Lanquin and Semuc Champey

OK, so I thought I had seen some pretty amazing things so far on this trip but I definitely had my biggest ´WOW´when I looked down at the waterpools of Semuc Champey. The most naturally beautiful things I have seen anywhere. I'm staying in the coolest place here in Lanquin called El Retiro. I have a cute little room in a wooden hut on stilts looking down the valley to Rio Lanquin. The hammock outside my room has been well used already by myself whilst donkeys and chickens wander about around me.

On Sunday I went on the tour to Semuc Champey which involved piling into the back of a pickup truck for the 40 minute journey across a dirt path that went up and over the mountains providing spectacular views. The first part of the day involved a cave tour. This was no ordinary cave tour - it involved swimming through the caves for two hours with a candle!! Amazing feeling, although it got very cold towards the end and my candle kept goign out. At one point I had to slide through what seemed like a tiny hole of running water which popped you out the other side of the rocks into pitch blackness - not my favourite part of the day but exciting all the same!!
Afterwards I explored the beautiful water falls and pools at Semuc Champey and then climbed up to the view point or Mirador. I hadn't expected such a steep slippery climb up, but the view from the top was incredible, looking down on the blues and greens of the water pools. The swim in the pools was most welcome afterwards.

I spent most of yesterday in the hammock but did manage to visit the Bat caves here in Lanquin at 4 pm. These caves were dry and mch bigger than the previous day but just as impressive. At sunset all the bats leave the cave and we all stood at the opening of the cave. It is quite a bizzare feeling to stand in the line of thousands of bats and have them flying past your head. There was a mixture of fruit bats and vampire bats. Luckily their sonars were wokring fine and so there were no collisons with our heads!!

Today the weather is bit damp so it's an excuse to read all day (I've just finished Memoirs of a Geisha and about to start a book about trekking in the Himalays in the 1970's). Tonight there is a big barbecue at the place where I'm staying which will probably turn into quite a party, so another lazy day tomorrow!!!