Rio Dulce

Sunny 82 degrees and windy

2/17/2020

Hey everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying winter!  We are still here and wondering if we will ever get out of here.  Seems the Guatemalan government is not letting boats leave the country who are out of their exit time, which would be US! We are allowed 90 days on our visa, but our boat can stay for a year + another year extension.  Our boat was here in January of ‘20 when we arrived for that sailing season, but my Dad got ill and I left for home on January 28th after being here only 2 weeks.  Charlie remained another 2 weeks to move our boat to Catamaran Marina and close it up for the season, as we knew we would not be returning.  So we are assuming that our boat was here in May of 2019, the end of that year’s sailing season.  So we are, at least, a year over our exit date.  But of course Covid hit in February of ‘20 and the country was locked down, so the government is trying to figure out how to fine people who are over their time.  Since this is a law and they need to change the law and come up with a fine schedule, we have no idea how long this is going to take.  We have been told to write a letter and explain why we are over our exit date, which will then go to Guatemala City to be reviewed on a case by case basis.  So, who knows when we will leave.  Then, once we do leave we must be out of the country for 3 months.  So right now everything is up in the air.  We know we will be paying a fine, which we had expected, but we just don’t know what it will be.  So here we are….

In the meantime we are still working away at all the issues s/v Island Sol has, after sitting in the water for 2+ years unattended.  Electronics are still being worked on, as a part had to be shipped in.  A new water maker is being installed and should be complete tomorrow.  The new hot water heater is still waiting to be installed and we just found out the AC is dead and needs to go.  In order to get the AC out of the boat a carpenter had to come and cut out a panel behind our settee.  It was refitted so we can remove it at will now….or whenever the new AC arrives.  A new water pump has been installed and all the varnish is complete.  Then just the clean-up.  Oh and our EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)…just a little instrument that if we sink it will show our position….kinda important….is dead and needs to be replaced.  We can only buy it in the US and then have it air shipped to the Rio Dulce.

So, for anyone out there that thinks we are enjoying cocktails in the cockpit every evening in paradise….WE ARE NOT!  Also, remember  B-O-A-T means, “break out another thousand”.  So we are just plugging along, one foot in front of the other till we make it.

The pictures below are of a woman’s luncheon here at Catamaran’s.  There were about 20 women from other marinas that are here staging for the sailing season and most are all in the same boat as us (pun intended).  Also, last Monday I got the opportunity to take all the school and art supplies I brought to the orphanage, Casa Azul.  Doctors from the US on a medical mission were there that day seeing the children and then people from the community.  I have a zillion pictures of the cutest kids. The majority of the people in this community speak Ketchi - a Mayan language.  So not only doctors but interpreters and a pharmacist.  These doctors are staying here at Catamaran’s.  Tomorrow the “Poptun” girls will be here to see the doctors and have a day of fun.  These girls are in a home for abused pregnant young girls (12-16 yrs, old) and will be coming with their babies.   I will post that blog next, as this one is getting lengthy.  Finally, our bread delivery.  A young woman in town bakes breads and other goodies, also Kefir and “special brownies”.  She takes orders on Wednesday and delivers to our boat on Friday.  Needless to say, everything is delicious and “special”! 

Until next time friends and family….Hasta Luego!

   The gate to the orphanage compound

 Sailing women’s luncheon

BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

SURPRISE…it’s my birthday!

 2/4/22

Rio Dulce

72 degrees and cloudy

Well, as my 71st birthday was only a few days away, I began bugging Charlie about buying a birthday cake and taking to it to the marina bar/pool area and share it with all the cruisers who arrive every evening for happy hour.  A day went by then another and again I said we have to go to town and get a cake.  Finally, on Jan. 31 I was adamant about going to town for that damn cake.  He then told me, “I got a damn cake already”!  So I was shamed back into my place.  The next day, Feb. 1, he told me to be ready at 6:00.  ?? At 6:00 with a dress and lipstick on, we did not head to the bar but to our launcha.  We did not hang a left out of the marina for Perico (the closest restaurant) but headed across the wide Rio Dulce.  So then I figured there are only 2 restaurants there.  We ended up at Boatique, a beautiful restaurant/marina/hotel in the jungle.  The owner, Pamela, met us as I was tying up Solita (our launcha) and asked me if I was ready for a romantic dinner with my husband.  Well of course!  Then all the cruisers (18 of them) came around the corner singing happy birthday.  I was totally surprised…and that is hard to pull off on me as I am somewhat of a sleuth.  But he did it with a ‘I gotcha’ smile on his face.

We had cocktails and a lovely dinner of river prawns, Arrachara (beef), baked potatoes and beans.  Found out later that Charlie had requested Arrachara and the owners did not know about it.  So Charlie bought some went to the restaurant and they fired up the grill and he taught them how to prepare it.  So, for those of you who know of Charlie’s chef secret powers, he was in his element.  We had a great time with many conversations flying around this huge table of 20. 

When ‘The Cake’ arrived at the end of that wonderful meal it was adorned with many candle, but thank god not 71.  Due to one of our fellow cruisers, Mike, who was back quarantined with Covid…I told the party that due to Covid I would not BLOW the candles out and proceeded to wave my hand above the cake trying to extinguish them, one was left and the young Guatemalan waiter, pulled his mask down and blew the last candle out.  We all died laughing and figured this waiter was thinking…these stupid gringos don’t even know how to blow out candles.  Our friend Jon, in his dry sense of humor said, “I’ll take the cake on the right, please”.  

A fun night was had by all.  Thanks to Sheldon and Pamela @ Boatique for making a lovely table and meal.  AND of course to my Charlie for pulling this absolutely fabulous surprise party off…I love you longer than the sky!

                     

Boat Maintenance Hell

 1/28/22

Rio Dulce, Guatemala

73 degrees and a beautiful day

A lot has happened since my last post.  Our boat is now tied to the dock at Catamaran Marina which makes it easy to get to work.  Our Guatemalan work crew is headed by Marvin and they have been sanding and varnishing since the boat arrived.  We put on 7 coats of Latonkawa with sanding in between each coat, so it is a long and arduous procedure, but it is looking really nice.  Then there is below decks…a disaster.  Our back (stern) cabin, which we refer to as our “garage” was totally dismantled in order for the new prop shaft to be installed.  This was all done while Island Sol was “on the hard” at Ram Marina.  So our salon and forward berth was trashed.  Charlie and I have begun the job of organization and disposal.  It has been 2 years since we have sailed, due to Covid and the death of my parents, so all the food and spices left on the boat are now in the “Basura” and that feels good.  Charlie is installing an inverter/charger which is essential to running many systems: 12 volt and 110 volt systems, refrigerator and freezer and well, just everything electric.  This 70 lb. Machine We are also installing a new water maker and water heater.  Then there is the electronics (the all important electronics) are not working.  As it turns out is one little pin in a fitting that has shut everything down.  But we are told there are a couple of solutions which we are at present working on.  

I started growing nutritional sprouts to supplement our diet.  This is the first batch:  arugula, spicy salad mix, broccoli, and radishes.  They actually turned out pretty good.  When we harvested them we added them to a salad at the restaurant.  So a new batch is growing now.  Will be back soon with another addition soon.  Hope all of you are well!