Category: Guatemala

Whenever I hear the odd traveller mention Semuc Champey I immediately get the urge to launch myself headfirst into their conversation and go into a massive story about how amazing it is. The picturesque landscape of lush Guatemalan highlands, the turquoise limestone swimming pools, the excitingly dangerous candlelit cave exploration. On more than one occasion I’ve cut into conversations of complete strangers, but usually my enthusiasm gets me past that initial ‘is he nuts’ stage.

At Semuc Champey there’s an incredible display of natural beauty. Allow me to paint the picture. A dense overgrowth of jungle spread out across two green mountains, separated through the middle by a flowing valley. A cascading river crashes through until it hits a dark cavernous drop. Suddenly the sound of the torrent disappears and the river along with it. On the surface a series of gentle, peaceful swimming pools laze about for the next 300ft and slowly trickle down, as the monstrous river surges secretly below. At the end it spills out with ferocity and re-enters the river, before calming down again and heading out into the distance.

On the other side of the river there’s an opening to the Kan’Ba caves. On this guided tour you’ll get to stumble around jagged rocks and deep pools of water for about an hour and a half, all under the guidance of a small candle. No helmet, no flash lights, no shoes, no problems. Get to the end, climb up a rock and jump off into a deep dark pool of water. Once you get out of the cave, look for a seat swing that hurls you out into the middle of the river.

Just about perfect, but at times it does get a little touristy. But so are a lot of other beautiful spots around the world, and after a while you’ll have to get over it. My advice to beat the crowds: skip the tour and do some self exploration. The entrance to Semuc Champey is 50Q ($6) and if you go without a tour you’ve got as much time as you want without a pushy guide shuffling you along to the next spot with the rest of the herd. When you’re ready, the caves are on the other side of the river and cost 65Q. You’ll receive a mandatory guide once you’ve paid at no extra cost. That’s 115Q instead of the tours that usually start at 180Q. You won’t get transport, but if you stay close to the site it’s a fantastic walk.

And for those wanting to beat the crowds, do it cheaper and with even more excitement. There’s a couple of extra things that can really make the trip interesting. But like all good adventures, they’ll take a little bit of creativity, and possibly a bit of rule breaking.

Travel Basics

Getting There

The difficulties of Guatemalan roads are that there aren’t too many decent ones. This means a lot of backtracking if you don’t plan out your route properly. If you’re headed up to Tikal, or coming from the north, you can stop off at Coban and find your way out to Lanquin. There you can navigate yourself to hostels with eager 4X4 drivers who work for different companies. If you have less time and a little more money, shuttles can be arranged from Antigua or Tikal for a little extra and a hell of a lot less hassle than you’d get on local buses.

Eating

Most places near Semuc Champey are in the middle of nowhere. Because of this they have restaurants, not kitchens, and charge a lot because they know people don’t have any other choices. Be smart and invest in some travel food. Powered milk and oats are a great breakfast. Bread rolls will last a few days and are made into simple sandwiches if you bring some tomato, onion and mustard. Dinners, well, if you’ve eaten that for breaky and lunch you probably deserve a decent meal, so treat yourself.

How was your experience at Semuc Champey? Leave us a comment below or find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Want to find some deliciously awesome cheap eats in San Pedro, Guatemala? Yes please! But when backpacking on a budget, unfortunately this dream doesn’t always become a reality. Meals consist of what’s cheap and easy to cook. Lots of starchy potatoes, pasta and rice. And of course in Central America, anything to do with corn. Corn tortillas, with boiled corn on top and maybe a side of fried corn… surely there has got to be another answer?

In San Pedro we found the perfect lunch that gets the belly full and will literally cost you under one dollar! Forget the touristy strip, aptly named Gringolandia, with its alluring tastes and high priced meals. Head up the road to the local market in the morning and pick up some fresh supplies. Today we’re going to make a tasty guacamole on fresh corn tortillas (OK so corn plays a small part).

Here’s the super simple shopping list:

Total = 7.5Q or just under 1USD

What’s next?

