4-Day Weekend on the Rio Dulce

(NOTE: the text is all here, but I plan to add some video soon!)

Beth had Thursday and Friday (Nov. 1 & 2) off from school because of Day of the Dead and also because of the weekend's presidential elections. With that extra time, we were able to travel farther from the city and up to the northeast where the country hits the Gulf of Honduras/Caribbean Ocean and near the border of Belize to stay at a hotel along the Rio Dulce (connects with 'L. Izabel' on the map below).


We started our trip early Thursday morning, waking up at 5 a.m. in order to get a cab and make it downtown to the bus station in time for our 6:30 a.m. departure. We booked a first class bus through a company called Li Tegua, and we were more than pleased. The bus was brand new, the seats were comfortable, it never got hot, it never broke down, and it left on time, which is a rarity in this country. It was also cheap, about $8/person per way. The only downside to the bus was that it stopped five or six times to let people off at various points, but it really didn't slow us down too much. Last, the worst part about the bus--though it's funny--was that they played movies during the trip with the sound blasting out for everyone to hear. Thankfully I brought my MP3 player and book and could avoid the strange and campy Spanish movies from the 1960s! Yes, the 1960s. I'm not sure why they were playing such old movies.

After about four hours into the trip we stopped off at a rest point so we could stretch our legs and get a bite to eat. The place featured a full restaurant, ice cream shop, and an area just selling snack type items. At this point in the day it was only 10-something a.m., but that didn't stop the majority of Guatemalans on our bus from getting ice cream. Mmmm, mmm! Ice cream in the morning! Not for us though... We were wanting something caffeinated, but stayed content with our bottled water.

Finally, after about six hours we arrived in the port town of Puerto Barrios. From here you can take a boat to any number of places, including the Keyes of Belize, which is a spot we're planning on visiting at some point--possibly the week before we come home for Christmas. We were dropped off at the bus station and got directions to the docks to catch a boat to our next stop. We headed out with our gear on through the city and followed the directions as best we could, but we never felt like we were going the right way. We asked another person for directions and found out we had walked a few blocks too far from where we should have turned. So, we headed back and went the way she described. We were feeling like definite tourists with our backpacks laden, and befuddled looks on our faces and also feeling a little vulnerable. We were also sweating profusely because we had gone from the cool morning of Guatemala City (keep in mind its high elevation) to the sea level heat, plus we were still wearing our jeans as well and hiking boots. We asked for directions a third time and were about to head off again when a man pulled up in a tour/taxi van and asked if we needed a ride. He only wanted 20Q ($2.61), so we gladly obliged and were glad we did. We were only about a 10 or 15 minute-walk away, but we would have had go down a street that didn't look especially safe. So, that worked out fine.

Once at the dock we were immediately solicited by large Caribbean men to take us where we wanted to go. It was strange to see black people again as you just don't see many in the city (I've seen maybe two). It was also striking how much larger of people they are. The indigenous Guatemalans are pretty small, whereas these 'Guatemalans' are descendants of a wrecked slave ship and much larger in stature.

We paid about $5 extra to get on a boat and leave sooner with a small group rather than wait for the boat to fill up and get a cheaper price. Thankfully this boat was much more comfortable and open, unlike the one we took on our trip to San Marcos (which was maybe the most uncomfortable moment in all of my time here). We headed out and were greeted with a beautiful view of the gulf. The wind on our bodies felt so good after working up that sweat and we fully enjoyed the 30-minute trip, marveling at the various birds gliding about and occasionally swooping down into the water to catch fish along the way.

