Travelling round the world 101- Semuc Champey caves and pools

Saturday, El Retiro hostel, Languin, Guatemala 
Summer solistice bebbe! Doesn't one love the pagan festivals? Ahem. The most natural light we shall see in one go this year. I went on THE most fun tour ever today to Semuc Champey near Languin. We started by doing a massive rope swing into the river, then we all went into these underground very dark but interesting caves, we were all given a candle each, you had to swim in parts...which I totally didn't realise until the floor disappeared!...., so surreal turning round and seeing this line of people in waist to chest deep water wading along holding the candles aloft. When we had to swim some people swam one handed whilst others placed the candles sideways in their mouths...although this of course meant that they often went out and had to be re-lit by someone else's.  I felt like a ye oldey cave lady. 

The cave formations were so interesting, great swirls that eddied up right to the edge of the candle light. Stalactites reached down, the beginnings hidden in shadow. There was a certain stillness to the air, accompanied by the steady drip of water droplets descending from the roof above, the water chilled your skin as it swirled around you, brown, opaque, and unreadable. I couldn't help think what the Mayan people think of us; these tourists who pay to light candles and wander in and out of their caves that have been around for however many years, as long as memories passed down remember.

Slightly surreal. Great fun though.

We went up and down rickety ladders, in and out and over waterfalls, jumping off things, etc. After emerging into the startling bright sunshine after the consuming darkness of the caves, we were each thrown a black inner tube and proceeded to float serenely down the river, which was rather lush. Rather like little skin and black coloured plastic ducks, bobbing around in the middle of Guatemalan paradise. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking and it was uber sunny too wahoo. One hand trailed lazily in the silky turquoise water as the feeling of the hot sun beaming down on our skin and heads lulled us into a peaceful state of lazy awe. We exited the river (I almost got too carried away with the peaceful lolling and almost entered the current woops) before doing a (yellow) bridge jump plunging however many meters into the river far below before each swimming to the far shore. Shortly after entering Semuc Champey park, a hike was needed up this hill to a 'mirador' aka awesome viewpoint where you could over look the Semuc Champey pools.

We then had some free time to swim and dive and stuff in the pools themselves. I was lying on a rock just before a little waterfall where one pool spilled over into the next, gazing around at the scenery around me. I couldn't quite believe me eyes. It is not often that you arrive at a place that looks exactly like...or even better in this case than the pictures. Like something out of a Hawaiian Lord of The Rings. Sometimes my eyes cannot quite believe themselves. I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to experience and see so much of God's astounding creation. The mind boggles. There are not words enough in the English language, or any idioma for that matter, to describe its beauty.

All too soon, it was time to climb back into the back of the open backed truck...with just a few bars around and one over the boot back thing to hold onto whilst standing up and down these incredibly winding gravel roads - was fun! We arrived back at the hostel feeling very...how can I describe it 'fresh and slightly dazed' I think is best...really healthy and clean from the inside out. It was weird, We had a shower and got ready for dinner but it was as if we couldn't function! as if being surrounded by suck stunning and surreal scenery had all but robbed us of our western world habits. Quite nice but slightly disorientating for a while. In honour of the longest day in the year the guys at the hostel had made a mini (scale) version of Stonehenge and lit a bonfire. Dinner was an all you can eat Mexican buffet and oh penguin's flippers was it good...very pagan indeed...ahem. Though we actually couldn't move for about 4 hours after dinner haha. I did sleep well though. Zzzzzz