| After a short day sail from Punta Gorda, Belize we cleared in to Guatemala at Livingston at the mouth of the Rio Dulce, and anchored for the night |
| Looking upriver at the jungle and anticipating the worst we chose instead to cross the bay and visit the Biotopo Manebique |
| We anchored in a beautiful bioluminescent bay and explored the (Nature Conservancy supported) manatee reserve |
| As Hurricane Dean approached we headed up the river |
| Between towering walls of trees |
| And occasional Mayan villages |
| While entertaining our Mangrove Swallow friends |
| To a perfect anchorage behind an island at the head of El Golfete, a large fresh water bay |
| After the storm passed, we motored to the town of Fronteras where the "highest bridge in Central America" spans the Rio Dulce |
| A mile past the bridge is an old Spanish fort originally built in 1550! |
| That guards the entrance to Lago Izabal |
| Now preserved as a beautiful public park |
| We anchored off for the night and then took a tour |
| ¡Qué Bárbara! is in range... |
| ...of the guns!!! |
| Incredibly beautiful Lago Izabal stretches west almost 25 miles |
| It is fed by numerous rivers that drain a large swath of the Guatemala Highlands |
| This is the Rio Oscuro |
| Which disappears into the swamp home of bands of Howler Monkeys |
| The flowers were incredible |
| Like this Queen of the NIght |
| And Water Hyacinths, a favorite food of manatees |
| The lake views were stunning |
| Ashore, we hiked through this finca (ranch) to visit Aguascalientes |
| "The only hot water falls in Central America" |
| Absolutely gorgeous! The falls are hot and the pool is cool! |
