Coban and Semuc Champey

After Rio Dulce we caught a bus to the El Rancho transport "hub" and then a collectivo (minivan taxi) up through winding countryside to the city of Coban. The Collectivos operate quite a competitive business picking up and dropping off as many passengers as possible, often barely comming to a stop when ejecting passengers!.

Coban is not the most beautiful of cities, but it is excellently located to get to the local sites and we stayed at a fabulous hostel "casa D'acuna" that had the best hostel cafe so far.



From there we did a day trip to a set of stepped pools called Semuc Champey that are contained on a natural limestone bridge (the river gushes under the pools and comes out some 100m later). We were able to swim/slide down the pools and then descend somewhat precariously on a rope ladder over the edge of the last pool to see the river reemerging.






We ended the day at the Lanquin caves just in time to see all the bats head off for their evening hunting.




PS when in the jungle remember to check your hat before putting it on !