Wednesday Aug 27th: Into the Heart

They say that you have to see it to believe it, it's true, it is spectacular. Rio Dulce translates to 'Sweet River' and it is truly a tropical wonder. As Penzi slowly chugged up the river we clambered around the deck trying to get various vantage points of the surrounding river jungle. On each side, rising perpendicular springing from the river, are tall walls of living green that rise 300 to 400ft above us. The green walls are dripping with giant vines and philodendron that dip into the water giving shade to the abundant fish. Magnificent bromiliads hang heavy on branches showering the green with spurts of color. The jungle is alive with sound, although we were unable to spot the bird life that lived within it. We shot photo after photo of the surrounding scenery, knowing that it's colossal grandeur could not be caught on camera. The deeper we made our way down the river and the further behind we left the sea, we felt ourselves being sucked into the intrigue and mystery the river held within it.

A few miles in we began to see little Mayan homes, most of them wooden structures with palm thatch roofs, along the rivers edge. The were isolated and far apart from one another, making you wonder if the existence on the river is lonely. There are no roads, only the river, so people that live on the river traverse the river daily, either fishing, or going into town, or visiting a friend or perhaps going to church or school. Many of the Mayan people still fish the traditional way using mahogany dugout canoes and fishing nets. It seems a family affair, and women and children are out paddling the canoes and throwing the nets with perfection and accuracy. Other families have upgraded to standard canoes with little outboards and various other types of boats that will take them up and down the river. It is no wonder that outboards are a hot commodity on the river and we have been warned to always keep our outboard locked up. Apparently there is some type of 'outboard mafia' on the river that are quick to steal and resell the outboards.

The Rio Dulce has an air of the wild west to it, in that the laws of the river are generally policed by the river community and everyone is so isolated from the outside world that the life on the Rio is a world unto itself. We are staying in a little Marina called Texan Bay marina. Not much of a marina really, a few wooden docks that have electricity (as of 4months ago), no water (have to catch rain water) and a little bay where we, and a few other boats, are anchored. There is a little cabana at the top of a hill, furnished with large wooden tables, where cruisers sit all day talking and laughing. A couple from Texas, Mike and Sherry the owners, sit and talk to the visiting cruisers while chopping up huge buds of marijuana with a pair of cheap scissors and roll joints throughout the day. Mike told us he had Texan Rangers on his ass once for running a cock fighting ring out of his home in Texas. There is a kitchen with a very basic menu (only has what you can get in town that week) and serves beer, wine and soda. They now have internet that comes via satellite and although it is intermittent it is quite a treat to be connected with the outside world. The marina owners, offer a boat ride every Wednesday and Saturday into the town of Fronteras, ½ hour up the river, so the boaters can provision. The Marina is isolated far from town on the edge of the river surrounded by jungle. It is so quiet that the jungle sounds at night echo throughout the bay; it is absolutely dark, the entire sky is so littered with a sheen of stars that it is difficult to even pick out a familiar constellation.

We have enjoyed swimming in the fresh water river to cool off and spent an afternoon paddling up through little river tributaries covered by the surrounding jungle. We had heard an amazing bird call and after paddling for hours we found the the culprit, a Montezuma Oropendola, a beautiful pheasant sized bird with an bright orange beak and yellow tail feathers. It was our first jungle bird sighting, and we were thrilled. Check it out: http://avesphoto.com/website/GT/species/OROMTZ-1.htm We are excited to see more of the great Rio Dulce as well as other parts of Guatemala. Tomorrow we are taking a 5 hour bus ride from Fronteras into Guatemala City. We will fill you all in when we get back!!

Wednesday Aug 27th: Lunch in Livingston, Guatemala

We planned our trip so we could enter the mouth of the great river in the morning hours. We wanted to check in with customs early and you can only enter the mouth in the daylight as there is a large sand bank that blocks the entrance and one needs light to navigate this bank. The morning was grey and large dark clouds hung low over the surrounding mountains. It was this greyness that made our trip to the mouth of the river so majestic, it seemed the world was shrouded in mystery, hidden mountains subtly exposed, and we felt quite alone bobbing on the flat steely water with not a soul in sight.

By the time we reached Livingston, (the town sits on a high hill marking the entrance to the river) the sun had burned through and the steamy blanket of the jungle hit us full force. Only ½ an hour after we dropped anchor the customs and immigration officials came out in a little panga (fiberglass fishing boat) and squeezed into our cockpit to fill out all the paper work. It was a quick and friendly exchange and while our paper work was being processed we were told to go and enjoy the town of Livingston and in an hour we could stop by the office to pick up our documents. Livingston is a small, quaint town. The surrounding jungle makes it beautiful, huge fruit trees, palms and numerous other plants act as the backdrop to small colorful buildings. Our first stop was the ATM, as we needed some Guatemalan Quetzales to pay our customs fees. After going to the only ATM in town, and discovering that it was out of money, we had to go back out to the boat grab some US$$ that we had thankfully stashed on board in case we needed it, and went to the bank to exchange some money so we could pay our entrance fees.

