Day 149 - Wednesday 28th July

Lazy morning. Took a tubing tour with just Helga and I and our tiny tour guide Mario (everyone here is around 5ft, perfect for me...) down the rapid river running at the bottom of the eco lodge's grounds. Chilled for the afternoon, took a walk down the picturesque valley and reading in the hammock. Late afternoon we headed out to the local caves and took a tour into their depths, concluding in a long stop at the end as thousands of bats wake up and fly out, inches from your face, surrounding you on all sides. Wicked and some great photos.

By the time we got back, Helga's Guatemalan friends Marcos and his cousins Luis and Jose had arrived and we ended up with a fiesta in the hostel with lots of rum and lots of cards...

Day 150 - Thursday 29th July

One of the best days so far. Took Marcos' 4x4 for the bumpy ride out to Semuc Champey, the national park. Just before the entrance we played around on a rope swing doing backflips into the raging river below. Next we headed to these flooded caves where water roars out of the mountain. We were led through by another (tiny) guide wading through holding our candles above our heads to the point where you're literally swimming through the frigid waters with one arm holding the only light flickering tentatively above the water. Awesome. Climbed up waterfalls, jumped into pools and slid down wet rocks. Cold but wicked. Then another bought of tubing for the hell of it.

Next for Semuc Champey itself. A full, raging river charges down the valley before dramatically dipping underground for 100m or so. In the middle you are left with crystal azul lakes at different levels that you can do jumps into and swim around into little caves and sliding down rocks, all in a dramatic landscape. Seriously one of the highlights of the trip, and pleasantly empty.

For the evening, things got out of hand with lots of a potent drink Aguadiente and a cheesy disco in the hostel...

Day 151 - Friday 30th July

Slow hungover morning, eventually we had to leave paradise. Squeezing 4 of us into the back of the 4x4 we proceeded on the highly uncomfortable 8hr journey north to Flores. And on the way a nasty virus set in that would cripple me for the next couple of days. Did manage to bump into Toby and Emily in the hostel though, last seen 132 days ago in Buenos Aires!