Before I completely fade or erase the memories of our second day on the road, I must begin to scribe some of my thoughts. That having been stated, I must tell you that the climate where we are staying in Antigua and that which we would soon be experiencing are two different animals. The climate of Antigua has been likened to perpetual spring. So, beginning our trek at a far higher altitude than that of our destination, it was very cool and comfortable. Very soon after we departed the capital city, we began to descend to far lower climes which were dry and dusty. And, finally, we ascended once again to higher elevations but we were treated to a mixture of high humidity and temperatures.
A note here might be very helpful. In Antigua where we reside, there are fireplaces for heat in the dwellings. Although neither John nor I will ever employ them for heat, they are there as the sole method of raising the temperatures inside to chase away discomfort. On the flip side, if one should ever feel uncomfortable due to the heat in Antigua, there are fans. I have never used them but they are there to use. Going from this beautiful and mostly even temperature and weather to far warmer and humid climate was a shock much like when we lived in Phoenix and packed up to travel to Minnesota in the winter.....well, not quite!
Back to the end of day one of our trip...
We played a healthy number of card games after our supper which Ruth served to us out of her cold storage box. We sat adjacent to the small fireplace which belched out a good portion of smoke and a little heat. We took a few short walks about the property and, as the sun disappeared, began to feel that it was time for bed.
We all reported good sleep which was aided considerably by the pillows that we each carried from home. Those supplied would not have been quite so comfortable. I listened to classical music on my iPod and Bose noise-canceling earphones until I caught myself falling to sleep. Shut them off and enjoyed a full night of slumber. I took along some earplugs but they were unnecessary even though we were situated only about one-hundred meters from the main highway. The sounds, if any, soon disappeared and I was fast asleep.
We had been told by the employees of the place where we parked and slept for the night that we might be fortunate enough to see the Quetzal in the early morning. The Quetzal is the country's bird and its appearance has become more and more scarce nowadays. But, we were in the area where there have been sightings and we were up in the early morning to catch a view if it were presented. We were greeted with a gorgeous morning and the dew-covered meadows were tickling to my partially naked feet as I traipsed through the lanes with camera in hand.
After having completed all of our morning activities at our first stopping place, we packed up our gear and retraced our route just slightly to the Biotopo del Quetzal park. We parked and Paul paid our entrance fees. Paul and Ruth are residents of Guatemala so their fees are often a fraction of what those that are assessed foreigners or guests in the country.
The lush forest preserved in the Protected Biotope Mario Dary Rivera, on whose initiative it was established in 1976, is undoubtedly the most attractive natural site in this region. The park consists of 1,017 hectares of humid tropical vegetation that provides habitat for Guatemala's national bird, the quetzal. It is a small "lung" in Central America. The Biotopo is located in hilly terrain between the towns of Purulhá and Salama in the department of Alta Verapaz. Dense rains are usual between the months of October and January, the moisture emanating from the evaporated water of Lake Izabal, the Golfete and the Gulf of Honduras.
There are fairly steep pedestrian interpretive trails which take one up the side of the mountain. They are called Path of the Ferns (2 km) and Moss Trail (4 km). One can observe a generous variety of plants such as ferns, mosses, mushrooms and orchids among others. We opted for the shorter trail and, despite throwing on a light sweatshirt in the morning, I had to shed it quickly as I ascended the pathway. It was both humid and somewhat warm. We were the only ones visiting this lovely outpost of humanity on this day. However, I did notice that others were arriving as we departed the facility. Among them was a Canadian who had taken a room where we spent the night before. He was on a trek from Edmonton, Alberta Canada to the tip of South America.
