Guatemala and beyond . . .next stop . . . Utila!

The other day we went to a fund raising event at the school in the "aldea" (the village). Of course, we would have enjoyed it much more had we been able to understand Spanish. These people live very simple, meager lifestyles. They have so few modern conveniences, yet they seem to be so happy. Their children are able to entertain themselves by playing simple games, like my generation did when were little. We played hopscotch, hide n seek, release, etc. I think they have the "key to a happy life"; less is better. Check out the story on the http://www.riodulcechisme.com.

It's shrimp season, when the river gets salty; it lasts from March through most of April. I cleaned a shrimp the other day that was 7 inches long! We thought they would be tough, but they were not. The natives look forward to this season with gusto; a way for them to make extra quetzals! It is sometimes difficult for Texan Bay to get their regular employees to work, they just want to go "shrimpin"! We have certainly enjoyed the "fruits of their labor"! It's hard to resist, when the cost is like one fourth of what you'd pay in the US.

Within the last five days, Carlos has transformed New Horizons. He sanded and varnished our toe rail and wheel. It looks so great! Of course, now we need to paint the gelcoat and nonskid again to get her really shipshape! He did an awesome job, I'm almost ashamed to tell you what he charged us to do this, but let me say it would have cost us probably four times as much in the US, and it would not have been done as well. We were told boat maintenance was very reasonable, but that isn't the adjective I would use. If you ever come to Guatemala, and need some varnishing done, definitely look him up! Canvas, carpentry, general repair work is also very reasonably priced.

About the second week in May, we motored up the river to get provisions in preparation for a trip to the Sapodillas with our friends, Pat & Penny. Unfortunately, that plan fell apart quickly. We moored at Tortugal Marina, just the other side of the bridge in Fronteras; it is a delightful spot to moor or dock your boat. They offer wifi, showers, laundry service, restaurant/bar, swim platform, kayaks and have bungalows for rent. They also offer free launcha's to Fronteras. They have a TV, pool table and comfortable furniture under the palapa for reading, playing scrabble, or surfing the web. Tortugal Marina also offers “Pizza and a movie” every Friday night. They will gladly send their launcha out to pick you up from Bruno's or Mario's as well. Two slices of your choice of pizza, a beer and the movie for $50 Q, not a bad deal at all. Get your seat early! It is only a short dinghy ride from Tortugal to the Spanish Fort. There are many backpackers that frequent Tortugal as well. Janet and Russ have been managing Tortugal for about three years and they do a great job! Go to bed early while here, as the roosters will begin their wake-up call promptly at 4 am, and the chorus continues till you are wide awake! You can hear them from near and far, it's almost comical!

The marina has been replacing the roofs of all their palapas; it has been interesting to watch the workers sort, string and replace all the palm fronds. It really is a special craft. A roof usually lasts about ten years.

We took our dinghy to Castillo San Felipe is a Spanish Fort which guards the narrow entrance to Lago Izabal. It once served as an anchorage for Spanish treasure ships. The fort was built in 1652 to defend the valuable cargoes from constant pirate attack. The Spanish dug a channel to make this tip of land a tiny island, then gave the fort a draw bridge, many gun turrets and pediments. After pirates were eradicated from Guatemala, the fort was used as a prison and municipal building. Boaters can use the dinghy dock to visit the museum and anchor on either side of the entrance to Lago Izabal. The fort is quite well preserved and is surrounded by a lovely park, outside restaurant and a swimming area on the north side. Guatemalans and tourists frequent this area all year long.

One beautiful, breezy morning (though not enough to actually sail the boat) we went to Lago Izabal; the lake stretches 30 miles SW and 12 miles across, fed by dozens of mountain streams and fringed by three broad estuaries. Mountain ranges around the lake run NE to SW, so they funnel the trades causing stiff sailing winds during winter cruising season. Average depths are 30'. Very scenic!

