PETÉN - Guatemala - page 520

a varied menu of inexpensive dishes is served. Another good option in this neck of the
woods, Restaurante Nakun's (tel. [phone] or 7823-9174, 9 A.M.-10 P.M. daily) spe-
cializes in tasty pizza and burgers; a large pie costs about $14. They also rent motorcycles
for $16 per day.
Along the road fringing the lake shore, you'll come across Las Orquídeas (tel.
5701-9022, [e-mail], 6 A.M.- 10 P.M. Tues.-Sun.), serving decent
pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. Just down the road, Mon Ami (tel. [phone], all meals
daily) serves tasty French and Guatemalan fare. In accordance with the Western-inspired
digs at Palomino Ranch Hotel (tel. [phone] or 2474-0758,
www.hotelpalominoranch.com , $4-16) is a menu that includes decent fajitas, chicken
wings, and grilled steaks.
For a splurge, head to La Lancha (tel. [phone], all meals daily) for gourmet
Guatemalancuisineforabout$20perpersonforlunchanddinner.Youcanenjoyanassort-
mentofflavorsfromtheFrancisFordCoppolawineriesoryourfavoritedrinkfromthebar
while dining in an airy palapa -style building high above the lake. It's housed in its name-
sake lodge west of El Remate in Jobompiche.
Getting There and Around
El Remate is extremely easy to get to and from, as there is plenty of traffic heading up
and down the road between Tikal and Flores. A local transport cooperative also operates
minivans for trips to local attractions. Check with Hotel y Restaurant Sun Breeze (tel.
7928-8044 or 5898-2665) for availability and prices.
Return to HIGHLIGHTS
East to Belize
The road heading east to Belize is paved only about halfway despite repeated government
announcements to the contrary. It seems the completed, paved road has been inaugurated
by several presidents but the truth is that local authorities have inexplicably dragged their
heels in getting one of the most important roads in Petén up to snuff.
There are some interesting sites along the way, the most important being the ruins of
Yaxhá,11kilometersnorthfromthemainroad.(Theruinsarecoveredinthesectiononthe
Maya Biosphere Reserve, of which the site is a part.) Encouragingly, some of the lagoons
and surrounding forest just north of this road are being opened to ecotourism by forward-
thinking entrepreneurs, thus providing an alternative to the ecological destruction that has
characterized the traditional northward advance of the agricultural frontier into protected
lands.