Next we arrived in Livingston, which is a very interesting sea-side town. This place feels like Jamaica, not Guatemala. I was really looking forward to seeing Livingston since it's such an anomaly. Once off the boat, we trekked up a steep, restaurant and shop-lined road that levels off for a bit to more restaurants and shops, and then slopes back down to the ocean. We meandered along this road looking at the wares of the local sellers and scoping out a place to eat. We were approached by a couple guys who directed us to restaurant, claiming we'd get two free mojitos, salad, and bread if we told the owner they directed us there. Lured by the possibility of authentic Indian curry this place claimed to have, we headed over. It was a small restaurant just off the ocean and run by a Mexican woman named Maria. She did in fact make Indian food as she lived in India for a number of years because her husband was Indian. We were both about to order some curry dishes, but then opted on splitting 'topado,' which is a soup-like local dish that has a coconut milk base, bananas, some veggies, a whole fish, two whole crabs, and a whole, giant shrimp. When I say 'whole,' I mean that the fish and shrimp haven't been cut up; you look right at their faces! It kinda sounds gross, but it was tas-ty! We really enjoyed it.

Enjoying our mojitos

While at the restaurant, we changed into more comfortable clothes and called the hotel to have them send a boat for us. Leaving Livingston at 4 for the boat, I was initially pleased with the town. However, when we came back through on Sunday to go home, it was crowded with people (partly due to people out to vote) and seemed to be packed with young guys trying to look tough. It had a less friendly, grittier edge to it than the quietness we experienced the first time. I'd say it's a good spot for lunch and then move on.

Some views of the main street in Livingston

After 10 hours of traveling, we were finally on our last--and by far the best--leg of the trip. It was just Beth, me, and the boat driver leaving Livingston via Lago Izla, and then onto the giant Rio Dulce, and finally onto the smaller, Rio Finca, where we would ultimately stop and stay at the Finca Tatin Hotel. The boat ride there was so enjoyable! It was fifteen minutes of natural beauty all around us. The lake was wide and flanked by steep, deeply forrested hills, with occasional white rock faces jutting out. The sun was also beginning to set, and it really lit up the greenery in a spectacular way. It was refreshing not to see any signs (you can't look anywhere without seeing Gallo Beer, Tigo (cell phone company), or the two presidential candidates plastered on a surface).

Nature!

We were greeted by a nearly secluded and unassuming dock when we arrived at Finca Tatin. I was immediately excited when I saw the rope swing. Just off the main deck there was another deck that had two hammocks already calling our names. As you enter the hotel, you walk over a long boardwalk which leads you through the mangroves. Below you can always hear and see miniature crabs scuttling about.

Dock/entry

Boardwalk leading to the check-in and common area

Rope swing!

BBQ area just off of the dock

Hand-carved kayak, which the locals all use, just outside our place

The check-in/common area was really neat. It was big and completely open with just a thatched roof, numerous hammocks, couches, board games (including Scrabble!), books, music, ping pong, and best of all, three friendly cats! It was a great place to spend r&r time, and that we did!

Common area

The funky ping pong table, painted by a previous guest

From the common area, leading up to the dining area

We had a river-front bungalow which was right next to the dock and consisted of two beds with mosquito netting and a bathroom with shower. It was very basic and reminded me of the time spent in the log cabin my dad built. Being in the jungle you couldn't be too surprised to see bugs in your room, however, it was still unsettling to us both--especially Beth--when we'd see spiders the size of the palm of my hand hanging out in the rafters right before bed. We made thorough checks of our sheets, pillow cases, and mosquito netting for spiders, beetles, scorpions, and other creepy crawlies before getting in each night. And then we fastidiously tucked the netting under our mattress before finally going to sleep.

Our bungalow, "Mariposa" (butterfuly)

Having been up early that first day, I was spent by bedtime and actually slept great that night. Beth on the other hand did not sleep so well. She lay curled up in ball, terrified at all the strange night sounds and barely slept. The next night I actually had a hard time sleeping with all the odd noises (at times it sounded like people were walking around our bungalow, but it was probably either just the dog or these large river rodents we spotted later on). Beth was smart enough to use ear plugs that she thought to bring along and it made all the difference for her. So, the last night we were there, we both slept great, completely oblivious to the noises of nature. Oddly enough, I slept nearly 10 hours each night we were there! It was nice.

By now this place probably sounds scary, and in ways it kinda was, but the natural beauty of it all was really amazing and it was great being able to laze around most of the day and do whatever we wanted.

