GUATEMALA 2026: TIKAL NATIONAL PARK

 March 19, 2026

The next morning we had to be checked out of our charming ecolodge and ready to go by 4:50 a.m. We were picked up at 5:00 a.m. by a driver/guide named Roney, someone Bob had selected based on his reputation for birding expertise. Supposedly he is the best guide in northern Guatemala and we were lucky to have him as our guide in Tikal, our next destination.

Tikal was the #1 reason I wanted to travel to Guatemala. As a college student, I spent a summer on a study abroad in Mexico City. One weekend a group went on a field trip to Tikal, but I went with my friends to Acapulco. When the other group came back with their stories (but no photos as this was long before the digital camera), I was jealous and made the resolve that I would go to Tikal someday. That "someday" had come.

We got to the park just as the sun was rising, and long before we got to the archaeological site, Roney was scanning the treetops for birds, of which there didn't seem to be many. We spent a lot of time staring into the branches.

Not having binoculars, I had to be content with nature that was closer at hand. The red mushroom-looking thing below is a Helosis cayennensis (like "cayenne" pepper but not related except in color), a parasitic flowering plant.

BELIZE 2026: XUNANTUNICH, FAREWELL TO BELIZE, AND HELLO GUATEMALA!

The next morning we got up early to catch the water taxi back to Belize City, where we met our driver/guide who drove us the 2.5 hours to the archaeological site of Xunantunich (pronounced zoo-NAAN-tuh-nitch or zhuh-nan-TOO-nitch, depending on whom you ask). 

About halfway through the long drive, our guide spotted a Jabiru, a large stork on Bob's lifer list, which means it was the first time he had seen one. It has an impressive wingspan of 7.5 to 10 feet. Bob was very excited and got some photos of it on the ground as well as flying. This one is my favorite.

Shortly before the archaeological site, we stopped at a terrific little restaurant in San Jose Succotz called Benny's Kitchen, known for serving authentic local cuisine.

I had pibil, pork cooked in a pit and served with corn tortillas. It was fabulous--my best meal of the trip. We think Bob had cow foot soup, but he can't remember if he liked it or not.

BELIZE 2026: CAYE CAULKER DAY 2

 March 16, 2026

Bob had arranged a birding tour for our second day on Caye Caulker, which meant we got up at 5:30 AM. That was Joy #1. Joy #2 was when the first thing we did was get on a motorboat. After my experience on the water the previous day, that was exactly want I did not want to do.

However. it was a serene sea that we set out upon, and we never went very far from shore, and so my concerns were for naught.

Caye Caulker is actually two islands separated by a 20-foot channel know as The Split that was created by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. The southern island is home to the main village and tourist activity, and the northern island, where we were headed, is mostly uninhabitated and covered with mangrove forests.

BELIZE 2026: FLIGHT, A SPLENDIFEROUS HOTEL, CAYE CAULKER, AND MAL DE MER

 March 15, 2026

Spring break was coming up for me and we didn't have a trip planned. We decided rather last minute to take a trip to Guatemala, a country I've wanted to visit ever since I went to Mexico on a summer study abroad program in college. Bob connected with a tour company called Kimkim to work out the details. We decided to start in Belize as an entry point closer to Tikal, the place I was most interested in visiting.  

We left for LAX at 5:15 AM on March 15 and flew 4 hours and 40 minutes to Belize City, a relatively short flight for us. Belize City is the capital and largest city in Belize.

We were picked up at the airport by a driver who took us to the Golden Bay Hotel, a 30 minute drive. The hotel employee checking us in said, "Oh, looks like you got an upgrade."

That was an understatement.

Our very large door (on the right below) should have given us a clue as to what was inside, but we only noticed that later.

INDIA 2025: RATHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK DAY 3, FINAL SAFARI DRIVE

 November 29, 2025

We are on our last day in Ranthambore National Park and our last safari drive before beginning the long drive back to Delhi followed by the very long flight home. We get our usual early start.

Just to show what bird watching is like for those without a large lens, I have included a few actual/cropped shot pairings below. A lot of times I can see a speck and just aim and click, hoping that something will show up in my enlarged photo. Full disclosure: I have touched up some of the close-ups with AI.

Brown fish owl:

Black-winged kite:

This flock of peacocks is unmistakable. It is fun to see so many at one time.

The great egret is also easy to spot and identify because of its location.

INDIA 2025: RATHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK DAY 2, RANTHAMBORE FORT

   November 29, 2026

Bob's primary interests on this trip were birds and tigers. That got a little tiresome for me, and I needed a break from it and from bumpy jeep rides. Luckily, Ranthambore National Park has a great fort that four of us decided to explore while Dave and Stan went on yet another safari drive. 

An engraved sign at the fort shares some interesting details:

• It is one of the strongest forts in India.
• It dates to the fifth century A.D. (!)
• It changed hands according to who was in power, which included Sultans and Mughals.
• It has seven gates.
• There are two palaces, a mosque, a Jain temple, and several Hindu temples within the walls.

Another embossed brass plaque notes that the fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Monument.

We joined a small crowd of people at the fort entrance. It seemed to me that about 95% were Indians.

There were plenty of other locals hanging out at the fort.

INDIA 2025: RATHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK DAY 2, MORNING SAFARI

 November 28, 2025

On Day 2 in Ranthambore National Park, we again rose early and battled the crowds at the entrance gate. Paperwork for every passenger must be checked before a vehicle is allowed to enter, and that takes time. You can tell how cold is was by looking at the photo of Bonnie and Dave that I took from the back seat.

As much as I complain, I still prefer the bumpy, crowded ride to a long walk in tiger territory.

We were assigned to Zone 5 and started off (again) with a great sighting of wild boars dipping their snouts in a watering hole. The pigeons look ready to dive in as soon as the boars finish up.