(^56) Rio Dulce – San Luis - 90 kilometres
The scorching weather and mountainous terrain made it exhausting cycling. Still,
we pushed onwards the best we could, often stopping to fill our water bottles. In
the process, the route entered the hot jungle province of El Peten. Regrettably, the
jungle was fast disappearing as more and more land was cleared to accommodate
planting oil palms or establishing ranches.
San Luis – Santa Helena – Flores - 120 kilometres
Early morning, our path continued up more hills. Finally, shortly beyond Poptum,
the road levelled off and cycling became far more manageable.
Santa Helena was reached in the afternoon and we opted to stay in Flores. Our
arrival in Flores coincided with the sun setting over Lago De Peten Itza on a
scorching and very humid day. Flores is a stamp-sized tiny island, off the mainland
and connected to the shore via a short (barely 500m) causeway. Finding an abode
was easy as the tiny island was jam-packed with guest houses, hostels and
restaurants. Our room was spacious and even had a little balcony overlooking the
lake.
Ernest wasn’t feeling well and stayed in bed the following day while I trundled
through Flores’ narrow cobbled streets. At sunset, I took a boat ride on the lake to
see the island from a different angle.
leana
(Leana)
#1