We can not say things have been boring on the good ship Spirit of Argo.
I got one human recovering from the “brink of death” and the other rushing around trying to get everything ready for family to come and stay on the boat. There will be seven of us. Mind you, I am happy just to sleep on the floor.
COMPANY IS COMING!
Then the moment we were waiting for, the Miller Clan arrived! Not without a few bumps along the way.
First their driver decided, as he was crossing over Northern Honduras and Southern Guatemala, why not stop in a visit some family along the way. So the unwitting tourists he was transporting where dragged along for the ride.
This pushed their arrival time back a few hours naturally. We had arranged for the Marina to send out a golf cart to pick them up at the main road when they arrived at the security gates and we waited in the hotel lobby anxiously awaiting their arrival.
Which turned out to be the wrong thing to do!
The coach driver over shot Nanajuana Marina and instead dropped them off around the bay a few marinas away. The poor family, and all their luggage, could see our boat, but just could not get to it. One of the cruisers staying in the Marina offered to hail us on the VHF radio. But of course we were not on the boat to hear their call. We were up in the hotel lobby waiting for them there.
Finally the Marina manager called our Marina manager and she sent out a shuttle boat to pick them all up. So they finally made it for their Christmas week long visit to us. Yah!
WHAT TO DO WITH COMPANY ON THE RIVER DULCE
After such a long bus ride it was nice to have the Hotel and Marina facilities to relax and recover in. We had the pool to swim in, the shaded cruisers Palapa and Tiki Bar to play dominoes and cards at, and generally we just caught up with each others lives.
But these guys do not take long to recover, nor do they have long to take in the sights and sounds of Guatemala.
First stop, the local town of Frontera to do some food shopping. 
An assault of sights and smells for anyone not used to ‘third world’ shopping. But these guys are seasoned travellers. All goods travelling north from the major port, Puerto Barrios, and the capital, Guatemala City, travel through Frontera. The busy open fronted shops and restaurants along the road create an incredible “bottle neck’. Trucks packed with cattle slowly squeeze by inches from vendors fanning flies off a huge assortment of cooked meats and vegetable. There are no “side walks”, so you have to look and time your progress along the road side. But it is fun, especially for people watching.
Next we took them on a mini-trip up river to the shores of Lake Isabel. Although the whole area and its many tributaries are beautiful there are two fun places to visit that are only a ‘relatively’ short bus trip away, Finca El Paraiso and Boquerón Canyon.
Finca El Paraiso
Boquerón Canyon
I stayed behind and kept the ‘sicky human’ company. But the rest of the family packed their swim suits and headed off to Frontera to catch the bus. The local buses leave from the cross roads just up from the ‘Despensa’. You can not miss them as the drivers’ assistance are out there ‘sing songing’ all the destinations and rounding up passengers. These buses are really just mini-vans, and they try to maximise their profits by packing them to the brim. Standing room for a tiny Guatemala is completely different for the tall Europeans.
Although the trip to
Finca El Paraiso is only an hour, I would recommend you let any full busses go as a new empty one will pull in just behind him and you can grab a seat. Taking the local buses, rather than an organised tour, is both cheaper (20Q each) and much more fun. You get to meet all the friendly locals along the way. Tell the drivers’ assistant (the guy collecting the money) you want to stop at Finca El Paraiso and he will make sure you do not miss the ‘unassuming’ road side sign. Once they drop you off it is only a short hike along the river up to the hot spring falls. Yes, I did say HOT WATER FALLS.
Hot water comes out of the hill side and sprays down a small waterfall into the cool river below. The 10Q entrance fee, collected by an English speaking gentleman at the entrance, goes to maintaining the trail in, benches along the river side and a man to watch everyone’s bags while you go for a swim and explore.
The ‘bag minder’ will also show you the best trail up the side of the water fall so you can soak in the hot pools at the top. We arrived just before noon and the family were lucky as they ‘almost’ had the place to themselves for the entire visit. The jungle trees surrounding you offers plenty of shade and it is a great place to just soak in the sights and sounds of the rain forest along with all your aches and pains.
We had heard that if there has been very little rain the pools at the top of the waterfall are too hot to soak in. You may want to time your visit shortly after showers have passed.
But no hanging about too long for this crew. Next stop Boquerón Canyon. Back down the trail and onto a local van for the short (6km) trip up the road to a shaded picnic area by river exiting a tight and twisting canyon.
Along the shore are local canoes willing to take you up. Do barter with the guides as it is only a short trip up before the river is blocked by giant boulders and un-navigateable by boat. This is a place best visited when there has been little rain. After a beautifully scenic trip through the tight and majestic walls of the canyon the canoeists drop you off on a small black beach where you can go for a swim. The more intrepid can crawl through the boulders and explore further up river.
Unfortunately the water level when the humans visited. The beach was two feet underwater and the current too strong for exploring up river further. Do not think they did not try.
My female human made a ‘go’ of it and lost her favourite glasses in a ‘wipe out’.
With ‘lunch on the beach in a canyon’ off the plans, they just made the best of it. They got the canoe handlers to bring their bags back for them and used the waters currents to blissfully drift back to the picnic area instead.
Now getting a ride back got fun! With both Finca El Paraiso and Boquerón Canyon being half way between everything the buses were very full.
They turned down two offers, but finally ‘broke down’ and accepted being squished into the third van.
One got a seat, one did the ‘hunch back’ impression standing up inside, one hang out the side of the open door holding onto the roof rack while the remain two climbed on top.
Enough people got off that they were all seated inside by halfway. Just a few bugs to clean out of their teeth!
