Adios Casa Guatemala, Adios Rio Dulce

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Yesterday morning I finally left Rio Dulce, for this year at least. It was strange, really strange, but in a strange way. It still didn't feel like I was actually leaving. Of course we had the usual leaving party and leaving dinner, it was also Montse's leaving do, the long serving volunteer coordinator, along with Arturo, one of the teachers from Spain. So we all got up on the bar and danced to the leaving song, Tobaco y Chanel by Los Bacillos, an Argentinian group. Then we all fell down and got thrown in the river fully clothed in the middle of a tropical downpour, actually better fun than it might sound, the water is always warmer than the bar by that time of night.

Also went to say goodbye to the kids and drop off a few wee presents for them, although it was a bit of a flying visit as I left everything to the last minute as usual. It was sad leaving them all, but I already had the worst of it over me when I left the orphanage to go to Nutria. So it was all smiles and hugs this time, but I really will miss them. I really loved the six months I passed in Casa Guatemala and would strongly recommend it to anyone thinking about volunteering.

So we all said our good byes to the rest of the volunteers with promises of Irish and Spanish reunions in Europe, and we headed off to the city. Right now I am back at Andrés' house and hopefully leaving for Mexico tomorrow to get my flight in 6 days. I say hopefully because I was actually supposed to leave Guatemala almost a week ago. Just can't seem to leave.

Anyway, a couple of Do's and Dont's for Rio Dulce...

Do:
- Try the fried chicken on the street, not sure what they put in it but its seriously addictive
- Have a licuado from La Bendición de Dios on the main street
- Have a tortilla con carne from La Bendición de Dios on the street towards the castle
- Visit the Castillo de San Felipe
- Visit the hot waterfall at Finca el Paraiso
- Dance with a volunteer at Backpackers on a wednesday or saturday night
- Eat as much as you can at the Sundog
- Swim in the river by the park
- Visit the orphanage

Don't:
- Don't let the boat drivers and tour operators in the street rip you off, always go to the offical ones or ask in the Sundog if not sure
- Don't get in any trouble with the locals, its the wild west out here, most people carry guns openly and I actually witnessed a shooting first hand in the toilets of Hotel Backpackers, so be careful!
- Don't buy any souvineers here, you'll get everything a lot cheaper in Antigua, Chichi, or Atitlan
- Don't forget about the fried chicken, its that good!

I suppose I should say something about the shooting so as not to scare you all. There was a robbery on a boat a few weeks ago and an American got killed and his wife left badly injured. It later came out that it had been carried out by a gang from Morales, the next big town on the road to the city, and that two of the four men involved had been arrested. The next night the boss of the gang, the so called Reina del Sur (Queen of the South), was shot down in the hotel along with her 15 year old son who apparently was also very active in the gang. I heard the four shots go off outside where the boy was killed. I then seen the assasin come walking in to the bar with gun in hand heading straight for the toilets. Just then the gang boss came walkin out of the boys toilets for some reason and was met at the door by her assasin. She folded her arms and gave him a look like, what ya gonna do? He raised the gun and shot her point blank in the chest, she fell instantly and he fired another two just to be sure. He then turned around swinging his gun over the whole bar, at which point I ducked having already pushed some of the girls to the floor. He then left the bar untouched and dissapeared. I was the first one over to the body and knew straight away she was dead. I started shouting at the bar staff to do something, and they just looked at me like I was crazy. I got them to call the cops at least, who eventually arrived almost four hours later, and then sat and had a drink with the bar manager and didn't even ask for witness statements.

I was literally two or three metres from it when it happened and saw everything. It was strangely like a movie or something, but the strangest thing was the reaction from the locals, nothing, nada, niente. I actually saw some people laughing about it while looking at the body. Kind of sickening to be honest. Anyway, the next night the other two men involved were also shot dead. The clean up was ordered by the Mendozas, the biggest drug family in this area. It was the first time something like this (gringo killed for no reason) had ever happened in Rio Dulce and I guess they weren't happy about it at all.

Despite the shootings and the gunslingers I really don't feel unsafe or threatened here. I know this was a locals thing and foreigners don't usually get brought into it. The whole reason for the clean up was because one foreigner was killed. I wouldn't let this stop any of you visitng Rio Dulce. I just felt obliged to put the truth up since it was covered up a bit by Backpackers Hotel, their official statement was that it happened outside of the hotel on the street. You can see the story detailed here:

http://riodulcechisme.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=313&Itemid=2

Anyway, I really loved this town and the people in it, I already miss it. It really is a natural paradise and I'm sure I'll be back again some day. Adios Rio Dulce.

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