Oops!
They had to just destroy the semi to get it out!
I figured this would delay our trip by several hours but fortunately it was only about a 45 minute delay! The second snag came when we arrived in Coban around 3:30..we left at 9...already 6.5 hours in...the driver slyly told us that he would no longer be able to continue to Semuc Champey or Lanquin and we would have to switch to another bus. We griped heavily because again we paid for a DIRECT shuttle...needless to say we all (minus 2 Dutch girls who decided it was too dangerous to travel this way and at night) smashed into a collectivo. Our friend Sam was part of our group too! It didn't leave until 4:30 but we needed to stay on the bus in order to secure our spots....7.5 hours into the trip! Better yet we were informed the trip to Lanquin, which we were told would take 1.5 hours, was actually a 3-3.5 hour ride depending on how many people they could pack into that thing! They packed it....we crawled through the hilly ride. When we arrived in Lanquin around 8:00 pm the extra 45 minute ride to Semuc was impossible. We stayed in Lanquin and I am SOOO happy we did. Our friend Sam had heard of a new hostal that had just opened 2 months earlier called the Zephyr. I had only read about a hostal called El Retiro which is where all the travellers stay when they come to Lanquin...we had a much better experience! This was it:
Nestled in the mountains, next to Rio Lanquin, and run by some wonderful people, we couldn't have asked for a better place to stay in such a beautiful surrounding. The hostal offers nightly community dinners cooked using all fresh ingredients and priced around $4.50! Elle, along with some of their Guatamalteca employees cooked awesome meals including: red peppers stuffed with rice and meat with a beet and bean salad, homemade pasta with a creamy vegetable sauce, borshed (sp?) soup, and even a chocolate cake for Lalo's birthday! We were in heaven! If homecooked meals weren't enough they had a baker come in every night to bake fresh bead, cinnamon buns, and rolls for the following day. To all my fellow Breadsmithers: I spent about an hour chatting with the baker and he definately gives our bread a run for its money!
Happy Birthday Lalito!
And if homemade meals and fresh baked bread still don't impress you let me tell you about the showers. The showers had piping hot water, great water pressure, and a view that can't be beat. Now when you haven't had a decent shower in months, things like hot water and water pressure become really important! No joke...myself and the other guests had about a ten minute conversation raving about the showers!
Although the Zephry is foreign owned, they employ plenty of local Guatamaltecos. One by the name of Otto, who was our guide, quickly became our friend! He was truly an amazing man and made our trip to the caves and pools at Semuc-Champey unforgettable!
We decided to do the tour of Semuc with a couple other people from the hostal, with our guide Otto. The day started bight and early at 9am. We woke up a bit hung-over as we partied at the hostal bar the night before. There were several birthdays we just HAD to celebrate! Nothing like a day full of adventure to cure a hang over. Now i'm going to admit I pretty much had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up to do this Semuc tour. All I really knew was that there were natural pools that you can swim in. I should have been warned. Although I may seem adventurous at heart, physically I am NOT! The tour started in the caves in Semuc. Now these caves are not like the caves we visited in Flores because they are filled with water. We were asked to strip down to our suits, our flip-flops were tied to our feet, and we left behind anything of value.
We were going to swim, wade, and scale our way through this cave. Almost immediately I wanted to quit. The chill of the water hitting my body quickly sent a shock telling me DANGER, DANGER. Well, I did not turn around or quit! I made my way though this cave...and without experiencing it, I don't quite know how to describe it. All I can say is that if this tour existed in the states you would have to sign about 1,000 waivers before entering. At one point you have to scale a ladder with a waterfall running down it. Not a small waterfall either. A couple of the guys chose to scale the waterfall...there was a rope inside the waterfall and they scaled it with water gushing in their face. When asked if I wanted to try it I promptly replied...UM NO! It was Awesome and I felt so cool that I did it...everone else thought it was equally as cool but didn't find it nearly as terrifying!
Next on the tour was a swing. Now this swing swung out into a rapidly running river and you probably jumped 15 feet into the water. I DID IT! Scared to death and screaming all the way down but I did it. I was also afraid of being swept down river so I swam like hell to get back to shore!
Next, we hawled an innertube up river where we encountered several waterfalls. In order to cross over to the entrance of the waterfalls you needed to cross some swiftly moving water. Otto threw a rope to a fallen tree and we pulled ourselves across. Poor Lalo was close to drowning, when life jacket and all, he began to panic and couldn't pull himself across. I was really scared for him but he managed to make it back to the tree. He chose not to go to this waterfall.
Just to the left of the large waterfall you can see where I jumped 10 meters or about 30 feet to the river below. It was so f$#%ing scary and it really hurt my ass!
I made it across and once across our guide gave us two choices: jump or climb back the way we came which in his words was "really dangerous". I jumped! HOLY SHIT, I JUMPED 10 METERS or almost 30 feet! WTF!
We then tubed down the river and although Lalo was hesitant to get back in the water, he did it too! We made it back to our starting point, had some lunch and began our hike to El Mirador or the Lookout. This hike sucked! It was uphill, super muddy, and I did it in flip-flops. The view was worth it however:
Below you can see the natural pools that we swam in after our hike!
After our hike, we climbed back down and were able to relax in these wonderful pools that sit above a river that gushes through a natural cave/tunnel. Our guide Otto told us of 3 people who had died curiously trying to touch the gushing water and their bodies didn't come out the other end for 45 days!
Entrance to the tunnel under the pools
Lalo, our friend Sam, and our guide Otto relaxing in the pools!
Unbelievable beauty!
We also celebrated Lalo's birthday in Semuc Champey which was a little hard since we were so secluded. I felt guilty that I didn't have a present to give or anything. We did however, manage to get in a chocolate cake (see above photo!). Before we left Semuc we threw in another night cave visit (again where I wanted to leave almost as soon as we entered). The caves in Lanquin are interesting because each night as the sunsets (about 5:45) thousands...and I mean thousands...of bats fly out. There are hardly ANY mosquitos in this highly forrested and wet area thanks to all these bats! The cave is completely dark and the bats pretty much fly right at you without hitting you...not my idea of fun! We explored the cave a bit and made the long walk back to the hostal in complete darkness...yikes!
Great shot!
All I can say is that Semuc Champey was an adventure of a lifetime! If ever in Guatamala it is something that cannot be missed! Everyday I am surprising myself with the things that I get to experience along the way. Although I find myself missing my family and my life at times, how can I leave behind these adventures when they are right at my finger tips! I do get freaked out everytime I hear another friend just had a baby or is pregnant or even when someone gets engaged or married...I'm almost 27 and don't have any of those things...but for now I am going to settle (ha settle) for these adventures!
Adios..Besitos...Nos vemos pronto!
