Lazy Lanquin

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Form Flores I journied to the small highland town of Lanquin. Once again I had only planned to stay a few days but the beauty and tranquility of my surroundings stretched my time there. I arrived to Lanquin at about four in the afternoon. I had heard from many people that the place to stay in Lanquin was the El Retiro Lodge and that as a result it often filled up quickly. I was worried that since we arrived so late there wouldn't be any space in the dorms and I was right. Thankfully I was able to grab one of the last hammocks of the night and the next day I was able to move into the dorm.

Guatemala is definately more accoustom to hosting travelers than Honduras or Nicaragua and there is quite a good network of backpacker servies within the country. There also seem to be established Guatemala highlights which are visited by almost every traveler in one order or another. Often you meet people who have just been where yo are going and who are going to where you have just been. Other times you will be following the same path as others only on a slightly differnt time schedule. So along my Guatemalan route I have meet many travelers and we have exchanged advice on the places we have been and asked about places we are going. There is an ease of interaction among backpackers because we all share the common experience of traveling through this amazing country. I have made many friends in the long evenings at the various hostels and upon arriving to a new destination it is actually quite common to bump into people that you meet days ago on the other side of the country.

The hostel at Lanquin was a beautiful place located on a gentle grassy slope leading down to the edge of the river. The quaint bungalows each sported their very own hammocks which proved to be an excellent place to while away the afternoon. Every night we slept with the door open as much for the fresh air as for the soothing sounds of the river flowing. There was quite a gathering every night at the restaurant for dinner and it always turned into late night conversations or some very amusing rounds of cards.

The initial reason that poeple come to Lanquin is to get to Semuc Champey. The national park is home to some truely incredible natural wonders. Best of all were the pools which consists of a seris of deep, clear, bule pools which cascade into one another. I spent a whole day at the pools which are nesteled in between some magnificent hills. It is really quite indescribeable the sheer beauty of it all.

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Photos

El Retiro Lodge
This is the path leading down to the river.

Comments

[Vickie]

Ready to Retiro!
Hello Jen, What a beautiful place you've discovered in Lanquin. I'm ready to retire and spend some relaxing time in the hammock and in the pools, too. Your descriptions are wonderful. You should write a travel guide. Take care and keep blogging. TeAmo, Tia Vickie