Brenda's Bicycles

It is hard to believe that I have already been in the beautiful country of Guatemala for two weeks. Following is a collection of my favorite photos telling the story of these early days.

As usual, every photo is simply a thumbnail image. If you want to see the high-resolution photo, simply click on the image and it will be magically downloaded.

I hope you enjoy.

Ocean Voyage To Guatemala

This photo is taken on our small barely-ocean-worthy launch that carried our group of seven from Punta Gorda, Belize to Livingston, Guatemala.

On the right and in the far center are the two bearded brothers from Hungary. These two have been engaged in a peace walk around the world for two years and seven months. They expect to keep traveling for several more years.

We are nearing the shoreline of Livingston, Guatemala. This little Garifuna town has no outside road access. Everyone that comes here must do so via boat.

Livingston, Guatemala

Inside my beautiful little room at the “Casa de Iguana”, a small hostel in Livingston.

My room is at the top right of this photo (with the door open). That second story staircase is very steep with narrow steps.

Yes, the roof is fully open air, right into my room–with no mosquito nets–yet mosquitos were not a problem here.

A typical scene along the beachfront street near the hostel. Boats tied up everywhere.

Another view along the street that parallels the shoreline.

A little sports park right near the main docks where I first set foot on dry land.

The street leading up into the main part of town, just above the dock where our boat tied off. This is the main thoroughfare through town.

There are cars in this town, but none of them can leave the city except via boat.

This is the tiny customs/immigration office, situated about two blocks up the main street in the middle of town. Visitors arriving by boat taxi are on their own to walk up to this building to get their passports stamped.

As I understand it, foreign boats are a different story. These boats must anchor in the harbor and raise a yellow flag. After four sets of government officials visit (customs, harbor master, medical, etc) , the boat is then free to move on.

Another view along Livinigston’s main street.

A beautiful view from one of the hilly streets of Livingston, looking down toward the harbor below.

View from the crest of the hill on the main street of Livingston, looking back down toward the dock/harbor below. The second floor of the building on the left is a bank. I spent more than an hour in this bank, trying to get 1500 Quetzales (About $200 US). Their ATM was non functional, and the Saturday morning lines were very long.

Another view along the main street in town.

An open air fruit/vegetable market near the center of town.

The view down a little side street.

Boat Ride To Finca Tatin

Taken inside the little hotel launch that picked me up in Livingston. In this photo we are backing away from the shore, ready to head up the Rio Dulce. You can see my backpack stowed in the front of the boat.

A dock tightly crowded with birds.

A view as we enter the jungle-covered canyon that lines the Rio Dulce during the first six miles of the river.

A young Mayan family paddling along near the shore in their wooden canoe–a canoe made from a hollowed out log.

Looking up at a six hundred foot sheer wall along the river’s edge. The jungle grows anywhere it can find a place to lay down roots.

One of many such trees simply covered in beautiful white birds. You cannot tell it in this photo, but these birds are long-legged and long-necked gorgeous birds.

A closer up view of one such bird posing for the camera.

A young Mayan man paddling along near the shore in his own version of a low-rider.

Finca Tatin

The bed/bedroom in my little private cabin at Finca Tatin — only $16 US per night.

The pathway that leads to my little bungalow. If you look closely you can see my bungalow hidden in the trees on the right. Another one sits a little further back on the left.

Bjorn playing with fire as he roasts a grill covered with chicken on the left. This was he main course of our Saturday evening family style dinner–a dinner where all guests ate together at 7:00 p.m..

Me, resting on a hamock with the Rio Tatin directly below me. Sorry, the river is out of focus, as are my brightly painted toenails.

The large common area at Finca Tatin. many hammocks and padded benches to lounge on.

The restaurant/dining area at Finca Tatin. It is a beautiful place.

A view along the river Tatin.

Five of the staff at Finca Tatin. Seated on the right is Bjorn, the only one who would consistently speak English to me (He knew very little Spanish, and has only been working here for two weeks). In the middle is Gabby, a formerly Nicaraguan woman who piloted my little shuttle/launch from Livingston, and on the left is (??-can’t remember his name)–a friendly guy from Germany who piloted me out to the Biotopo for my five hour kayaking adventure.

In the front are the two beautiful dogs who had the job of entertaining guests.

An interesting-looking hut across the river Tatin, just down from Finca Tatin.

Kayaking Adventures

Sticking my feet above the little white one-woman kayak. Usually, my toes were stowed away underneath the front. Here, I am beginning my Saturday evening trial-run, a one hour trip out the Rio Tatin and onto the Rio Dulce.

A water-level view along the rivers.

A piece of the beautiful shoreline.

A trail of swirls behind me as I paddle down the Tatin river.

Now it is Sunday. My little kayak is being transported several miles up the river in preparation for my kayaking adventure in the Biotopo.

One of a seemingly-unlimited supply of fascinating and beautiful birds surrounding the Biotopo.

