Hello Friends and Family, this is Rachael blogging from Leon, Nicaragua. This last week or so has been busy since we left Chicacnab, in the cloud forest that you heard about from Kelley.
From Chicacnab we hiked a couple miles down a muddy slippery mountain side (my feet just did not seem to want to stay under me) then took a bus to Coban where we spent the night, showered the grit and dirt of Chicacnab off of our bodies and treated ourselves to delicious ice cream, grilled cheese and whatever else we fancied.
The next day we got up early and bussed to Semuc Champey, the elvish falls, where we would be spending the night. A bus ride of less than two hours and a bumpy half hour standing in the back of a pickup and we were so happy to feel the warm air as we arrived at our hotel.
It felt like paradise, luscious, humid, tropical paradise. The hotel was set right on the river, made up of grass roofed huts and cocoa trees, big ferns and colorful flowers growing everywhere (plants on top of plants, soft cushy moss, things can not grow fast enough in the tropics), chirping cicadas, toothpick trunked chalky white trees with big billowing donkey ear leaves floating in the thick, velvety air. A little girl walked around selling a bag full of the juiciest, fragrant, bursty mandarins!
After we arrived we put our things in our rooms, grouped back up and headed straight to the falls. First we walked around the park a bit then hiked up to the look out point. The walk to get there was a bit strenuous, there were some frusturated sighs to be heard from people who felt they were being tricked into yet another trekk! The thirty minute hike was up a mix of natural and man made steps to where a look out point is built into the cliffs at the top of the climb. We quickly caught our breath there as the sight of stunning jade pools and lush green jungle rejuvenated us. It looked like the view out of an airplane window, a string of chunky turquoise beads flung haphazardly on the jungle floor.
We headed back down the same way we came up, arriving at the river´s edge. We swam in the first pool, the water cool and refreshing, until our guide beckoned us to the rocks at the edge which we jumped off to enter the second pool.To get to the next pool the jump was higher and scarier, He created little challenges, jump in then swim as far as you can underwater, or try to swim under a log laying on the bottom of the pool, his sturdy hands waiting to guide us through the underwater tunnel, he challenged us to climb up a steep little waterfall, hands groping for a pocket to grab as legs kicked their way up. We reached the last pool, where the group jumped simultaneously off a little rock and walked over to look off the edge at the frothy waters so far below.
We reluctantly climbed out of the wonderful water, trudging our sopping, sweaty, hungry selves out of the park and back to the hotel where we ate lunch and waited to begin our next adventure into the Las Marias caves.
Before entering the caves we were given candles to light our way. We left the daylight behind us as we stepped into the cavernous limestone caves, the cool water at first shocking, we held the candles above our heads as we swam deeper into the dark hallway. It was a feeling like no other, eery but somehow sacred, we fell mostly silent besides the occasional nervous giggle as we followed our guide deeper in. We proceeded to climb ladders, scale the sides of rocks,and jump into a deep pool of water from a perch high up on the slippery cave wall. The limestone walls and ceiling were covered in stalactites and some spots in the cave were very narrow and small, we had to crawl through in order to cross, going to other spots involved ladder and rope climbing or jumping across rocks, climbing the rope was particularly exhilirating. It was impossible to hear through the roar of the waterfall that was pounding over your head, onto your back, but the guide was awesome as usual, instructing where to put our feet, and watching us carefully the whole way up.
On the way back we blew out all the candles, save for a stub at the front of the line and made our way back in darkness. We had the option of lowering ourselves through a little hole to the next level, rushing water pounding our ears, no idea what is through the rabbit hole, blind trust in the strong, sure hands of our guide, reemerging on the other side, treading water in complete darkness for a minute, no idea how large the space we are in is, until the guide emerges with his headlamp and points us in the right direction.
Finally, emerging into the day, now darkening into dusk. The muggy daylight seems alien, we blink our eyes, adjusting to outside the cave. It seems like we could have emerged in another time, like we only would have been half surprised had a dinosaur come rustling out of the forest.
The next day we boarded a bus to Flores expecting a ten hour trip. Travels went smoothly for a while, with most of us sleeping spread out on unoccupied seats, heads on eachothers shoulders, or bouncing against the vibrating bus window. The trip was pretty uneventful until the bus screeched to a stop, in front of us boulders were laid across the road to stop traffic. We were informed it was a protest, people moved the rocks and we were able to pass but it was not long until we were again stopped, a long line of cars stretching in both directions. This time we exited the bus and walked through the protest, we met Ari on the other side where he had flagged down a van that we were able to ride in the rest of the way.
We arrived in our hostel in Flores which was really nice and overlooked the water. We rose bright and early at four the next morning to set out for Tikal. You heard from Em a little about that, including the massive tarantula that some psycho members of my group actually touched. I could actually imagine tricking myself into holding it if I just pretended it was a little rodent or other type of mammal, it was that giant and hairy, alas I still didn´t touch it, just stood there whimpering as I watched my brave and crazy friends let it crawl on their hands and arms.
The ruins of Tikal were gorgeous, the remains of huge temples that tower over 230 feet high in addition to all sorts of other ancient buildings We spent the morning climbing ruins and wondering around Tikal before heading back to enjoy the rest of the day in Flores.
The next morning we headed to the airport where we flew to Nicaragua (a process of 4 different flights in all, each about an hour long)
We spent the next four days in a lovely hostel in Grenada, lounging by the pool, hanging in hammocks and just generally roughing it and living a hard life. We are finally in the sunshine! It is hot and humid, we sleep under a sheet, if that, and are finally starting to get tan! (but yes mom, I will be careful and wear sunscreen)
We are now in Leon, we met out families yesterday afternoon and had our first day of Spanish classes today. We are excited to spend two weeks here! Hope everyone is doing well ! We send our love!
