On first impressions...
After a scary 10-hour mountainous bus ride we were herded to the back of a truck like cattle. Up the steep and precarious roads of the mountain, we held on, bumping and crushing against the then strangers! The mountain views were stunning, a mist coming in and the sun setting behind us.

On further examination...
For our only day in the area we decided to take the regular ‘every tourist does it’ tour. Set deep in the mountains, the real attraction of Semuc Champey is that in parts, the river has made an underground path and the heavy flooding river water simply disappears underground. Atop the underground caves lie beautiful fresh water pools. So, our tour started with an uphill climb to a gorgeous viewing point overlooking this spectacular view. A steady descent down the mountain led us to explore and swim in the fresh water pools. We were led to natural, rock, water slides and watched as each member of the group was set up perfectly by the guide and pushed down into the blue water below! Of course my slide was hardly smooth and resulted in a huge bruise down my leg for weeks!

Before long the rains came and we raced back to the hostel for lunch, arriving soaking wet! We really should have clicked at this point as there had been reports of heavy rain for the past week and with the current down pour surely the water level would be high! Alas we did not. So after lunch we were led by our non-English speaking guide for a tour of the underground caves. We were all smiles in the beginning, we have video footage to prove it! Barefoot, we entered the cave into knee deep, and eventually sometimes shoulder deep water. Each of us with a candle in one hand (yes, I said shoulder deep water and candle!) and the other hand on a guide rope, we entered the pitch-black cave. Sometimes the guide was with us, other times he would disappear into the darkness to light candles further along the path. I truly was having a great adventure, climbing up, down and around the cave... until the waterfall!

The guide had been gone for about 10 minutes. We were all just wading in the water together, with our candles, laughing and watching the bats above. Then the group of around 15 started to move up ahead. So onwards we went. I had said to Adam ‘please stay with me’ as we could see the group climbing through a small rock hole ahead and we could hear a loud waterfall nearby. Alas, Adam was neither in front or behind me when I climbed through the rock hole and was met by the plummeting water fall. I stood on the ledge behind the fall and was frozen with fear. The water was so full that as I moved further along the shelf I was in the force of the tumbling water, unable to see, unable to breathe and barely able to lift my arm out to reach the ladder in front, which I needed to climb. Absolutely petrified, I finally managed to cling hold of the ladder and whilst holding my breath, climbed to the top of the waterfall, THROUGH the waterfall. Once at the top I was beside myself and no longer had candle light because my candle was now snapped in two (due to my holding on so damn tight!). The reality for me, was that if I had have fallen from the ladder, the shear rock faces and velocity of the water would have been my end. Shaking and speechless (you know somethings definitely wrong now), I clung to the guide rope and attempted to calm my nerves as we watched the apparently unaffected boys jump from cave cliffs further along, into the deep pools below. Adam had caught up to me by this stage and was attempting to reassure me. I had managed to moderately calm myself down until instead of moving forward through the cave, the guide led us backwards, towards the waterfall. It was at this point that I lost it and tears came rolling down my face. I can honestly say I have never been so scared. Poor Adam, for all the reassuring words, I was a mess!

To my surprise, we eventually exited the cave alive! There was no one without cuts or scratches and quite a few matching ghost-like faces!! Although I so wished it finished, the tour continued with a jungle version of tubing and the opportunity to jump from the local 4 storey bridge into the ferocious river below (all whilst the local police watched on!). Fair to say, I did not participate!

After having the exact same experience, Adam says he loved it. Loved that there is absolutely no way we would ever have done that in Australia. Loved that is was a REAL adventure. Loved that it was so unique. I just loved that I didn’t die!

In the end...
SC, such a beautiful setting in the mountains. We met the lovely Nina, Will, Sam and Kevin and will certainly all never forget it, however probably for very different reasons!