Tikal

El Cocodrilo

A "chicharra," like a grasshopper...but bigger! A kinda cute insect that makes a very loud chirping sound (also like the grasshopper). I had never heard anything like it! Unfortunately, I didn't record Emilio and his cousin trying to catch it - hilarious!



Daddy and Sol taking a swim



Views from the pier



We stayed at another hostel, El Cocodrilo, situated along the border of lake Peten Itza, in the town of El Remate (about 20 minutes from the ruins of Tikal). What a breathtaking lake! Turquoise waters, quiet and pristine. There were many hostels to choose from, and we just ended up here. We took advantage of the warm weather, and took the kids for a swim.

Rio Dulce: so sweet we had to come back!

After our visit with Rudy, we headed back to Rio Dulce, as we had to back track anyway to get to our next destination: Tikal. Here are a few shots of the beauty of this town along the river. I'm sure you'll be able to see why we enjoyed it so much. We stayed at the Backpacker Hotel, a kind of hostel with reasonable rooms right on the dock. The hotel also has a restaurant on site, and provides laundry and internet services. What we didn't know until our last night there was that all of the proceeds from the hotel (not including the restaurant) go to a local orphanage, Casa Guatemala, that houses over 150 kids. The orphanage is also part of The Children's Village, which provides medical and other services to the very low income and high needs children in the town. The hotel offers tours of The Children's Village, but we didn't get a chance to go.

A Visit with Old Friends

Me and my new girlfriends - only one is Rudy's daughter, and the rest are all of his nieces!



A common sight all throughout Guatemala - whole families on a tiny motorcycle!



Neftali and Rudy's daughter Ashleigh watching the waves crash - and having a blast as they get splashed!



A little "tienda" (store) near where we dipped in the river



Our delicious home-cooked lunch - so much food!



Danny (cousin), Rudy, and Emilio





Solomon asleep in the hammock



Cooling off in the Las Escobas



Rudy, his wife, and daughter


We had the blessed opportunity to visit with one of Emilio's childhood friends, Rudy and his wife and daughter. They live in Puerto Barrios, and he helped us get settled into a local hotel before we called it a night. The next day he brought us to his home for a home-cooked chicken soup and fresh "jugo de tamarindo," a yummy juice made from a seed. Rudy's wife rocked Solomon to sleep for an afternoon nap in the family hammock on the porch, while Emilio and Rudy caught up on the last 19 years. After Solomon woke up, Rudy took us to a beautiful river tucked into the side of the surrounding hills, Rio Las Escobas ("the brooms"), where we all took a refreshing dip. The weather was perfect, the first overcast days we've seen since we arrived in Guatemala. Finally, we returned to Rudy's house for a quick dinner before getting on the road for the next leg of our trip. What a blessed time, and we look very much forward to keeping in touch with this beautiful family.

Boating adventures to Livingston

We spent just a few hours in this town just north of Puerto Barrios. Unfortunately, I agreed to have my hair braided...and it took much longer than I had expected. While I sat, the boys explored the rest of the main road that leads to the port. Livingston is an adorable town that can only be accessed by boat, even though it is not an island. The primary population is composed of Garifuna people, descendants of Africa. They speak their own language, in addition to Spanish, and have delicious food and culture. Due to my poor judgement, we weren't able to fully experience the beauty of the Garifuna culture. We had to head back to Puerto Barrios in very rough water and rapidly descending sunlight. A bit scary...but our captain assured us we would arrive safe. And we did. The few pics here of the boys only show their initial surprise at the bumpy ride. I promise - they did end up enjoying the boating excursion. Solomon even fell asleep on the return trip!

Puerto Barrios

Some of the best food I've ever eaten. We had lunch at a little restaurant called "La Havana Vieja" - DELICIOUS Cuban food.


Neftali agrees!


The bustling market

El Castillo de San Felipe