Perros sin casas, coffee and a nice hostel

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  Coban, Lanquin and Semuc Champay, Guatemala
Thursday, March 27, 2008

Pulling into the main terminal late in the afternoon, it was still hot and dusty and i had no idea where i was. Word of mouth told me of a great hostel for less than 10 bucks a night called La Acuna. But when asking 3 different people for directions, they all told me something different. One seemed to have no idea what town he was in. The other pointed me south, the others directions lead me to the main plaza. I figured id go that way and seek further directions from the hilltop plaza. luckily instinct led me the right way and i found a friendly hot dog vender who pointed me straight to the amazing hostel.

In a 4 bed dorm i met janis, a Dutch girl and we settled down for an amazing coffee. The hostel has a very expensive restaurant with acceptably priced coffee... well, at least it wasnt nescafe! Guatemala with its free trade agreement and kind of other tariffs should have the best coffee in the world, but infortunately, its all exported and the locals are left with the rotten beans, which they send to nesle and in return, they get a lovely glass jar full of the best you can get... nescafe!

Luckily, for 1 dollar these guys used top notch beans and came up with a strong blend that kepy me chatting all night.

While Janis opted for a princesses meal, as she put it, for 15 dollars, i ran to the plaza and found an eatery for 3 dollars. A plate of beans, rice and a hunk of meat was the specialty for tonight and i tucked into the local fare. The evening meal, called cena - dinner, or comida - food doesnt vary all that much in central america. It consists simply of a plate of beans, rice, plantain and meat. Only the origin and quantity of the meat varies from place to place. Either way, i stuffed my meal down without asking of the origin of my hunk of meat and returned to the hostel just as Janis was finishing her princesses meal. I got in, just in time to help her finish off the last of her vino tinto and retured to bed.

We made plans to head to a place called Semuc Champay in the morning.

Semuc Champay

Its the gem of Guatemala. Finally, some untouched naturaleza!

After a 2 hour bus ride, we were taken to a hostel, which the bus driver guaranteed had room. He dropped us off in the middle of the jungle and told us to follow a dirt path. We found the hostel and low and behold, they were full. Quick thinking from the host, saw him pitch a tent in the yard and we were set. Dropping my bag in the growing midday heat, i donned my boardies and headed 5 minutes down the road to Semuc Champay. An amazing feat of water was waiting below. what was it... strange... picture this.. a fast flowing cool and somwhat dirty river rushed in from up the valley, only to be sucked into a dark menacing cavern and with a roar, the water dissapeared into the earth, while above, a series of pristine pools filled with fresh water from inside the nearby hills cascaded into eachother, creating natural turquoise swimming holes. The water became pregressively warmer the further down the pools you went. There were around 10 levels of pools and bunch of lazy backpackers relaxed in the crystal clear water. It was quiet a spectacle and one of the most stunning water formations ive ever seen.

I always like to investigate and see whats around the corner and while Janis swam around and chatted with a few other gringos, i set off exploring. I tried to get a good view into the cavern where the water dissapeared into the earth only to be yelled at by a security guard. We got chatting and he told me that last year, 2 german tourists were sucked into the cave and appeared, hours later, drowned at the other side. He offered me a cigarette and told me many stories of violence in Guatemala. He said every few weeks, banditos emerge from the jungle and rob tourists while they swim in the warm clear water, then run back into the jungle. Wierd. I thanked him for the smoke and the info and held tight to my camera as i headed up to alookout point along a 1.5km trail up the mountains above the river. When i recovered from the intensely hot walk, i was able to rest and get a good view of the spectacle below.. it was so pretty it almost looked fake.

I ran down and jumped into the water at the bottom, then returned with Janis to get some food from our jungle hostel.

The did a great chicken dish, with rice and beans... i told you, only the origin of the meat varies and after treating a big loud mouthed canadian girl for a spider bite, i crawled into bed and had a restless night. Emerging a few times to sit in a nearby hammock and admire the stars.

The next day i woke early in the blaring heat to visit the water filled caves across the river from the hostel. For $5 i was the only one there and set off up the mountinside with a personal guide. a 19 year old kid. We arrived at the cave entrance and he turned on his fading headlamp and offered me a candle.

The cave entrance was fairly large and i jumped into the knee deep water. We walked around the corner and were in darkness. Marcos, my guide said, ok now we swim, one hand. With one hand held high, holding the candle out of the water, we swam breast stroke 40 metres, along a narrow canal deep within the cave. On the end of the canal was a waterfall with a rope ladder. He told me we must climb the ladder with one hand, keeping the candle dry. It seemed almost impossible with the amount of water rushing down, but i managed to get to the top with my candle still burning. We continued along these caves, checking out the stalectites and columns, finding small shells.. i doono how they got there, we were deep in the cave!? A little further on was a great big sink hole. I was told to climb to the top on the wall and jump in. I did as i was told while marco held my candle and bombed into the hole.. ron burgandy style. It wasnt as deep as marco made out and i touched the bottom. Lucky i didnt do a pencil dive. Next up, he said ok, now we walk, water up to chin... and made a cutting sign across his neck... he was some kind of midget mayan decendant and his chin was about up to my hips, so i had no problem walking, while he was swimming, keeping his candle dry.

Eventually e reached a great big pool and he said it was time to turn around. No i said, lets keep going, this is amazing.. he said no because our candles had burnt half way and we needed the other half to get out. oh dear, we rushed back the way we came and i exited with 5 minutes of candle time left. what a great adventure. He told me of a group of americans that wanted to go all the way into the caves.. they took supplies and walked for 4 hours into the caves, turning back due to hypothermia. He said nobody had ever reached the end of the caves.

Sounds like a challenge.

I returned to the hostel at 10 and it was time to go. Dutchie had chain smoked half her pack of smokes while we were waiting for a ride. We rode in the back of a pickup and were taken to Lanquin, a quiet little town and dropped at the most amazing place by the river. A hostel called El Retiro.

Grassy hills lined the river bank where a bunch of backpackers lounged around, smoking joints, drinking beer, reading and relaxing in the sun by the cool fast flowing river.

Dutchie and i shared a room in the attic in a cabana. For 6 dollars each, it was a bargain. We dropped the bags and escaped the intensifying heat by paying 4 dollars and getting in a pickup with an inner tube, A bunch of us rode the pickup for 15 minutes upriver and were dumed at the rivers edge.

We jumped in with our inner tubes and rode the river for 20 minutes in the tubes, bashing into eachother and having a really fun time being kids on the floating tubes.

That night, the hostel put on an all you can eat mexican feast for 4 dollars!!! All you can eat!! I hadnt eaten all i can since south america.. it was delicous. I ate 4 plates fuill and almost threw up. With a full belly i chatted with some aussies who told me tales of being shipwrecked in the san blast islands, sailing from colombia to panama, they hit a storm and crashed their yacht onto the reef their backpacks sink with the ship and they swam ashore and were rescued by the locals and flown to the main city, where they sued the captain for negligence and scored some cash to continue their adventure... amazing.

I left the next day for Flores and the Ruins of Tikal.