I'm currently in the city of Xela, Guatemala (pronounced Shayla).
I have been extremely busy with all kinds of activities and tours, so the blogs have been a little delayed.
I will start where i left it last time in Lanquin, the following day from my last blog Josh, Sophia and myself went on the Semuc Champey tour, along with a few of the english girls who i had met back in Caye Caulker, Belize. We left the hostel in a little truck at around 8:30 am, we all stood on the the back of the truck hanging onto the cage around the tray. There was about 15 people on our tour so it was a little crowded, not to mention how rough the road was on the way there going up and down big rocky hills. Once arriving we got ready for the caving, at first i didn't plan on doing it because i wasn't so keen on leaving my camera bag at the bag drop at the entry. But our guide assured me that it was safe with the guards. I hadn't brought any shoes for the caves so it was a little difficult walking across the sharp pointy rocks under the water. The only light we had was coming from the candles that were supplied, apart from that it was pitch black, you could not even see your hand in front of your face. Our candles went out a few times whilst having to swim trough the water or climb the waterfalls up a ladders inside the cave. There were some very challenging sections to get through. After the caving there was a rope swing into the river, i didn't do that, i strolled off for a walk with my camera before being told by a Guatemalan man to return to my group. I walked back, the group was now at the bridge that goes over the river jumping off, it was around 8 M high and lots of fun. We then got into another truck that took us up the hill to a little place to have lunch for a half hour. After lunch we then headed for Semuc Champey the famous natural limestone pools, there is a hiking track up one side of the big valley with a spectacular view point at the top, the group raced to the top climbing about 1,200 ft in elevation to the view point, i was pouring sweat by the top because i basically sprinted up, the view was just amazing the pictures really don't show just how amazing it was. We all took some photos then began the decent down to the pools where we all swam for about 2 hours. Possibly the most beautiful place i have ever seen, just amazing turquoise colours in the water, with the steep greened jungle valleys coming down to the waters edge, so stunning!!! One of the many highlights of my trip so far....
Later that night when the Australian share market opens i check my shares and had sold my CTP shares that i had brought 2 months earlier, taking a nice profit. So i decided to celebrate. Along with everyone at Zephyr Lodge we were doing shots, jager bombs and playing all kinds of drinking games it was the best night ever. I don't really want to talk about the hangover the next day. I basically didn't move from the hostel the whole day. Thats when i decided I'm not going to waste my travels doing that. So i have only had a couple of drinks since then. I would rather wake early and go and do something around town or a hike than waste my days hungover. I left Lanquin for Antigua the following day on a shuttle with 23 others from the hostel, basically everyone just goes to the same towns along the Gringo Trail. Josh didn't come that day because he fell ill with a stomach bug. 10 hours later we arrived in Antigua, a pretty little town with cobblestone streets and colourful old buildings Originally the capital of Guatemala until the 1700's. I stayed in a place called El Hostel which was great, probably the best free breakfast i've had yet, the pancakes where YUM!!! In Antigua I received an email from our embassy in Guatemala City that my Visa card dad had posted had arrived, I left early the next day on a shuttle to Guatemala City. I had arranged through the hostel for the shuttle to drop me at the embassy with it returning to pick me up an hour later, it could not have worked better. I went into the embassy went through all the security procedures, spoke to Stefano who had emailed me, he handed the package to me, i asked if i could please use the phone to ring ANZ to activate my card, done that walked across the road to a shopping centre where i had some lunch, by that stage i was due to be picked up again by the shuttle and i returned to Antigua. What i thought would have been a day mission was all done and dusted within 3 hours. Once i got back to the hostel, i got all my laundry, organised that to be washed and That afternoon i decided to hike Volcán Pacaya 2,700 M. So a very productive day!!!! It was a fairly easy hike only about one and a half hours. When arriving in the shuttle at the trail head there where kids everywhere asking if we wanted to have a horse taxi for the way up, they just kept saying "necessario" haha. I ended up being the only one not to get a horse, out of the eight of us. Which made my hike up even harder because i had to keep up to the horses. I didn't see the point in going there to do a hike and sitting on a horse to get to the top, there wasn't any challenge in it. The views above the clouds where epic. We were lucky enough to hear the volcano rumbling like thunder, with it also having big puffs of smoke coming out of the top. Our guide lead us to this point where you can stand and toast marshmallows it was incredible, i really enjoyed that. The heat coming from this hot rock lava was like standing next to a big fire. We then walked to a lookout point where we sat to enjoy the view for 20 mins or so. It was a great half day tour, also very cheap, around $20 including transport and everything. Josh had arrive that day, so the following day we looked around the town at the markets and shops along with a girl named Mandy from Melbourne. We walked up to the big cross on the hill which is a lookout point to view the city. We had heard stories about people getting held at gun point on the trail up there, so we were a little nervous going up. I think it was more the people that go up alone to watch the sunset, returning in the dark alone, to be mugged and bashed. I stayed fairly quite at night in Antigua because i felt a cold coming on which i still have now. So i just laid low and tried to rest.
I got a shuttle to Xela the next day, only about 4 hours away. I hadn't booked anywhere to stay in Xela, i was a little nervous because the shuttle arrived after dark. I was told NOT to walk alone late at night in Xela, luckily i got talking with an American girl who was staying at a hostel close to the square, i jumped off with her and we walked about 300 meteres to the hostel so it was fine. Xela is 2,330 M above sea level so it is quite cold here, you need pants and jumper at night. The days are around the 20's and the nights get down to around 10. Annie who was another American from Texas sharing a dorm with us, was booking a hike the next day with quetzal trekkers. The whole purpose of me coming to Xela was because i want to summit Volcán Tajumulco, which is the highest point in Central America reaching 4,300 M above sea level. This guide is also ran by quetzal trekkers so i went with Annie, she booked her 3 day hike to Lake Attitlan and i booked my trek up Volcán Tajumulco for Saturday / Sunday. Quetzal trekkers is a non profit organisation ran by volunteers, so basically all there hikes / treks are really cheap, with all profits going to local charities. Xela is the second biggest city Guatemala and such a beautiful city to, located in a big valley surrounded by volcanos. This morning i was a little scared i heard this loud rumbling and the room was shaking the first thing that came to my head was, holy shit one of the volcanos is going off and i pictured to look out and see lava flowing towards the city haha but no. It was a 5.5 Magnitude Earthquake, it was rumbling and shaking the room I've never really felt anything like that before. There was no damage to anything but it was fairly large. Also forgot to mention Caroline from Canada who i was traveling with a few weeks ago is living here now, so we caught up last night for a glass of wine. she is working at a Spanish School which im starting at tomorrow for 5 hours a day for the next week. Caroline also just sent me a msg saying something about doing a photography shoot for a European company with some locals, for there home made handbags to be sold in Europe. On Thursday so that could be cool. I had the best cultural experience so far the other night. I was eating in the local markets, sitting around with about 20 locals talking with them in spanish about all kinds of things they were so interested in me trying to talk spanish, helping me out when i couldn't explain something, they want to know everything about me, where i was from, where I'm travelling, where i am going next, and so many more things. We were even talking about eating kangaroo. When i walked away i had the biggest smile on my face, it really meant a lot to me, it was very special and the first time i felt like i was fitting in with the local cultures.
I have my first spanish class at 8 in the morning so i best get some sleep. I will blog again after my summit of Volcán Tajumulco, where the temps go bellow freezing....
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