The Mystery of the Maya, Guatemala

The indigenous people of Guatemala have kept their culture alive despite centuries of war and oppression. Tracing the history of the descendants of the Maya takes Mark & Julie to Tikal, where the Mayan culture thrived over a millennium ago, then mysteriously disappeared.

They explore the surrounding jungle by day and by night using flashlights and fireflies as guides, and ascend one of TikalÕs majestic temples to witness sunrise over the mystical jungle landscape.

In the "Altiplano", or high plains region, Mark & Julie find the majority of the modern day Maya farming as they have for centuries. They descend an active volcano on mountain bikes with some local expats guides, and meet villagers and school children along the way.

The time honored art of treadle loom weaving is demonstrated by a family who creates fabrics for world export. This episode presents a fresh and exciting look at the ancient Mayan culture.

TIPS for TRAVELERS to TIKAL, GUATEMALA

Most visitors come to Tikal on buses, or planes just for the day. If you can, try to spend a night in the park, at The Jungle Lodge (2) 76-02-94, it's the closest accommodation to the ruins. It is well worth spending the night to do the sunrise trek up to the top of Temple IV.

Antigua is a wonderful, colonial city, and offers many Spanish language schools, Panajachel, on Lake Atitlan, is a great place to hang out for a while and enjoy the expat and indigenous culture.

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