Trip of a Fyffe-time!: Semuc Champey, Guatemala

May 17-19

When speaking to people who are traveling through Guatemala, almost every single person says Semuc Champey is the highlight, so we had very high expectations... On the bus there (with Ryoko and Corina) we met Matthias who is from Germany. The four of us explored Semuc Champey together! We only had one full day there, so we tried to cram as much in as possible!

First stop was the caves.

This was a lot of fun and a little bit scary (safety is never the priority here!) We walked and swam though the caves, each person with a candle in their hand to light the way. At times we climbed ladders and ropes, occasionally jumping or riding down 'natural slides' into the water. At one point we had to squeeze through a tiny gap, clinging to the guide for dear life, before he dropped us down into the water.

Outside the caves there was a huge swing that went over the river. Too shallow to jump off it, but good fun.

Then we walked along the river to some waterfalls, where a few brave people rock-climbed to get a better view. We spent a while relaxing in the water and swimming under the waterfalls.

Next up was tubing! We hopped into our 'tubes' and floated down the beautiful green river. At one point locals (some of whom were children..) started throwing beers at us. They would say "Want a beer?" I would say "No thanks" ...and then they would hurtle one towards me anyway!

After lunch, we hiked up to a viewpoint. It was about a million degrees at this point. The path was steep and (like most paths in Guatemala) not very stable. But the view was worth it!

We hiked back down to go for a swim. The water was incredible. Such a vibrant bluey-greeny colour, yet so clear. We moved about between the different pools, often jumping in - but sometimes sliding!