Tikal-Ancient Mayan World

Suddenly, arising from the midst of the jungle, there stands an impossibly enormous Mayan temple. More than 60 meters tall, it is shockingly just there.
I've read a lot about these ruins. The guidebook has told me that Tikal is the most magnificent of the Mayan sites. Nevertheless, I am unprepared for the size of this structure. I am unprepared for the incongruity of its surroundings. There are hundreds, if not thousands of structures here. Some of them were constructed as long ago as 250 B.C. Most are still buried in tons of dirt, trees and roots. Only in recent times has Tikal been "rediscovered," and serious work to excavate and restore began only in 1956.
The people who created these masterpieces seem to have disappeared around 900 AD. It appears that severe climate changes, including extended draught, may have scattered the remains of the group, but no one knows for sure what happened to these fascinating people.
It is not possible to describe this place so I'm not going to try. Here are a few of the pictures we took. It may be true that a picture is worth a thousand words, but there is no way you can get a sense of this place from the photos. If you ever get a chance to visit Tikal, jump on it. It is truly indescribable.