When I first visited Tikal many years ago, I felt as if I was traveling back through time. As I progressed on the 23-hour journey from Guatemala City, I noticed that the land became more unsettled until finally I was passing through areas of wilderness.

Tikal was only one of the cities of the classic Mayan culture that rose around A.D. 250, but it was well into decline when the Spanish conquered it in 1541. The great plaza - with the famous, two pyramids - was in use as early as 150 B.C.