Slick Shoes


DAY 8: I’ve titled this entry “Slick Shoes,” figuring that many of you readers out there of my generation will understand that it is a reference to the movie The Goonies, the immortal Spielburg/Columbus movie of the 80s where a bunch of Oregonian kids hike through watery underground passageways in search of the lost treasure of pirate One-Eyed Willy.  Slick shoes are of course, shoes that squirt out an oil slick via a mechanism in the heel, so that chasing bad guys can slip and fall, providing an easier getaway.  In the movie, they are invented by the Asian character named Data—and it’s already been established by a Frenchman on this trip (in Caye Caulker) that I “look like [him.]”

The watery underground passageway of this tale is the Cueva K’anba (K’anba Cave) of the Grutas de Lanquin (Lanquin Grutas) cave network, encompassing three kilometers of underground tunnels and caves.  It was only about a five-minute walk there from the Las Marias lodge, on the same side of the Cahabon River.  We walked there after breakfast—both ours and the one of the pet howler monkey, sadly tied to a rope.

By “we,” I mean our own international group of “Goonies”:  Welshman Matt, Polish girls Aga and Joanna, Berkeleyan Tilu, Bay Area Camilla, and me, Data.  Leading us was our guide Rojo, a happy Guatemalan man who spoke no English.

“Tu es el diablo Rojo,” I told him, noticing the candles strapped to his head like devil horns. 

Most of the group was wearing flip flops, footwear unsuitable for the ups and downs of the rocky cave we were about to explore.  Fortunately the cave guides provided beat up old sneakers and shoes to protect people’s feet, some with holes in their soles, with little-to-no traction—slick shoes if you will.  I was not wearing their slick shoes, for Rojo said my enclosed rafting sandals were adequate.

Regardless of me not wearing the provided slippery footwear, the comparison of me to Data of the Goonies would continue; I was the token Asian guy after all, with gadgets strapped to my head and to my body (something pretty common with me, even back at home).  Plus, the candles that Rojo provided weren’t ordinary candles; they sparkled up like dynamite fuses when he lit them, and I hoped they didn’t create any backfiring boody traps.  ("That’s what I said, boody traps!")

Like in Goonies, our entry into the underground passageway was littered with bats; just walking into the cave a few feet where it was dark already, squeaking bats flew all around our heads.  From the bat zone, the water got deeper and deeper, and we had to hold our candles over our heads—and for a while, hold them while swimming with one hand in a section too deep to walk.

Exploring the cave involved more than one-handed swimming; it involved crawling, ducking, climbing ladders, and, if you wanted to follow Rojo’s lead at one area, jumping into deep pools.  Mostly we walked around, illuminating our way with our sparkling candles (picture above), mindful of the hanging stalagtites near our heads.  Some of the limestone formations resembled other things, if you had the imagination of our guide.

“[It’s a cow’s head.]”

“[It’s an elephant’s trunk.]”

“[It’s the feathers of a rooster.]”

The limestone formations provided the backdrop for some photos, and I became the designated photographer (just like Data) with my waterproof camera strapped to my neck:  Camilla and Tilu, Aga and Joanna, and Matt.  At one area near an underground waterfall, the group posed in Goonies fashion, before wading around a big stalagtite, walking through a waterfall, and finding the hidden cave behind.  Unfortunately, there was no treasure.

THERE WAS LIGHT at the end of the tunnel, literally, where the underground river fed out to a cascading waterfall that spilled out to the Cahabon River.  After a quick group photo, Rojo led us upstream a bit for our ride back to the lodge—via inner tube.  “Look how strong the current is,” Matt noticed with concern.

“We’ll end up in the Pacific,” I joked. 

“How are we going to stop?” he wondered.  Camilla translated the query to Rojo, who told us that we were going to build a train with the inner tubes, held together with our legs.  It was actually pretty efficient, and necessary so that no one would be carried away by the rapids or crash into rocks.  It was a fun experience—especially for Tilu—as we floated, spun around in different directions, and stroked in unison like crew members to get safely back to camp.  Once there, we chilled out and swam in an eddy, swinging and jumping in with a rope swing tied to a tree.

THE SKY HAD CLEARED UP significantly since the downpour of the previous day, providing for the perfect afternoon to enjoy the outdoor waterfalls and pools of Semuc Champey in all its glory.  Leaving the lodge’s four-month old Rottweiler puppy to nap, we hiked the fifteen minutes to the park entrance, on the other side of the Cahabon River.  As we crossed the bridge, a pick-up truck full of senior citizens with American accents drove by, all of them smiling and high on life—or perhaps just a bit inebriated; I noticed at least one of them, an old woman, drinking white wine from right out of the bottle, like a forty-ounce of beer.

“TOO-REEEES-MO!!!” she exclaimed to us in a very American accent.

Perhaps she was trying out her Spanish on Camilla and me on the assumption that we were locals with our coffee-colored skin tone—which almost fooled the park rangers if I hadn’t written “U.S.A.” in the registry book.  One confused park ranger was about to give us change for the local’s entrance fee instead of the tourists’ one, until the other ranger told him our written truth.

“[You look Guatemalan, but...]”

The afternoon at Semuc Champey was a relaxed one.  With the power of gravity, the River Cahabon flowed slowly at times, and fast at others, in areas that formed impressive whitewater rapids.  They might have been good for rafting outfitters if not for the water falling into a chasm and underground into the cave system.

