Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a varied menu including shrimp, fish, chicken, and beef in addition to cocktails and has a
pleasant atmosphere with decent music.
Getting There
The paved, 62-kilometer road from Flores to Sayaxché continues south all the way to
Cobán.MinibusesfromFloresleaveeveryhalfhourbetween5A.M.and6P.M.,withthree
daily Pinita buses leaving Flores at 11 A.M., 2 P.M., and 2:30 P.M.
A new bridge across the Río La Pasión has replaced the ferry. A number of boatmen are
still on hand for trips down the river to Ceibal or up the Arroyo Petexbatún to the other
sites. Recommended is
Lanchas Don Pedro
(tel. 7928-6109), on the riverbank, run by the
amiable Pedro Méndez. Don Julián Mariona, owner of Posada Caribe, can also help you
with boat trips.
If you are going south, there are two daily minibuses to Cobán (3.5 hours) via Chisec
at 10 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. You can also catch one of several minibuses to Raxrujá, leaving
about every 90 minutes until 4 P.M. Several buses leave from there for Cobán and other
Alta Verapaz destinations.
The Mayan site of Ceibal blossomed in the twilight years of the Classic period after being
infused with new life from the invading Putún Mayans' merchant warrior culture from
Mexico's Tabasco region. It grew quickly between A.D. 830 and 910, harboring an estim-
ated 10,000 inhabitants at its peak.
There are four main clusters of structures connected via causeways and the ruins here
have a distinctly non-Mayan feel to them. Round platforms dot the site and several of
the inscribed monuments feature unusual items such as waist-length hair, speech scrolls,
and straight noses. There are 57 stelae here, many of them huge and in fairly good con-
dition. Several of these are in the
Central Plaza,
along with its unrestored temples, and
in the neighboring
South Plaza.
Another of the site's curiosities is
Structure 79,
a large
round stone platform set in a forest clearing used for religious ceremonies and maybe even
serving as a platform for astronomical observation.
The protected forest around Ceibal is particularly striking, as it is home to several of
the large ceiba trees giving the area its name. It is among the few stands of well-preserved
forest remaining in this area.
Getting There
Thesiteisaccessiblebothfromlandandbyriver.BoattripsfromSayaxchécanbearranged
by negotiating with the local
lancheros.
A round-trip boat ride to the ruins with a two-hour
