Rio Dulce and Poptun

I made it to Finca Ixobel.  It is delightful here - signed up for a hike to a cave tomorrow - otherwise will hopefully get someone to play checkers or ping pong with me and just sit around and read.  This place has about 50 hammocks, a pond that is very clear for swimming (because the humidity on this side of the country is, I dare say, worse than Atlanta).  Also they have an organic farm and the food - at least lunch - was great - had a veggie burger!  Everything here is on the honor system, you just make a list of what you ate and drank, how much internet you used, etc. and then at the end you pay.  This could be dangerous, but I think I can control myself with the beer - they only have Gallo, which I only half like.  But, they do have.....diet coke!!  YAY!

I splurged (an extra $2/night) on a little nicer room with a couch and with a....fan!  I am in the "Casa Blanca".  So far here the only scary things are these HUGE lizards, but they seem to run away whenever a human appraoches.

frogs the size of puppies

Last night was not fabulous.  Yesterday the bus from Guatemala City to Rio Dulce took a lot longer than I expected - 6 hours instead of 4 - and as I was not going to arrive in Livingston if I went until 4:30pm, I opted to just stay in Rio Dulce, and to hope to go to Livingston next weekend on my way to Honduras.  The place I stayed was called Hacienda Tijax.  It is a beautiful place - they are right on the river (as is everything in Rio Dulce), have a swimming pool which was beautiful and refreshing, and some really cool cabanas.  All was well until it got dark.  Then came out frogs the size of puppies!  And I was pretty unhappy with my room - right about the restaurant, on the second floor - where it was hot.  I got tired pretty early so went to bed and then the restaurant was so noisy I couldn't sleep.  AND the bathroom was so far away I would have had to brave the puppy-size frogs, so I was uncomfortable most of the night.  If I had to do it again I would have splurged on a cabana.  I woke up this morning with red splotches all over my arms - I think because I couldn't hang my mosquito net very high and so it was hanging on my arms all night - either something bit me through it or I am having a reaction to the insecticide on it.  The red blotches have turned to bumps now - ugh!  And I foung out this morning that the other rooms that were the same price as mine CAME with their own mosquito nets.  I'm not sure whether the fabulous pool and view of the river made it worth it or not!

Had a pretty crazy bus ride here to the Finca.  Don't really want to relive it by telling the details - but in involved a big truck that said in huge letters - FLAMMABLE - and several minutes of honking at the truck and alternatively trying to pass it around crazy corners.  It was another where I thought - is there any way I can spend the next 3 weeks here without having to get on another bus??  Anyhow, I will be here until Sunday and then taking a minibus to Flores, where the nice people at my next school will pick me up!  More later - the net here is expensive!

Thanks for all the nice comments on my Antigua pictures - I am quite happy with them!