Guatemala! (Part 1)

Our border crossing at El Ceibo was fast and uneventful which was awesome. Between the looks we got in the local villages we drove through after the border and the guidebook’s numerous warnings about crime in Guatemala, we were very pleased to arrive in Flores and find it to be quite touristy and safe. Beyond that, it’s a neat little half-flooded town on a tiny island in a beautiful lake which I wasted no time swimming in! We were greeted with a ridiculously epic sunset as we prepared to drive over to the ruins at Tikal the next day.

Tikal was very cool and different from Palenque. Very much in the jungle and remote, much more expensive, but neither bothersome vendors nor parking scams existed to distract one from the sites. At times we were really all by ourselves surrounded by wild animals and dense jungle. Cool sites and we were glad we took the time to visit. We finally met another couple doing the Pan Am! I suppose it makes sense as Mexico is massive and Guatemala marks the beginning of the continental bottle neck. They turned out to be from Colorado as well so we met up with them and some other camped at the ruins afterwards for a nice cold cerveza before heading back to Flores. Off to a good start and good times!

After another night in Flores we hit the road for Coban. It was a long drive with your typical hazards: potholes like you couldn’t begin to understand having only driven in the US, all the continued joys of endless unmarked topes, a river crossing on a small fairy, and even some very low hanging power lines to spice things up!

A lot of interesting stuff happened in Coban. First, we got Chinese food! That’s right folks, I photo bombed myself!

Then we camped in Las Victorias Parque de Nacional for two nights. It started off innocently enough – the entrance guard simply asking if our bikes were for sale. We had been discussing how to make some much needed mods to the van, aka the removal of our suspension killing tope scraper and told the man that the bikes were indeed for sale. He didn’t say another word and we didn’t think anything of it. Then, the next day, people began arriving to view the bikes. Before we knew it we’re bartering with the locals, reorganizing and repairing the entire van, and removing the single most annoying handicap I have ever had to drive with. Adios bazillion pound, back-breaking, massive hunk of gas-mileage-ruining steel! Having discovered our recently acquired skill for Guatemalan bartering, we even sold the rack! Then as if things couldn’t get any more interesting, we had Dominoes Pizza delivered right to our spot in the park.

We really had our way with Coban and as we drove to Lanquin to see the famous pools of Semuc Champey we were rewarded with a whole new driving experience – what an amazing difference! We glided over the topes as if floating and took in the views before hitting the Zephyr Lodge.

We stayed in Lanquin parked in front of the Zephyr Lodge for 4 nights. It was a blast. Good food, tons of drinks, a very social hangout place where we met lots of cool people, and of course, the numerous sites and attractions. First we hit the bat cave where our “guide” who must have had cerebral palsy or something similar fell, nearly down a very deep hole, after which I had to help him exit as everyone else was ahead of him and he had no light. Thousands of bats flew by us as they exited the cave to go feed for the evening – sonar, pretty slick. The next day we went tubing with some friends in the beautiful turquoise river floating beers to one another and eventually having a full on tube war to the curious amusement of the locals. Following that day, we rode in the back of a truck through the rough, hilly mountains to the do the famous Kan’Ba candle-light cave tour. It did not disappoint. The camera is not water proof so I don’t have any photos, but suffice it to say it was epic. It’s the kind of thing that would never be allowed in the US, fully loaded with no less than swimming one handed in pools well over a body length deep while holding your candle in the air so it won’t go out, climbing up slippery ladders and ropes with waterfalls gushing in your face, jumps from mini cliffs into more pools, disappearing into small holes, crying girls, shivering men… it was awesome! The jump in the cave, for me, was a warm up for things to come. My advice if you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods: jump off EVERYTHING! The rope swing into the river, the very intimidating bridge, and the very tall trees at the pools. Don’t think too much, simply huck yourself into space (yes, like a coiler) and all will be well!!

We then proceeded to hike to the lookout, down to the natural bridge where the roaring river is swallowed into the abyss, and finally, we all relaxed in the gorgeous pools for the remainder of the day. Stunning and stellar, one of the highlights of the trip so far for sure!

After one more day of relaxing and tubing we snapped a few more pics, settled our bill, and set off for Antigua where we heard you could climb the very active Volcan Pocaya… stay tuned for Part 2!