Guatemala 2018

Wednesday7thNovember

Here we are, late afternoon, arrived at our destination in Lanquín where we will stay two nights at the Pub-hotel El Muro.

The room faces a superb panorama. We are surrounded by mountains but this is misleading because Lanquín is only 380 meters above sea level! To think that we were at 1500 meters in Antigua and Lake Atitlán!

A little stroll in the very small town.

The old church, preserved in its original state.

The clash of civilizations... The weight of traditions... Which will prevail over the other...?  

The entrance to Pub EL Muro where we are staying.

Thursday8November

The sun's rays magnify the lush green setting facing our room...  

For breakfast, it's facing the hotel bar and next to the hammocks... 

A giant map welcomes pins from kind tourists who want to indicate their country of origin. Europe seems to be making good use of its RTT days...

The Simpsons have taken over the "wall" of the Pub of the same name... While the guard basset is on permanent alert for the comings and goings of the few customers...

A little hammock relaxation while waiting for breakfast to be prepared...

Onion and tomato omelette accompanied by lightly mashed frijoles. Excellent!

We hire the services of Pepe, a local guide who will take care of us until we reach the site everyone comes to visit here: Semuc Champey, a natural site where a superb terraced river flows. So we set off in a van for a 40-minute drive to the foot of the site.

The pick-up truck doesn't just take the four tourists we are, but also locals who take advantage of the transport along the way.

Here we are at the starting point of the short hike that will lead us to the river.

The climbing path plunges into the jungle. 80 minutes of walking (including breaks...) will be enough to reach the site.

The jungle comes with its share of wild animals. Here, we encounter the impressive howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) who, as their name suggests, can be heard from afar...

We arrive at the highest point of the route where our objective is revealed with its magnificent sequence of blue-green pools. 

No doubt, swimming will be essential and welcome after the half-hour walk we still have to do!

The Cahabón River is partly underground and resurfaces at this gorge. Millions of years have sculpted the 7 terraced pools. The lush green setting and turquoise water have added a paradisiacal touch to the site...  

The viewpoint offers a view from 100 meters high. Enough to make you feel like you could fly...

We arrive at the bottom, at the first natural pool. The trickling waters from the mountain swell the Cahabón River even more, which flows under the sequence of pools. In Mayan language, Cahabón means "where the river hides under the earth".

All that's left is to put on your swimsuit! The depth of the pools varies between 1 and 3 meters.

While swimming, enjoy free manicure services!   If you leave your legs still in the water, dozens of small fish will gather at your feet in a few seconds. The exfoliating action of their suction mouths will clean dead skin with a second tickling effect that is not unpleasant at all.  

After acquiring my brand new feet, I had to come to my senses and leave this little corner of paradise. In 30 minutes, by the same path taken on the way there, we found the parking lot where everything is provided for refreshments.

After lunch, we rejoin the Cahabón River, which has swollen considerably since the pools but has still managed to retain beautiful colors.

About a hundred meters from the yellow bridge, a must-do if you're a thrill-seeker with this "visit" to the "Las Marias K'an-B'a" cave!

The challenge is simple: venture into an underground river by the sole light of your candle!   We set off, four of us, with Pepe who, after smearing black ash on our faces, guides us into the cave where only the few meters illuminated by our wax lanterns are visible. Inside, in addition to swimming, you also have to climb to reach the different chambers, sometimes even through waterfalls with the help of a rope, or conversely by sliding down natural stone slides... In a word, brilliant!  

Obviously, I'm not equipped with an amphibious camera. Only Pepe's GoPro will bring us back some memories.

After this short underground exploration, we retrace our steps, this time on the river, with inner tubes. 

Return to Lanquín by Pick-Up on the same road, well-gripped on the rear platform...

That same evening, as we were getting a taste for caves, we went to visit the Lanquín caves, located 20 minutes away by tuk-tuk.

The cave is not large but well-stocked with stalagmites and stalactites. And while looking up, you have to secure your steps because the ground is very slippery, at the risk of gliding between the prehistoric structures...

At 6 p.m., Pepe asks us to sit right at the entrance... Just like in Cambodia where we had observed from a distance but totally captivated, a swarm of bats leaving a cave for 20 minutes, we are going to experience the same event here, but this time at the heart of the phenomenon... 

After Pepe turned off all the lights, a few bats (Mormoops megalophylla in this case) gradually got into formation... Then, without stopping, hundreds and hundreds of flying rodents rushed towards the exit, obviously passing in front of or above our heads... We were in the dim light and felt more than we saw the chiropterans. But that was without counting our cameras which, armed with their flash, for a few shots, illuminated the walls, revealing for a few microseconds the scale of the squadrons that were appearing before us... 

Fortunately, thanks to their integrated natural sonar, no small flying mammal will tickle our nostrils!

After this sporty day, nothing beats a bit of barbecue to refuel on proteins!  

Friday9November

Last wake-up in Lanquín, where this time the sun has given way to fog, without detracting from the charm of the panorama.

And the same lunch as the day before, before leaving the streets of Lanquín... We set off to reach the city of Chisec, a 3h30 drive from here.

Passing through superb hills covered with coffee plantations.

Lantana plants (Lantana camara).

Arrived in Chisec, we have lunch at the Hotel Estancia de la Virgen where we will spend one night.

Indeed, we are chaining up the Guatemalan caves, now with those of Candelaria.

It is with Raul and Don Pedro that we are going to explore these caves with the help of large inner tubes because, indeed, it is on the water that we will do the visit!

The route is not long but very pleasant. It is also possible to do it dry, which Christelle chose, and we could see her in the distance under the immense cavity.

After the aquatic stroll, we return on foot with Don Pedro.

Back in Chisec, where it's too late to enjoy the hotel restaurant. We fall back on a small restaurant across the street that's about to close. Fortunately, the owner welcomes us and offers us the bottom of a pot where frijoles were simmering! 

For once, the hotel is huge compared to our usual small guesthouses or other hostels.