Well the Dutch University students are gone this morning. They split into two groups yesterday. Four went with Pacz Tours to the ATM ( Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave sacrifial underground site ). This is a trek with 3 water crossings and about a mile underground with head lamps. They were really appreciative of the historical feeling to the terror of the old Maya mythology of XIBALBA.
The other group of five I dropped off at the foot of the Hawksworth Bridge, where they not only sell bus tickets, but also arrange canoe rentals. Apparently they were given a choice and picked the inflatable kayaks. Each of them took one. ( $21 usa each and a ride seven miles up river to start ) They were very excited about their trip for seven miles coming down the Macal River. I've never done this trip. They told me of some waterfall on the Macal river, that they ran and it had a big deep pool of water in which they were able to stop and park their kayaks and dive off the boulders on the side. At one with nature! I saw the photos and they were great. Hope they do send me some? Living in Holland and average age of 24 years, in a small country with 16 million people and the bureaucrats running their lives. They really appreciated the "wilderness" aspects of their Macal River lower gorge paddling and swimming trip. I will have to push this trip more to guests at the Falconview Backpackers Adventure Hostel, as according to the digital photos they had, it sounded like a great time for city types. They told me they pay 55% taxes in Holland and were asking about the USA, where I estimated it was about 26%
At any rate, these Hollanders were like 6 ft 6 inches and taller. I am going to have to build the next set of beds in the new annex dormitory as we expand, to 7 feet long. I think the ones I have now are 6 ft, or 6 ft - 6 inches. I fell asleep early in the evening around 7:30 p.m., but they pooled their money and sent out for a couple of cases of Beliken beer. My wife tell me the neighbors were talking about it this morning. Apparently they went up to our third floor verandah and were singing songs as a group until midnight. Sort of like Tina's Hostel crowd on Caye Caulker. In the quiet of Green Parrot Valley and half way up the slope, they could hear them singing right up on the ridge as well.
The pickup truck is a small one, with a local folkloric casita made of wood. This is our FREE hostel SHUTTLE. We got the nine Dutch giants into it, but with their weight and that of their backpacks, I think we were trying to carry a bit over a ton of extra weight, in a pickup truck designed for a quarter ton weight. Needless to say, my back rear tires were squished to about one inch in thickness. Despite the terrible pot hole roads down into the city center bus stop in this morning, we did not blow a tire and everybody got there on time. Some of those gravel street pot holes are deep and there are a lot of them.
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