Semuc Champey with friends

Semuc Champey day 1 and 2 photo album:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/6cHsDKbaBtZ64ZxX6

Semuc Champey day 3 and 4 photo album:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/KxRz7e5f14t94P7h6

Semuc Champey for a few days

The trip to Semuc Champey was born when Caroline was chatting to me about where she would like to visit in Guatemala and Semuc Champey was one place. My recommendation was to stay at Utopia as that was where we had stayed some years ago and we just loved our time there. From that conversation she asked Ana about transport and Ana said she plus her hubby – Osmar, son Pedro and little dog – Mica, would all like to go too, and yes she would arrange transport. Then the trip grew: I asked Don and Pam, and our other friend Don. Caroline invited Dave and Anne, plus Gail and Pete, Don invited Steven and Louise and at our weekly Mexican Train dominoes we all asked Robin and Tony to come along too. So, we ended up with a group of 18 plus a little dog.

Day 1 – traveling

We left early Friday morning from Mar Marina, completely packing the large bus with everyone’s gear, everything from Steven’s painting gear to games and several Ukuleles.

Our driver opted to take the Copan route to Semuc Champey, so we had a long but very scenic ride of nearly 9 hours. We stopped a few times for pit-stops at gas stations, but we were all prepared with our packed lunches and various forms of entertainment.

For me it was to stare of the window, shooting my camera at what ever view or site grabbed my attention and in Guatemala there are plenty of sites and views along the way.

On arriving at Lanquin we met our drivers for the last stage of the journey, (for most of us this was in the back of a truck), to get to our accommodation at Utopia.

After checking in we all met up in the lounge and bar area that looks out over the beautiful countryside. John and I had a lovely cabin overlooking the river with a hammock on the porch.

We all had drinks, shared laughs, conversed, and ate a lovely dinner of vegan lasagna.

Day 2 – exploring Semuc Champey

We enjoyed the breakfast in the morning and most of us set off once again in the back of the trucks for Semuc Champey.

The lanes all around this area are unpaved and so very bumpy, plus the lanes wind around hairpin turns, veer steeply uphill and downhill.

I loved the ride in the back of the truck! We disembarked at the yellow bridge just outside the park.

After seeing the state of the bridge I personally was very happy to walk across rather than ride.

The walk to the park entrance is a short one along the way enterprising vendors sell everything from beer to meals. Unfortunately it was the weekend and so there were many other folks in line at the entrance.

Once through we set off down the lane and then up the pathway to El Mirador.

This is a steepish climb up many rough steps to get to the look out point above Semuc Champey. Again the many other visitors that day meant it was not the peaceful climb we had previously experienced, but rather a noisy slog.

Everyone made it to the top, there was a wait for the look out, but we devised a way to by-pass the wait. As before the overlook of Semuc Champey was spectacular! It is such a beautiful area.

Down we all clambered and once at the bottom we split up into smaller groups.

The folks we were with went with us and had a look at the meeting of the two rivers at the upper end of Semuc Champey.

Here you can see the one river that comes down the gorge and plunges under ground down a crevasse disappearing below ground. You also see the seeping of the top river from the limestone sides where it begins to fill the turquoise water pools that form the above ground river.

The many ferns and mosses, turquoise waters, plus the vibrantly green trees make for a picturesque site everywhere you wander.

We ate a picnic lunch under some trees by the side of a river pool and then we went for a refreshing swim in the water.

Admittedly it would have been much nicer without the crowd that day, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. John and I chose to explore all along the edges of the water-pools.

I really enjoyed following the Swallow-Tail butterflies and the slippery stepping stones above the various waterfalls.

We were all to meet our Utopia guides back at the bridge for 3:30 to start our tubing. So a few of us set off along the path that followed the side of the river to the park entrance.

We stopped along the way at the lookout where we could see the other side of Semuc Champey where the 2 rivers joined, the underground river pouring out from underground and the river pool topside river pouring down the final waterfall.

