Of incredible and awe-inspiring natural beauty,
Guatemala has its fair share. The views and mountainscapes are second to none;
so much so that at one point in our travels northward, we took five local buses
in one day, including four hours bouncing down a dirt road, just to take the
scenic route. It is vast and grand and, at times, overwhelming.
On the smaller scale, central Guatemala has some impressive
natural formations. Among these are a number of cave and river systems of
exhaustive beauty.
Among these natural phenomena, Semuc Champey wears the
crown. Pools of varying sizes and shades of turquoise (who knew it had more
than one shade?) send river water spilling from tier to tier, as the primary
river takes an underground detour.
Another marvel of the shapes nature creates, a nearby cave
system sprawls through Guatemala’s mountainous Alta Verapaz region. Serving as
sacred sites for past and present Mayans, the caves’ stalactite and stalagmite
residents sprout from floor and ceiling.
It is truly amazing the spectrum of creations that arises
when Mother Nature has the help of water, minerals, and time.
