To save a ten hour + bus ride, we took a 1 ½ hour flight with TACA from Guatemala City to Santa Elena about 3km from Flores where we had booked three nights’ accommodation. We stepped off our commuter plane and, even though it was after 7:30pm, we were engulfed by smoke, heat and humidity.

With the rainy season on its way, the farmers apply the practice of burning fields then waiting for the rains to bring new grass for their stock animals.

Flores is a small island situated in Lake Peten Itza and has a permanent population of about 13 000 residents. The Mayan originally did not build their cities close to water sources and instead relied on rainwater collection in hand-dug reservoirs within their cities. After the cities were abandoned, the Mayan descendants moved closer to natural lakes and waterways where they built modest settlements. This is what the Spanish found when they came to Central America in the 16^th century looking for riches and new lands to conquer.

While Flores is now joined to the mainland via a causeway and two bridges, it was once separate and covered with temples and warehouses. The locals are proud of the fact that it was also the last settlement in all of Guatemala to fall to the Spanish. The only way the Spaniards could defeat the locals was by bringing two of their warships (in pieces) to the lake, reconstructing them, and bombarding the island. Most of the Itza people fled, but a brave few stayed to fight to the death in an unwinnable battle. When defeat was inevitable, the warriors set fire to the all the buildings on the island, so by the time the Spanish marched ashore there was virtually nothing left.

Days here were spent relaxing, a bit of school work and only venturing out of our air-conditioned room during the late afternoon. We took a ride on the Tizimin Chac one afternoon: a catamaran with about 20 seats and a thatched roof that gives a 45 minute cruise and commentary around part of the lake.

One morning we were picked up and taken to Ixpanpajul Nature Park  about 30 minutes away where we trekked through the bush over suspension bridges in the very high humidity on the lookout for monkeys and any other wildlife.  Basically we were pointed in the direction of the track and let loose with not another soul around.

Thankfully the canopy gave us cover from the blazing sun as temperatures were easily nudging 40+ degrees.   After close to two hours of walking through the trails and along the suspension bridges until we came at last to a high point with a structure with hammocks strung up that we all flopped into.  There was one ranger here with an esky of welcome soft drinks.

Then came the real fun …. we walked down to the waiting truck that took us a bit further up the track and the two guys kitted us up with harnesses and then lead us up the ladder to the platform.  With one going on ahead ready to apply the brake, we took in in turns to zip-line through the treetops. Woohoo!  The girls absolutely loved it and we all enjoyed the subsequent eight zip-lines, with lots of laughing and squeals.

Along the way we spotted spider and howler monkeys resting on the branches. The Howler monkey, native to Central and South American forests are widely considered to be the loudest land animal as their vocalisations can be heard up to 5km away.

After coming down from the zip-lines we got the truck back down to the main building and to finish off the girls took a half hour horse ride around the grounds. All up cost for these activities (including transportation 30 minutes each way from Flores) seemed very reasonable at USD 100.

As we weren’t staying a guesthouse with pool, we had promised the girls they could go swimming in the lake so later that afternoon we ventured up the street a bit to where it seemed the most popular swimming spot.  I told the girls to avoid putting their heads under the water and watch out for incoming and outgoing boats and then they were off  into the lake and were in and out until it got dark.

It was a Saturday afternoon so there were plenty of locals around doing the same thing.  We then watched as they set up their tables of food and drink, obviously a regular Saturday night occurrence.

Still feeling the effects of the warm day, I couldn’t resist getting in the water and finally went in fully clothed drying off pretty quick again in the warm breeze.  We all sampled a few new home cooked foods and drinks like Horchata the traditional rice drink, and the bright pinky-red drink made from the Hibiscus Flower which was just delicious. It has great medicinal properties such as lowering blood pressure, aiding in digestion, loaded with vitamin C, big barrels of it were on every table. Yum.

We spent a few hours just sitting and watching the world go by – the locals all getting together chatting and laughing, with the little boats always coming and going.

And then the sun goes down on another fun and interesting day and we remind ourselves that in exactly a month we will be landing back on Australian soil.  Are we ready to come home?  When we ask the girls, they reply with a resounding yes, they really miss the friends and extended family and especially our family dog.  Dave and I – well, we could easily keep going and are pensive about the trip coming to an end. It seems such a world away from where we are now …