Rió Dulce - Finca Tatin à Livingston
During the boat tour, I stopped at this hotel on the Tatin River, a tributary of the Rió Dulce. I slept in one of these dormitories that has spaces for 5-6 people with a toilet and shower inside.
The place is only accessible by boat and is located in dense jungle. It's a small paradise, and the main activity I did was to swim in the river.
This bird is never in a cage. It lives free, but always stay around the hotel and the staff. The people working here can approach it, but not the visitors. It is wary of foreigners.
Small hike in the forest
The forest in the area is quite lush, and offers opportunities for hiking. I am back to sea level and the temperature is around 30 degrees. Despite the beauty of the jungle, one hour of hiking is enough for me, I go back to the hotel and I prefer swimming in the river and chatting with other travellers. The water in the river must be around 25 degrees... very nice.
Kayak trip to Livingston
Finca Tatin is a place I really liked. Even better than the finca, going down the river with a kayak was a highlight of Guatemala. From the finca, the river meanders in a canyon until the town of Livingston, about 12 km downstream.
For me, the attraction was to navigate close to the cliffs' wall, often under trees and sometimes even under the cliffs. This trip is not very hard since we have the choice to flow with the current of the river. It took me nearly 4 hours to go down and explore the river, and I almost never paddled. It was awesome!
Livingston
Livingston is a different village than those I visited in Guatemala. Here, there are very few 'pure' Mayas, but rather the Garifuna people. They have their roots from the island of St-Vincent in the Caribbean. They are shipwrecked African slaves that mixed with the local indigenous population.
The town, still not linked to the rest of Guatemala by road, is located at the mouth of the Rió Dulce. It's an interesting town to explore.
Here is my hotel in Livingston. The strange architecture seems to be a mix between a medieval castle and some Islamic influence. It's rather curious for a town where the people are mainly Christians. Moreover, the hotel is named 'African Place'.