Denny's Beach is an anchorage, about 10 miles north of Tortugal, on the lakes' SE shore where you can land a dinghy at the private dock to enjoy the cantina and the hammocks under the palms. They also provide three mooring balls, but caution to boaters, we encountered 6-8 ft swells with no wind! There are several bungalows, and one of the few places to stay on the Rio with a/c and private baths! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served 24/7 at Denny's. Sergio, the waiter, bartender, greeter, etc. is a great guy. His English is quite good, though he wants to learn more. We taught him "awesome" and "touchdown"!

If you're lucky you will get the opportunity to meet “Denny”, a treat in itself. He has been living on the Rio for 28 years and has seen it all! Denny's also offers launcha's to Fincka Paraiso, (the hot springs), a horse back tour into the mountains or a jungle tour. We walked along the path along the lake into the nearby village. There were varying degrees of wealth/poverty; some folks living in quite nice cement block homes, and others, the smaller wooden structures. We came upon two “ice cream” vendors wheeling their carts along the path! Chickens and roosters everywhere you look, but also, ducks, pigs (some of the scrawniest I have even seen) and a couple of horse stables.

We thoroughly enjoyed spending some time with two couples from Germany who had driven from El Salvador and then came by launcha from Mariscos. They each had a son and daughter, who spent most of the day swimming. One of the ladies had escaped the tragedy of genocide, having lost four members of her family in Rwanda. She and her husband, who speak English, French and German, translated most of the time for the other German couple. There were two young couples from Britain, the girls have just become interns, one of the guys worked for an ad agency, the other a lawyer. They were all quite charming. It was very interesting to meet folks traveling from other countries. We enjoyed it immensely. They were all quite amazed that we live and travel on our boat. David gave one of the German guys a tour, it was pretty rocky on the lake, he wasn't anxious to stay very long!The only downside to our weekend being an accident between our dinghy and the bow sprit, OUCH, that's going to leave a mark!

The village of Mariscos on the south shore a few miles west of Denny's Beach has a road to Trincheras on the highway. Dozens of Mayan villages are found on the nearby streams. Unfortunately, since the dinghy is sick, we missed an opportunity to go to Fincka Paraiso, the hot springs/falls, we'll save that for another time. It's a little warm for hot springs if you ask me! Don't miss a trip to Denny's, though I would recommend a weekend stay, as during the week, it may be just a little tranquil, but it is worth it! www.dennysbeach.com

A word to boaters, bring lots of fuel filters, oil, belts, as much as you can store on your boat, as it is nearly impossible to find those items here. We understand that there is a better market in Puerto Barrios, but though we have tried, have not been successful transiting there yet.

We have met some great people while in Guatemala, some that have been here for a while and others are just passing through. We have also had the opportunity to catch up with others we have met along the way; as more and more cruisers have discovered that Guatemala is a great hurricane hole, and also quite affordable. Most of the cruisers we have met along the way have already docked their boats for the season and returned to their respective homes.

We have met four guys named "Dave" who are either native to Pittsburgh, or have lived there at least part of their lives, too weird! It is also amazing to learn the number of people who are from Texas; while there are also many Canadians, and French Canadians, a few Dutch and a number of Aussie's. We have been surprised at the number of "young" (under 40) cruisers we have met, must be "trust fund" babies, though I guess anything is possible, you just need a "plan"!

The longer you stay here the more you realize that the Rio Dulce is a lot like “Peyton Place”. There could be a party at Texan Bay or Tortugal, and the next morning it's the news in Fronteras! It's quite amazing because the news travels via “the river”, which you would think would take a little longer. Many of the gringos have been here for years, so once you've done all the touring, I guess it's easy to get caught up in gossip.

Penny has gone home to Canada, Gracie & Ed have left for Minnesota, as with have many of the other cruisers we have met along the way. We miss them already! It has been a wonderful experience from the beginning, back in May 2009. There is so much more to see and that is what we plan to do.

It has been raining at least a little every day; this is their rainy (only two seasons, this is winter, summer begins in November)season. The boat is soggy, we are soggy and in need of a change of scenery. We have checked out of Guatemala since our 90 days has expired, and we are leaving in the morning for Utila; (that's what our zarpe says) of course, according to weather forecast.

Stay tuned!