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Published: July 30th 2012
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July 20 - I woke up today at 5am, when some people in nearby rooms were getting up and packing. The walls were paper thin and it sounded like they kept moving heavy furniture and dropping bowling balls. Nina woke up and took a shower and there was no way I would sleep again. Instead I found that I had a stomach problem. Damn sketchy delicious burrito last night. I was able to Skype with Jeroen for a while and see the cats before a last mad dash to the bathroom. At 8am or so I headed to the boat dock with the Danish kids from last night since Nina was not ready to leave yet. We wanted to buy tickets for the 10am (and only) boat to Livingston but we were a little early. They sat down for breakfast nearby and I found and brought over the guy selling tickets when he arrived. We each got a ticket and sat around waiting to walk through immigration around 9:30. I didn't eat because I was afraid of being sick again. Immigration was a breeze. They collected an exit tax of about $19 US. Then I went back out of immigration to
change money to get rid of my Belizean dollars. The boat was small and had a cover for the rain, but luckily it didn't rain along the way. It rained before I left the guesthouse and during breakfast, but we were lucky on this boat. It took about an hour to get to Livingston on choppy seas. The plan was then to take another boat along the Rio Dulce river to the town of Rio Dulce. The river ride was why I came here at all. The driver of the boat offered to take us there – at this point all conversations have turned from English to Spanish – after Livingston. I was still with the Spaniards and Nina. They were all interested so we agreed to 90 minutes in Livingston to look around and get Guatemalan money and then go directly to Rio Dulce. There was also a family of 4 there who agreed to the same. Turns out Livingston is not that attractive and I was happy to go sooner than later. The next two hours were spent without rain, fortunately, and cruising up the beautiful river. We stopped briefly to look at birds nesting, an area of
the river that is hot and sulphury, and an old fortress. When we arrived in Rio Dulce, there were a couple guys advertising guesthouses. One was the one I had decided to stay at, and everyone else did too. We had to wait for the boat from the guesthouse to pick us up 30 min later. It's the only way to get there. The place is owned by a Swiss guy and I sat next to a Swiss traveler in the boat. Crazy. Nina and I were going to share a room, but then she decided to take the last dorm bed. I looked at several private rooms before settling for one. I wasn't that impressed, but I like it better now. It is spacious and there is a bathroom and shower nearby, and it has screens on the windows, rather than being completely open like some of the other rooms. There is also a mosquito net. Once I got settled I ordered a chicken burger. It was already 5pm and I had only eaten a banana in Livingston. I now had access to a toilet so I was willing to try to eat again. So far, so good. I
talked to Heather from California while I ate and checked email. I went to shower around 6pm and then came back to my room and have been here for over three hours. I love it. I have privacy, and internet, which is not supposed to reach this room. It's been great. I hung up my clothes that were still wet and hoped they would dry. And about an hour ago it started to rain. It has been pounding the tin roof and making quite a racket, another serious storm. It is the rainy season, after all. As long it rains at night, I'm happy. It's so loud. But I just hope it doesn't rain when I leave in the morning, as this boat does not have a cover of any kind. Tomorrow I leave the Spaniards as they head to Antigua, and possibly Nina, depending on how she will get to Honduras. Am looking forward to reading my book and sleeping early.
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