Steve and I were knocking around the Peten this past week, we skipped El Mirador, too far for a couple old guys. We got a 4000 dollar quote for a chopper so that scared us off even thinking about it. Saw some great off the beaten path ruins-end of the road type places. I think you will see a road to El Mirador before a railroad. I went by a plant that was cracking the local crude oil into diesel and tar north of Sayaxche. My guess is a blacktop toll road at first and then a highway on through to Calakmul when the political class finds out how many people will want to see the Mirador basin and the Reo Bec region. When I was your age, Calakmul was a week by mule and no one ever went there, it is not flooded with tourists now but it gets it's share, thanks to a nice blacktop road. Your right about the bragging rights aspect, I was just not willing to put my old body through the ordeal, congrats on a good trek.