Okay, one more question -- we may want to do one of the Mayan Ruin tours. What kind of footwear is recommended? Anything special needed, or just good walking shoes?

Thanks for everyone's help.

soles

Teva sandals, athletic shoes or hiking boots all work well. Its walking on soil and bark paths mostly, and climbing stone step pyramids too.

The surfaces of some of the ruins are uneven and right next to precipitous drops. Don't wear anything that could make you trip! If you have a choice, decent walking shoes are better than Tevas and the like. Boots aren't needed unless you're going to be jungle hiking.

My Tevas worked just fine. A woman in our group wearing flat wooden soled sandals spent a lot of time on her butt.

One more thought, make sure they have a non-slip tread. The limestone ruins are extremely slick when they are damp.

question: is it a good idea to crawl all over an ancient mayan ruin?....

Ditto on the limestone, when wet only spikes will do. Tread is the key. Nothing big and clumsy, you might catch an edge and... The local Guatemala folks wore nothing but slick sandals, and seemed very confident.

On asending and desending, zig-zag back and forth. Like five steps one way and five the other. This keeps your shoulders at a angle to face and is much more comfortable and less scary.

Tikal for three days was rough on this couch potato:) I'd do it again and again...

Jeff

Yeah, spikes on an ancient ruin, that's the ticket.

Realize that the main roads around Tikal were 130 feet wide with a wall on each side with openings for entry and exit. There are several places within the park were you walk on the same 18" thick limestone that was the path. It's only a few feet wide today, but wicked slick when wet. Vier right after the guard shack and you will be on this road, it's uphill and slicker than snot. Of course I don't condone spikes. My kids loved the challenge of making it up the hill w/o leaving the limestone and walking on the edge of the road.

Sorry for sounding like I didn't respect the treasure that Tikal is. Copan here I come.

Jeff