Livingston

After a marathon travel day on Sunday, I met up with my friend Lisa in Guatemala City, took a bus to Puerto Barrios and a lancha boat to Livingston. Livingston is on the eastern side of Guatemala and is populated by the black Garifuna population and some Mayans. It is very tropical and Caribbean, a very different feeling than the rest of Guatemala. And it is hot and humid! We are staying in a very nice hotel right on the Rio Dulce river, which offers a great breeze and an escape from the heat. The hotel has a dock with a palapa at the end, complete with a hammock- my favorite! Yesterday we walked to Siete Alteres, a series of waterfalls and natural pools good for swimming in the rainy season. Since it is not yet the rainy season, they were less than impressive but great for cooling off.It was a 1 1/2 hour walk each way along the beach, which was great for the breeze but it was still very hot. The beach is not really swimable, as it is pretty dirty with trash and mostly used for commercial fishing. The walk was a great way to see the local people and culture though. Tomorrow we head for Finca Tatin, which is a hotel in the jungle along the Rio Dulce river. It is pretty much isolated from everywhere else, and like Livingston, only accesible by boat. I have picture,s but off course this computer is not cooperating, so maybe when I get back to civilization next week.......