Glassy smooth waters in the Biotopo as I begin my five hour paddling adventure.

After 30 minutes of paddling, I saw in the distance what I first believed to be a gathering of litter floating in the water. I soon learned that these are floating markers for some type of fishing trap–probably for some type of crab or crayfish.

The man in the canoe was throwing these traps out into the glassy-surfaced lake, leaving the little floating markers scattered all around.

A young boy fishing from his low riding canoe right near the shore of this little lake. I soon realized he was fishing without a pole–simply throwing a string into the water and then pulling it back.

This young man waved at me and called out “Hello” as I paddled about 50 yards away. This photo is taken with a long zoom.

Some of the beautiful scenery along my 2.5 hours of kayaking in the Biotopo area.

A gorgeous pool of lily pads at one end of this small inland lake.

I caught this photo a fraction of a second after this fisherman throws his cage into the lake. If you look closely, you can see the piece of styrofoam and a horizontal piece of twine flying off the photo to the right, slightly above water level. I was trying to capture an image of the small circular cage on the other end of the rope–but my timing was off.

If you look very closely, you can see a hut in the center, and a small wooden canoe pushed into the bushes slightly right of center. Some type of large bowl with a towel hanging out is sitting on a vertical log just left of the canoe.

Such very subtle signs of a small Mayan village marked this part of the biotopo, but they were very low-key. I heard church singing near here a short time earlier.

Some of the beautiful shoreline in this beautiful Biotopo.

The glassy waters of a small channel through which I paddled. On both sides are the edges of what surely must be islands. I am sure that the right side is an island. The left side may be part of a long winding penninsula.

Another spot where two wooden canoes are visible.

The nose of my kayak pointing down the surface of one small channel through which I explored.

Near the end of my return 2.5 hour trip back down the much-rougher Rio Dulce, I passed this small houseboat. I was fascinated when I realized that inside is a dentist’s chair.

I later learn from my new friend Bill that this is the site of one portion of the Aktenamit boarding school, where over 500 Mayan youth receive an education.

Some of the beautiful scenery along the river.

Before parking my kayak, I briefly explored up to the end of the Rio Tatin. This beautiful peaceful scene is near the beginning of this little tributary to the Rio Dulce.

Trip from Finca Tatin to Rio Dulce

A view of our crowded water taxi–the one that picked me up at Finca Tatin and carried me the rest of the way to the town of Rio Dulce (also called Fronteras by the locals), situated 22 miles up the Rio Dulce river.

A beautiful view along the river (Rio Dulce).

A tree filled with birds.

A beautiful view from the dock in Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Above is a portion of a long bridge that spans the distance across the river below. In the foreground is a large group of Mayans washing clothes and bathing–not more than 75 feet from the main water taxi docks.

A view of the Tortugal Hotel and Marina–the place where I spent my first internet-free night in the town of Rio Dulce.

Tortugal Hotel and Marina

Inside my dormitory room. This is a view from my bed looking down toward the bathroom area.

My bed in this large two-story dormitory that sleeps nine (I was the only guest here).

Notice that all of the walls are simply window screen. I truly felt as if I were living in a glass house–only the air, the sounds, the scents, the eyes, and the light were free to penetrate at will.

A view of this dormitory room from a slight distance.

A few of the expensive sailboats in the marina at Tortugal.

Bruno’s Hotel and  Marina

My humble (but large) room at Bruno’s. Behind the back wall is a private bath and shower–no showerhead, but hey, the water was hot.

My room is the one on the left — $16 US per night.

This is the area where I did most of my writing. This is about 75 feet from my room, just around the front of a larger three-story building.  During my marathon days of writing, I alternated between the nearest chair and the slightly-larger bench just a few feet down the walk. In the far distance, you can barely see my friend Robert working on his laptop.

Right this instant, as I post these photos, I am sittting in the nearest chair.

Domingo’s beautiful 42-foot trimaran sailboat. The interior is in the final stages of being completely remodeled from the bottom up.

This is a large map that hangs on the backside of the restaurant here at Bruno’s. In the lower left center, is the Lago de Izabal (lake izabal). As the lake narrows on the upper right end, there is a red highway that crosses over the Rio Dulce. This is where the town of Rio Dulce is located. The bridge in an earlier photo carries this road across the river.

Twenty-two miles down the river (up and right on the map) is the town of Livingston, Guatemala, situated on the shores of a large bay of the Caribbean Sea.

If you look carefully at the top, left center of the map, you can see the words “Belize” written on a light tan area.

This is the little restaurant at Bruno’s Hotel and Marina. I ate all of my meals here during my stay.

Some of the beautiful boats here at the marina. Many of these contain long-term residents that simply live in their boats, using the showers at the hotel, and eating at the restaurant–ocasionally leaving on short adventures before returning to their rented dock space.

