Semuc Champey

Semuc Champey

We are now here in a teenie tiny little town in Guatemala called Flores. It is an island connected to the rest of the planet by a small, two lane, land bridge.
We came from a place called Semuc Champey. From Coban we took a 2 1'2 hour shuttle ride with the last half hour being on a gravel, jungle road. We unloaded our things at a place called Las Marias. Checking in with a cheaky Guatemala man with a shaved head, big ears and a wink for each one of us we planted our belongings in what seemed an attick sauna room of 1,000 degrees. Into our swimmies, walked down the gravel road, over the yellow bridge and there we were. We paid our entrance fee of 50Q being roughly $6 and entered the park of the seven pools.
7 pools of aqua green blue, naturally formed from limestone delight. Deep in areas where you´d love to dive or jump from the rock wall ledge, set with vines and perhaps jumping vipers. maybe not. Or perhaps you would like to settle down and sit on the edge of the natural infinity ledge over looking the rushing river down below that somehow turns a dirty brown after the great fall.
Pool after pool. Slippery underfoot. Clear water. Open your eyes. Try to catch an overgrown minnow fish.
We´ve seen. Dove. Played pirates walking a submerged tree plank.
On our way back to the hostel, saying hi and good afternoon to the 3 maize workers. Being approached by a man holding a machette. Wild feelings as we say good afternoon and pass by. And hey, how about one more machette held by a four year old that chased us after Aubrie took a picture of the stick house of his family´s...
That night, drunkend rains made us friends with intoxicated Irish people...the place was filled with the luck of the Irish... and do they drink.
I ended up singing songs with the girls and others in the deep pour of rain and fuller pours of beer. Oasis of all songs did we sing, and I didn´t even know the words!
I felt a little sick and went back to the sauna and a little helpful Guatemalan man came to help, recomending that I put my finger down my throat. So I did. Barf barf barf I gave the dude my thanks, goodbye and I was laying on the bed. I couldn´t remember if I had moved the girl´s wallets away from the door before puking or not, but it was infront of the guy I am sure of. When turning on the light to go join the girls after feeling better, the wallets were gone!
I freaked, got the girls and we searched through everything and told everyone. We came to the conclusion that we would help Aubrie borrow money and that we would cancel her credit cards in the morning. Carlita´s purse was stolen too, but she had important things in another area.
We felt better about that, as it didn´t amount to a loss bigger than $300 and we would all be pitching in. What a great group!
We went to bed and in the early morning Aubrie looked around one more time and what did she find all neatly rapped up by the door? Yes, both the wallets, out in the open as if someone had returned them in the middle of the night after thick feelings of guilt. What a dork that person is for doing it in the first place. But as everyone does and everyone is, we have our moments of weekness when faced by temptation.
The end.