Guatemala Part 3 — Finca El Paraíso

Morning at the Kangaroo Hotel earned it some points back for making us arrive by boat. I wandered the grounds early and the whole place is basically a garden — spider hibiscus hanging like red fireworks, birds of paradise, red ginger, those fuzzy chenille plants that look like caterpillars on a rope, all wrapped around still black water that mirrors the palapa roofs. The boys fueled up on waffles and crepes with watermelon juice, and then we headed out.

The destination: Finca El Paraíso, a waterfall with a gimmick that sounds made up until you’re standing in it. The waterfall itself is HOT spring water, and it pours off a cliff into a cold river. So you stand in cool water while a hot shower rains down on your head. After the El Salvador hot river where nobody could stay in for more than a few minutes, this one got the balance right. It was AMAZING. Best $14 entrance fee of the trip so far.

The boys planted themselves in the rapids where the hot and cold mix and basically had to be pried out. I got under the falls where the rock hangs over like a cave, steam coming off everything, mineral deposits making the whole cliff look melted. Half the town was there doing the same thing on a Sunday, which is always a good sign — this wasn’t a tourist stop, it was where the locals actually go.

#unpavedparenting