The Lagoons of Semuc Champey

A side trip into the northern interior of Guatemala lead us to this magical place of lagoons.  It's a system of pools that flow into caves below ground.  The trickiest part was getting there, but it was worth the effort.  We stopped in a village near Coban where only Mayan languages were spoken....talk about being in another world.  The city was located in a cold cloud forest and had a lot of charm.  We kept going until we arrived at Coban and then we hired a van that followed a road to the tiny rain forest community of Lanquin.  It was here that we took our day trip to these amazing lagoons and several uncharted caves.

Beautiful lagoons link together in this amazing hike out of Lanquin

Be careful entering this water as the rocks can be slippery.  Also look for the many brown fish swimming around nibbling on the hairs of your legs.  Some people actually jump from the trees into these pools.  I was a little bit leary about doing this.

Bring your swimming trunks and some water shoes

In the above pic, my sister is sitting at the edge of one of these pools.  It's absolutely gorgeous there and sparkles green like an emerald.....and just simply breathtaking.   The village of Lanquin is just as charming as the surrounding area.  I'll never forget the night at a small local restaurant having some chicken and salad.  It had rained and hundreds of fireflies came out in the night sky flashing their beautiful blue and green lights around us.  Also hanging out with us during dinner were several local toads catching themselves their own dinner. 

Don't get too close to this part of the river

Be careful along the edges of certain parts of this trail.  This river rages into the Earth through an underground cavern system.   One slip and you're dead.  I took this picture from a safe distance thanks to the zoom lense:)

Jump off a bridge into a river below

The hikes are great and will really blow your mind.  Today this bridge is used to get to one of the most interesting caves I've ever seen.  If you can't swim, this is not a recommended cave to take because inside you have to swim through deep parts to get to the inside waterfall....and it's dark....and there are bats:)  But is it cool:)  The cave is called the Kan Bah Cavern.  Wear water shoes on these hikes.  PS.  Please be careful going down that river during the monsoon season.  Everyone says the Coban River is a safe tubing experience but it can be dangerous. My little sister almost drowned here and we'll never forget that experience.  Several hours before we went on this "little" adventure, a person from Holland had the same experience and it was no laughing matter.  Also, a headlamp for this part is recommended especially at night when the critters come out.  An Emperor Scorpion came out and stung one of our buddies.....it was hiding in the bedsheets.  Needless to say, this was a memorable journey that will not be forgotten.  This is definitely for the experienced traveler.

Labels: Guatemala, How do you get to Semuc Champey?, lagoons, Lanquin, Semuc Champey, the Coban River, the Kan Bah Cavern, underground waterfall, What is Semuc Champey?

0 komentar

Share This Post :

San PedroThe Coban RiverSemuc ChampeyRio DulceTikal...notice the humidity risingLivingstonTikal

Divine design. Living in the desert is a wonderful thing, but sometimes I need to get my "green" on and leave for awhile.  Guatemala is the land of green...the color is everywhere.  This country is also one of the most colorful in the world with the Mayan Indians contributing to most of the design in this very special and spiritual place.  As a Spanish teacher, I travel to a lot of different countries every year. However, this year  I had to stay home due to a major home repair....air conditioning!!!  We needed a new unit...oh the cost:)  I find that the garden keeps my mind off of my would be travel for the summer.   There is next year and I look forward to planning another adventure.

These places inspire me with their unique designs and gardens.  The desert, while a hostile place for many tropicals, can have a variety of these beautiful plants amongst our native trees and bushes.  The key to growing tropical here is obviously proper watering, bright shade or a little shade, and protection from the winter nights.  Wind also can play a factor on such plants like the musa or banana plant.  This plant loves the sun...but hates the wind...and in Tucson, this plant can be tricky to grow.   With that said,  I have seen it done and done well.  Phoenix seems to have the better results....again water is an important factor for your tropicals.

This topic came up yesterday as I was outside talking to my neighbors and they asked me if I had any big trips planned for the summer and I had to say no. Well I am going to Wisconsin for a little over a week, but that's not a major trip...that's a family trip.:)  However, I will be going to the Milwaukee gardens and taking a lot of pics.  Apparently, they have a saguaro cactus in one of their domes....I'll be snapping pics for proof:)

I have had success with a variety of tropicals here, but with the property being so large, I've had to make sure that my natives were established first and that the tree canopies are there to protect their tender leaves from the hot summer sun.  Bird of paradise, philodendron, fatsia are some of the few that do well here with some afternoon shade. Cannas need light and do well in the sun.  Most of these guys can be planted in the ground, but do extremely well in containers.  I would recommend putting them in pots first to verify that they can handle the sun.  Sometimes I think they will burn and I plant them in too shady of an area and they don't do well....so experiment first.

Finally,  people ask me....what is the one plant that "popped" out at you in Guatemala?  There were a lot, but the one that I noticed was the castor plant along Lake Atitlan.  I have been experimenting with this plant this summer and have seen great results on the North Side of our building where it gets the right amount of sun.  I tried this tropical "weed" on the south side and it burned and in the courtyard where there is a lot of shade....and it needed more sun as it grew spindly from not enough light.  Again tricky, these tropicals are, but when in the right spot, they will add flare and beauty to your home and garden.  It's well worth the effort. Happy gardening!!

Labels: Antigua, Guatemala, Lago Atitlan, Livingston, San Pedro, Semuc Champey, Tikal

0 komentar

Share This Post :