We weren't too lazy, though. Both Friday and Saturday afternoon we got out for a nature excursion. Friday we followed a path from Finca Tatin through the jungle over to some NGO project site where we met a local Mayan who served as our guide for a walking tour. Trekking through the jungle and seeing the absolutely HUGE palm fronds (easily 30-50' long), lush vegetation, and hearing the strange sounds of exotic birds ranks as one of my favorite moments in Guatemala so far.

The guide showing us a giant termites nest

Our guide took us to a Mayan village, which was really interesting to see. We even got to go into someone's home (very basic housing) to see their hand-crafted jewelry.

Lots of animals roamed the village, including turkeys!

The neatest part about the tour was going into a cave. We were content just looking at it from a distance, but we ultimately decided to descend the rickety ladder and hike on large boulders and into the darkness. At this point, another guide had joined us, so both guides had candles going as we got farther into it. We were both feeling like we had seen plenty and ready to turn around when we reached a point you couldn't climb any further. But you could--*now this is the crazy part*--climb down a rope ladder and swim in a pool of water...in total darkness...in a cave! NO THANKS! We couldn't believe anyone would want to do that, but apparently some people do. I think if we had headlamps on, it might not have been so intimidating, but still...

(video of the cave coming here soon!)

For the next day's outing we went kayaking with Haans, a German volunteering at Finca Tatin in order to stay there for free for a few weeks. Haans guided us back up Rio Tatin, then onto Rio Dulce, and from there into a smaller river offshoot. This was also an amazing experience as we got to kayak right through the thickness of the jungle! At times the river became as narrow as four to five feet across and as shallow as just a couple feet. As well, parts became so overgrown with plants you'd have to either turn around and go another route or hack your way through with a machete. While kayaking in the jungle, Beth and I were both struck at how quiet it was. There were very few bird calls even. We felt very small in the vastness of it all.

Since it was our first time kayaking, we didn't risk bringing our camera and possibly tipping over with it. So, we don't have any pictures of this portion of the trip. However, Haans got some amazing photos and he said he would email me some. Hopefully he will and I can post them for you all!

Saturday about a dozen new guests arrived, comprised of Americans, Dutch, Germans, and unknowns! We were feeling a little anti-social (and like our quiet space had been encroached upon) and didn't do a whole lot of mingling with them; we were just enjoying each other's company. So Saturday night we did enjoy chatting with them at dinner, but then did our thing afterwards (more cards and Scrabble). Sunday morning we had to leave Finca at 10:30 to get back to Livingston in time for lunch and to make our other connecting boat ride to Puerto Barrios for the bus home.

We were really excited to have that curry for lunch Sunday, but due to time constraints and not knowing exactly when a boat would leave, we had to settle for sandwiches to go. It turned out that we would have had time, but we couldn't chance it. So, that's something to look forward to next time!

There's not much to say about our ride home other than it was more than an hour faster somehow. We thought we were still an hour away when we reached the edge of the city. It was a nice surprise. Immediately we called a cab to meet us at the bus station, but the dispatcher said to call back in an hour since there was too much traffic due to the elections. This made me nervous as I didn't what we'd do to get home, and I didn't want us to get stuck in Zone 1 in the dark with all our stuff. To make matters worse, the bus station was closed when we arrived, so we would have been stuck out on the sidewalk. Luckily there were a number of cabbies anticipating our arrival and we were able to hop right into one and zip home. Once home it felt great to finally take a hot shower and fully wash off the deet bug spray that had been covering me for the last four days.

In all, it was another great trip and a lot of fun to see another part of the country. Guatemala is so diverse and has so much to offer for travelers. Other than my dad, we can't think of anyone else who might come visit that would enjoy Finca Tatin like we did. So, we probably won't return any time soon, however I think we'll go back at least once more before our time here is up.

Coming Up! For our Thanksgiving break we're planning another trip to Lago Atitlan, so expect another lengthy post in a few weeks. Sorry teco/teca has slowed down! I'll try and write more this month.