Alvaro, David, and I joined with a guide to go to the Canopy Tour Tikal attraction, first thing in the morning. It was right outside Tikal National Park, not long from our hotel. We hoped to locate more wild animals on the way there, but we weren’t lucky enough to see anything. We arrived at the attraction, and two of the guides there had us put on a harness, and use thick gloves. We were excited for the chance to ride the platforms since all three of us had never experienced such a ride like this before. The guides said that we would be going up through 9 platforms to reach the canopy.

All the platforms combined to reach up about a hundred and twenty feet, all the way up to the top of the trees! No wonder why it’s called a canopy tour, because we were on the top level of the rainforest! It’s pretty much the same as being on the top of the circus or party tents, which are also called canopies. I must admit that my heart was beating so wildly at this moment. The first guide said adios and screamed all the way from the first platform. Whoa! I looked at Alvaro and David. They simply smiled at me. We went along with the guide, and we got the feeling of just preparing for the next wild long run.

I decided to film myself while on the ride. It was so out of control! We kept on arriving to every platform. David and Alvaro couldn’t stop laughing at me. We kept on going on the ride, and saw the top of the rainforest. It was an amazing view, a very sweeping view. One of the guides heard monkeys howling at us. It made me think they were kind of cheering for us. We were thrilled to see them, because it also was like as they were going from platform to platform, just like us. After the tour, we headed back to the vehicle. We saw two young and female Mayans trying to sell us coconuts. David and Alvaro ordered a couple. The girls used a knife to make a hole in the shell and then gave the coconuts over without straws. They said to just drink from the holes. The coconut milk tasted really good, just like they said!

We got on the small road to Flores. The guide remembered my special request for meeting at least one Deaf person in the area, so he pulled over and asked a local female Mayan. She pointed down the road and said about a few meters. I was incredibly excited about the chance to meet another Deaf person here in Guatemala. We went on down and then pulled over alongside the road. There was a small wooden house with a bench, along with a tree growing on top of a wooden post, making for a nice shady area like a bus stop. A girl and boy walked over to us. The girl spoke to Alvaro, saying the boy is Deaf. I learned that they are twins, and both 12 years old too. We watched the girl speak in home-made sign language to him. It was heart-breaking to see because he doesn’t know how to use Guatemalan sign language.

Alvaro asked her about the lack of Guatemalan sign language, and she answered that they were unable to get him into a Deaf school or find a Deaf adult to teach him. I tried to gesture with him but he only smiled at me. He could speak some basic Spanish words, such as mom, dad, school, and other important words. I told the girl to try to teach him more language. She nodded yes to me, with a beautiful smile. Alvaro spoke Spanish to her for me. We waved good-bye to them and walked away. In my mind, I was saying WOW. I hope that the three of us had a good impact on him, hoping something will happen for him as he grows up.

Then it was back on the road, to the famous cave of Aktun Kan, with its bizarre formations that vaguely resemble animals, along with its’ stalactites stalagmites and bats. The guide and I had flashlights at the ready, harkening back to my Boy Scout days, and the motto “Be Prepared.” Alvaro used his cell phone since it had one small LED light. David only had a match. We walked on into the cavern, on its five kilometers-long path. At one point, we had to do a short crawl on our hands and knees. Many of the bats kept flying right past us. I saw a bat clawing away at the wall just a few feet away from me. I was so anxious right there, but I had David take a picture of me with the bat. He snapped the picture, but said that the bat flew away. I looked around, and sure enough, the bat wasn’t there anymore. Then I looked back to David and felt a big drop land on my shoulders. I was so freaked out and screamed, which scared David. Oh, no! It was only a big water drop from the top of the cavern. We had a good laugh and continued on deeper into the cave.

It was amazing to see the formation of the cavern, and we could make out thousands of pictures on the walls. Then it was time for us to head back out of the cave, and hit the road once again. We drove through the Santa Elena street market. The market itself was very crowded, but not so pretty. Many residents always avoid that part and go straight to the island of Flores. It’s a natural island on Lake Peten Itza, with only 5,000 people on it. It was great and beautiful to see, strolling around the island within 15 minutes. I felt like being in India because of the many rickshaws. Guatemalans actually brought them over from India due to its cost-efficiency and easy use around the small towns or villages. We had a perfect late lunch before hopping onto a 18 passenger plane from Santa Elena Airport back to Guatemala City Airport.

It was a scary ride! We were scared when the plane flew through the thick clouds. It was very bumpy, and we could feel the plane yawing left to right. We landed at the airport safely, acknowledging that flying was better anyway than taking the 12 to 14 hour long drive from Flores. We could see the airport’s lighted runaways from the cockpit. It was a thrilling sight for us to witness the plane coming into the airport. It was now time for me to end my assignments in Guatemala. I truly appreciate Alvaro for his help and company during my time here in Guatemala. It’s very worth it to visit this country, and whenever you’re here, please do visit the Deaf people here. My heart is definitely going out to the Deaf people we met here! I will hopefully come back here when the coffee beans are ready to be harvested. I also have to thank Sorenson Communications for their great support in making this trip happen. People are already looking forward to the video clips coming online shortly. Hasta Luego, Guatemala!

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Related posts:

1. Day Eight: Prowling the Ruins of Tikal
2. Day One: Entering the World of the Mayans
3. Day Five: Meeting more Deaf Mayans
4. Day Six: Last Day in Antigua
5. Day Seven: More Coffee, and a Meeting with a Deaf Model
6. Day Two: Face to Face with a Volcano
7. The World of the Mayans
8. Day Four: My Day at the Coffee Farm
9. Day Three: Visiting Quetzaltenango