We could also see what looked like a very interesting pathway along the other side. Again, a very beautiful area, the colors are amazing!

Once back at the meeting point we were encouraged by the vendors to buy drinks and sit in their lean-to. Many of the vendors are just children, but they are quite skilled at encouraging folks to buy the beer or water.

The truck arrived along with all the tubes. There were quite a number of us, most of our 18 were there plus others, we were accompanied by a few guides and of course a boy selling beers.

Into the river we went at once floating downstream. It was lovely and cool in the water and quite relaxing floating along.

As we started to near the first rapids we had to form chains by having someone behind you while their feet and lower legs were under your armpits and having another in front holding your lower legs and feet.

Then we were off again rushing towards what looked to be quite angry rapids. The ride through was a rush, a great whooshing, zooming up and down rush.

By being in a chain we had a guide commanding/steering us telling us where to steer and paddle so it actually felt that you were out of control but being controlled. – Great Fun!!

At our final set of rapids we were to make for the left and down a steep set of rapids, we did as told, had a great ride, but looked around to see one group had crashed into the protruding rocks and grasses in the middle. I could see John was one of the casualties and so was a bit worried. However, other than a few bruises everyone was ok. Apparently their guide was not very good and didn’t have the skills necessary, I was relieved everyone was fine.

It was an excellent tubing experience! Such fun!

That evening we all met again in the lounge bar area enjoying drinks and some enjoying space brownies. Our dinner was again very good.

After dinner a group of local musicians started to play and some dancing started. It was fun to watch and a brilliant end to a wonderful day.

Day 3 – walking along the river

On the third day of our trip a group of 5 of us decided to walk along the river to the swinging bridge we had seen while tubing, then on to Semuc Champey, to explore the other side of the river where we had spied the pathway.

The first part of the walk led us along the riverside on a slippery muddy pathway. We stopped to take in the views, looking up towards the highlands across the cornfields the early morning clouds were just rising, it was just lovely.

Further along we spotted a church from which some very rich singing was emanating. We clambered up the steep slope and had a look, it was the Sunday morning village service taking place.

Back down at riverside we came to the swinging bridge which we carefully crossed to the other side, again the views of the countryside were lovely.

Back on the path we continued to follow the riverside instead of the lane, thinking it must lead to where we needed to go, but that was not the case. We ended up having to follow a path across a cornfield or two, up a slope of coca trees and found ourselves facing a group of little children.

We asked permission to cross their garden of their home. They scattered, giggling and we were faced with what must have been their Dad hanging out the window of their small thatched home. He allowed us proceed and so eventually we found the end of the pathway by a small tienda and the lane we were meant to be following.

Eventually we reached the yellow bridge that crosses to the Semuc Champey site, we continued along the other side towards the caves.

We paid 10Q each to follow the pathway to the cave’s attendant. The pathway was shaded, cool, very green and paved with stones.

Across the river we spied Steven painting and Louise sitting alongside on a large bolder.

The pathway took us to the expected area, where the underground river exits the underground cavern and the top Semuc Champey River waters fall down.

The scenery was stunning! Such a lovely area. There were a group of daring back packers swimming and climbing the waterfall to jump off the top. After they left we all had our snacks for lunch, relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.

We had thought we would get a truck ride back, but ended walking back along the lanes and then the riverside.

That evening we all met in the lounge – bar area and had another wonderful dinner and shared stories from our day’s adventures.

We saw the brilliant paintings that Steven had been doing while on the trip.

Many of the others had attended the coca process that Utopia offers and so they had the chocolates they had made from scratch to share after dinner. There were many differing types and all were enjoyed.

Day 4

Day 4 was again a travel day.

First we loaded up the trucks and headed to lanquin to meet our driver.

We had hoped to travel back along a shorter route, but our driver was reluctant, he felt it was a lonely, possibly dangerous route, so we travelled back the way we had come.