Semuc Champey! Worth it? Yes! Must see!

Semuc Champey is stunning and a must see if you are near Coban or Lanquin. Semuc Champey is a natural monument that consists of a natural 300 meter limestone bridge, under which passes the Cahabón River.Atop the bridge is a series of stepped, turquoise pools.The hike to the top was difficult in the 96 degree Fahrenheit heat, but well worth the view. The pools above the river were super clear and peaceful. The park entrance was Q50.

When I entered the park, I headed straight to the top. After the grueling hike up, I was greeted by the locals selling water and fruit. On the outlook deck, you saw this:

Before you make your way to the pools, you are able to view the entrance to the underground river.

Finally, you are able to jump into the pools to feel refreshed after the steep hike. The park offered lockable storage units. I was glad I brought my lock! The pools was one of the clearest bodies of water I have been in. They did have the fish that eat your dead skin! It tickled a lot! Free pedicure

I met this nice lady named Lisa and her Salvadorian friend at the Semuc Chapey. I welcomed an English conversation with a US citizen. On the way up to the Semuc Chapey, I did not have exact change to pay the pick up truck driver. So, I gave him double the fair trusting he would return to pick me up at 3. I guess am way too trusting 😓. He never came back so I asked Lisa and her friend for a ride back into town. She mentioned they were going all the way to Coban so I could ride with them on the way back. I thought to myself, “Great! This will be so much faster and more convenient then taking the bus!” Well, turns out I totally missed the mark on that one 🙈.

30 minutes after our departure, I noticed we were going the wrong way. I decided to say something about it since the road was getting very rough and I was starting to feel a bit queasy. Not trusting the GPS on my phone, we asked two people walking around who pointed in the direction we we’re going. So we decided to keep going the wrong way 🙈🙈. I figured we would make it through this windy, gravel road to the highway on the other side of the national park and take the other highway back to Coban. Nope! After nearly 2 more hours on this rough road, we confirmed we were going the wrong way with someone driving a car (smart, right?). We stopped so Lisa could go to the bathroom and noticed we had a flat tire. Thankfully, Lisa’s friend was able to fix it. We turned around and made our way to Coban. The 2.5 hour typical commute turned into nearly a 6 hour journey. The silver lining was I did enjoy my new company and figured it was better than sitting in a hotel by myself. Granted, the hotel would have given me less motion sickness.

Maoral of the story: My phone’s GPS is more reliable then the locals walking on the side of thug on the , especially since those people may only speak the native language of Coban (Q’eqchi). Also, it’s okay to speak up for what I know to be wrong.