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Rio Dulce, Guatemala – Lomography
Along the small stretch of the Atlantic coastline that belongs to Guatemala, sandwiched between Belize and Honduras, the mouth of the Rio Dulce stands as the most dominant feature. It extends inland from the Garifuna town of Livingston to the American sailor haven and truck-stop town that shares its name with the river (although to the locals its known as Fronteras). Between the two winds the jungle lined river that is best experienced in a lancha boat journey. Well, that is if you can’t get yourself on-board a yacht!
Unfortunately the camera card we were using to get our snaps isn’t too keen on revealing its contents to us – apart from a “Format Error” message. So it was with some luck that we also got a few shots with the lomography four shot. It offers an interesting perspective on the river and the lancha experience.
The Rio Dulce seems to me like some sort of mini-Amazon. The Lonely Planet lists it as one of its five must-do things in Guatemala, and its easy to see why. The hour and a half lancha ride between Livingston and Fronteras passes by a few sights:
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San Felipe, a small castle of sorts made by the Spanish initially to stop pirates passing into the expanse of water that is Lago Izabal,
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White cliff walls, fortunately or unfortunately some of which are splashed with graffiti from many, many years ago
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A hot spring where you can take a quick dip
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Small waterside villages, and local fisherman in dugout canoes.
The highlight for me was definitely just before reaching Livingston, where the jungle towers over you as you weave along, motor humming. Here, it is common for pelicans and other bird species to swoop down over the boat so they can see who is visiting their river.
The Rio was once teeming with Manatees. Unfortunately their numbers have dwindled to only a handful. I spent around two months living along the river and saw only a glimpse of one. I was looking at what I thought was a mostly submerged log when it porpoised its body under the water. Talking to locals, it is not uncommon for them to never have seen any, so I count myself lucky! Still, just knowing they are there kept me alert all the time that I might just see one.
There are a range of accomodation options in Fronteras and Livingston, but perhaps the best way to truly appreciate the Rio is to stay in one of the few hotels / hostels that are tucked away on the river removed from the townships in the jungle. Finca Tatin and El Hotelito Perdido are a couple of choices.
If you’re in Rio Dulce, be sure to check out the hot waterfall of Finca Paraiso while you’re there.
Been to Rio Dulce? How was your experience?
What an amazing trip and love the pictures too!
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 3:12 am
thanks sailor, the boat ride is pretty cool. the lanchas arent any cruise ship though!
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Beautiful place, looks very serene too!
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 3:11 am
yeah, the river is pretty special. the town of rio dulce not so much – definitely wouldnt call it serene. away from the town, there are some magic spots.
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i hope they would do something about the manatees
such a lovely place!
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 3:04 am
yeah, its really sad. such a placid animal. i think there are pockets around there where they thrive a little more.
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I have got to get back to Guatemala. I missed out on so much!
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 3:10 am
we feel like we should go back too, but we spent months there! so much to see.
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I’ve been to Guatemala twice but unfortunately not to Rio Dulce. Next time it’s on my list and I like the lomography – adds an interesting touch.
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 3:05 am
not surprised, its a bit out of the way. good thing to do if you are coming / going from honduras though.
yeah, the lomography cameras are cool! never quite know what you are going to get which is fun. they are pretty cheap too, so you should pick one up!
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Very interesting way of showing the river with the lomography; especially like the lone paddler. I’ve only seen a tiny bit of Guatemala, certainly warrants a longer trip.
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 3:07 am
oh man, guatemala can take months (as we both can certainly atest too). the four shots can sometimes give an action sequence type effect, its a pretty nifty little camera.
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I can’t say I was a big fan of this area but I do love the photos.
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 3:09 am
i can see why you werent a big fan, but the river itself is beautiful, and away from the towns themselves there are some pretty amazing spots. rio dulce the town is such a bizarre place, and certainly can feel seedy and uncomfortable at times. but, i guess that is an experience in itself.
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wow! love the lomo effects! and what a trip.. i wish i could go too;) How long do you suggest, for a trip to Guatemala?
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Great photography, really love that first shot where the huts in the background just visible. I’d love to take that boat ride and check out those swooping pelicans!
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Definitely loving all the Lomo shots! I brought my Diana with me to Asia and I have yet to use it. I think its mad at me now. Thanks for the inspiration!
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So fun! We went to the Lomography shop in London and I so wanted to buy one
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Amaingly original photos! Can’t believe that you lived along this river for as long as you did! That would be an interesting story!?
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:26 pm
yeah. i was working at a hostel there. there are definitely some “interesting” people about. there is a big contingent of sailors that hang out in rio dulce for the hurricane season. a few never leave. unfortunately its geographic location also means it is a port of call for drugs as they make their way north. it was eye-opening for me as to how it can affect a community, and there were some tragic events.
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Never been there but love your lomo pics! I should start looking at Lomo as something new to explore.
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jamieandjess Reply:
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:28 pm
definitely. there is a whole cult following of lomography style cameras. with all the digital stuff nowadays, its inspired a return to old school film. lomography takes away a lot of the perfectness of digital, and maybe adds a bit of “feeling”. check it out!
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Hadn’t come across this technique before – very effective!
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Lomography shots added mystique to the place. Hopefully we could wing Guatemala this year when we visit Central America! Weee!
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Love the photos with the lily pads (is that what they are?).
When we were in Tampa, FL we found this manatee observation deck built by a power company. Apparently the water near the plant gets warmed (though not polluted?) and so all the manatees flock to the bay. The observation deck is free, and we saw at least fifty manatees the day we went – it was incredible!
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Great trip with amazing lomography shots! Love the style.
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