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Rio Dulce,
November 18, 2002
It was raining when we arrived in Rio Dulce that night. Find a hotel
any hotel. O.K. this one is passable from outside. Comfort is relative.
The gospel meeting complete with out-of-tune instruments starts up next door
at about 11 p.m. The Meringue band on the other side starts at about 11:30.
The dogs start barking at about 12 and firecrackers at about 1 a.m. Is this an
omen of things to come?
The next morning we move to The
Backpacker's Hotel across the river beneath the
bridge. Its a nice open air structure with screened
in dorms on the second floor. Good food, nice people
and the cool river breeze for the afternoon heat. The
dogs must have followed us, the roosters too. Oh and
did I mention it was on the quieter side... under the
bridge... that the trucks drive over. Travel tip: find
a quiet place if you can. Eventually you get used to
dogs and roosters and firecrackers.
The next day Chris and Carin and I walked to the Castillo
de San Philippe, a reconstruction of a 16th century
fort at the mouth of Lagos
Isabel. The walk took about 45 minutes along a paved
back road past grazing oxen and rolling farmland. Sensitivity
plants grow wild by the side of the road. When you touch
them they fold up and wilt.
The
fort appears small but once inside it is apparent
what a strategic position this was. Manned by 12 canoneers
and 12 soldiers, the fort controlled access to Lagos
Isabel where the Spaniards kept the plundered goods
ready for shipment to Spain. Many famous pirates tried
and eventually succeeded in capturing or destroying
the fort. It was rebuilt 3 times until this last incarnation,
a reproduction constructed in 1955.
The next day we caught a taxi out to a secluded hot
springs/waterfall about an hour out of town. Finca
Paraiso is a natural hot springs that cascades 20
meters down into a cool stream. A guide led us through
the jungle to the site. The stream is small but deep
in some places. Perfect for cannon balls off a nearby
rock face. We stood beneath the 40 c water and let it
pound our bodies into rubber. The best massage I have
had in a while.
At the top of the falls the water gathers in pools
but is too hot to sit in. Even the sand in the river
bed is scalding if you dig your toes in deep enough.
Truly a great day. Tomorrow we were all going our separate
ways so this was a nice way to end our sojourn together.
I thought about staying longer but that was like staying
at the party too long, so its off to Livingston
and the Garifuna festival.
The boat ride down the Rio Dulce took about two hours.
It was nice but nothing spectacular. One place, the
Finca
Tanta a secluded hotel along the river looked to
be an interesting place with walks, jungle treks, canoeing
and swimming. I kept thinking about the noise in Rio
Dulce the town and almost stayed but the drums were
calling.
Previous entry: Copan
Ruinas
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