We started our visit to Tikal by entering the Grand Plaza and experiencing a Fire Ceremony near the Plaza’s center.  This time I fortunately did not get sunburnt; the overcast skies helped a lot.  Afterwards we explored the Plaza.

The Grand Plaza is the main attraction at Tikal.  My favorite temple, Temple I (also called the Temple of the Jaguar), borders the east side of the Grand Plaza.  Temple II borders the west side of the Grand Plaza.  The North Acropolis borders the north side of the Grand Plaza, and the Central Acropolis borders the south side.  Several eroded stelae border the Grand Plaza’s courtyard.  Great energy and views.

According to TIKAL: History, Art and Monuments, MonClem Ediciones, 1998, ISBN 968-6434-77-1, Pages 10-11, the Grand Plaza’s foundation consists of several superimposed layers of plaster, the 1st laid down around the 2nd Century B.C., and the last laid down in the 8th Century A.D.  A staircase to the right of Temple I leads to Palace 5D-120, with a group of almost identical adjoining rooms that face onto the Plaza.  The Grand Plaza Ball Court lies between Temple I and Palace 5D-120 in the space connecting the Grand Plaza and the East Plaza.  This Ball Court is 1 of the smallest in all of Meso-America.