Our pockets laden with Quetzales, it is 7.50Q to the dollar, we treated ourselves to lunch. We found a pretty blue and white restaurant that served the traditional Garifuna seafood soup called 'tapado'. When the waitress brought the soup out our eyes widened, it was the largest bowl of soup I have ever seen, a huge serving dish size bowl, brimming with seafood that has been simmered in coconut milk and spices. It is quite truly the best meal I have had on our entire trip and a meal that I will forever remember. It had clams, whole shrimp, squid, a whole blue crab, a whole fish all plied into the bowl. It took Keith and I a good hour to work on our meal as we sucked the sweet crab meat out of the claws, worked the tender fish meat off of the bones, pulled the heads off of the succulent shrimp and slurped up the clams from their shells. To make the soup even more exciting every now and then your spoon would dive deep into the soup and pull out a soft plantain that had been soaking up the spices at the bottom. I am not sure where we put the entire bowl of soup but at the end of the hour we both had only dregs at the bottom of the bowl and we were entirely bloated and well satisfied.

By then, I was already soundly convinced that I would love Guatemala. We settled our tab with the customs agents and headed back out to Penzi to prepare her for the trip up the river. The sails stayed rolled up and tight, we would not be able to do any sailing on this part of our voyage. Penzi would have to transform into a river boat for the next leg of our journey.

Tuesday Aug 26: Bidding Farewell to Placencia, Belize

During the month and half that we spent in Belize, the country really began to grow on us. Underpopulated, poor, mostly uninhabited jungle habitat, with slim choices of fresh produce we were charmed. Friendly people, an incredible vast jungle eco-system, inexpensive (if not free) quality health care and delectable mangos. Additionally, we had began to settle into Placencia quite nicely due to the few cruisers that made our stay friendly and fun. Barb and Torrey, with visiting daughter Lauren on LITBE, introduced us to the funky town of Placencia, traded movies, jokes and “This American Life” NPR podcasts with us, and invited us over for many fun nights and delicious meals cooked by Barb, at the little waterfront bar Tranquilo. Art and Joan on OK FINE, joined in the fun, gave us invaluable information on Guatemala, lent us their Kayak and we all enjoyed Joan's 'Surprise' B-day party at Tranquilo.

I was relieved to have such good neighbors when Keith came down with a serious bout of Strep Throat. By the fourth day of Keith maintaining a high temperature, chills and his throat so sore he could not swallow, our cruising neighbors jumped in to help. Torrey and Barb lent me their phone so I could call my GYN (he can deliver babies, set broken bones and whatever you need) in San Pedro to ask him what kind of antibiotics to put Keith on, (in Belize you can actually REALLY call a doctor, any doctor, to ask for advice, you do not have to talk to the bitchy receptionist, make an appointment 6 weeks down the line and you do not have to be an 'established patient', doctors are actually there to help people, any people! Incredible concept) The doctor recommended CIPRO for the strep and we went to a nurse in town so she could properly diagnose the STREP and get us the antibiotics. For the phone call, the visit to the clinic and the antibiotics we paid $0. Barb brought over some Chicken Broth for Keith, along with a cooler full of ice cubes for Keith to suck on as his throat was so sore. Art and Joan brought over some vitamin drink packs so Keith could keep up his strength and a local man in town that knew Barb and Torrey offered to drive Keith, by boat, to the larger clinic the next town up if need be. I felt so much better just knowing that we were not really totally alone so far away.

Barb, Torrey and Lauren hosted a fresh baked “Cinnamon Bun” breakfast the day before we left Placencia. It was a 'good-bye' for us as well as some other cruisers that were getting ready to leave to the Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Although sad to say our farewell to our new friends, it is also great to have met new people and Placencia will always hold fond memories for us. And, in fact, we have not parted ways with everyone, Art and Joan on OK FINE also left for the Rio Dulce and we met up with them only a couple days later at Texan Bay Marina in the Rio. The adventure continues!

Cave Tubing Sounds FUN!

We once again got the “Jungle Bug”: we wanted out of the coastal areas and into some wild mountainous terrain. In our efforts we stumbled upon Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Jungle Lodge (www.cavesbranch.com). This place is everything you expect a good eco-friendly jungle lodge to be: organically maintained landscaping, sustainably harvested building materials, local organic produce, communal eating, outdoor showers and towels made into animal shapes on your bead each day! This is the type of resort that a lot of people come and stay for a week, each day exploreing a different part of Belize through organized trips.

As we ate dinner the first night we met lots of other people seated with us at the long “camp style” table. Some had already been on a few adventures and others, like us, had to choose what we wanted to do the next day. The choices all sounded great: hiking through and up waterfalls, tubing seven miles though caves, hiking a cliff then rappelling 300 feet into a cave, exploring ancient Mayan sites. We chose a combination of river tubing with exploration of Mayan ceremonial areas within the cave system.

We didn't need to get to excited about our jungle trip the next day because we were literally all ready in the jungle. As night fell the sounds enveloped us and the darkness allowed our imaginations to place whatever creature we wanted just beyond the glow of the walkway torches. In our thatched bungalow we only had screens for walls so nature did not feel very far away.

