share with family and friends, and to revisit in your memories time after time.




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