PHOTO LINK –>> Bike tour and El Bongo tour https://photos.app.goo.gl/P1YCKdhs3MmZyj188
A Sunday Bike tour
Our friends Caroline and Chris were interested in buying bikes as they are planning on being in the Rio for a few years. John, loves to ride and was tempted by the idea too. The plan was for Caroline and Chris to test out a bike and for us to all hire and ride bikes for the day. There were 4 couples, Caroline and Chris, Pete and Gail and Anna and Dave. We met at 7:30 at the bike place Rick’s Moto Tours and arranged our hire bikes.
Now I had been very dubious about the whole venture as I am not a happy pillion passenger, but this bike was actually quite comfortable with a near bucket seat.
So we all saddled up and headed down the road, first stop the gas station to fuel up. Then it was off through Fronteras over the bridge and roaring towards Quirigua Archaeological Park.
Being a Sunday the traffic was much less, there were still the huge trucks, but fewer than usual and the traffic was far less. The idea was to keep the speed up so as not to have any trucks looming on our tails. We did overtake traffic, we did average a good speed around 85 km and I relaxed enough to take photos of us and the scenery.
Quirigua Archaeological Park
We arrived at Quirigua Archaeological park, our first destination. This is a World Cultural Heritage site, originally founded in 426 AD. Quirigua was vassal city to the greater city of Copan, (now in Honduras).
John and I had previously visited this site a few years ago, however it was still interesting to revisit. Once you walk down the path you find there is the remains of the grand plaza and the Acropolis. The plaza was where there was probably a market and public place for the residents to meet.
Stelas are found there, in the old grand plaza. These are monuments of carved sandstone that tell about the government and rulers of the time. The largest/tallest stela of the Mayan world, stela E is found here. The Acropolis was the main administrative and residential area.
Then there is the Ball Court, which too is surrounded by monuments and remains of buildings dating back to the 790AD years. These too depict the tales of the great rulers.
We spent a good hour or more wandering around Quirigua looking at the various Stelas and remains of the old city, then in the museum. The site is surrounded by forest with huge trees and so is quiet and peaceful, but quite hot with little breeze.
Lago de Izabal and finding the Playa Dorada
Upon leaving our plan was find the road marked as the IZ-04 Road at kilometer 221 on the Morales Road. To turn down and follow it to the lake side of Lago de Izabal and find the Playa Dorada. So off we sped, back the way we had come from Km 204 to Km 221 where we turned and started to follow the road. As it went the road was nicely paved with few potholes. It wound its way uphill and then down through farm land, with lovely views.
We arrived at the lakeside and finding a restaurant we ordered lunch. Lunch was a mixed affair, some of were served adequate servings that were properly cooked and some of us were served very tiny portions or food that was just under cooked. I guess they were not prepared for so many guests. However it was pleasant being lakeside with a breeze and a view across the lake.
We were off to find the “beach” Playa Dorada following the only road to its end point. There was a crowded beach with white pebbly grit. Many locals were enjoying their Sunday relaxing waterside, swimming and riding a toy being pulled by a launcha.
We had a quick look around and then were off, stopping on the road for a view of the lake below.
Our next destination was back through Fronteras and along the El Estor Road to the Castillia.
Once there we enjoyed an ice-cream. It was time to return the bikes and head home. We covered 120 miles and had a wonderful time enjoying the bikes for the day.
The El Bongo school
Our next expedition was one of volunteering. Our dock-master Steve, along with Rita a local who is very influential in many areas here in the Rio Dulce and out-lying areas had both become involved trying to help a school in the El Estor area.
The school had asked for desks, but it was found to have no running water for toilets or washing. So Steve had initially gone with a group here, at the marina to deliver and set up a water system, John too was one of the helpers. They erected 2 water towers and installed a pump, plus fixed some play ground equipment. When there they were told and shown how the school was eroding away, please could they fix it and the desks needed fixing or replacing too.
This time I went along with the group. Their objectives were to finish the playground, using cement, gravel and rocks to shore up the school on one side, to deliver a few play ground toys and to measure desks and chairs for fixing.
We loaded up at the concrete mall, I sat in the front of the truck with the driver, some of the men including John were in the back with the gear and the rest of the helpers were in Steve’s car.
Our drive to the turning for the village was along paved roads, yes, some potholes, but easy going. The road to the village was rough, narrow, with large rocks and holes plus receding in places. The scenery was very pretty with fields and farms.
At the school we parked by the play-ground and went to work. John and Bill started on the playground equipment, repairs and building more. The other men, started on the school foundations, this included digging away to form a retention wall, mixing the cement and gravel and erecting framework. JoAnne and I went and sorted chairs and desks for repairs. The room they were in was small and hot, they were piled on the side and so we set to work. We put those beyond help aside then counted and measured the small, medium and large.
With that task completed we gave out the play ground toys after showing how to use them. The children had a blast playing with the hole hoops, jump ropes and ring toss toys.
By this time it was lunch time, the children are given a portion of food, enough for 1, but they carry it home to share. Most of them walked off up the hill, a few boarded a collectivo and some stayed.
We were served lunch. It was a chicken type stew and tortillas, the chicken had just been killed. After lunchtime the playground was just tidied up and the remaining children played on the equipment.
The remaining work was the retention wall. The local men from the village would mix the concrete with the gravel, load it into buckets and carry it on a shoulder to heave into the construction.
Now I believe there were 12 bags of concrete mixed with the huge pile of gravel, it was all done by hand, mixer no wheel barrel, just sheer hard labour by the men, some of which were just teens. It took hours but they finished what to me had looked nearly impossible.
Other exploits…..
Back at the marina we have had many more fun events, one of which was a baby shower for Sayda one of the staff. She seemed thrilled with the little gifts and attention bestowed upon her.
John has finished more projects, his main accomplishment being the new instrument panel. It looks excellent and means all the switches are organized.
I went with Steve, Gillian and Claudette to cross the Honduras border, visit a good grocery store and pick up Steve’s friend at the San Paulo Sula airport. At the border I was stopped and told my visa had expired and I could not proceed. Thankfully Gillian chose to return to Rio Dulce with me so I wasn’t alone.
We were “convinced” by collectivo drivers to pay Q200 ($25) each and we would be delivered to Rio Dulce. Well, we did make it back, but the driving was just crazy fast, we had to change vehicles and they tried to squeeze more money out of us. Now while this trip was futile it did warn John and I that our visas were expired.
Off to Cayo Camado, aka Texas Bay and Livingston
So we decided to travel on Aeeshah, down river to Cayo Camado, aka Texas Bay to drop our sails off to Tom the rigger. The sails had some small areas of chaff plus some stitching needed to be restitched.
There we left Aeeshah with Chico in charge and off we went in the dinghy all 8 miles down river to Livingston. In Livingston our fixer – agent Raul sorted our new visa for 90 days.
Within an hour that we had our lunch our visa extension was sorted. Then it was back up river to Aeeshah. We stayed over night, had a lovely evening at anchor and then traveled back to Catamaran.
And it was great timing as just after we extended the siege/seize was put in place. The whole area is under a curfew, passports etc have to be carried and the military is here. Why? Due to a few ongoing troubles between the military, the drug cartel people in El Estor, some troops were killed and a mayor assassinated down river. So being legal is very necessary at present.
