After a long 7 hours on a minibus I arrived in Lanquin, a tiny village tucked away in the middle of the stunning Guatemalan mountains where I met up with loads of people I had met at various stages in my travels. We all shared a big dorm in a hostal which reminded me a lot of a campsite! The setting was beautiful, next to a gushing river, but everything was outside so when the daily afternoon rain struck I felt like I was back in Wales!
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| Riding in the back of a truck |
Almost immediately after getting off the bus we decided to take a tour of the Lanquin caves, and not sure quite what to expect, we climbed into the back of a truck and were driven down the bumpy road to the caves. After spending an hour or so climbing around the grottos, finding rocks which resembled objects and animals, we started to notice bats flying around. The caves are famous for the bats that hang out there and at dusk they all fly out of the caves, so we were soon surrounded by bats flying around us which was a pretty impressive experience!
The following day has got to be one of my best days so far. We took a day tour to Semuc Champey, a nearby natural phenomenon. First we were taken caving, and it was one of the most surreal experiences I have had! We were warned that the water levels were a little high but that it should be ok, and were given ncandles to light our way. The water was too deep to stand in most places so we swam one handed trying to keep our candles out of the water through a maze of caves. It was beautiful, especially in the candlelight and it felt like a real intrepid adventure! We ended up at a waterfall which we climbed through one by one, guided only by a flashtorch and the guides hands, a thoroughly bemusing few seconds of flailing hands, lights, and water, before letting the current carry us a few metres towards the exit of the caves!
Love Soph XXX
I can't get my head round the idea of swimming with a candle - I must try it one day!
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