Sweet Rio Dulce

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Am drifting down the sweet Rio Dulce towards Livingston on the Carribbean on board a 43ft catamaran having spent the night experiencing coffin like conditions in my (thankfully) double berth in one of the keels! But I put this behind me. Its 6am only the crew and I are up and I am treated to daybreak with the local fishermen casting their nets around me from their tiny dugouts. The sun is rising and the jungle is awakening with bird calls. As the river narrows into the canyon before the port of Livingston, cranes and herons eyeball me from their overhanging roosts and black pelicans treat me to a fly past.
Wow! Right now I wouldn’t be anywhere else, maybe I’m a Carribbean kind of woman.
In Livingston the rasta locks of young travelling companion attracted a local from the Garifuna community who took us on a walking tour. The roots of the Garifunians lie in Venezula and they are trying to raise awareness of their society which is suffering all the problems of poverty and ostracization. Conditions were grim and I was glad to leave some money for feeding programme.
Spending 3 nights on board with just a young couple was a very soggy experience with sudden, sharp falls of equatorial rain, hikes to waterfalls, springs with plenty of swimming, wee towns and best of all just drifting down creeks on a large surfboard with a paddle which I managed by sitting balanced across it. I loved the peace and tranquility of those times in the jungle (interrupted by the young couple splashing and generally fooling around.)
Food on board was plenty of fresh fruit, the catch of the day, rice ,oh, and the local beer!
Journey back to Antigua a long 6 hour bus ride. True to Guatemalan form with plenty of stops for snacks and banos and a great video -- Speed--- about a bomb on a bus!! Didn’t know whether to langh or cry.
So back in Antigua cleaning up. people are coming and going here and I will probably hole up for Christmas as it feels easy with a bit of company. Next week am for the Pacific coast for a few days must see the sea turtles!

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Photos

on board
On board Las Sirenas