Semuc Champey!

15-17th February 2023

(Semuc Champey is part of the Cahabon River, however, the river flows under a 300-meter sheet of limestone rock. In fact, Semuc Champey actually means “where the river hides under the earth”).

So after reading many blogs that narrated terrible roads, car sickness from those who never got car sick, and described the journey as ‘hellish’, we really didn’t see what the fuss was about. The worst part about the journey was seeing a dead dog and some guy throw a bag of rubbish out of his car.

As we were last on the bus ( we had to text the lady who arranged the tour to tell her our bus was late getting into town, so she arranged for us to be picked up last) we got the seats at the back, which had the lovely (sarcasm) wheel arch. I sat with my legs hunched up for 2 hours until we stopped, and then asked the driver if I could ride up front with him. He said yes, and as we drove I shared my oreos with him. Not only did I have leg room, but I had a first class view of the windy roads ahead! After being in Antigua for a week everything looked so green!

So okay, I had a good seat, but hollie was still right at the back, a hot spot for travel sickness, and she also didn’t see what the fuss was about! We left at 9am and arrived at 5pm, but it really didn’t feel like it took long at all!

We got dropped in Lanquin where lots of locals were asking what hostel we were staying at. We told them Arouma eco hostel and were directed to go to the black pick up truck. Some of the trucks drove off with numerous bodies all crammed into the back… This bought back PTSD from new years eve, but thankfully we were only joined by 4 other people, who were staying at Pachamaya Eco hostel, which is where we had a reservation for the next day…. ( we booked 1 hostel in Lanquin thinking our shuttle would arrive late and we would just need a place to crash, then a hostel in Semuc Champey for closeness the next day).

We drove along the bumpy bumpy roads, having to stop a couple of times due to road works. We were well and truly in the middle of nowhere, so our plan about staying in Lanquin hadn’t really worked, nor had booking the hostel, as shortly after stopping to let us off.. In the middle of the jungle, the truck driver says ‘es cerrado’… Which means its closed!!! Hollie said ‘do you think it’s called Armouma because its a rumour that it’s closed’…and that might be the funniest/clever thing she’s ever said.

We boarded the truck again and prayed that the hostel we had a reservation for the next day, would have a space for us.. And also take pitty on us. One of the guys had a speaker and put on ‘feeling good – Michael Buble’ which was very effective as we journeyed further into the depths of the jungle. I sang along and thought it was the perfect song for the moment… ‘it’s a new dawn its a new day, and I’m feeeeeeeling gooood’.

We got dropped off and walked down a Fairlight lit path, taking in the sounds of the crickets, which were so piercing loud! They had space!!! Which really was so lucky as these hostels are spread out, in the depths of the jungle, there’s no phone signal and it was getting dark. To be honest, it worked out better this way, as the hostel we thought was in the town of Lanquin was secluded, so we would have just spent one night there, to walk miles to the next hostel and it would have been for nothing!

Both hostels were eco hostels, super cheap (£5 per night each)… But they really aren’t for the faint hearted. The dorm is still being built, it has half a roof, the bottom ‘bunks’ or bunkers are in a concrete dark cave, and it felt like we might get eaten alive during the night. We couldn’t complain as at least we had a roof (sort of) over our head for the night.

After the long day and adrenaline from the cerrado hostel, we needed a drink, we looked at the list of cocktails and asked for a mojito. Alehandro said ‘ah no drinks, only beer’… When you’re wanting a cocktail, no one wants a beer. He did offer rum and coke though, and poured the last dregs of the rum into two small glasses.

Ironically after posting in the last blog about having taken too many snacks up the mountain, this really could have been a place that we had more sustenance. We bought soups, which turned out they were for 4-6 people and only had oreos left. The pad tahi wasn’t vegan, but we were offered rice and veg. I can’t complain about their huge portion size, because they certainly don’t leave anyone going hungry!

We chatted to some other travellers and all headed to bed about 8.30. I was so thankful I had packed my silk liner to wrap around my self, as well as dousing myself in bug spray. I neednt have worried about getting bitten as it turned so cold in the night I was fully cacooned in my liner. We had thought the fleecey blankets they provided would be too hot, but now we understood their purpose. Overall I had a good night sleep, and enjoyed hearing the sounds of the jungle outside.

We woke up about 8am, had breakfast and got ready to head into Semuc Champey! As we hadn’t booked a tour we figured everything out on our own… Which meant that when we saw a sign for the Mirador (look out point), despite the wooden office being closed, despite the gate that was padlocked shut, and despite the fact this was on the right hand side, and the blog post I’d read said to stick to the left, we carried on, up the treterous rocks to the top.

The view from the top was phenomenal. Just pure green all around! You could also see the river running for miles and miles below! We headed back down and a very angry looking Guatemalan lady came over to say that it was 25Q each. Then a man in the distance laughed when I got my purse out. Which is always paranoia inducing… Had I taken a moment to think and say something basic in Spanish ‘este es cerrado, no caminar’ then I would have said this, but also she looked fierce. So we paid the money when we really didn’t have to, but I guess it’s a dog eat dog world and she’s gotta make that sweet sweet money.

We ventured over a huge bridge and got a glimpse up close as the bluey green water, as the sun beat down on us we were very excited to be submerged in the refreshing water. We paid 50q each to enter and shortly arrived at the other look out point. We braced ourselves for another steep walk, but didn’t quite anticipate how steep it would be! It was absolutely worth it thought for the scenery at the top view point!

We clambered down a set of the steepest steps on history and eventually made it out onto the lake! Clothes in a locker, bodies into the water, what a relief! The river is beautifully greeny, blue and we swum around to our hearts content… Hollie more so than me, because I got cold!

We got out and walked down to another bit, and had to walk along a very slippery rocky surface. We bumped into a guy that we had met in San Marcus, and consequently saw him again in Antigua, and now here! It can be such a small world travelling sometimes! ….. I say that as if I’ve been travelling from the beginning of time, when really it’s been just under 3 months! Holz had another swim and I sat in the sun to soak up it’s warmth. We watched people sliding down the rocks (intentionally) into the water, and I thought how painful this must have been on their bums!

We then left the river to go tubing. We found a guide who I think is drunk most of the time, and he led us down the path to get rubber rings and see the water fall. Before this we came across the very high swing, where you can swing yourself over the river and jump in. I watched others do it, and Holz said how fun it was. The guide pressed us to go onwards, and I said I wanted to go on the swing. It was super scary from when the swing left the top point, and I screamed as I swung towards the river. The guide shouted ‘jump’ and I reluctantly let go of the swing and rag dolled my way down into the water! GREAT SUCCESS!

We continued on and walked down towards the waterfall. It really was beautiful. I have never seen a waterfall so wide before. I’ve only seen ones that are very steep and thin!

We sat in the rubber rings and our guide Fred came with us, instructing us when to paddle with our arms, This was meant to be like a lazy river, but it was more like lazy river, paddle so you don’t hit a huge rock, lazy river, paddle, lazy. It was great fun though, and the best way to get back to our hostel!

Overall Semuc Champey was a great experience, hilarious that our hostel was ‘cerrado’ …. and I still haven’t heard back from Hostelworld regarding my complaint I made … the eco hostel was something else, but you get what you pay for! The scenery and greenery all around is stunning… it really is a place of tranquilly and beauty!