Utopia

Utopia is set in the jungle high above the Cahabon River. The hostel has a large timber balcony protruding into space under an iron roof. It is built from big timber, with big proportions and has big energy. 

The reception from staff is warm and welcoming and it is apparent that people that come here have put in the extra effort to reach this remote location. People I met were very relaxed, friendly and a bit alternative. It has a beautiful ambience and the sound of the flowing river perfectly enhances the uninterrupted view of the green, green mountains.

I stayed for three nights and each afternoon there was a new group of people arriving and each morning was another series of farewells. I spent my first full day chilling in this beautiful place, reading some Spanish to improve my slow progress. I met many more people and my motorcycle trip became the centre of many conversations and questions. 

In the afternoon a group of people sat and talked excitedly about the day tour they had taken to Semuc Champey, the caves, the river the pools. I met a few of them and decided that I would do the tour the next day. By 9.30 they were all fading so I could see it would be a big day. I headed to the hammock and listened to music.

 In the morning a group of us were driven to the entrance of the national park 

and started the tour walking in the caves. We waded through water that started at waist deep then through parts was up to my neck and we even had to swim part of it. The caves were pitch black apart from the candles that we had been given. We came to the end of a chamber and one by one climbed a rusty old ladder held in place by ropes. A bit of climbing, hoisting and ducking rocks later and we came into another chamber and more water.

The sound of fast running water became louder as we rounded a corner as were confronted with a three metre waterfall. 

We climbed a ladder a little further on, wading along a long wet corridor of rock and we could hear some screaming followed by cheering up ahead. We were not the only group but one of three that were in there at the same time. 

 There was an option of jumping three metres into a deep rock pool under candlelight. I’m happy to let the young ones enjoy this type of thrill, I’ll stick to more safe and mundane pursuits such as riding a motorbike around the world.

 After the jumps we followed the same path back to the entrance of the cave where everyone compared grazes and potential bruises. We walked back to the bridge that was warning us about its poor condition, 

and had the option to jump the 8 metres to the flowing river below. Sure why not. I walked to the edge and jumped straight off, not giving myself time to think about it. 

After the bridge we ate 

and rested before bundling back into the car, over the bridge to the Semuc Champey entrance. We walked into the park and were taken to the beginning of a path that went up a grueling slope to a spectacular lookout where all of the promotional shots of the pool feature are taken. 

The place is a unique geological feature of a fast flowing river from one water source upstream entering a cavern beneath a series of pools that are spring fed. 

The stream comes out again about 400 metres downstream at the end of the pools. It is not only the feature but the colour of the water that makes it look special and be so photogenic.

 Returning from the lookout we made our way to the pools where we could swim. 

We followed the guides through the six or so pools swimming in the pleasant temperature of these beautifully bright green pools. It was fun and our group was bonding and all enjoying the experience and the day together. After an hour or more we made our way back towards the entrance of the park and a group of us had pre-arranged riding large inner tubes down the river, through four or so sets of rapids, pretty tame ones but fun, and all the way back to the hostel, just over an hour’s float away. We were allocated our tubes and told the most effective way to paddle and off we went. It was a beautiful thing floating down a mountain green river through the jungle and we switched and changed small clusters of tubes and chatted as we floated serenely along.

The first set of rapids came and we were directed to the right side to avoid rocks and have an easy path through. It was fun getting caught up and wet by small eddies that form in the rapids. 

The first one was fine but on the second one I was being swept into an eddie and getting wet when I was hit from underneath by a rock. I hadn’t lifted my rear out of the tube enough and the impact was hard. The rock hit me above my backside right next to the tailbone and for a moment I thought that’s what I had hit the rock with. The impact took my breath away and I knew I was injured. I kept floating and tried to work out exactly where I had been hit. It didn’t take long to realise it had missed my tailbone but only by one centimetre. I felt relieved because smashing my coccyx would be a journey stopper for me. I wouldn’t be able to ride. The rest of the ride down the river I was cautious and in pain and didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. Still it was a magnificent trip and a beautiful setting and I don’t regret it for a minute.