Vamos a Guatemala

We decided to head to Guatemala for the New Year. We have heard wonderful things about Rio Dulce. The trip took us 55 hours, once again with calm seas. We carefully followed the coastline of Belize, trying to stay just on the other side of the strong northern current in this area. It worked out ok, we averaged 5-6 knots while motoring with just one engine.

We anchored in the bay across from the entrance to Rio Dulce to get some sleep before checking in the next morning. It was a beautiful little cove, surrounded by mountains. We got up bright and early and motored two hours to Livingston, the city at the entrance to Rio Dulce, to check in.

Checking in to Guatemala was easy. There is an agent, Raul, who is well known to the cruising community who has an office right there in Livingston. I had emailed him all of our information ahead of time, and he had all our paperwork ready in about an hour after we arrived.

There is a laundry area just in front of Raul’s office. Everyone brings their own buckets of water and soap, and then hand scrubs their laundry on concrete washing boards/ sinks. After this I started noticing how very clean everyone’s clothes are as I walked around town. I can’t make it from the boat to the dinghy to the town without getting something on me, yet somehow even on the dirty crowded streets I was passing adults, working men in jeans, women in white blouses, children, all with clean clothes. Maybe they don’t take the act of getting clothes dirty for granted, maybe they make a greater effort to keep their clothes clean knowing what it takes to get them that way again. I don’t know, but we found it fascinating, and commented on the rest of our time in Guatemala.

We then proceeded up the River, about 20 miles to the big lake where there a multiple marinas and a thriving cruising community. The river went through a canyon, on occasion 60-70 feet deep.

The marina that we are staying at is called NanaJuana. It also has a hotel and resort. It is beautiful.

Yes, I think we can spend some time here quite comfortably.