Rio Dulce, Guatemala ... translation "Sweet River" ... March 2005
Also Livingston, Guate and Punta Gorda, Laughingbird & Placencia Belize
Our 1st Sunrise Over Rio Dulce
We've heard all the reasons not to visit Guatemala -- even the US State Department warns it's not safe - the country just finished a 30 year civil war in the late 1990's. We've been on the Rio Dulce, translation: "Sweet River", for 5 days now. During that time, yes, we've heard gunshots -- but so far they haven't been any more intimidating than duck hunting season on Lake Mattoon. Local wisdom says "not to worry, they're shooting at each other, not at YOU!" Oh, THAT makes me feel safer! Just like any major US city, there are places you don't go after dark -- and some places you don't go at all. But overall, so far, Guatemala is no more threatening than New York City -- less so if you factor in the friendly Guatemalan people - most are hard working & go out of their way to be helpful.
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Many sailors avoid the Rio Dulce because of the legendary bar across the entrance, only 5 1/2 feet deep & we draw 5 1/2 feet! But Winterlude didn't bump, which I'm sure disappointed all the pangas hanging around, just waiting to make a buck or two on our misfortune! :) We dropped anchor in 8 feet of water off the Texaco dock. The current from the river, opposing the rising tide & afternoon seabreeze, made for a very bumpy anchorage. Throw in the fact that it was Semana Santa holiday weekend (turns out it's the BIGGEST holiday of the year where EVERYONE in Latin America is travelling - by boat, of course, since there are few roads and fewer vehicles), we were rocking & rolling & wondering how our anchor could possibly be holding, when literally ONE MINUTE after we anchored, the local officials pulled up alongside in their panga.
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 3 officials boarded Winterlude -- Customs/aduana, Immigration & the Captania de Puerto (Port Captain). I enjoyed practicing my limited Spanish on them -- they seemed delighted that someone was willing to try bad Spanish to talk to them. Of course, it all broke down the minute I couldn't understand, because they simply switched to perfect english!!! :)
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Southernmost Check Out in Belize
Customs & Immigration, Punta Gorda, Belize
According to the cruising guide, Guatemala's Rio Dulce ranks as one of the all time ultimates in Caribbean cruising. We believe every superlative that has ever been written about the Rio Dulce & Guatemala (can you tell so far we LOVE it here????)
We left New Haven, Belize before sunrise in a flat calm last Thursday morning (3/24) to clear out in Punta Gorda - an open roadstead anchorage & the southernmost port in Belize. Before the sun had cleared the horizon, our diesel was running hot. We barely made it to clear out before siesta (everything closes for 2 hours at lunchtime) & enjoyed a romping 3 hour sail to Livingston, Guatemala -- one of the best sails we've had this winter! The wind was 11 - 14 directly on the beam, great reach, calm seas, the boat was sailing at over 6 knots! Made the horror of our anchorage two nights prior fade like a distant memory! (We'd anchored in the ideallic Sapodilla Cayes -- inside a small lagoon, enclosed on 3 sides by a drying reef & the other side by the island. When the wind switched 360 degrees over the course of the night, the anchor alarm got us up every hour. In the twilight just before daybreak, when we could SEE - with no electricity, everything is pitch dark after the sun goes down, the wind piped up to over 25 kts and we were literally stuck inside a lagoon with an exit less than two boatlengths wide, that we couldn't see due to the confused seas & on a dangerous lee shore! Talk about relieved to FINALLY exit that reef after no sleep all night long!) I digress, the great sail to the Rio made the horror of the Sapodillas fade & we finally could relax.
We left New Haven, Belize before sunrise in a flat calm last Thursday morning (3/24) to clear out in Punta Gorda - an open roadstead anchorage & the southernmost port in Belize. Before the sun had cleared the horizon, our diesel was running hot. We barely made it to clear out before siesta (everything closes for 2 hours at lunchtime) & enjoyed a romping 3 hour sail to Livingston, Guatemala -- one of the best sails we've had this winter! The wind was 11 - 14 directly on the beam, great reach, calm seas, the boat was sailing at over 6 knots! Made the horror of our anchorage two nights prior fade like a distant memory! (We'd anchored in the ideallic Sapodilla Cayes -- inside a small lagoon, enclosed on 3 sides by a drying reef & the other side by the island. When the wind switched 360 degrees over the course of the night, the anchor alarm got us up every hour. In the twilight just before daybreak, when we could SEE - with no electricity, everything is pitch dark after the sun goes down, the wind piped up to over 25 kts and we were literally stuck inside a lagoon with an exit less than two boatlengths wide, that we couldn't see due to the confused seas & on a dangerous lee shore! Talk about relieved to FINALLY exit that reef after no sleep all night long!) I digress, the great sail to the Rio made the horror of the Sapodillas fade & we finally could relax.
