With Rio Dulce as our next destination, it seemed best to continue our travels from the bus stop where we had been dropped off to walk into Quiriguá. From there, we would have to catch a bus or a ride to Morales, then transfer to a bus to Rio Dulce.

In just a few minutes, a minivan approached and we stuck out our thumbs, hoping to catch a ride. Luck was with us because it was set up to carry passengers. In less than an hour, we entered the town of Morales where our driver nodded to a man standing at the main intersection, making some kind of notes on a clipboard.

Quickly, quickly we were moved out of the van and pointed in the direction of a second minivan. What was going on? We did not understand a word.

Looking up to the top of the van to retrieve our backpacks, we panicked – they were no longer there!! OMG, all the stories we had heard of stolen luggage swam into our heads. In halting Spanish, I requested the bags, only to be taken by the hand to the second minivan. There they were! Our packs were already safely secured on top.

We finally understood! We had been lucky to hook up with a network of independent minivans; the man at the entrance to town was tracking vehicles and their arrival and departure times. Local ingenuity at its best.

We arrived in Rio Dulce very quickly and caught a launch to Tijax Hacienda, known for its lodgings constructed over the water. On a prior trip to Guatemala, fellow passengers told us they had stayed there for a week and enjoyed relaxing, good sleep, good food, and good company from around the world. Travel gossip we had written down for a return trip.

Rio Dulce has become a stopping-off place for some of those who sail around the world. It is fairly close to the Panama Canal, has quite a few berths, and its restaurants and bars offer an opportunity for sailors to gossip.

“Hola. ¡Mucho calor!” greeted us from all we met. “Hi. It is so hot!” Too hot to think about lunch. We settled for energy bars until it cooled down.

The cafe menu at Tijax Cafe appears to incorporate European, American, and Central American cuisines. Once the temperature dropped into the low eighties, we selected hamburgers and salad while we exchanged travel gossip with Sandra R from Chicago. Delicious food, made fresh with local ingredients.

Hooray for Sandra! She had just spent two weeks in Guatemala and met up with other travelers on the road. She has done this in many parts of the world – Turkey, the Middle East, London, and much more. She goes by herself and stays at inns and hostels, primarily places where she will connect with and share information with fellow voyagers. Not for a minute is she concerned about being a “woman alone.” She enjoyed finding others with the same destinations and teams up with them. Travel gossip at its best.

We stayed late into the evening, sharing stories over a couple of beers. As we headed back to our cabana on the elevated walkway with the shallow marsh below, we decided we would have excellent dexterity for any trip to the communal bathroom in the night! I certainly did not intend to fall in at 3 AM…

Fireflies soon appeared over the water, fun to watch from the windows of our cabaña. Because the bed was equipped with mosquito netting, we secured it and enjoyed falling to sleep to the sounds of frogs and fish splashing below us.

Great place to stay! And check our other post on the tour of the reforested areas at Tijax.

Information on the Ruins of Quirigua
Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua
Quiriguá – From Wikipedia