Caribbean – Diary – Volume II – No. 39

Birthday in Guatemala…

16.05. – 17.05.2025

After a very pleasant weather-wise – but strenuous – crossing, because skipper Bernd has to drive a fishing boat slalom for several hours, we reach Livingston in Guatemala around midday – here we have to clear customs.

This time, the process is being handled by agent Raul. We sent him all the documents in advance – WhatsApp and the internet make it possible – and he organizes the officials who then come to the boat… Everything goes like clockwork – the boat, loaded with six officials, arrives alongside… but they don't want to come on board… We hand over our documents and passports and can pick up the documents from the office on land in an hour – for a fee… There's also a map – and then we're alone again…

At 13 p.m., the skipper can pick up the papers and the cruising permit – but first, he needs to stock up on the local currency – the Quetzal. Things aren't moving so quickly at the office – it's time for lunch. We have to get the permit for one year – we'll be leaving the country in just over two weeks, but the boat will be staying until the end of the year.

After lunch, we receive our travel documents and passport stamps, and are ready to continue our journey. We now travel approximately 30 nautical miles inland through the Rio Dulce. We motor past enormous cliffs and lush vegetation toward our destination. Halfway there, we cross a lake; we could anchor here, but we want to reach our destination today so we can start the day relaxed tomorrow for my birthday.

Arriving at our destination, we are immediately greeted with joy – Peter and Renate from the Amira arrived shortly before us and are now preparing a warm welcome. We anchor next to them and prepare our dinghy for a visit – we've been on the road for 19,5 hours since we left Utila, and we're already pretty exhausted – but we'll meet again – last time in Curacao in July. 2024 – we activate our energy reserves again.

So there's a cheerful hello and plenty to talk about. Shortly after us, Dorothea and Peter from the catamaran "Pia," who have been sailing with the two of them for a while, arrive on board, and with so much conversation, time quickly disappears. But at some point, the duvet calls... we've been on our feet for almost 24 hours now...

When I open my eyes the next morning, my phone is already running hot. Birthday greetings from Germany – well, it's already eight hours later there... First I have a birthday breakfast and then we drive to the Ram Marina, where we will anchor and who are supposed to haul our boat out of the water in a few days – but we don't have a suitable date yet, so we need to clarify this in a personal meeting. Since we already have precise plans for how we want to spend the remaining days until our arrival in Germany, the haul-out date for the boat now needs to be coordinated. After a personal meeting, we get a slot for May 23.05rd, which fits into our schedule. We book a room for one night in the neighboring Nanajuana Marina – now all that's missing is the shuttle that will take us to Flores the following day – from here we want to visit the excavations at the Mayan site of Tikal.

We are impressed by the beauty of the surroundings and the professionalism of the staff – we seem to be in good hands here.

We get back in the dinghy and drive to the town on the riverbank: Fronteras. We're immersed in South American life, and the first thing I notice are the women in their colorful dresses. It's bustling with activity, with a wide selection of goods on offer. There are street food stalls and fruit and vegetable stands, as well as countless shops selling clothing, household goods, and much more. A narrow street runs between the shops, with traffic pulsing along it, and you might even get up close and personal with the occasional tanker truck.

So we'd rather find a restaurant a little off the road with a view of the river – there we'll be cooled by a gentle breeze. As we pass by, we spot an upholstery shop and immediately start a sales pitch – we want new upholstery for our seating area – our old ones are quite old, and we also want to get thicker seating and loungers – we're getting to that age now... Comfort first.

The restaurant is quite simple, and the waitress doesn't seem particularly professional, but the food that's served to us leaves us speechless. We haven't had such a combination on our plates in a long time. The Guatemalan food definitely scores points.

On the way back, Bernd buys a few more plugs for his next fishing success, then it's back to the boat – first to rest after the sweaty heat and then to prepare for the small birthday party that evening with Renate and Peter. After the last big catch, the fridge is full of fish, so the birthday dinner is already set. Bernd has even baked fresh bread. The walk from one boat to the other isn't far, and with the darkness comes the cooler evening air. The two of them arrive with meaningful gifts – a bottle of Curacao – because we met on Curacao – and a bottle of tequila – because we met again in Guatemala, and this agave spirit is a popular drink here.

So it will be a fun-filled evening with fish and candlelight until the early hours.