Semuc Champey!

Perhaps the best part about being secluded in my hostel was witnessing the aftermath of the previous days shenanigans. Including hearing the story of the girl whose boyfriend thought her backpack was a great place to go to the washroom. I also talked to my fellow shuttle travelers who were much too hungover to attempt Semuc Champey. Oh well, for the ten of us who made it through the night it was certainly a day to remember.

Departing on the back of a pick up with our driver going at breakneck speed in these tight turns. Although it sounds terrifying, it was entirely exhilarating. The wind in the hair, the random bumps that sent you flying, and the possibility of getting smacked in the face by a branch. All added up to an entirely entertaining trip. Especially when a fellow traveler was apt to curse over the state of the roads. Well I was laughing.

Despite all this, we made it to the first stop which were the caves. Although initially we started by jumping into the river, which included me doing a spectacular back flop and multiple worries of my safety. My back is definitely bruised from the whole debacle. However, I am quite proud about it after all it takes a complete lack of skill to back flop. I assure you.

After this we headed to the caves, which additionally was one of the most surreal moments of my life. Heading into the cave with only a single candle and several perfect strangers, meant I was in for an interesting experience. Climbing ladders over waterfalls, swimming in the dark, and losing your light were key aspects.

We also had the opportunity to “tube” down the river. I use the quotations because it is important to note that the “tubing” portion really takes approximately two minutes. Still fun, but just not as incredible. The fun part about the tubing experience is that you form a human chain and at least, as one of my fellow adventurers noted, we could all die together. Although in all fairness there really was no harm of dying there. The current may have been swift, but the water was quite deep.

After all this fun and frivolity, it was time to walk over to the Semuc Champey pools and eat lunch. During our break I was able to communicate with the deaf-mute traveler who seriously the more I learned about him the more he blew my mind. Plus it was really inventive the ways he tried to communicate with you lacking pen and paper. It was also interesting to hear that the people who had travelled with him since Flores describing how they felt it their moral duty to ensure he was looked after. Although sometimes I wonder if he even needs it, granted it does make his life easier when people ensure he knows what is going on.

When we started our trip towards the pools our group made a detour to climb to the Mirador for some excellent photos. The climb was not long, only 25 minutes, but was quite steep. I was enjoying pushing myself up the hill as fast as I could. Which apparently warranted the teasing that Canadians are competitive. Well this Canadian is and I wanted to get up that hill asap.

The work was definitely worth it. As we arrived at the look out we all sort of stopped talking and just tried to soak in what we were seeing. It is one of those really impressive things where you cannot help but think “how was this ever created?” It seems so impossible for something like Semuc Champey to exist, yet there it is. Cascading waterfalls, clear blue pools of water, and frolicking tourists. What more could you want? Plus it is nestled between these two mountains and is just so picturesque I wish I had a more impressive camera.

After taking what felt like 1,000 photos we all made the descent down towards the actual pools. It was here we were able to finally swim in the water. The sheer bliss of being in Guatemala swimming in those pools is indescribable. Once again I found myself feeling incredibly blessed to be on this journey as well as being able to explore this natural wonder.

Having sufficiently basked in the sun and water for about 45 minutes a few of us went to investigate the higher pools. We found the our not-so-disabled traveler in the centre of a flock of Guatemalteca’s who were giggling at something he had just done. While he entertained the locals, I went with a few other people to investigate the powerful river. Just standing where the water submerged beneath the pools was a pure delight and the photos do not do it justice.

I returned to the first pool with just enough time to do a final lap around and soak it all in for the final time. Then it was time to return to El Retiro for a quiet supper sharing travel stories with new arrivals. All in all, a perfect day.