This post is originally from February 22, 2023

On Monday we left Antigua at 3:45am as we had to travel through Guatemala City to get to our next destination. The reason we left so early was because traffic through Guatemala City is INSANE. Already at this ungodly hour it was pure chaos. It was every man for themself as each vehicle jostled to push in front of the other. Once we got through it was smooth sailing to the incredible town of Rio Dulce. 

The area around Rio Dulce is an ecological wonder. It is situated around the waterway of Izabal – a massive lake that leads to a river and then spills out into the ocean. The lush green jungle surrounding the area is bursting with life. When we arrived in Rio Dulce a speedboat was there to pick us up and bring us to our jungle lodge. We had our own cabin tucked in the jungle and you could hear all the wonderful sounds of the birds chirping and insects buzzing all around us. 

In the afternoon a group of us went on a wild adventure to Finca el Paraiso. First we got back on the speedboat for a 40 minute ride through the river and across the lake. Liza isn’t the biggest fan of being on boats as she tends to get a bit motion sick, but I on the other hand love it. I love the sun on my face, wind in my hair and all the scenery around…unless you happen to be sitting in the very front of the speedboat on a very windy day! At first the bumps were small and manageable but after a few minutes the front of the boat was literally smacking each wave like a one tonne truck. Let’s just say Liza and I were getting air and the landing was nothing close to pretty. I am not joking when I say I heard my neck crack and nearly pissed my pants! In the midst of the bum beating Liza yelled out to me “you said the boat would be fun!” (Please note, no photos could be taken during the boat ride for obvious reasons!)

Once we got to land and found our legs again we hopped into the back of a pick up truck and drove through local farms to the entrance of another part of the jungle. From there we hiked in our flip flops through the mud to a magnificent waterfall. It was incredible because at the top of the falls were pools of hot springs that flowed into a colder river. We were able to swim under the falls as well as climb up to the top where we sat in the natural hot spring pools. It was utterly magical to sit on the edge of the falls in the middle of the jungle with rays of sunlight steaming through the treetops. The magical moment made the bitchslap boat ride definitely worth it. 

After a good night’s sleep we woke up in our jungle lodge with the sounds of nature all around us. There had been rain in the night so everything was dewy and fresh. We hopped back on our friend the good ol’ Speedboat, but this time made sure we weren’t sitting at the front. From there we were taken for a day trip deeper into waterways to explore the incredible life of Izabal. The river stretches 43km where we meandered through mangroves. Here we could see thousands of lily pads, all sorts of birds, tiny turtles and whole bunch more. It truly is an ecological marvel with so much diverse flora and fauna.

From the river we felt so small as the canyons covered in a tapestry of greenery towered above us. It opened into Guatemala’s largest lake and from there it spilled into the Caribbean Sea. 

We stopped in a town called Livingston which is home to a distinct culture different from the rest of Guatemala – an Afro-Caribbean vibe known as the Garifuna people. We were met by two local men who took us through their town. It felt a bit intrusive as we walked through people’s yards but we could see from this short jaunt how impoverished this town truly is. The animals were incredibly malnourished and there was so much garbage everywhere. At one stage we walked past a statue of a hippo that was falling apart and were told that it used to be a water park. The  dilapidated hotel when we first arrived definitely told us a story of how this place was at one stage full of so much potential, now it is merely a skeleton of what once was but is still full of people just trying to get by. 

Eventually we made our way back to our lodge, stopping at a riverside local restaurant all the while trying unsuccessfully to spot howler monkeys, crocodiles and manatees.