Guatemalan hospitality

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Where to begin...the last two days have felt like an entire week because of the amount of adventure that´s taken place in such a short time.

When we last posted we were getting ready to leave the tiny, very hot island of Flores to head to Coban and Semuc-Champey to see what has been called the most beautiful place in Guatemala. When we left Flores with our acquired travel buddies (Shyra and Natalie) we thought we´d have a quick 5 hour shuttle ride to Coban to stay the night and then a day down at Semuc.

The shuttle ride started out normal enough and we were joined by a british couple, an irish girl and a german guy all heading to the same place. The trek proved quite scary for myself because the driver was a little wild on the road and those that know me know that I am not a very good passenger. However, the scenery was amazing and we passed through many, many small communities of indigenous people where the population seemed to be 5-10 children for every 1 adult plus about 7 dogs to each household. At one point we reached the town of Sayaxchel and had to get a a small ¨ferry¨ boat (yes in quotations) which was basically a large slab of wood with a little boat motor attached to it, to take us across the river because there was no bridge. That was quite funny and we saw the meaning of toll booth here in Guatemala.

After 5 hours in the shuttle we finally made it in to Coban, a surprisingly large city that even has a mall, but the whole gang decided to go on to Lanquin where a really neat hostel was located and plus we would be closer to Semuc. We had to switch mini buses because our driver was tired which was kind of a pain in the ass but oh well.