After a huge buffet breakfast the next day, we going four others on a tractor ride with our guide to the river. At the river's edge we all got into our tubes and started paddling backwards up the river. This seemed a little odd to my sense of “tubing”, but you have to try new things. After 10 minutes of being a spastic water bug, we came upon the cave opening that the river flowed out of. From there we spent the next 5 hours tubing and hiking so far into the cave that we could see no light at all if we turned out our lamps. Not only were the formations fantastic and the cave immense, but our guide knowledgeably pointed out numerous ancient Mayan ceremonial sights.

Our guide did a outstanding job of explaining the cave system, the nature within the cave and the research that has gone into the ancient human uses. He also pulled a unbelievable amount of food out of his backpack, deep in the cave, where we ate lunch.

We stayed another night, but did not have time to do another adventure. Before we left we met the man responsible for the organic turn the resort took years ago. He was called the “Head Gardener”, but he seemed more like an ecological prophet. After talking to him for an hour, Caroline and I wanted to give up all of our worldly possessions, wear burlap sacks, sit cross legged and listen to him speak of a environment in balance. “Bugs will always eat plants, you just don't want them to eat all of the plant”, wow. His grandfather came to Belize from Guatemala and was a Mayan preist. Some of the medical uses of plants were handed down to him. Long before he came to this place though, he was a immigration officer, prosecutor and forestry manager. We could follow this man around for years and still not learn enough!

As we boarded the bus for the trip home, we were left excited and looking forward to more adventures in the jungle.

Long Live Chocolate!

Gold, emeralds, lost treasure of long dead pirates. None of these I seek. My quest, my “Fountain of Youth”, my “Holy Grail” is local Organic Dark Chocolate. Upon arriving in Belize I had heard the whispers and rumors: “somewhere in the south, there is man who makes...”, “until a few years ago it did not exist, but now there is...”. Through diligent research and intense interrogations, I finally got a name: “Goss”.

Supposedly in the land to the south there was a man know as Goss who had mastered the sorcery and art needed to make dark bars of pleasure and ecstasy. I must find him, I must find this mythical land.

To the south we sailed. For three days we braved great storms and heavy seas (and saw some dolphins!). We arrived in a dirty little port town known as Placencia. A rough bunch of people trying to sell you fruit smoothies and internet access. I sniffed around town dropping the name “Goss” and seeing if I had any bites. Sure enough, it didn't take long, a tough fellow, carving bizarre totems from wood, pointed to an old shack and said, “Wallen's got some”.

• Who is this “Wallen”? I did not know, but I threw caution to the wind and ventured inside the shabby little building (Wallen's Market). My eyes adjust to the dim lighting and I sauntered up to the bar (or counter, or whatever) and said, “Gimme some Goss over here”. “Light or dark?” the sultry purveyor inquired. “I take mine dark, little lady”. My face was still stinging from her slap as I stumbled outside with the first real evidence that my journey was not in vain: a bar of the fabled Goss chocolate.

Wary of any of my shipmates attempting to pirate away my treasure I conspired to consume it immediately. The pleasure of the smooth and rich flavors melting upon my tongue and lips caused me to lapse into a trance. The deep rich cacao and overwhelming heat finally caused me to lose conciseness. My shipmate (Caroline) eventually discovered me under a coconut tree, naked and babbling.

After I recovered, I knew I must find the source of this chocolate. Instincts told me that the woman at Wallen's would not be cooperative. Luckily I had procured a rudimentary map of the area. Between the map and the small clues on the packaging of the bar, I deduced the source may be 5 miles to the north. It was dangerous terrain to cover, so I convinced my shipmate to come along. We found a local who was willing to loan us two mechanical horses (bicycles) for a small fee, and we set out.

With sweat poring off our brows, we made our way north along the treacherous trail (unpaved road). More than once we had to stop as we neared collapse from sun stroke. After a very long time (about an hour), we came upon a place called the Blue Crab – one of the clues I had acquired. Apparently it is a flop-house of some type, called a “resort”. There I found a man going by the name Kerry Goss, humm, could it be?

I grilled him on the types of cacao beans, the processing methods, mixture ratios. He held up well and I knew I had found the right place. The source of all that is good, just, and delicious in Belize. The Goss Organic Chocolate Factory.

Kerry Goss drives around Belize getting select beans directly from the farmers, all of which are small farms. One prized bean comes from a man with just 2 cacao trees, but they are the best in the land. The sugar also comes from Belize. All of this is processed in small batches in a small, nondescript building, in a small nondescript town 5 miles north of Placencia. 5 years ago all cacao was exported and then chocolate had to be imported, usually the Hershey's kind. Kerry Goss changed all of that and now high quality, local and organic Goss chocolate is available in Belize, maybe elsewhere someday.

That is my tale and, for those of you willing to try, you too may be able to experience the dark pleasures of Goss chocolate. But few, if any, will ever be able to retrace my epic journey to epicenter of it all.

LONG LIVE CHOCOLATE!