Happy Easter! I am staying at a finca(plantation) called Finca Ixobel just south of the small town of Poptun. Check out www.fincaixobel.com to see more. It is somewhat of a vacation resort for wealthier Guatemalans and a huge international backpacker hangout ... many come for a few days and stay for months.
Today I went on a guided river cave tour(cueva del rio) which was just as amazing as snorkeling, only 10 times more dangerous . It started with a difficult 2 hour hike through the jungle to the mouth of the cave. Once inside, our guide led us back into the first section of cave for 1 km (.6 miles). Basically, the river flows into the cave and there are many deep spots where you have to swim some distance to reach solid ground again. Inside the cave there was a 10 foot waterfall where we had to jump into the pool below which was one of the highlights. After 1 km, the cave appears to dead end but this is just the halfway point. In order to continue, we had to dive down and swim through a tunnel for six feet ... don´t screw up here, there is no coming up for air! This is where half the group stopped and waited for those of us that continued. Diving through the hole was a great adrenaline rush! When we surfaced on the other side, the cave network continued for another km.

In the evening, there was a big birthday party for one of the staff members which was a lot of fun for everybody. From here, I am planning to get to Xela for spanish lessons. It is quite obvious now I need to improve my language skills ... when someone yells at their dog and it understands more than me, it´s time for some help!