 Mayan Cayuco on the Rio Dulce |
 Rio Dulce Canyon Entrance |
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Our first night on the Rio was one night shy of a full moon & the moonlight sparkled across the river. Since it was Semana Santa, oompah type cheery music drifted across the water -- just like in Isla, they delight in playing what sounds like the same song over & over. Behind us, the jungle sounds are somewhat eery, the bird chirps are unfamiliar & other sounds we've never heard interchange with the familiar, dogs barking & roosters crowing. Frequently unlit, high speed pangas fly across our bow - we LOVE those bright blue LED anchor lights that Handbasket Jim hated in Isla -- hopefully these flying pangas won't miss them & hit us! Altho' it's more humid than anywhere we've been, the night breeze is very pleasant and cool -- and surprisingly, there are very few bugs -- much fewer than anchored in the mangrove cayes of Belize. Our impressions of the river surprise us --everywhere kids swimming, people celebrating the Semana Santa weekend. People here have no "addresses" as we know them in the US -- they live on the river & use it as their highway. Their "driveway" is where they've cleared a spot for the panga to pull up front of the house.
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 Livingston streets are painted with sawdust for the Semana Santa (Easter) religious parades & celebrations. The painstakenly "painted" street scenes are guarded by young people in bright garb until the parade has the first honor of walking on the painted street "carpet". Some of these were very intricate!
The sheer variety of boats surprises us too -- pangas, lanchas everywhere(the panga version of a water taxi), wooden cayucos paddled by Mayan families brightly clothed in their beautiful homewoven cloth, jet skis, pangas towing tubes & banana rides & 50' SeaRay cruisers belonging to the rich Guatemalans who bring their helicopters to fly into their river vacation homes for the weekend-- according to locals, it's the only weekend they'll use the toys! |
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After enjoying the Semana Santa celebrations in Livingston for two days, we pointed Winterlude up the Rio for our journey through the famous river canyon -- sheer limestone cliffs covered with lush green foliage of every imaginable type tower 400' above us on either side. The river is deep & winds it's way up through the Rio Dulce national park. Vibrant colors abound, from the Mayan's bright clothing spun by their own looms, to the unlimited hues of green of the jungle, to the riotous reds, purples and yellows adorning the flowers & bromiliads to the stark great white herons providing elegant relief from the overwhelming colors. Mayan villages intersperse with the "rich Guatemalan" homes and desolate jungle along the river. Sometimes there would come a wood fire smell wafting together with delicious cooking. The birdlife was incredible, great white herons everywhere, kamikaze pelicans dive far deeper in the river here to apprehend their prey & the coramonts dive & surface all around us. Now & again, there would be a church - the Mayans come to church in their wooden cayucos & there were always a few pulled up on the front church lawn.
Gringo Bay, Rio Dulce
Since it's not safe to anchor anywhere alone, we anchored Winterlude at Gringo Bay with three US flagged sailboats. With the towering Mico Mountain range just to the south, El Golfete to the north & the jungle & Mayans all around, Gringo Bay is another experience. Our first morning here, around 7 AM, a young Mayan boy, not more than maybe 9 or 10 approached Winterlude in his bright blue panga. He expertly manauovered the 21 foot boat up alongside without as much as bumping our boat & asked if we wanted to buy camerones (shrimp) or pescado (fish). We bought shrimp for our Easter dinner - as David was taking off their heads, he discovered they were so fresh, they were still ALIVE!!! This morning we dinghied ashore to meet Jennifer & buy fresh fish, snook or robalo as they're called on the river. Jennifer is an American expatriate who lives in her house on the Rio, paints & enjoys life.
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 Great White Heron |
Mayan Life on the Rio
Every wealthy homeowner has to have a Mayan "guardian" for their house -- with no roads & limited access, without the Mayans protection, the houses would be robbed & everything stolen. She provides a very unique perspective on life here: "Here on the Rio, convenience food is buying flour already ground!" The life that the Mayans live, despite the fact that they are among the poorest people in the world, is not as desolate as I had imagined prior to being here. Their homes, while simple in the extreme, are also located in places that would be million dollar waterfront property in the US. They swim, play & bath in the surprisingly clear river waters, dine on the freshest shrimp & fish, grow vegetables & grind their own maize tortillas. Beyond that, they play & live. Three little boys were playing in a wooden cayuca -- they had turned it over & were climbing onto the top, trying to stand on the unstable equivalent of an upside down wooden canoe & laughing as they splashed back into the water. Not unlike Andy, Aly & Billy playing on the broken styrafoam Snark in front of the cabin on Lake Mattoon! These people don't seem to know they're so disadvantaged -- I even saw a t-shirt in Livingston that said "We Don't Need Your Money" -- interesting implications & a very, very fascinating culture -- we hope to find out more about during the next month.
