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GUATEMALA
Part 6: A visit from Steve's
family
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Click
here to jump back to
Guatemala Part 5 on
Pictures/Journal - page 22. |
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June 2007: Time to stage for the bar exam at Cabo
Tres Puntos along with 3 other boats. (Remember, there is a very
shallow mud bar at the entrance
to the Rio Dulce River that has to be crossed at high tide if you have a
deep keeled boat.) Leaving the Cabo Tres Puntas
 anchorage
in the dark, we arrive for the bar exam at 6:00 a.m., high-high tide.
Of the 4 boats, ARGO drawing 6'4" is the shallowest drafted boat of all.
We go first, seeing 5'9" several times, and slowing a couple of times, but
we pass the first time! We report depths back to the others. The other 3 boats all
had difficulty: One did make it on their own after an hour of
squirming through the mud with sail raised; 2 others got assistance from
high-powered local fishing boats. The fishing boat takes the halyard
(from the top of your mast), extends it, and then heels the boat over while
you motor forward, hopefully allowing your keel to skim over the shallows.
Pictured: Sailboat had one fishing boat heeling it over while another
fishing boat pulled it through the mud. All boats eventually passed
this day's tough bar exam!
Clearing in to Guatemala via customs and immigration is easy and
straightforward in Livingston. Afterwards, an evening spent in Texan
Bay (owned by fellow Texas cruisers) at their restaurant with other cruisers
was a nice way to reenter the Rio Dulce. A torrential nighttime
downpour got rid of the salt residue. We are now in fresh water.
We arrived back at Monkey Bay Marina to our old slip and quickly got back
into the swing of things. It's nice coming back here for a second
season where we are now the veteran and not the new kid on the block.
With inexpensive labor, ARGO was thoroughly cleaned outside, and we did the
inside. Before heading off to travel Central America, and before the
onslaught of returning cruisers in the fall, we are taking care of boat
projects, some requiring outside assistance: Restitching canvas and
various sewing projects; minor refrigeration project; a minor radio problem;
and various mechanical projects (e.g., replace engine remote oil hoses,
change out generator diodes, run new wiring and install new autopilot drive
unit).
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A FAMILY VISIT to GUATEMALA
(July 2007)
Steve's brother Ray, his wife Chris and their daughter Jackie, 10, came to
Guatemala for 15 days, which allowed us plenty of time to show them the
highlights of Guatemala at a fairly relaxed pace. From Houston, they
flew in to Guatemala City and then on to Flores, where we rendezvoused
with them at the hotel. Our trip highlights follow.
(NOTE: As
Deborah and Steve have been to all these places before, trip narratives
and pictures have been detailed in our previous website updates - see
our Guatemala web pages.)
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Part 1: TIKAL
One night in
Flores (Hotel Isla de Flores). Two nights in Tikal Park (Tikal
Inn): Sunrise atop Templo IV (although there was a lot of ground
fog), mornings and late afternoons spent exploring/climbing ruins and
visiting museums, afternoons cooling off in the pool, lunch at Jungle
Lodge and Jaguar Inn. Our last day in the park we all did the
Canopy Tour zip line - a trip highlight for Jackie. Last night
back in Flores. Linea Dorado bus to the Rio Dulce.
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| We
rendezvous with Ray, Chris & Jackie in Flores to start our adventure |
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Tikal's Gran Plaza --> |
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<--
Atop Templo II Climbing
Lost World --> |
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Templo V --> |
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Canopy Tour zip line:9 stations (platforms) and 8 zip line cables
strung between trees high above the jungle floor |
Ray & Chris suddenly
wondered what we had gotten them into . . . |
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<-- that's an "oh s__!"
if I ever saw one (Ray's very 1st zip)
Chris now poised after a few
zips --> |
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| A
highlight for Jackie: first with a guide, then solo!
Jackie --> |
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| WHEW
! |
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WHEW ! |
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Part 2: RIO DULCE River
We took the bus for the 3-hour ride
to the Rio Dulce, where ARGO is currently at Monkey Bay Marina. We
spent 3 nights on board and enjoyed meals alfresco in the ranchito.
