Lago Izabel & route Semuc Champey - El Estor

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LAGO IZABEL
In El Estor, at the west end of this big lake in eastern Guatemala. Could go to Rio Dulce today, or Livingston, but this is a friendly town, and my room is on the lake. Headed to Belize tomorrow, but wanted to sum up this area.
It seems like folks are gearing up for more tourists, but there are precious few here (I think I am the only one at the moment). I had to pay for a boat tour at dawn this morning because it is only me, but $35 was worth it. Went with Pedro over to the nearby Boca de Polochik wetlands at the west end of Lago Izabel. Many many birds, and many just awakening howler monkeys. Also got a glimpse of the nose of a manatee. They are fairly abundant in this part of the lake.
I like the people here. Not as friendly as those in the remote villages I passed through in the mountains to the northwest to get here a few days ago, but friendlier than most you meet traveling. I would characterize Guatemalans as unassuming, polite mostly, and willing to interrupt what they are doing to help you. This contrasts with a country I recently traveled in, Thailand. My first time to this country and I guess I did not expect it to have so many indigenous people, especially as compared with Mexico to the north, where I have traveled a fair bit.

RECOMMENDATIONS
I recommend coming to check out lago Izabel. If you have a small group, it would be easy to organize a trek in the Sierra de Las Minas across the lake, where jaguars and tapirs are seen relatively frequently (for such shy creatures). Also there is great fishing, plus birdwatching and just chilling in El Estor. This is an area still well off the main tourist trail in Guatemala. I also like getting here to or from the Highlands via the quite touristy (but beautiful) Semuc Champey national park east of Coban. It is easy to go to Semuc Champey from Coban, then from there easy to Cahabon. But from there only one bus goes east super early in the a.m. I just flagged down a pickup, and ended up getting a free ride in the back. Plenty of pickups go, just not so on a Sunday (I got lucky on Palm Sunday no less). It is a rough road, but I made it all the way from Semuc Champey to El Estor with daylight to spare. Try to stop on the way and meet the Mayans who live in the mountains; they´re beautiful super-friendly people.
One last note on the Rio Cahabon. It is a gorgeous river, the nicest I have seen in Central America by a long shot. And I´m from Oregon, last year ran rivers in Nepal, so I have run my share of beautiful rivers. The mountains the Cahabon runs through are beautiful but deforested. It is rapidly growing back in most areas, but still, it is a bit sad to have not seen it 10 or 15 years ago when it was vast tropical rainforest. The river runs with pool/drop rapids, some up to IV or greater depending on level. Now it is getting lower but still passable, especially by white-water canoe. Earlier that this, say December - February, would be the time to do it. There is an outfit in Languin, near Semuc Champey, that rafts it apparently. But I would think more river rats would desire this run. Guess it is just not well known. There is the side benefit if you are passing through that it covers the distance from Languin to Panzos (near El Estor) which is otherwise a bumpy dirt road.

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