All you need for the preparation is some clean water to wash the veggies, a knife and a small container/bowl. Give everything a decent wash; mash up the avocado into a bowl; add in diced tomato and onion; juice some lime; and add salt and pepper to taste. Take it down to the lake with a good book and your swimming trunks, and you’ve got a nice afternoon picnic ready to go.

And this meal isn’t just a cheap eat in San Pedro. We’ve used this all over Central America where tortillas and avocado are in an abundance. Remember, the more money you save on food, and longer you can travel!

You’ve read about it in all the guide books, seen it advertised throughout the tourist offices and heard fellow travelers talk about it. But the Chichicastenango market isn’t all it’s hyped up to be. Apart from making you feel like a bigger tourist than a bus load of older Americans, it’s pricey, massively over rated and if you’re not passing through, can easily be missed. We can understand the draw to a spot like Chichi, but in our opinion there’s a lot better places out there to spend your valuable savings.

While traveling through Guatemala you’ll often come across markets selling an abundance of brightly colored and beautiful woven garments worn by the different groups of indigenous Mayan. Most tourists jump at the opportunity to buy a few memories of their travels, but when traveling on a budget it can often be difficult to shop for souvenirs. Room in your bag and your weekly beer allowance are factors that come to your mind straight away.

Looking for bargains becomes more than just a novelty, it becomes a necessity. In Guatemala you hold out because you’ve heard that Chichicastenago market is the best place to go on their famous Sunday market day, and what you’ll find could be completely different. Here’s what unfolded when we decided to head to Chichi to get our shop on…..

We arrive in Chichi from Xela on a gloomy Saturday afternoon and the ominous signs of a market are already beginning to show, as stalls work on setting up all over town. Men go through an all too familiar routine of constructing giant scaffolding stalls and covering them with protective plastic. Women delicately unfold garments and hang brilliantly patterned table clothes on the walls. Woven bookmarks, feather earrings and other small trinkets are carefully arranged around small wooden tables by busy hands. Smooth talking phrases in English, rehearsed to perfection, echo around us we made our way through the maze of vendors.

A small girl dressed in casual clothes greets us in the centre with a smile and a ‘welcome to Chichi’ in English. After our initial greeting we realize she doesn’t speak much English and the conversation switches to Spanish, where she has a lot more confidence in speaking. We make small talk and exchange names and stories before the hard sale comes on. After politely declining her sale she continues to follow us around the town for another 20mins asking for ‘un quetzal, un regalo‘ (one quetzal, one gift). She doesn’t take to our kind refuses and in the end we head to our hostel to shake her tail, as more people begin to join the cue looking for a hand out.

After catching our breath we decide to venture out again, only to be confronted by the same girl and more of her partners in crime. This is something that happened quite a lot to us in Chichi. People didn’t seem to take a polite ‘no’ for an answer, and instead persistently followed us around the town. Something tells me they have become pretty used to receiving the odd quetzal from fed up travelers and that usually their persistence pays off. Obviously they didn’t know us.

We walk around town for a while, but quickly realize Chichi isn’t a hub of activity. There’s an interesting cemetery to visit, with its collection of multicolored headstones and decorated graves, but otherwise it’s a pretty quiet town. As a result we head to bed early, and then rise early to beat the crowds. By the time we get to to the market in the morning it’s just after 8, yet already a circus of activity. More phrases in English, more stalls selling the same stuff and all at a much higher price than what you’d usually find around Guatemala. Within the first hour we’re already walking round in circles, tired of being hassled every time we stop to take a peek.

The idea of getting a few bargains has now well and truly been abandoned, and all we were thinking about is getting out. With a winding road up to Nebaj in the back of our minds we bid farewell to the hectic carnival atmosphere that Chichi has turned into and make a beeline for the exit. For us it was just too much of an intense concentration of vendors all trying way too hard to close a sale. Here is an classic example of where persistence doesn’t always pay off, as they hoped that after the 200^th time that we would finally give in. If anything it just drove us further away from the place.

