07.01.10
First off; HAPPY CANADA DAY! A fact that would have been totally unknown to us without the three Canadians of the group singing the national anthem when it hit midnight last night. Crammed in a tiny collectivo we took the long eight hour journey to Lanquin.
My numb legs about to fall off as we finally exited in the cute, cool mountain town. From there we stood in the back of a pick up truck holding onto metal bars welded in for the 30 minute ride to Semuc Champey. The surrounding scenery is more alpine than imagined for central America; in other words, gorgeous!
We pulled into El Portal; our eco-lodge home for the next couple nights. An eco-lodge is essentially a place that tries to keep a low environmental impact; meaning pretty spartan, but remarkably beautiful!
We shared a room in an open loft overlooking the river with our Canadian friends Shayne and Shandra. Before the sun set, we took a dip in the cool brown river and the most adorable little girl sold us homemade chocolate from the cocoa trees that grow here. The chocolate is a bit bitter and crunchy, but it grew on us, plus how could we say no to her?
Dinner was delicious and for the first time this whole trip we slept underneath blankets, without even needing a fan! Ah, sweet Guatemalan paradiso.
07.02.10
A delicious breakfast of eggs and panqueque’s (I let you guess what those are) and we entered the state park of Semuc Champey. After a twenty minute hike we were met with this!
An absolutely gorgeous sight of crystalline blue pools formed by the river diverting to an underground cave. Only the trickling water from the surrounding hills filling the pools.
The hike back down was met with some insane looking creatures, particularly this guy.
We hit bottom and spent the next couple hours diving off the tiny waterfalls from pool to pool. Sitting still in the water, dozens of tiny fish would charge in to peck pieces of our peeling skin off; don’t spas charge for treatments like this?
Hundreds of yellow butterflies flapped overhead as we floated on smooth, cool waters staring up at the bright blue sky; life doesn’t get much better!
Eventually hunger set in, but not before going to check out the most amazing part of the Semuc Champey phenomenon. As I mentioned before, the torrent of brown water upriver diverts into a cave, but what that really means is that the pools we have been relaxing in are literally just a stone bridge over a huge flowing river.
After lunch one of the hostel workers took a break from his job to float with us on inner tubes down the muddy river; rough life! The scenery was gorgeous, we saw toucans, lizards, and tons of other little beasties through the forest.
On the way back we took turns leaping from the 30ft high bridge; exciting.
We hung out the rest of the day around the hostel, going back to the pools for a bit as well. Then in the evening, being Shayne’s birthday, we finished off a bottle of rum between the four of us. Perhaps a bit too much…
07.03.10
After breakfast with lots of water, and some relaxing by the river to cure my hangover, we headed across the river to the Lanquin caves.
Each of us four were given a candle and rugged man speaking little English took us into the wet, black hole. The flickering flames set the mood of the beautiful brown, slimy, stalactite ridden walls and ceiling. The adventure was managing to keep your candle lit while swimming through pitch black water, and dodging low overhangs while going deeper and deeper into the abyss.
Ladders pieced together by wet rope and strong plastic pipes helped you climb over tight spots, and literally up underground waterfalls. At the very end, our guide motioned a spot where you could climb up fifteen feet and leap into a black abyss. Me, complete with hangover, was the only one who mustered the courage for this terrifying venture.
Candle smoke filled our nostrils and our hearts beat a couple pumps quicker as we journeyed back to the light of day. Obviously a camera would have been utterly destroyed, so we will have to remember the epic journey solely with our brains.
We said goodbye to the canucks and headed back on a pickup truck to Lanquin where we caught a bus for the four hour ride back to the large city of Coban. It started getting dark, so we spent a little more for a nicer hotel than usual, conveniently in the city center and dropped off our bags.
The next goal was to fill our bellies. Around the corner was a nice hole-in-the-wall 3 for 10 tacos (that’s three tacos for ten quetazles, or $1.25). Perhaps it was only the Jalepeno based hot sauce, but the tacos were so delicious, it nearly brought a tear to my eyes. Seriously, I know I speak in hyperboles, but even Jessica will agree these were probably the greatest tacos we have ever consumed. Incredibly spiced meats, homemade tortillas, pickled veggies for topping, and a killer hot sauce!
Out on the street we tried even more local goodies, guacamole empanadas, and other unnameable street foods. Coban may not have much else to offer other than being a stopover city, but holy crap is the street food incredible!
As always, more pics on our Flickr site!
You two must have cast iron stomachs… Sandra has been curious to know of your experiences in Guatemala. You are sure seeing some of its beauty.