We hired a lancha for the day to take us down the river, through Tarzan
country, to Livingston - home to the Garifuna Indians and the mouth of
the river where all cruisers are subjected to the "bar exam" before
entering the river. We went to a local village and finca
(plantation), dipped in the hot hot springs, ate whole fish mojarra
and fish soup, and toured the Castillo de San Felipe - a castle that
sticks out at the entrance to Lake Izabal to ward off pirates in ages
past. A few visits to "town", Fronteras, gave lots of local flavor
(literally) to their visit.
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Tarzan country |
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Local
fisherwomen |
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| Hot
hot springs --> |
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Castillo de San Felipe (at opening to Lago Izabal) |
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Jackie had to sample the papas fritas in Fronteras - and ice cream
everywhere |
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Part 3: ANTIGUA
We took a private
shuttle van from the Rio Dulce directly to Antigua. Spent four
nights (not nearly enough) in Antigua (Hotel San Pedro Posada, Norte).
We did the Elizabeth Bell cultural walking tour (excellent!), explored
various ruins including Santo Domingo, the textile museum/workshop (Casa
del Tejido), shopped, rode tuk-tuks, etc. Had great meals and
music at Meson Panza Verde (Cuban jazz, Buena Vista Social Club), La
Pena de Sol Latino (Andean pan flute music, owned by cruisers Bill &
Mary, s/v Back Stage Pass)), Queso & Vino .
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Coffee and croissants in Central Park |
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Jackie (10) at Reilly's Pub with our friends & textile sellers (lt to
rt): Maity (16), Vincy (8), Flor (12) |
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<--
This boy took his goat door-to-door to sell the fresh milk |
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Elizabeth Bell, a
historian and preservationist, gives a great guided tour with insight
into the Guatemalan culture. Of particular interest now, are the
upcoming elections in September. People only vote for 3 positions
including President and Congress, won by a simple majority.
So far, 17 people have entered the presidential race. Although
there are political parties, candidates freely move between parties so
the populace votes for the person and not by party lines.
Political parties are, however, evident in the papers, banner-waving
rallies, drive-by car PA systems and a favorite - colorfully painted
rock walls and boulders along the roadways with the party insignia.
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Part 4: LAKE
ATITLAN
A shuttle van
took us from Antigua to Panajachel, the gateway to Lake Atitlan - a
beautiful lake surrounded by volcanoes. A water taxi took us
directly to Santiago Atitlan, where we stayed at Posada de Santiago, a
new experience for us. A tuk-tuk ride took us into town to browse
textiles and pay respect ($) to Maximon. |
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Posada de
Santiago in Santiago Atitlan: Great lake and volcanoes views
from casitas, restaurant, sitting areas and hammocks; lovely grounds
extending up the hill; lots of fruit and flowering trees including
avocado (used on their sandwiches); hot tub & sauna |
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<--
Small world in the hot tub: We met a guy who knows a colleague of
Chris' who also is a sailing buddy of ours |
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Jackie made a new friend |
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La Casa del Mundo in
Jaibalito: Spectacularly built place with rooms (with baths)
scattered up the steep mountain side; lake and volcanoes view from each
room, restaurant and hot tub; great lake swimming. |
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<----> Our room / view |
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Ray, Chris &
Jackie's room: 2 beds, big windows and French doors opening onto large
balcony |
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We hiked to the
village of Jaibalito. There we saw women fill large gunny sacks
with sizeable rocks from the lakeshore, then strap the sack to their
forehead and carry it on their back uphill 100 yards to a construction
site. Right, a young local attracts attention by displaying this
deer he apparently killed. |
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Hot tub, lake
swimming and a hair wash - another highlight for Jackie |
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Our trip sadly ended in Guatemala
City after a wonderful 15 days of sightseeing, lots of great food and
drink. |
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As we have now seen a lot of Guatemala,
next week (beginning of August) we will hop on a bus in Guatemala City and
begin traveling Central America - El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and
maybe Panama. Several cruisers we know have done this in the past, one
of them giving us detailed notes about their trip including lodging,
transportation, restaurant and sightseeing recommendations and suggestions,
along with guide book, maps, brochures and cards for El Salvador and
Nicaragua, so this will get us started. So far, we have done very
little advanced planning and intend just to flow with it - seems that our
experience as a cruiser is carrying over to our land cruising!
Continue to
Traveling Central America by Bus .
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Click here to continue to
Guatemala Part 7
on Pictures/Journal - page 29. |
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