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Arrived at the little mountain village of Lanquin famous for its caves and the Semuc Champey limestone pools with plans to stay at a well-known travellers haven but there was no room at the inn, so, along with a bunch of Dutch and a cool retired couple from St Albans, we all piled into a van and bumped our way 40 minutes to a new hostel literally right next door to Semuc Champey - which is apparently the most beautiful spot in Guat!
So alls well that ends well...we were all pretty pleased with ourselves and our cute little wooden cabins overlooking the valley and the river! Celebratory beverages all round and some mammoth a******* sessions by candlelight once the generator was turned off before everyone fumbled their way down to their rustic lodges.
In the morning we all headed up to the pools and spent the day monging and swimming in the sun. It is a beautiful spot, about ten stepped pools cascading into each other and all lovely colours of blue and green. Ahh!
Also trekked for 40 sweaty minutes to the lookout which was amazing although it did our new heights phobia no good at all. Neither did laying down and posing for some very weird photos with our heads hanging off the floor!
Back at base camp, we all chilled out in hammocks before dinner and some more card games whilst trying to avoid being covered in some kind of animal or insect poo that was falling out of the thatch roof!
Had a bit of a drama when we got back to the room and discovered a massive, scary looking spider lurking on our curtains. Luckily Ian was next door and kindly stepped in to remove the beast which objected quite strongly to being trapped in a teacup half its size.
It also proved that, despite the assurances of London Zoo Friendly Spider programme, that spiders do infact jump, infact this one bounded around our cabin like Heather Mills with eight legs. Plus even spider fearless Ian refused to collect it in his hands after spotted its jaws and a scary set of gnashers. Ugh ugh ugh!
The next day, tales of spider bravery and spider wimpery, then we all took off for a tubing adventure down the river. Started off fine, but then it seemed we went off-river tubing and ended up stranded in the middle of the river with rapids either side and a slightly bashful 'guide' admitting he had never been this far before.
Everyone managed to reach the side quite safely enough apart from poor Ian, who somehow had been given a childs tyre and could't left his bottom high enough out of the water, and ended up wedgied between two rocks in a highly undignified fashion!
More cards and beers before bed and upsettingly more spiders....Tim was doing a token check in the cabin when his torch caught the buggy black eyes of another beasty staring back at him.
Cue Spiderman from next door who came armed with a rubbish bin and a magazine. The sight of the spider's massive spindly legs scrabbling out of the make-shift cage before Ian chucked the whole thing down the hill is a sight that will stay with me a long time. Thanks London Zoo, I am totally cured. Not.
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