SEMUC CHAMPEY

Que ondo amigos-

I am a bit late, as is my style, on the update from my past weekend which took me to Semuc Champey. Semuc is known as the prettiest place in all of Guatemala....It´a National Park, river with limestone pools.

You can swim, tube and cave- all of which are amazing. But, as I´m looking back in my journal...I noticed that I completely under-rated Semuc Champey after my first night there. Whoops.

Our first day was spent in the limestone pools of beautiful turqouis water. Now, I´m warning you that I am a brat before I go into my speil. I have been spoiled by the hot springs, and the turqouis waters of Southern Thailand...nothing can really compare and therefore I wasn´t all that impressed with Semuc Champey ( to begin with ). But then.....we went caving:

* The whole gang inside the caves*


Caving. Indian Jones Style. By far the coolest thing I ever done....so far. The caves were pitch dark so we all held onto hand dipped candles to light our way. What made this extra exciting is as one is continuing on in the cave- you begin by walking around on the rocks, then you find yourself wading in the water untill suddenly it is too deep to stand and you are swimming ( with one hand holding the candle high enough to light your way ). Then to keep exploring, you have to climb up rickety ladders that are barely holding onto the rocks, crawl through tight places, and even climb up a waterfall- with only a rope and your body weight. It was exhilarating!

It is somewhat amazing that we all survived. haha...just a joke.

I find myself wondering: Where does my anxiety go when I leave the U.S.? I must leave it behind tucked away...i wish it would stay there.

After caving, we took a relaxing tube ride down the river right back to our hotel.

* El mirador de todo del Semuc Champey*

Semuc is pretty far out there. From Xela we first had to take a 10 hour shuttle to Coban, ...and we stayed in what is called the Cloud Forest-Which is exactly as it sounds. You are high enough in the mountains that when you look down amoung them, clouds seem to me growing right out of the valleys. Its beautiful.

The following day, it took us another 3 hours to get to Lanquin, closest town to Semuc, and then we had to leave our shuttle behind...all pile into the back of a pickup truck ( 15 people standing with our backpacks ) for a 45 minute very windy and VERY bumpy ride that took us down futher into the valley to reach our hotel near the park. The hotel had electricity for only 3 hours per day, 6-9 PM. Lights out.

By the end of the weekend exploring and sleeping in the rainforest, I was eaten alive and completely bruised and cut up from the caves. I´d never hesitate to do it again, completely worth it.

Now I am off on one last adventure. It is my last weekend here before I return home. It is very sad, but i am starting to feel ready. Heading off to Lake Atitlan, surrounded by volanoes in just a few hours.

See you all soon,

Vicki