We reached Lanquin around 9pm and after calling the hostel, found out there was no room for the 8 of us travelers! We weren´t really sure what to do but our driver assured us he would find us a place to stay. When we pulled up to a dark house and the driver got out and said to stay there we really weren´t sure what was going on. Finally a man came out and we were told to grab all of our things and start loading them in to the back of a truck. The man who came out was Eric and he owned a hostel 1km from Semuc-Champey and he was going to personally take us down to the hostel. So we all loaded in with the two guys in the back and all of us six girls squeezed into the cab with Eric our lovely escort. (this is Cameron now) Em and i sat in the front with Eric and we proceded to pick up his friend and he hopped in the back with the other guys and our packs. Then we headed down hill to the hostel. When i say downhill, i mean down a very very steep and narrow and slippery (cuz it had been raining) road. Eric had to put it in 4 wheel drive most of the way. So we are finally happy to be heading to beds for the night and are rolling along down the hill when we turn a corner and suddenly come accross a big truck parked on the hill. Eric honks the horn and a man appears out of either the bushes or the back of the truck we are not sure which. Apparently the truck is stuck because of the slick roads. So the guys get out and decide that pushing the truck up the hill would be a good idea. Mind you the truck weighs around 6 tons! Not really the best idea, but i believe there was a little machismo floating around in the air so they were somewhat determined. After quite a few spinns of the tires on the gravel they got the truck over a foot or so, then we decide that perhaps the truck that we are in could perhaps squeeze next to the truck and happily proceed down the hill. Well.... most of us had to get out and everyone else had to push in the mirror of the other truck and physically push our truck away from the other one because the top half would tip over onto it and we would not be able get by. But with the combined effort of all of our bodies we were able to get by. But Eric insisted that emily and i stay in the front seat with him... uh... lucky charms? i would say yes. So we all pile back in and by this time it´s 11:30 at night. While we were waiting we heard the roar of the cicadas and various jungle like insects. It was quite wonderful actually. So we got back in the truck and finally arrive at the campy like hostel. It was super dark when we got there so Eric said to turn on the lights, which actually was a generator so it was all of a sudden a surge of light and noise in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. It was our grand entrance¨Welcome to El Portal!¨ Eric opened up the bar and we all had a few beers. Unbeknownst to us the place was full, there were even people sleeping in a loft above the eating area where we were hanging out. we probably woke some folks up. but we needed a debreifing so we sat there and had a good time for a little bit. we then proceded to crash out.
the next morning we wake up and walk out our door and BAM! we are right on the river and have an amazing view of the whole area. We head the one kilometer to Samuc-champey. We pay our 30 Quetzales (four dollars) to get in and hike a bit and every step we take the river and the amazing pools unfold before us. The water is so crystal clear we can see right to the bottom. We arrive at the pools and jump in! It is the most beautiful place we have ever swam in, Erin... it beats the goodness by far. So we relaxed and swam around in the cool water pools while no one was around, then more people stop by and start diving in, and we decide to hit up some nachos at the hostal and while we are walking back i stop and say "i am not ready to leave yet" so we go back and actually walk a little farther up the river and discover that the pools are in fact on top of an extremely rapid and fast moving river. We come to the part where the river runs underneath the tranquil pools. It had cut into the rock and formed a big underground tunnel with the run-off forming the pools. It was so awe inspiring. we all stood there for a few minutes not saying anything to eachother. Then a tour group arrived to the area and we decided to bounce and hit up the pools a few more times.
While we were haning out in the pools a few Native Guatemalans started up conversations with us and because of our amazing spanish skills.... uh... un poco español... we actually got to speak with a few people. Both conversations ended up in them telling us how Bonita we were. Which is one of the best things we could have heard while we were in our bathing suits and not showered in a day or two at the time. Ha Ha.
After that a bunch of people from the tour arrived at the swiming area and we decided to get out of there. It is surprising how many people showed up and still how tranquil it was when we arrived. It is nice to know that right now this place is respected and conserved for its beauty.
We booked the shuttle back to Coban and packed up our things. We loaded up and moved out. Not before our travel buddy Natalie and i (cameron) jumped off the bridge into the river. umbeknownst to us that there were crocodiles in that area... no bites though... which is nice 😊
we pile into the shuttle and ride the narrow gravel road out of the beautiful samuc-champey.
When we arrive in Lanquin we have to transfer to a regular mini bus whereas the bus that we took up from the river was seriously the best bus i have ever ridden in. But there was the token lady carrying the live chicken and a large knife that we all know she was going to use to kill that chicken with. She had a huge smile on her face knowing what dinner was going to be.
In the new minibus the people running it believed it was a regular chicken bus. there was the drivers helper haning out the sliding door announcing where we were headed and picking people up along the way. By the time we were out of the Lanquin town limits we were packed. our travel buddy Shyra had the crap seat by the door where she had to keep getting up to let people out and in when their stops came up. She took it in good humor saying "at least i have a nice ass to look at!" We all sat and had good conversation and absorbed the Guatemala life. For me, it was one of the most wondrerful, most amazing moments of our trip. Surrounded by spanish/native speaking people headed to their various parts of the country. There were women with children and food that she sells on the side of the road, there was a lawyer, there were regular coban people, there was a couple with a child, there were old people and the four of us gringas heading to the next site on our adventures in this amazing country. All the while listening to dance/traditional/modern rock spanish music blasting from the speakers. There was a lot for me to absorb on this bus ride. We arrive at the mini bus depot and we ask the driver if he could take us to the central plaza where we would walk to the hotel we were staying at that night and he acutally ended up taking us directly to the hotel because he said it wasn´t safe for us to be walking around with our packs at night. The amazing hospitality of these people. He didn´t charge us extra, though we gave him a tip, but just the fact that they were concerned and were looking out for us. The stupid lonely planet said nothing of this amazing Guatemalan trait.
We arrive at our hotel, it is one of the most clean and friendly hotels we have seen. it´s called Casa Luna in Coban. The nervous helpful desk guy was super friendly and accomodating because we arrived with many needs like shuttles to antigua and trips to coffe plantations and rooms and cervecas... there were hammocks and tv and clean rooms squishy beds and an evangelical church to rock out to until at least ten pm. They sound as passionate in spanish as they do in english.... " Praise Jesus!"
We slept and woke up...
Our two travel buddys headed to Antigua, and we found out we couldn´t stay at our wonderful hotel another night as they were full the next night so we headed somewhere else which was praised in Lonely Planet, which doesn´t even compare. As the day unfolded we found out that today is Army day and everything we wanted to see: the coffee plantation, and the orchid farm and even the more expensive coffee plantation was closed. So we proceded to drink Gallo at our hotel and get free treats like bruchetta and veggies with ranch and chips with tomato sauce and macademia nuts. Em and i talked about everything... our trip, our lives, our future, our families, our friends... i decided i want to come back. perhaps buy a house hear for seasons. I told em she needs to move to Germany. She caught the travel bug... this trip fed mine. Though we aren´t done yet, though i had a rough time at the beginning, the amazing hospitality and culture and people of this country have affected me in more ways than i even anticipated.
I vow to continue learning spanish, so does em. Any spanish speaking people in Seattle we will be utilizing, Susan i would love to converse with you in spanish. I might even hit up the guy who walks around greenlake with the spanish lessons vest on... just because it is such a rich language that i want to know more of.
Now we are sitting in an internet cafe telling you our stories. We miss you all. We love you all. We will see you in tres dias!
mucho amore,
Cam and Em

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