Day 14 8th October 2018: And now we are four (for a while)

Having enjoyed a splendid dinner at Panza Verde Restaurant in Antigua last night, John and Chris woke to find they were possibly suffering from the eponymous condition (green belly) although I’m sure the restaurant was in no way responsible. So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that they agreed to leave the sanctuary of chez Carlow for the open road.

Happily we negotiated a vehicle upgrade from the Carlow fleet and enlisted a driver with local knowledge aka Frankie.

Both were essential as they allowed us to cover the 325 kms to Rio Dulce in only 6 ½ hours despite poor weather and heavy traffic in Guatemala City and extensive roadworks further down the road.

Frankie’s knowledge was invaluable in selecting the finest local hostelries to stop at for coffee and lunch and I can report that both Macdonalds and Burger King provide adequate fare. However the only Guatemalan link is the Happy Meal was invented here! Sadly the sick duo struggled to appreciate the haute cuisine on offer, generally limiting themselves to water.

Eventually the weather began to clear and we could enjoy dramatic views of the mountains and the fertile valley below, where the once successful tobacco farms have been replaced by fields of assorted fruit and vegetables. The two former tobacco barons grew nostalgic for the good old days!

We finally got to Rio Dulce around 4 P.M. The temperature was 10 degrees higher than in Antigua in the sunshine. Reports of the imminent approach of Hurricane Michael (no relation) appear to have been exaggerated.  It appears to be targeting Florida instead. We swapped the Porsche for a boat for the short trip downriver to the Carlow holiday house.

And what a great holiday house it is!

As it’s not accessible by road, our average driving mileage will drop substantially over the next couple of days but, weather permitting, we will clock up some nautical miles instead.