Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
chicken and grilled steak, there's river fish, served with abundant portions of salad, beans
and rice, and fries.
Getting There & Away
Southbound from Sayaxché, four microbuses head for Cobán (Q60, four hours) between
5am and 3pm. Every 25 minutes or so, Raxrujá-bound micros go to the San Antonio junc-
tion (Q30, 1½ hours), from where there are frequent departures for Cobán. Vehicles depart
from a lot behind the Hotel Guayacán. From the north side of the Río de la Pasión, micros
leave for Santa Elena every 15 minutes, from 5:45am to 6pm (Q23, 1½ hours).
For river transportation, inquire at
Viajes Don Pedro
( 4580-9389; servlanchasdon-
pedro@hotmail.com)
, the last green building on the left when you're facing the dock. A trip all
the way down the Río de la Pasión to Benemérito de las Américas (Mexico), with stops at
the ruins of Altar de Sacrificios, should not cost more than Q3000 (3½ hours to ruins, up
to four passengers).
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Around Sayaxché
Of the archaeological sites reached from Sayaxché, Ceibal and Aguateca are the most in-
teresting to the amateur visitor. Both are impressively restored and can be reached by boat
trips along jungle-fringed waterways followed by forest walks. Most people arrive in the
context of a tour but it is possible to make arrangements independently.
Ceibal
With its strategic position along the west bank of the Río de la Pasión, the independent
kingdom of
Ceibal
(admission Q60; 8am-4pm)
amassed considerable power controlling com-
merce along this key stretch of the waterway. Though architecturally less amazing than
some other sites, the river journey to Ceibal is among the most memorable, as is hiking
below the jungle canopy with monkeys howling overhead.
Unimportant during most of the Classic Period, Ceibal (sometimes spelled Seibal) grew
rapidly in the 9th century AD. It attained a population of around 10,000 by AD 900, then
was abandoned shortly afterwards. Its low, ruined temples were quickly covered by a
