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Published: November 21st 2016
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At Lanquín itself wasn't much to do. 2 nights was more than enough, especially after what happened:
The morning after we arrived, I woke up really early as usual.. I wake up every morning between 5:00 and 7:00 since I'm traveling. So this day was like any other. I got up and went to the restaurant in my pj's, asked for a bowl to eat the cereals with milk we bought the other day and read a book from the shelf.
Around 10:00 the others came for breakfast. They both already took a shower and were ready to go. I still had to take a shower so I went to the cabin to take my stuff. While showering, a frog suddenly came through the drain. I jumped out of the shower with my body still covered in soap and wrapped my towel around me. Just when I opened the door to figure out how I could lure the frog out of the shower, Kasper came by. He asked me if I could hurry up.. I was a little shocked that he asked me that since I waited yesterday all day because of him. Not to forget I was already up since 7:00 this morning and waited for them to come out of the room. All I could say was "seriously?!" He told me again that they were ready to go and that I should hurry. I said that I waited for them for 3 hours at the retaurant so it shouldn't be a problem to wait 5 more minutes for me. His reaction was "You could've showered in that time right?!" This made me so angry inside that I said that they could go and that I would go on my own.
Being a woman, I don't always mean what I say. Of course I didn't want to go all by myself, so when I found the room empty 5 minutes later I was furious. I couldn't believe they really left without me!
I was not planning on letting them ruin my day, so I just went on my own. I found a collectivo fast, so in no time I was on my way to Semuc Champey. The road was very rough and bumpy, but I enjoyed the view anyway. We drove for an hour between small villages where local (mayan) people live their (primitive) lives. People washing their clothes in the river, men and boys cutting and carrying wooden sticks, women carrying seeds and other food on their heads, sheets with seeds in front of the houses to dry and much more. The view was breathtaking as well, because we were high in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere.
When I arrived at Semuc Champey, the driver told me not to go on my own to the mirador. I wasn't sure why, but when I met a guy on his own at the entrance and told him about it, he agreed to go together. It was quite a long and slippery climb and I only brought my flip flops. I guess that's why the driver told me not to go alone. When you fall, there's someone who could go and get help.
When we arrived at the top, the view was spectacular. It was absolutely worth the climb. a Few minutes and many foto's later, we went back down to take a swim in the natural pools.
There were lockers, where we put our bags inside. Only my clothes I left outside on the bench to dry (they were all wet from sweating during the climb).
The pools were really nice! Unfortunately my waterproof camera isn't working anymore so I couldn't make some pictures to show you. We were in the pools for about an hour, going from the top to the bottom one. One of them had a high jump and when I was about to jump, people in the pool beneath were shaking their heads or made hand gestures not to jump. It looked safe enough so I did it anyway. What's life without a little advanture?
When we went back to the lockers, my clothes were gone! One of the guys who worked their, figured out I was looking for them and told me that a guide named Queso took them. The guide thought it was from one of his guests. Ok, this can happen, but I still had to go back to Lanquín in my bikini.. I only brought my small towel because the big one was still wet from the shower when I left the hostel. That one didn't entirely wrap around my waist so I felt a bit naked. Luckily the guy borrowed me his shirt. I was told that I could find Queso in hostel Zeyphir, so that's where I was going.
The ride back to Lanquín was in the back of a pick up where we had to stand and hold on to the metal work. The view was beautiful again but at the end my arms felt really heavy from holding on tight because of the bumpy road.
When we reached the hostel, I indeed found guide Queso there. He was playing pool with a friend. I walked up to him and asked if he was the one who took my clothes. He and his friend started laughing. Yes indeed he took them because he thought it was from one of his guests. I said I understood that could happen but that I would like to get them back. The other guy started telling him to stop talking to me because he wasn't working anymore. "Excuse me" I said "I came all the way to ask for my clothes, and I would like to get them back". He said there was nothing he could do because the clothes were in the front seat of the tour car that wasn't in town anymore. On top of that they started telling me that it was my own fault that I lost my clothes. I was the one who had put my clothes next to his guests'. I told him there were no clothes when I was there. I kept asking if there was a way to get my clothes back. "How much would you pay fo them" he said. I got really angry but managed to stay calm, knowing I would never get them back if I would start screaming. I did ask him a little upset if he was serious. So he reacted: "Tomate un tequila y tranquilase mujer" (have a tequila and calm down woman). He said it in such a disrespectful way that I got really angry. I told him I wanted my clothes back and that I would talk to the owner of the hostel. He said he would bring my clothes to my hotel at 8:00 in the morning "because he had balls, because he was a man of his words". I didn´t really believe it but I was insulted enough so I just walked away. I told someone from the hostel what happened, but they didn't seem to care.
At the end it wasn't about the clothes anymore. The things the guy said to me were just so disrespectful!
The next day I missed the first bus to Cobán because I was waiting for my clothes that never arrived. The people at my hostel (el retiro lodge) were very helpfull and friendly, although there was nothing they could do. I didn't want to wait all day, so I left without them. Because it was sunday, the bus didn't come until 12:00. Luckily there was a pick up. Again we had to stand in the back, holding on the metal work for 2 hours! The view again was breathtaking, what made the ride more bearable. I did witness a man killing a pig. Oh my! The sound that came from the poor animal was unbearable to hear. I had tears in my eyes while the local men laughed, seeing me almost bursting into tears.
I already don't like meat too much, but from now on no more meat at all for me!
From Cobán, I took an ADO bus to Guatemala City. The plan was to go from there directly to Quetzaltenango/Xela, where I found a couchurfer to stay with. As I already had so much bad luck these days, I arrived too late to be able to take the next bus. Guatemala City is dangerous at night. Luckily there was a Swiss guy in the bus, who lived there, who helped me finding a place to stay.
The next morning, the man from the reception had to go to his other job near the bus terminal and brought me there.
In a "chicken bus" (an old american schoolbus, painted in many colors) on my way to Xela.
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