Blogs from Semuc Champey, Verapaz Region, Guatemala, Central America Caribbean

I have a rule that I don’t leave a place until I have posted pics and blogged about it. I broke that rule about 10 days ago. You see, the day I headed to Semuc Champey, I was writing an infringement analysis process test that the engineers in India took today. I was on course to write 30 questions a day, when I left on the 7 hour jungle drive to Semuc from Antigua, Guatemala. Upon arrival at the El Portal Inn, at the entrance to Semuc, I learned that the hostel only had 4 hours of electricity per day. My computer batteries were dead from writing questions on the drive there, and there was no power on arrival, so I lost two days of work. You can’t bring your B game when you work with ... read more

Hola amigos! We made a stop in Lanquin to see some really cool caves. The lights were not functional that day (nor were they functional for the last few months, we reckon), so we relied on our head lamps for light. Slowly, but surely, we clambered over slippery rocks and a couple of dodgy ladders in the total darkness, viewing some amazing rock formations inside. The caves are relatively unexplored and continue for several miles in a maze of caverns and tunnels, although we only made it in a few hundred yards. We waited by the cave entrance until sunset and watched bats fly out of the cave by the thousands. Against the twightlight sky, we could make out their flight patterns of swooping and darting everywhere. Such amazing creatures. Only a few miles from Lanquin ... read more

The next day I found myself on another bus to Coban back in Guatemala (for the third time).Near to Coban are the caves of Lanquin and the karst lakes of Semuc Champey. Semuc ChampeySemuc Champey is a beautiful series of small ponds and pools on a natural land bridge that crosses the Cahabon River. In the Mayan Kekchi language, Semuc Champey means Sacred Water. The Cahabon River submerges itself at the entrance of Semuc Champey and resurfaces about 400 meters later after it passes this natural limestone bridge suspended with beautiful crystal clear ponds. In this unique natural formation you have water with shades of light green emerald to dark blue sapphire. Before reaching the lakes you have to climb around 300 metres to a vantage point and then you walk down to have a swim ... read more

Left the lovely Lago Atitlan and headed back via Antigua to what we have been told is the highlight of Guatemala, a little town called Lankin in order to visit Semuc Champey - and wow were we not disappointed. The 12 hour journey 11 of which were quiet pleasant but the last hour was through a dirt road (road is stretching it a little) in the pitch black bouncing up and down in the back of a minivan which was not made for these roads not that this deterred our driver. Finally we arrived in the dark to a little hostel in the middle of the hills with plenty of charm. Following morning I was totally blown away by the view from our room we really were in the middle of the highlands and it was ... read more

Dias 19, 20, 21, and 22 What a week! I apologize I haven’t been able to write more frequently, but with the new volunteer/school schedule it is proving to be pretty difficult to find time to do it, my schedule is packed! Thursday was my first day working at the ICA clinic. ICA is one of the largest language schools in Xela and is located over near the cemetery, about 10 blocks from Parque Central. In the large 3 story building they have one small room that is a clinic run by 5th and 6th year medical students. I spent the morning shadowing a young female doctor who was a great teacher, always keeping me included nad showing me what she was doing. I really enjoyed working with her, and was sad to learn that this ... read more

I split the journey from Antigua to Semuc Champey up by spending a night in the pretty uninspiring town of Coban and then taking the local bus to Lanquin the next morning. From here it was just a case of jumping into any one of the pick-ups parked at the entrance to Lanquin that whisk you away to their respective hostels as and when the tourists arrive. “El Portal” was my first choice being the closest to the pools at Semuc Champey. This was full however and I ended up settling for the slightly dodgy “Las Marias”, just a bit further back along the road from El Portal. Despite this dodginess, I have to admit that the hostel was in a great setting, right across the road from the River Cahabon and with access to a ... read more