11 August, 2008

8-11

Semuc Champey. Ah Semuc Champey. What can I say about Semuc Champey? Although it literally means ¨the river that flows beneath the ground¨ and it is ¨simply¨ a sumidero (underground and then resurfacing) waterway, its unofficial title as ¨eighth wonder of the world¨ is well deserved. Situated in the middle of the rain-fed brown waters of the Rio Cahabon sit a series of startlingly blue mountain steam-filled pools, each one lower, more tranquil, and more picture perfect than the last. As the name suggests, the Cahabon travels undisturbed beneath all of this, leaving this pristine ecosystem in effect suspended above the raging torrent beneath it. Even now, as I write this, as I describe it, I still find it difficult to grasp. Indeed, more unbelievable still, after so many beautiful rivers, valleys, and lakes, Semuc Champey truly unique unto itself.

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