The Maya return as we visit Tikal, nestled in the jungles of northern Guatemala, and pick up the story of Nuun Ujol Chaak, after he left Palenque.

Nuun Ujol Chaak was a rebel, facing unfathomable odds against an evil empire.  And even if he might fall in the end, his son Jasaw Chan Kawi'il would take up the mantle and restore Tikal to greatness.  It's his pyramids that tower above the treeline, representing the greatest architectural achievement of the Classic Maya.

Nitin Sil from the Flash Point History podcast, appears to talk about his travels to Tikal, from climbing pyramids to avoiding monkeys.

Guatemala is much more than Tikal, and its history as a "Banana Republic" gets a closer look.  Its food, with its roots in centuries of Maya culture, merits a taste as well, especially pipian, a pumpkin-seed based sauce that works splendidly with chicken.

Sources:

Brown, Chip. "El Mirador: the Lost City of the Maya" in Smithsonian Magazine

Harrison, Peter D. The Lords of Tikal: Rulers of an Ancient Maya City

Insight Guides: Guatemala, Belize & the Yucatán

Lonely Planet Guatemala

Martin, Simon and Nikolai Grube. Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya

Montgomery, John. Tikal: an Illustrated History of the Ancient Maya Capital

Schele, Linda and Peter Mathews. The Code of Kings : the Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs

Photo by user chensiyuan on wikicommons