LynnieD

ANy thoughts on how much is a good amount of time to reserve the daily classes for? I'm thinking about 5, but not sure I can sIt for that long.

LynnieD

Another question regarding Tikal: i am arriving Friday night and staying in flores at ones of the sister hotels to casona de la isle (they were sold out). I plan to take a shuttle in the morning to Tikal inn. If i want to go to the park that day at the 3pm time, whats the procedure? Is it right there? Will then book an early morning tour on Sunday with Roxy (I hope) and catch a shuttle back to the airport Sunday late afternoon.

hopefulist

4 hours is a long time for me. They give you a break in the middle and with 1-on-1 instruction you can rearrange things if your brain gets too full: ask to visit a local museum with your teacher, have your lesson on the dock or parque central, or take your teacher to an ice cream shop, etc.

Sounds like a good plan! There's a little hut-building before you actually get to the ruins where you have to buy your ticket. There are usually at least a couple of guards there, friendly types. Sometimes they won't allow that till after 3:30 or even 4 but I've seen 3pm work. Be sure to request it (¿mañana tambien?) so the date stamp will be right, and don't lose the ticket. Happy trails!

LynnieD

So I walk to the ruins from the Tikal Inn?

Vttraveler

The Tikal Inn (and the two other inns in the park) are right near the entrance/ticket booth for the ruins.

hopefulist

It's just a minute or 2 to the ticket booth and 15 minutes or so through the jungle (watch for monkeys!) to the ruins themselves. I'm a little envious. ;-)

LynnieD

Thanks. It's so exciting! Do I need to take antimalarial medication for this trip?

hopefulist

That's your call; the CDC recommends it for Tikal:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinat....aspx#mal_risk

The normal choice is chloroquine which you'd have to start a week in advance, 1 pill/week, and continue through 4 weeks after, so 5+ weeks of medication for 1 or 2 days there, ew. Malarone is spendy but effective; you take a pill a day for just a few days before and a week after, I think.

Both Antigua and San Pedro are above 1500 meters in elevation so no risk there. I think most people who are only spending 1 or 2 days in a malarious area choose to wear long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk and use a good quality repellent to keep the bugs off (I like Ultrathon and Sawyer's Controlled Release Deet formula), but you'll have to make that decision on your own or with the help of a travel doc. Merry Christmas!