Days 19 & 20 - Rio Dulce

Day 19 (January 29, 2010) – Tikal to Rio Dulce

We are sad to leave Tikal but must continue on our journey. Today we (or most of we) had a leisurely start as the caravan did not begin departure until 7:45. I say “most of we” because Brian, the thumper, discovered a low tire on Rig 11. It was filled and off we went anticipating our visit and lunch at Finca Ixobel and let's not forget the pick up of the long anticipated bread order. We arrived suspicious of the turn, the cowpath/farm road leading us who know when as we round the corner we see a lovely spot with a circular drive and plants every where. What a beautiful spot. We were greeted by Maria, the daughter of the owners. Maria was born in Guatemala and adopted by the owners, a couple from the US. During the 60s her parents bought the farm/ranch and split their time between Minnesota and Guatemala. Maria and her parents eventually moved to Guatemala. They now run the hotel, bakery and restaurant. We had a delicious meal – hamburgers, eggplant, chicken and avocado, omelets, steak, and fried chicken. Several toured the dessert table and sampled the chocolate cake, carrot cake, strawberry/banana pie, banana cream pie and butterscotch brownies. Everything was done perfectly and professionally. Some took advantage of the WIFI while others toured the bakery and kitchen. Too soon we were off to Rio Dulce.

In the past we parked in a horse field at a hotel in Rio Dulce. This year we parked in the second boat storage area before the hotel. What a surprise!! They built a new reception area, new restaurant, new showers/bathrooms and added on to the pool. The facilities are absolutely gorgeous. The guests took advantage of the pool and bar. What a welcome sight. By far this is the best parking lot we have ever stayed in.

Bob and LuAnn, Rig #1

DAY 20 - Rig 2
30 January 2010 – Rio Dulce Guatemala
Any day that we get to spend on the water is a GREAT day for us – so today with our planned river trip over to Livingston we wake up full of anticipation. We were sorry to hear that Carol and Wendy would not be joining us, as they both felt colds coming on – a day of rest will probably do them good – although they will be missed.
Three boats await us at the dock – ‘Okay load up’ – and we are off. We had a nice time spotting birds along the way – it was fun to see the nesting egrets and cormorants with their young ones in the nest. We saw a fishing eagle, pelicans and some really cute birds that spent their time walking on the lily pads – we agreed it was a good thing we didn’t have to walk on lily pads as we would mostly sink!!
First stop is the thermal pools – after our steamy ride through the jungle no one was up for the walk to the ‘sauna cave’ and most opted for a cool beverage and a bun made with coconut milk – oh yeah, that all important trip to the BANOS.
Next stop was a wonderful shop full of handmade items by native women and children. Very unusual bowls and crafts made from banana leaves – they even made the paper from banana leaves. A few opted for a walk to a small waterfall, but the most interesting thing seemed to be the Rotary Club boat that was tied up at the dock – it was a floating ‘dentist office’ complete with layback chair and overhead lights. Oh things to be found in the jungle!
Finally it is lunchtime and we have made it to Livingston. This is a small port town with quite a few restaurants, shops and tourist stands. There was a mix of Caribbean and Guatemalan items for sale and the food also had a combination feel. A good meal was had by all and of course some great shopping for dessert!
Our GREAT day on the water ended with a fast 1 hour drive home. The breeze felt wonderful and cool, but the dip in the pool upon arrival was even better! What a great stop this Nana Juana Hotel has been. Tomorrow it is off to Honduras – and all the adventures it will bring.

Brian and Chris – Tailgunners