If one is fortunate, one can expect to view quetzals, cayaya, woodpeckers, mot, emerald toucans and a variety of insects, lizards, and other mammals such as squirrels, mice, raccoons and howler monkeys. Sadly, we did not hit the jackpot and therefore did not see any of these fellows but we were treated to some great sights of the flora and were serenaded with the calls of the wild. Many birds, invisible to us knew that we were invading their territory and viewed our party of four. I suspect, truth be known, we were watched by several sets of eyes of creatures who peered at us from their safe vantage points. I did cheat though because we did see a quetzal encased in a plastic container for us to view. The one here is representative of what the males of this species might look like. From end of beak to extremity of tail, I suspect one could have measured over one yard or meter.
As we surely did, one will encounter many waterfalls and streams of pure, crystal-clear water.The Biotope has over 50 species of trees, many of which reach a height of 40 meters. These include the chip or shut, in different varieties, black, blond and white, eucalyptus, rubber, cypress and conifer.
From time to time on our pathway there were small palapa -type rest areas with benches where we took time to sit and enjoy the sights, smells and feelings of this gorgeous part of the world. A place well-worth the time and effort and one I could and would highly recommend.
From the Biotopo, we drove for about thirty kilometers to the town of Cobán.This city is located in the cool, humid mountains of northern Guatemala and the lush, subtropical cloud forests we encountered here are perched atop the watershed dividing the Yucatán Peninsula: the pristine rivers of Alta Verapaz feed into the Chixoy Usumacinta system (Gulf of Mexico) to the west, and into Lake Izabal Rio Dulce (Caribbean Sea) to the east. Cobán is the center of Guatemala's gourmet coffee-growing region, and also produces cardamom and allspice for export. A note here: John has attempted to acquire cardamom here and has found it nearly impossible to locate. It seems that the residents of this country are not fond of this spice. It produces a large quantity but the majority of it leaves the confines of Guatemala.
Because of its unique history, Alta Verapaz was never conquered; rather, Juan Matalbatz, the chieftain of the warlike Q'eqchi Indians, voluntarily converted to Christianity and allied himself with the Dominican priests. Interestingly, the indigenous people of Alta Verapaz have preserved their language and customs to a remarkable degree with the dominant language of the Alta Verapaz remaining Q'eqchi and Pocomchí, not Spanish. The Q'eqchis and Pocomchís are shy and wary of outsiders.
The elevation of Cobán is 5000 feet above sea level and the average temperature is 70 degrees. The annual rainfall of 70 inches makes the countryside green and lush. The dry season from March through May can be quite hot. Correspondingly, the winter months of December and January have been known to be very cold and damp for the locals.
While we were in the city, Paul did some banking and he located a gorgeous nursery or finca of orchids and various other plants. He and Ruth had visited this area previously and provided us wonderful and outstanding guide service throughout our travels. Returning from the city center just a few kilometers in the direction that we had earlier come, we found the Vivero Verapaz orchid finca.
The Vivero Verapaz orchid nursery is home to over 35,000 plants embracing 650 species of orchids collected by the late Otto Mittelstaedt. There are miniatures which can only be examined with a magnifying glass, and other varieties the size of large bushes. Some orchids are fragrant (such as vanilla and a coconut-scented variety) and others are fetid (such as an orchid pollinated by mosquitoes, which smells just like a sweaty mammal). And there are many examples of Guatemala's national flower, the Monja Blanca (white nun - Lycaste virginalis, var. Alba).
Paul bought Ruth a couple of varieties of these beauties, one of them an octopus orchid.
This is a family business and everybody was seemingly caught up in the enterprise. The guide who took us around had a sharp wit and seemed very knowledgeable. Our entrance fee here was Q10 per person.
There was a restaurant nearby the finca but the guide at the place suggested that it was just "so-so". That was all it took to convince us to search for other vittles.
We retraced our steps through the town and headed further afield. This time our destination would be Semuc Champey. But, before that we would find a great eating establishment where Paul and Ruth had before supped. For the sake of getting this posted, I will close this episode here and begin a new one in which I shall detail our lunch stop and carrying on with our SUV journey to the next beauty spot.
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