On The Rio – A few degrees from our normal

Welcome to the Rio Dulce. 
Murals add color to El Relleno, the community on the other side of the bridge and Fronteras.

“Hey, its Guatemala out there!”

Bud repeats this several times a week as a morning greeting to Tracy. He says it partly for his twisted comedy, but also, in repeating the words, he remind us to more fully appreciate this fascinating place. We want to take it all in.

We do marvel at our achievement in getting here by our own wits. We are immensely thrilled about that. Our travels along the US east coast, down the Intracoastal Waterway, to the Florida Keys and more, were all important to us, but over time we began to view our travels by boat as cruising with training wheels. We expected more but were not sure whether that was realistic.  

It wasn’t until we arrived in Guatemala, which we embraced as a destination rather than just another roadside attraction, that we realized that our cruising life had changed.  

Guatemala is remarkable not merely because of the obvious differences, but oddly, because of the similarities. Not everything here is entirely foreign. We have seen immense billowy clouds and blue skies, colorful birds, rivers, lakes, lush tropical greenery, and of course, humans, always, interesting people in other places. It is just that the colors, sounds, smells, scenery, critters and people of Guatemala show us things that are tweaked just a few degrees from our “normal”- And that has made it all so enchanting.  

We don’t ever recall describing a place as enchanting. We hope we can capture in the following pictures and words why we call Rio Dulce a land of enchantment.     

Up the Rio

Rio Dulce or Sweet River, is indeed a sweet place. The river and the surrounding region offers experiences unlike any other in the Caribbean.

There was so much to capture with the scenery and people going up the Rio.
 Tracy couldn't put her camera down.

Enchanting tropical scenery along the Rio.

Picturesque houses tucked into the greenery line the edge of the Rio.

Looking for a a retirement home?

Our departure from the chaos of Livingston felt like we were making a daring escape up the Rio. We were rewarded almost immediately as we turned a bend in the river to meet the spectacular 300 foot towering walls of the Rio Dulce canyon, drenched in green, and more green, dense tropical vegetation of bromeliads, orchids, vines and flowering trees. It is obvious why Hollywood chose this river for filming the original Tarzan movies.

The first of two hairpin bends in the Rio Dulce canyon.

Lush dense green jungle as we come up the Rio Dulce.

The canyon walls soared 300 feet above us.

Scattered along the riverbank we watched locals deftly paddle impossibly tiny dug-out wooden canoes (“cayucos”). Some cayucos were almost completely hidden in the vegetation as they hugged the riverbank to stay out of the main river current. We marveled at how easily they set their fish traps, tossed their hand lines or cast nets, all from these little boats.

Fishing along the riverbank in cayucos.

   

Casting nets by cayuco is as much of a skill as it is art. 

Watch this short video of the cast.

Transport of building materials by cayuco.

Rush hour on the Rio at sunset.

We spent one night anchored in a small bay along the river before arriving in Fronteras/Rio Dulce. It served as our introduction to Guatemala and we knew immediately that we had arrived in a very special place.

The dude (still with his sailor whiskers) enjoying a beer at anchor
in Bahia Buena Vista.

Warm pan de coco - coconut bread - delivered by cayuco to our boat at anchor.

A cayuco returning home after a long day on the Rio.

Sunset overlooking El Golfete.

Overlooking the Mico Mountains as we head up the last ten miles up the Rio. 

Leilani snuggled in at the "T" dock at Mar Marine, in Shell Bay, just off the Rio Dulce.

Finding Fronteras

While no one would say Rio Dulce and Venice have a lot in common, they do share the dependence on boats as the primary means of transportation. If Venice is at one end of the spectrum with romantic gondolas slowly paddled through winding canals, and elegant architecture, Fronteras is at the other end of the spectrum. It lives up to its name- the Frontier. Fronteras has utilitarian “lanchas” or pangas equipped with outboards speeding by with abandon, and palm frond-covered ramshackle huts, and tin roofed restaurants and markets lining the water edge.

Lanchas ready for tourists to take them up and down the Rio Dulce.

