Say-mu Cham-pey, pronounced with a French accent is how I
said it. It means "where the river
hides beneath the earth."
If you come from Guatemala, Rio Dulce or Tikal, prepare yourself for a long day of travel to get here. Located in the highlands of Alta Verapaz, you head toward
the town of Coban. The environment is foggy and cold in this part of the
country. With an elevation of 4,330 feet, you need heavy wool blankets during
the night.
Two hours away, off a
rocky road is Lanquin. Arriving at dark is a blessing because at some point on the
narrow gravel road you drop 3,000 feet in elevation. Departed from Tikal 18
hours earlier I embrace my comfy bunk bed at the El Retiro Lodge for $7 USD a night.
Other popular hostels in the area include the Zephyr Lodge
and Utopia, but cater to a different crowd.
The sound of water awakes me in the morning. Nearly all the other bunks lay empty. Arriving on a odd night at a hostel is nice because you feel like you have the whole dorm to yourself and get to be the confidant for the incoming backpackers.
I crack open the large wooden door, the lush green
landscape overwhelms my senses. Crunchy green grass separates me from the river thirty feet away. The birds chirp and fly playfully through the
tropical trees. Travelers rest in the colorful patterned hammocks and read books.
El Retiro Lodge definitely has a good thing going especially
after tasting their food. Fresh fruit and crepes in the morning and vegetarian
Thai food buffets for dinner, I wish my stay lasted longer. With fuel in me I head out for a day trip to
the underrated Semuc Champey.
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| Vamanos!! |
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| Lo siento perrito, no vamos :( |
A Toyota Tacoma pulls up with a roll cage apparatus over the bed, I figure we sit about six. But this is Central America and trucks here fit triple that amount. With ten in the bed and five in the cab we head off into the jungle. I distract myself with the scenery and the thoughts of living in such a secluded area while trying to keep the metal poles from hitting guy ribs.
For 150Q or 20 USD a local guide takes you to
Grutas de Lanquin, a complex system of caves. Only armed with a headlamp and
bathing suit get ready for a swimming, climbing, and cliff jumping all in the
dark.
Then the guide supplies inflatable tubes and takes you on a
short float down the Cahabon River. The adrenaline kicks in as the current
swirls you by large rocks that could give you a natural colonoscopy if you're
careless. At a calmer moment, you get
the chance to look back towards the waterfalls that mark the end of the 300 m
limestone bridge known as Semuc Champey.
It's a steep hike into the jungle to the best mirador
(viewpoint) of my entire trip. Tranquil pools of turquoise to emerald green water cascade into eachother over 1000 feet
distance. The eight distinctive pools are separated by golden karstic soil that
does not cater to bare feet. I could
spend multiple hours on the top of the mountain looking down off this small
platform. As the more people arrived, I decided to start the way down. The trek down was far scarier as
the steps sweat from the moisture in the air creating a slippery surface.
With every beautiful thing comes the danger. At the north end of the river is "El Sumidero" (the sink), where the river disappears into the earth. If you were to unfortunately slip into the mouth, you would die instantly. Intimidated enough I wander towards the pools. Couples, families, locals, and foreigners all collect around the extraordinary tropical site taking in the rich biodiversity of nature surrounding them.
As you exit the natural splendor, the more picturesque trail takes you along the "El Manantial"(the spring), where the river reappears with
less velocity. At some point I get lost
because at that moment if I turned into one of the monkeys that play in the
trees above me I would be endlessly happy.
But a friend finds me along the way and takes me home.
I highly recommend this excursion, it is the most amazing natural water feature I have seen.
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