When ever you get a group of cruisers clustered together and a holiday event is approaching you are bound to hear ‘do you think we should organise something together’. Usually this ‘motley’ group are far away from family, friends and home so the comradery is a welcomed. Well the group staying at Nanajuana Marina got very endeavourous and imaginative this season. They organised a Christmas eve and Christmas day event and everyone got into the spirit.
The Christmas eve centred on the ‘gift of giving’, but mutated into the ‘gift of stealing’. It was very funny and I will tell you more on that in a minute. The Christmas day event was a giant ‘meat roast’, centring on a lamb roasted on a spit.
Christmas eve and all though the boat not a sailor was stirring, as they we all over at the cruisers palapa stealing each others presents, singing Christmas carols and getting drunk.
The evening festivities were the brain child of Wendy and Ken off the s/v N,Joy (their boats for sale- smalldaddy34@hotmail.com). Everyone was to bring one wrapped present, finger food, their own booze and lots of Christmas cheer. Wendy and Ken decorated the palapa and even made a mock fire place from paper bricks around a computer playing a fire scene as a screen saver. Very clever! Everyone got a numbered piece of paper and the naughty antics began.
Each number called could pick a present from under the tree or steal someone else’s present. Lots of shouting, cheering and even a little shoe throwing, but all in jest. It finished in drunken renditions of Christmas Carols. Just a few hangovers the following day.
There were no hangovers on our boat as we cut out a little early to have a bit of family time. The last bottle of port smuggled across the ocean from Portugal saw ‘the light’ with some hugely overpriced cheeses imported into Guatemala for the European taste buds (and wallets).
Christmas day it was full steam ahead on the S/V Spirit of Argo. With Teresa, from s/v Seismic Wave, and Belinda, from s/v Free Spirit (for both see links), leading the charge for the afternoons feast. Everyone had their jobs for the day. The crew of Spirit of Argo volunteered to cook a chicken and lots of vegetables. Perhaps they should not have done so, as you will find out later.
But first they needed to have a little ‘family’ Christmas time. The morning started with the Skype and Facetime with family abroad. Well really, they were home and we were abroad.
Due to the time differences we started with the English family and finished up with the Canadian side of things. Thanks everyone for organising that.
This ran a little long and we were late starting the promised Canadian style Christmas breakfast. Pancakes and bacon
smothered in real Canadian maple syrup smuggled into the country by the Millers.Then we had a few presents to open. Handy things for the boat and finally some new music for me to listen to. The Millers got an overnight stay at a hotel in Tikal National Park.
You know where this is leading. We thought we put the chicken into the oven in time, but no. ‘Dolly’, as she became known, just would not cook. That is OK. We brought her to the Christmas dinner and finished her off on one of the BBQs for anyone who wanted seconds and ‘take homes’.
With spit roasted lamb, a huge turkey and a mammoth ham there was too much food. We invited the fantastic staff, working hard on Christmas day, to come and join us.
That is what Christmas is about, sharing. Sharing with family, sharing with friends, sharing with those special people who touch our lives.
And on that note we want to send out a special message at this time of year.
Thank you all who have positively touched out lives for you have made this world a better place for us to live in. Happy Holidays!
I will leave you with a few extra photos:
A small Christmas feast for 47 cruisers.
And do not forget the Marina Manager Marilyn and the staff working that day.
Did I mention they rolled out the sparkling wine with dessert.
Earlier that day…….
Shannon and Connor found out what happens when Santa runs out of clean stockings.
I was very happy with my new toys.
Spoilt child!
Just being together was present enough for Christmas.
Entering into Boquerón Canyon.
Pictures just can not capture the scale of the high canyon walls. Perhaps their faces will as they look up.
Having a ball at hot spring waterfalls of Finca El Paraiso.
The mayhem of the town of Frontera. Guatemalans are hard working, but never stop smiling.
Tuk tuks are the favoured mode of transport to get through the traffic here.
Besides hard working, Guatemalans are incredibly beautiful and friendly people.
We all could learn a little from them.
After such a long bus ride it was nice to have the Hotel and Marina facilities to relax and recover in. We had the pool to swim in, the shaded cruisers Palapa and Tiki Bar to play dominoes and cards at, and generally we just caught up with each others lives.
An assault of sights and smells for anyone not used to ‘third world’ shopping. But these guys are seasoned travellers. All goods travelling north from the major port, Puerto Barrios, and the capital, Guatemala City, travel through Frontera. The busy open fronted shops and restaurants along the road create an incredible “bottle neck’. Trucks packed with cattle slowly squeeze by inches from vendors fanning flies off a huge assortment of cooked meats and vegetable. There are no “side walks”, so you have to look and time your progress along the road side. But it is fun, especially for people watching.
Along the shore are local canoes willing to take you up. Do barter with the guides as it is only a short trip up before the river is blocked by giant boulders and un-navigateable by boat. This is a place best visited when there has been little rain. After a beautifully scenic trip through the tight and majestic walls of the canyon the canoeists drop you off on a small black beach where you can go for a swim. The more intrepid can crawl through the boulders and explore further up river.
They turned down two offers, but finally ‘broke down’ and accepted being squished into the third van.
Each number called could pick a present from under the tree or steal someone else’s present. Lots of shouting, cheering and even a little shoe throwing, but all in jest. It finished in drunken renditions of Christmas Carols. Just a few hangovers the following day.
3 thoughts on “Guatemala, Rio Dulce – Company and Christmas on the river”
I hope Cain fully recovers soon. Happy New Year to you all!
Thanks Roy for the well wishes.
He has been missing out on some of the day excursions with the family, but getting better every day.
Have a great New Year.
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