Looking from Bruno’s across a small inlet at even more boats. Such boats are scattered everywhere along this river. The expensive hurricane insurance on these boats is only valid if the owner rent space to park their boat in this city. This inland lake is considered to be the safest spot in the entire area when hurricanes hit the coast out in the Caribbean.

The Streets of Rio Dulce

This is taken on the main street of Rio Dulce, near the bottom of the large bridge that crosses the river. The little red vehicle in the center is called a Tuk Tuk — a three wheeled taxi with a motorcycle engine.

A Tuk tuk in front of a small store.

Outdoor vendors line these tiny narrow streets, selling their wares under these umbrellas.

Outdoor markets such as this are scattered around this main section of town.

More of this main area of the town.

A little side street leading down the the water’s edge below.

A series of tables piled high with sun-dried fish. I saw many of these fish drying on on slabs of concrete and even on an asphalt parking lot while walking through Livingston earlier. I can only guess that these were dried under similar conditions. Not very appetizing to me … LOL

I found this little red canoe to be quite cute with its tiny little outboard motor in the rear.

A table covered with bagged food items for sale.

Another very typical section of outdoor market.

The Falls and Cave at Finca Paraiso

This is a van similar to the one I rode out to the thermal waterfalls at Finca Paraiso. This one is much cleaner and newer looking than the one in which I rode. Notice the man standing on the roof rack, loading/tying down items.

After a 30 minute ride in my crowded van, the driver let me off by this sign marking Finca Paraiso and the Banos Termales (hot baths).

A view of the hot parched area at the beginning of the trail back to the hot-springs waterfalls.

The trail soon turned into an actual path among the trees–but it was still very hot and dry.

The thermal waterfalls at Finca Paraiso. The pool below is warm water. The upstream river is cool, and the waterfalls are very hot, mixing very nicely into a pleasant warm pool.

About six feet above the bottom of the falls on the left, you can see a small stream of water flowing from the river upstream.

It is on top of this rock, in this cool stream of water, directly adjacent to the hot falling water from above, where I sat and meditated. Later, it is in this exact same spot where I see the beautiful rainbow, just upstream on the glassy surface of the cooler water.

The entrance to the river cave, through which I ventured back 250 meters by myself. After the first fifty feet, the cave was pitch black. I had a little flashlight strapped to my forehead as I swam up this river. I could not touch the bottom, and the sides were straight up and down. Occasionally I found a small handhold, or a small protruding rock on which to rest.

At the end of a 250 meter swim, I discovered an incredible underground waterfall in the cave.

A view looking up the canyon from the entrance to the river cave.

A view looking down the canyon from the same spot. The pool of water below comes from the cave. There is no river above this portion of the canyon. The river is fed by the underground waterfall 250 meters up the dark cave.

My guide Francisco took this photo for me, while I sit directly in front of the cave entrance in my wet dripping swim suit.

During our long return hike down the bed of the small river, Francisco led me up the bank on the left, to the source of where the hot water for the thermal falls originates. This is one of many such very hot springs bubbling up from the ground below. These tiny springs flow together into a small hot river that then flows over the top of he falls.

Another view of a larger hot bubbling spring. The brown in the foreground is actually underneath a six-inch layer of very hot crystal-clear water.

Me standing on top the thermal water falls. The water all around me is very hot. Francisco snapped this photo for me.

As I climbed down the edge of the falls, Francisco showed me this dark cave with many large bats flying around. I took a flash photo, and barely captured one of them zooming by near the left edge, just a little more than half way up.

I took my camera down into the pool with me and snapped this closeup shot of the hot steaming falls.

Looking from the falls back towards the other side. On the right, a makeshift staircase leads down from the trail above. The man with the white t-shirt in the middle is Francisco. He didn’t want me to take his photo, but I at least captured this one with him in the background.

Day Trip To Livingston

This is Domingo, sitting in the captains chair as we slowly drift toward the Monkey shore with the engines now silent.

My friend Robert, in the front of the boat, as we drift toward the shoreline.

This is the beautiful spot where Domingo and Robert immitated Monkey men, trying to draw the loud howler monkeys to the shoreline. We could hear them howling a few hundred yards inland, but they never graced us with their presence. I had more fun watching Domingo and Robert doing their own monkey immitations.

A beautiful scene in the Rio Dulce, several miles upstream from Livingston.

Robert in the front of the boat as we cruise down the beautiful canyon.

A Mayan man floating by in his low-riding home-made wooden canoe.

A family of five, barely staying above water level as they paddle along the river.

Several pelicans gliding above the river. The lower miles of the Rio Dulce are covered with literally thousands of these beautiful pelicans.

Another photo of this gorgeous canyon.

A group of beautiful birds taking off from the river as our little launch approaches.

Another beautiful view in this gorgeous part of the river.

One last photo of Domingo captaining our boat at full speed. He tells me were were zooming along at over 20 mph.