We take our dinghy to Bruno’s Marina/Restaurant dock for convenient access to town. We then walk up to the street to find Fronteras, the bustling, crowded, noisy, and aromatic assault on the senses. Fronteras can at times be a bit overwhelming, but perpetually interesting.

Convenient parking at Bruno's - shared with dinghys.

Fronteras is a transportation hub for the region, with a lone two-lane road running through town. There is not a single traffic signal town, but there are uniformed “officers” that direct traffic to some sort of order. The road is overloaded, packed with bicycles, cars, scooters, motorcycles, Tuc-Tucs, vans, buses, cattle trucks, heavily-laden transports and, of course, pedestrians dodging traffic. The pedestrians are a mix of workers and shoppers moving among the stalls, stands and stores that border the road by mere inches.

As you walk along the road, the same road you share with those big trucks and other traffic, you have to watch your back, and your front for vehicle and people traffic, as well as, for avoiding collisions with the tortilla-making-girls, the stacks of fresh empanadas, the prickly pineapples, the shaved ice guy, the fried chicken carts, and so much more. You also have to watch your feet as you weave along the uneven pavement to try to avoid wrenching an ankle.

Welcome to Fronteras.

Shaved ice carts, pedestrians, and motorcycles all share this two lane road through town.

As well as buses...

And bikes and tuc-tucs.

Not only do you have to worry about traffic walking through town,
you need to be careful not to twist an ankle on the uneven pavement.

The major intersection in the middle of town.

Umbrellas and shops line the edge of the two lane road through town.

Cattle feed for a local finca.

Brahma cattle on vacation seeing the sights as they pass through Fronteras. 

In our first visits along one section of the road we were confused by rapid fire shouting which sounded like hawkers calling patrons to come see the bearded lady at the carnival. Later our ears adjusted to the Spanish and we realized the “hawker” was actually calling passengers for transport in the microbuses or colectivos. “Morales, Morales, Morales” alerted people that this colectivo was leaving for the town of Morales. Later, we would hear other destinations, such as Flores and Paraiso.

Colors seem to be more vibrant here in Guatemala, certainly they are more vibrant than you would see in most any US city. Among the brilliant and varied colors are those found at fruits and vegetable stands. We have found a remarkable bounty of incredibly cheap and very tasty vegetables and fruits. Tuesdays and Saturdays are the best for shopping for the freshest. Since there is no refrigeration, it doesn’t take long for the sweet aromas to change to unpleasant in the tropical heat.

Drive-up convenience at one of the fruit and vegetable stands. 

Colorful fruits and vegetables invite you in.

Fresh lobster brought up the river from Belize.  We bought two.

Local fishermen selling their catch at the fish market.

Other vibrant colors come from many people, particularly the indigenous people, the Maya. Women, in particular, dress neatly in similar outfits of long skirts (cortes) and blouses (huipils), but individualize with colors and adornments.

Other locals in town are also well-dressed in stark contrast to many of us living on boats and the numerous backpacking tourists who often tend to be pretty shabbily dressed. Many look like they are in urgent need of a shower, and in fact, many are.  

Lunch made fresh daily - fried mojarra, chili rellenos,
stewed pork and chicken, rice, salsa, and more.

One of our favorite taco stands in town. 
They also sell stuffed flour tortillas, cooking off to the side.

Remarkable.  Even flowers are for sale here.

A colorful side to Fronteras, just growing on the side of the bridge. 
Don't know this flower yet.

Or this one.  Anyone know what kind of flower this is?

There are many layers here in Guatemala, many are made more obscure by the differences in language and culture. With spending more time here we know many of these interesting layers will be revealed. We appreciate the smiles of the locals who tolerate our halting attempts to communicate or negotiate a purchase of a melon, tomato, or chicken. We forget our embarrassment as we see the locals covering their smirks with their hands and as they mummer their imitation of our butchering of their language to one another. We have found the locals to be invariably among the most pleasant, gracious and patient people we have met.  

Wood worker carves local teak just inches from the hustle and bustle of the highway.

NEXT TIME: Come back for another installment of life on the Rio as we share our adventures away from Fronteras and the marinas. We venture in colectivos on the road to explore waterfalls, the old Spanish fort, local crafts people, maybe a zip line or two and more.