What didn’t go down the hole flowed into beautiful green and blue pools, calm and serene, like out of a postcard image of paradise.  We spent the afternoon there, swimming and relaxing amongst the other tourists there:  the backpackers from El Retiro, the American senior citizens of “tooreeesmo,” and Guatemalan families as well; tooreeesmo isn’t just for foreigners after all. 

Before our bodies got all pruny from swimming, Camilla and I, and the rest of the “Goonies” packed up for a short hike up the cliff-side wall, on a treacherous, but designated trail of switchbacks.  We were rewarded upon arrival of the mirador on top, with a view of the pools below.  “Okay, group photo!” Aga declared in celebration.  And with that, we ended our Goonies-esque adventure, hiked back down, and ultimately back to the lodge.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t exactly the adventure from the Goonies movie—there were no pirates, chasing bad guys, or Cyndi Lauper songs after all—although I must admit that when hiking the riverbank of the Semuc Champey pools, I slipped on a rock and landed my ass in the mud.  I guess my makeshift Data had slick shoes after all.


Next entry: Karma

Previous entry: Pondering of Pig's Milk


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Comments for "Slick Shoes"

  • YO B - you need to link the pictures!

    Posted by markyt  on  12/03  at  11:06 AM


  • HERE’S ANOTHER FOR THE WHMMR… I’m still about three days behind, but am trying to play catch up today…

    Fifty Dollah bill!

    Posted by  on  12/03  at  11:07 AM


  • Loving the return of the blog Eric, it’s the first one I’ve managed to follow day by day. Looks a bit cold to be swimming in photos but I’m guessing the clouds are deceptive. Keep up the good work!

    Posted by  on  12/03  at  01:06 PM


  • Erik- was just thinking of you this weekend and was trying to contact you. I saw you IM me this morning but was in a meeting. What is your REAL DEAL email address so I can get in touch w/ you easier?
    BTW the Holiday party is 12/13, seriously considering not even going since you are global tripping this year.... HOPE you are SAFE, WELL and HAPPY!!! - Audrey

    Posted by AUDREY ALOI FROM DIGITAS AMERICA  on  12/03  at  02:48 PM


  • I like those pools - glad you knew beforehand that there would be swimming in the caves… that would’ve sucked.

    Posted by  on  12/03  at  06:42 PM


  • i love the “perfection” t-shirt… another shoutout to the 80s

    Posted by  on  12/06  at  10:27 AM


  • That Sounds interesting, i agree with you. Please keep at your good work, I would come back often.

    Posted by Ann  on  01/12  at  09:51 PM


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  • 菅直人首相は２ブランド腕時計９日、兵エルメスコピー 庫入りし、姫路市の更生施設と芦屋市の高齢者施設を相次ぎ訪問した。訪問先で首相は、更生支援などを検討する連絡会議の設置や、高齢単身・夫婦のみの世帯の生活支援サービスの充実を図るよう関係省庁に指示したことダミエ・ジェアンを明らかにした。 　この日午前にIWCクラシックパイロット;IWCポートフィノ;ロレック兵庫入りした菅首相は、姫路市の「姫路更生保護活動サポートセンター」を訪問。犯罪や非行を犯した人の社会復帰を後押しする保護司らの活動内ルイヴィトンバッグ容について話を聞いた。 　その上で、就労支援や住居確保など更生、社会復帰策を検討する「関係省庁連絡会議」の設置を千葉景子法相に指示したことを明らかにした。同会議では、保護司制度の充実についても検討を進める方針。 　同日午後からは、入居者の高齢化が進む10年新作·バッグ芦屋市の県営芦屋浜団地を訪れ、高齢者の日常生エルメス その他活を側面から助ける生活援助員（ＬＳＡ）などの活動を<FONT color=#0066cc>スデイトジャスト</FONT>視察した。視察後、首相は高齢者所在不明問題を踏まえ、２０１２年度に予定されている介護保険制度改革で、介護保険の基本ロレックスデイトナ目標に「孤ルイヴィトンバッグ 財布 立化のおそれがある『高齢単身・夫婦のみ世帯』の生活支援」を追加するとした。 　さらに（１）２４時間地域巡回・随時訪問サービススティーブン・スプラウスコレクション（２）高齢者向け住宅への住み替え（３）認知症支援‐を「新型サービス３本柱」と位置付け、全国普及を目指すよう厚生労働省など関係省庁に指示したと語った。 　首相の現場視察は、２７日の東京都大田区の中小企業を皮切りに３日連続。民主党代表選を前に公務を精力的にこなす姿をアピールし、支持拡大に結び付ける狙いがありそうだ。

    Posted by ブランド腕時計  on  08/30  at  03:38 AM


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Next entry:
Karma

Previous entry:
Pondering of Pig's Milk


This blog entry about the events of Wednesday, November 28, 2007 was originally posted on December 03, 2007 on the trip blog, "The Global Trip: The Central American Eviction Tour* (*with jaunt to Colombia)." It chronicles a six-week journey through Central America, with a jaunt to Bogota, Colombia.


FUN FACT:

At the Las Marias lodge, Camilla was still freaked out about bugs.  “Oh my God, is that a bot fly?!” she cried, seeing a weird-looking insect land on her body.  She swatted it away, only to have the same bug land on my leg.  I shoo’d it away as soon as I saw it.

“Oh man, is that a bot fly?!” I seconded.

Jim answered, “It’s supposed to look three times bigger than a house fly, and metallic gr...”

“GREEN!” I completed his sentence.  “That was it!  That’s what I saw!  It was a bot fly!  It was on my leg!”

I hoped I shoo’d it off my leg in time, before any possible endodermal impregnation—I guess I’d find out in a several weeks, if it did.



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