Moving on

getting ready to explore!

cave by candlelight

survived the cave! Thrilled to the bone

Semuc Champey, Guatemala

So it's been a while since we've updated... Let's see.  We left San Pedro after our rent was up, freshened up with a little Spanish to assist us in the Central American World.  We headed to the well known Antigua, Guatemala.  It was a long ride to get there, and a little bit of a disappointment once we got there.  It's a beautiful cobblestone colonial town but is jam packed with gringos, tourists, and expensive restaurants.  Not to mention the fanciest looking Mcdonalds we have ever seen.  There were chandeliers hanging from the roof and a fountain in the middle of it! Unbelievable.  After a couple days there we escaped to this beautiful hostel just out of town called Earth Lodge.  We had unlimited use of the sauna there, great food to eat, an amazing view of the stars and some crazy hiking trails.  It was a sweet escape, and a great place to relax.  Afterward we headed to Semuc Champey and stayed in a little village called Lanquin.  We stayed at the Zephyr Lodge which was managed by a fellow Canadian who hooked us up!  We saw the amazing waterfalls and natural pools, and explored a crazy cave filled with water and stalactites with only candlelight to guide us.  We got to climb up a waterfall with only a rope to hang on to, and slide down algae covered slippery rocks like a waterslide!  It was pretty Indiana Jonesy.   We explored a local cave and then waited until sundown to watch hundreds of bats fly out of the entrance. We floated down the Lanquin River, and spent a lot of time hangin in the sun and sleeping in hammocks for only 2 dollars a night!  We passed through Livingston Guatemala and spent a night in a little pretty town called Omoa in Honduras.   Now we made it to Utila in the Bay Islands and are working on our Open Water Diving course!  Tomorrow is our first official dive, so we'll get some pictures of cool fish and post em up.

the view from Earth Lodge, Antigua

Lanquin bat caves

Zephyr Lodge, Guatemala

a random cow stampede

Omoa, Honduras