 Mayan boys racing, they stand, they fish, no problem! |
 David amazed the Mayans by standing in the cayuco, but no worries, he fell immediately ... and they laughed! |
Other Than Our Rio Adventures, We've Been Many Places Since Our Last Update ... the Highlights:
- swimming under a freezing waterfall in a brilliantly clean, clear mountain stream and then sliding down natural waterslides in the Cockscomb Jaguar Reserve -- no one could have made me believe that as an almost 50 year old, I'd be sliding down waterfalls on my butt in a wild jungle river! We even saw a fresh jaguar pawprint, no jaguar though -- they're an endangered species. This day was a highlight of our cruise so far.
 Cockscomb Waterfall |
 Jaguar Print |
 David Rock Sliding |
 Cool Tree Roots! |
Placencia, Belize
- anchoring for almost a week in Placencia, Belize. We ducked in here for a cold front & to rendezvous with our friends on NashOn & Kioara on their way north (Jack & Linda Nash, for you Y Flyers). We ended up spending almost a week in Placencia, enjoying every minute of the southern Belize atmosphere & laid back beach community.
- buying fruit -- I know, it sounds so SIMPLE, right? WRONG! Buying fruit in a tropical paradise is a CHALLENGE! In the US, they're all artificially colored the color they're SUPPOSED to be. We bought oranges from a rusty pickup truck -- the bed was full of oranges, pineapples, limes, anything you could want. BUT none of them were appealing in color. I picked one orange orange & the lady shook her head at me & selected the next 7 oranges mostly green (the oranges were 8 for BZ$1, or US 50 cents). Turns out when an orange is the color ORANGE here, it's ROTTEN & the green ones are the sweetest, most juicy oranges you ever ate. Too much to learn, too little time!!! :)
- buying fruit -- I know, it sounds so SIMPLE, right? WRONG! Buying fruit in a tropical paradise is a CHALLENGE! In the US, they're all artificially colored the color they're SUPPOSED to be. We bought oranges from a rusty pickup truck -- the bed was full of oranges, pineapples, limes, anything you could want. BUT none of them were appealing in color. I picked one orange orange & the lady shook her head at me & selected the next 7 oranges mostly green (the oranges were 8 for BZ$1, or US 50 cents). Turns out when an orange is the color ORANGE here, it's ROTTEN & the green ones are the sweetest, most juicy oranges you ever ate. Too much to learn, too little time!!! :)
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- Laughingbird Caye -- another beautiful National Park in central/southern Belize. Winterlude was once again anchored in a swimming pool! Laughingbird is on a "faro atoll" which means it's a south pacific style atoll but it forms on the continental shelf instead of open ocean as the other three atolls in Belize. There are only a handful of Faro Atolls in the world & it offers spectacular snorkeling & three dive sites on an island less than a quarter mile long and a stone's throw across, filled with swaying palms & sand. We saw a 10 foot long lemon shark, the first one of the trip, but only when the ranger pointed him out as a shadow while we were standing on the beach. I figured David wouldn't go snorkeling after that, but we spent the next three hours doing a snorkel circumnavigation of the north end of the island. After the fact, David admitted he was looking for the lemon shark. Aaarrrggg!!! :(
 School of Blue Tangs |
 David at Laughingbird Caye |
- PINK (yes, PINK) Fanta tonic water for our gin & tonics. Every g&t in paradise is PINK. It took a bit for me to get used to pink gin & tonics, but now I prefer pink to boring ole US clear g&t's! :)
- I FINALLY saw my seaturtle, swimming on the surface as we were sailing to the Sapodilla Cayes in Southern Belize. Plus lots of spotted dolphins that played with the bow AND the rudder, head butting it sideways, as we were sailing to Laughingbird Caye from Placencia.
Only a month to go!!! GO ILLINI -- we'll actually be in a marina with satellite TV to watch next Saturday's Final Four game. Regular e-mail will work again -- you can e-mail us at jan.griffin@mindspring.com after April 1. We'll do some exploring in Guatemala & enjoy the Rio before heading back to the States the end of April. We're also hoping to get together with the Shearlock's -- they're cruising down the Pacific side & may be able to stop in Guatemala, if the marina situation permits. That's it for this installment! Enjoy!
- I FINALLY saw my seaturtle, swimming on the surface as we were sailing to the Sapodilla Cayes in Southern Belize. Plus lots of spotted dolphins that played with the bow AND the rudder, head butting it sideways, as we were sailing to Laughingbird Caye from Placencia.
Only a month to go!!! GO ILLINI -- we'll actually be in a marina with satellite TV to watch next Saturday's Final Four game. Regular e-mail will work again -- you can e-mail us at jan.griffin@mindspring.com after April 1. We'll do some exploring in Guatemala & enjoy the Rio before heading back to the States the end of April. We're also hoping to get together with the Shearlock's -- they're cruising down the Pacific side & may be able to stop in Guatemala, if the marina situation permits. That's it for this installment! Enjoy!
Winterlude's 1st Home Away From The US ... Catamaran Resort & Marina, Rio Dulce, Guatemala