In our honest opinion, check the market out if you’re still really interested, but definitely save the shopping for the quieter spots. It’s a beautiful place, full of traditional Mayan culture, but so are many other towns in Guatemala. Many tourists that we’ve met share the same view, after hearing the same warning. You’ll find the exact same souvenirs in other markets throughout the country, so don’t worry about missing out on anything. And if you do go, be conscious of pickpockets, who are a lot more ballsy on Sunday.

Chichicantenango Market Basics

Where: Chichicastenango, Guatemala (north of Lago Atitlan)

Getting There: Chicken buses run from all directions, at all times and are easy to navigate. Most buses will pass through Los Encuentros before making a change up north to Chichi. Depending on where you’re coming from they’ll take between 2-4 hours and cost you a LOT less than organizing a tour to get out there. Tours are definitely not need.

Accommodation: Among the tourist hotels you can find some cheap accommodation for 30Q if you want to stay the night.

Like all articles you’re welcome to leave your comments or experiences at Chichicastenango market. Our writing is subjective and reflects not only our opinion, but also our personal experiences. If you loved Chichi drop us a comment below or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Every backpacker knows what it’s like to be on a tight budget. Choosing public transportation over cushy first class, forgoing meals out for cooking beans in a dingy hostel kitchen, its all part of the fun, right? But being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to miss out on awesome activities. Jules and I are always on the look out for cheap or, even better, free things to do. Here’s some activities that won’t break the bank in Xela, Guatemala.

1) Xela Cemetary:

This activity is completely 100% free. Oh yeah! The cemetery is located not far from the center plaza and is a true mosaic of bright colors. Gravestones are painted in turquoise, orange and pastel pinks. Although the cemetery is open weeklong, the best day to go is Sunday when families gather to pay respect to their deceased relatives. It doesn’t take long to witness the stark contrast between the western view of death and how they celebrate it in Guatemala. Families bring picnics, including the deceased’s favorite foods, to enjoy for lunch. The ice cream man pushes his cart as children run over graves to catch him. The whole afternoon is spent kicking back, sharing food and chatting with the family.

2) San Francisco de Alto Market:

If you’re looking for handicrafts to take home as souvenirs, this is not the place. The San Francisco Market is, however, an amazing place to get a glimpse of how the locals shop. This market is not geared for tourists and likely you’ll be the only foreigner in sight. Compared to shopping at Chichicastenango, it’s refreshing to watch locals buying and selling their weekly items without trying to pressure you into a sale.  It’s the largest weekly market in all of Guatemala and carries everything from clothing to live animals. Yeah that’s right. If you do want to see the livestock section, be sure to get there early because the animals are packed up by 11am. If you’re up for an adventure, the market opens by candlelight around 4 am. San Francisco El Alto is only open on Fridays and sits high on top of a mountain. The winding chicken bus up to the market is 10Q and takes about an hour to get there. Be sure to bring a camera to capture the action of the market and the gorgeous views from the top.

 3) Zunil

This small town is the take-off point for transportation to hot springs, Fuentes Georginas. Although we’ve heard they’re beautiful, we couldn’t justify spending 100Q just for a soak. So we opted for the cheaper option to explore the small town of Zunil. The bus (only 4.75Q from Xela) drops you off at the church. From there, you have to ask around to find the location of the town’s main attraction- San Simon. Zunil is one of the few places that still worships this Saint. Also known as Maximon, San Simon is the saint of gambling and drinking and is said to bring wealth and success to those who worship him. The shrine is moved to a new house each year, so ask around in town for the location. We were sent on a wild goose chase up narrow winding streets until we finally asked someone who pointed to a dark house behind us. Entering the building we found only a sleepy guard who silently pointed upstairs. Cautiously, we made our way upstairs to find San Simon himself, in all his glory. The shrine is centered around a life-size mannequin, who sits coolly with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a black hat and sunglasses covering his face. Dozens of candles line the floor, dimly lighting the small room. Offerings of bottles of alcohol and packs of cigarettes sit on a table next to Simon. A woman sitting in the corner rushes up to the mannequin intermittently to shake the ashes off the butt of his cigarette or light a new one. Entrance is only 5Q, but you’ll have to pay another 10Q to take photos.