Semuc Champey

December 10^th-12^th, 2014

Almost every traveller that I met recommended that I visit Semuc Champey (I had a tough time saying the name nevermind remembering it!).  Even though it would require almost an entire days’ travel to get there and another to get back and I would only have time for one full day there, I decided to do it.

The mid-sized bus that picked me up had massive windows which made it feel like we were cruising around in a giant fishbowl but it did allow for some great sightseeing of the luscious Guatemalan countryside, once we got past the outskirts of Guatemalan City.  There were a couple of familiar faces from yesterday’s Pacaya trip, Chris from the US and Kaitlyn from England.  The bus stopped at one more hostel after mine and that it was packed full.  It wasn’t as crazy a group as my last shuttle but some nice people on it nonetheless.  Beside me was Chelsea from Phoenix who, with Steve from her church group had just come from a weekend in San Salvador where they set up a computer network for an orphanage or something of similar.  Behind me was Kaitlyn and we chatted quite a bit.  At lunch I met a lovely Guatemalan couple who were silently sitting beside Chelsea and they were newlyweds, Mario and Lise.

The aquarium:

The luscious Guatemalan countryside:

Eleven kilometres before the small town of Lanquin the paved road turn into a bumpy gravel one and that last leg took over half an hour but the scenery descending down into the valley was captivating.  As the bus pulled into Lanquin there were half a dozen young guys holding signs for various hotels and hostels yelling out their names and looking for people with reservations or potential new customers.  I found my guy as I had made a reservation at Greengo’s Hostel (I love a good pun) and there was a young Israeli couple heading there too.  I loved their names.  They are Jewish names that I have heard before, but not for two people who are together.  He was Guy, and she was Gal!

It was after dark when we arrived and I have to admit I wasn’t overly pleased with my choice of accommodations at first.  My dorm was musty and hot with nine beds lining the walls at different heights.  One double bed had a couple lying in it, another guy was on a top bunk and a Swedish guy sitting on a bottom one.  Outside was an old leather couch with a group of 10 or so young Israelis talking loudly as they smoked their cigarettes and a few guys played guitar.  A few liquor bottles were beside the sofa and I figured I might be in for a late, noisy evening.  I got to know my dorm mates and four of them were from Quebec including the couple that were in bed.  They all turned out to be very nice and helpful in exchanging travel information as was the Swede.  They recounted how the previous night the Israelis and partied hard until 7am…oh dear.  Thankfully that didn’t prove to be the case and it was relatively quiet by midnight.

The young driver from Lanquin to Semuc Champey played some "interesting" Guatemalan music on the way...I joked with Guy that it sounded like Super Mario music...

The peace was to be shattered at 6am though with a loud argument in Hebrew brewing outside (how often do you get to put “Hebrew brewing” together!).  Once that subsided the sound of suitcases rolling across the wooden deck and the odd holler back and forth continued for another hour before the group of 20+ finally left.  I have some really amazing Israeli friends and I know that this kind of conduct by their fellow compatriots really pisses them off as it really doesn’t promote a good view of Israelis in the world.  It’s just hard to comprehend how selfish and inconsiderate this guys could be.  This behaviour often happens with Israelis who are in their early to mid-20s, they have completed their army service, worked a bit to save some money and then set off to travel.  They typically go to the same location as many other Israelis and party their brains out, primarily with smoking hash or marijuana.  They seem to feel like the world is theirs or that it owes them.  But perhaps almost all 20-25 year olds think similarly.

The cabanas at Greengo's:

My dorm:

The bar:

So the hostel really emptied out and I ended up being the only one going on the Kamba caves and Semuc Champey tour so I was getting the VIP treatment.  My guide Santos was from the hostel and at 10am we began to walk from the resort about a kilometre to a bridge that crossed the river and along the other side to the entrance to the caves.  I had been instructed not to wear my flip flops but my shoes.  I wasn’t too happy with this as I only have my day hikers and flips flops and I was sure it’d take a few days for the runners to dry but in the end I was glad I heeded the advice.  A group of about 15 of us with 2 guides climbed some stairs beside a waterfall to the entrance of the cave.  We were each given a long white candles and we lit them as we entered the three foot deep water emanating from the cave.  We spent the next hour and a half inside the cave.  At various points we were required to swim, wade, climb ladders and even go up a rope while getting pelted by a waterfall.  The last one was a bit harder for a few of us with contact lenses as we had to ascend with our eyes shut.  At the end point before we turned back to come out there was an optional four meter jump into a pool of water.  The guides were great, funny and enthusiastic.  Our group was mostly women in their 20s but there was one couple from Squamish with a 10 year old girl (who loved it) and an older Israeli woman who struggled at times but hats off to her for doing it.  I met a US couple from yesterday’s bus ride, Kyla and Chris who have been living in Guatemala for the past two years and on our way back out both Chris and I were shivering from the cold but it was definitely worth it.

Walking up to the cave:

What am I in for?  The black smears were a rite of passage by the guides to enter...it's just soot from a candle on the cave ceiling.  Some of the women got great moustaches or goatees:

With the newlywed couple:

The waterfalls in the cave:

Once out of the cave the guides took us a hundred meters up the riverside to a massive swing and most of us took our turns to jump into the river, even though the overcast sky had not really warmed us up yet.  I ended up getting some great height off of the swing but did a slight side belly flop and was feeling bruised across my chest, one arm and leg for days and days.  After that it was time to tube down a short section of the river, only about a five minute little trip.  Next in the rapid sequence of activities was a 7-8 meter jump off of the bridge, back into the cold water.  At this point it was time for lunch and I was pleased to don some dry clothes but unfortunately I would have to continue to wear the wet shoes and socks.

The rope swing:

Tubin'

Jumping from the bridge:

After lunch Santos took me into the Semuc Champey Park where we hiked up a myriad of stairs and steep trails to a lovely viewpoint with the pools of the Semuc below.  It’s an interesting geological formation happening here.  The silt laden river water ducks into a tunnel passes under a 300 meter limestone bridge atop of which are these pools of clear water which comes from springs in the forest.  The minerals in the pools create the gorgeous turquoise water.  So from the high vantage point you see this rushing darkish green opaque water turn into about 400 hundred meters of clear turquoise relatively still water in theses stepping pools only to switch back into the raging muddy business from upstream.  Pretty cool.

Stairs on the hike up:

Semuc Champey from above:

Of course Knuffle was there:

As was I:

We hiked down and I surprised myself by actually switching into my wet trunks and having a short swim.  When In Rome as I keep saying.

At the pools:

My guide shot a little early on this one...missed my jump:

Some of the waterfalls:

The waterfalls at the end of the pools.  The river is coming out from a tunnel on the right:

A nearby home to Greengo's, people here are pretty poor:

Just some cute kids hanging out by Greengo's:

That evening was super quiet at the hotel and I had my dorm to myself which was great as I needed to leave at 7 am for a shuttle back to Antigua, followed by another one at 2am the following night to head through El Salvador and Honduras to Leon in Nicaragua.  The next big adventure…volcano boarding!