Semuc Champey!!!

Saturday 17.02


Action day:We have booked a tour to the beautiful pools of Semuc Champey. We pack our stuff, we eat a rich breakfast and we depart from our hostel together with 20 more people. Again the role of the bus plays a track, with a lot of people on the back standing. The feeling is like going for a safari... of wonderful moments!
Unexpectedly the first visit is inside the caves of the area. We enter only with our swimming suits and a candle in our hands.. Tzoum, tzoum, tzoum, tzouuumm! Underground water is evident from the first moment, and specifically cold underground water. As we enter in a row with our candles, it looks like a strange ritual. And it is a kind of ritual. We try to swim and keep the candle out of the water at the same time. The beginning is easy but, some "stable" ladders follow, a rope climbing against a small waterfall, huge rooms work as swimming pools and for the end a wonderful dark 3 meter dive in the last room. The dim light of only 3-4 candles makes the scenery unbelievable unique. On our way back, a slight change in our route involves a small slide through a hole in order to pass to the pool of the next room. This is one of the last things before we seriously start to getting really cold. Facing again the light of the exit, as we are going out of the caves, and putting out our candles means the end to a ritualistic tour. And everything worked perfect: the colours of the nature are much more vivid and
intense and our little group, much more bonded than before. And the fun just started!

In order to enter to Semuc Champey we have to pass from a bridge standing over than 10 meters from the river. People take advantage and jump from it, in the river. We seriously think about it but no.. In the end we back off... PUSSIES..!

Normally you have to pay for the entrance to the place, but (un)fortunately not for us. The story common more or less: Government wants to take over the local peoples´ land and take all the income from that place. They were supposed to give a 70% of the earnings, to the 4 local communities around Semuc for the past years. Surprisingly, you (that you know read this post) received the same amount of money with the communities: Nothing at all. And if I remember well they want to reduce this  percentage to 7%. This is a huge reason for strike. Around 60-70 people are gathered and demonstrating for that reason. However they don´t allow as to take photos of them. We respect and we continue.

The uphill hike to the viewpoint just started. Quite tiring but the view pays off back.. And after every uphill, a huge downhill follows, leading us to a dive in the pools. A majestic scenery of turquoise waters, so clean that you can see every detail in the basin of the pools. Watery (it!!) slides, dives and a lot of fun in order to pass from one pool to the other. This is happiness! A bit cold happiness but sooooo big one!! And it is evident in every face, if you look around.

Back to our beautiful hostel we continue the fun with the nice people! A nice dinner, few beers and a beautiful campfire..!  The end of a majestic day is close, and our bodies completely tired!