Lanquin, Guatemala

Hi all !!
After three days in Antigua we thought it was high time to get moving again. We have discovered that both of us rather like being in one place for a while . This whole ' living out a backpack thing' is seriously over-rated! Weird how we have this overwhelming desire to unpack our bags and feel like we belong somewhere....be it only for 2 or 3 days.

We caught yet another bus, again at sparrow's fart in the morning... first to Guatemala City and then onto a place to called Coban. From Coban we caught a combi (packed with 22 of us !!) to Lanquin. There landed up being 8 gringo travellers in the same combi....all heading to the same backpackers in Lanquin! It was seriously hot and so when we arrived in the one horse town of Lanquin...we were thinking...'this better get better !!!'
We were very much to relieved when we arrived at El Retiro to find a fantastic back-packers....a little like 'the Shire' in the Lord of the Rings. Little grass thatch cabanas all over looking onto a great little river. Was really a wonderful retreat, even the long drop toilets were tastefully designed!!! (It is very common here to have resorts and backpackers that are eco friendly)

First night we arrived (Sat) there was a Mexican buffet (yummy!!!) . Meals are incredibly social, because dinner is served (at least supper time) at 7.30pm and everyone eats together 'family style'. Saturday afternoon we walked up to the famous ' Bat cave', where you could walk for hours into the cave to see the limestone formations (we weren't too interested in those, sounded too much like the Cango Caves in SA).....but then the bats !!!
At sunset thousands and thousands of bats can be seen to fly out the cave, this was worth seeing! We went along, quite happy to sit outside the cave and watch- but the guide had other ideas! He took us into the cave and made us lie/sit down at the entrance ...so we had all the bats flying directly over us !! I am not joking...we sat for at least 20min solid while the thousands of bats flew in their hordes over our heads. I sat clutching my straw hat over from head- convinced that one would get stuck in my hair !!! I can now tell you that bats are seriously goods fliers and that 'fly into your hair story' is definitely an old wives tale.
I am now cured from my bat phobia forever!

On the Monady we did a tour to Semuc Champey and on the way to the falls we went caving....(different caves to the 'Bat Caves"). This time we entered the caves with our costumes, old shoes and a candle. It was great fun: all done in the dark, with only the candle light to guide you, whilst swimming and crawling along into the limestone caves. We only managed 1.5km ( which took us over 1 and half hours) but the caves apparently went on for a total of 10km (all underground) ! At certain points we had to scale small waterfalls using ropes and other times you were swmming with one hand in the air, trying your best not to extinguish your candle!

Semuc Champey are fantastic river pools formed by a natural limestone bridge. The river flows directly underneath the bridge (underground river) and the spill over from the river rapids form the beautiful pools. What a great place !!!
Guys at Charing Cross (or rather girls....as I am sure the chaps have never noticed) the tropical flowers that the Flower Shop sells over the road for around a 4 pounds each... just grow wild here. Amazing !

We met some great people at Lanquin and El Retiro was really wonderful...a place one could get really too lazy. We had to drag ourselves away after 4 days otherwise we could easily have been there a week!
We leave on Wed for Rio Dulce. Will update you all soon
Mel x

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