Great spot for swimming and just admiring the natural beauty. So very peaceful and relaxing. If you visit Guatemala, I highly recommend coming here.
There are also caves nearby that you can tour. There's still water flowing through the caves and so you can climb waterfalls and swim through some passages (the water is too deep to walk through). Very Indiana Jones. Coolness. No pics, though, as I don't have a waterproof camera.
Now please allow me to geek out a little bit about the fact that this is basically a series of beautiful turquoise pools in limestone with a big river running far underneath. The pools are filled with ancillary streams and then the waters from the pools and the (underground) river meet up again at the end. Here's a sign from the park that explains.
[Dave's translation: This scenery is impressive but dangerous!
The pools of Semuc Champey form a bridge over the Cahabon River. Under this bridge is a cavern through which the river passes. The location where the river's waters enter or "drain" into the cavern is called the Sink. The river leaves the cave 300 meters later.
The Sink is where the "river disappears below the land" and this is what Semuc Champey means in the Q'echi language (note: Q'echi is one of the Mayan languages still spoken here in Guatemala).
Observe the powerful strength of nature in the abundant waters of the Cahabon River. In the rainy season, the river can grow so much and gain so much force that it can pass over the top of the pools.
This scenery is impressive, but be very careful approaching since the rocks are slippery and accidents can occur.
A park guard should accompany you at all times when you visit the Sink.]
3 comments:
Awfully brave of you just to leave your shorts and gear while you swam about...
...er, sorry, just dazed off there for a moment.
Actually, that resembles the fjords. I have pictures of stair-step waterfalls in a myriad of colors because each pool and fall takes on the colors of the algae in that specific pooling. Red, green, and blue mostly, but I was told orange algae shows up in South Amercia.
So did you actually pass through the sink? Was the water level low enough to do that safely?
Wow, I just caught up on your blog, seems like it has been a pretty amazing trip! How is your Spanish coming along? This seems like a place I would definitely like to visit! Anything with water, I guess I am pretty easy to please!
Places looks pretty uniquely awesome. Looks like the best place you went so far.
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