A Trip to the Beach

They say it’s the journey, not the destination that’s important, and that was very true for our trip to the beach on our first day off. Our team was like a group of kids on their way to the candy store – everyone was excited to get “off base” and just have a day to play and relax. We piled into the vans and headed out onto the highway. Much of the way was paved and fairly smooth; however there were sections with either large, difficult to see speed bumps or deep, rugged potholes. Anything faster than a snails pace was too fast for these sections of road, and contributed to either heads connecting with the roof of the van, or backs being realigned.

After a twenty minute van ride we pulled up to the river. Here we got to experience a “Guatemalan ferry” firsthand. After unloading passengers, both vans were driven down onto the wooden barge. I assumed, quite wrongly, that the team would go in a separate boat – you know, one that actually has seats. But in Guatemala that is not how things are done; I’m sure safety regulations are a very foreign concept here. We did jokingly say that we did have life jackets; the loose wooden planks on the barge could be used for us to float on if anything untoward were to happen.

The forty minute trip ride down the river was spectacular. We were thoroughly entertained by nature’s extravaganza. Cranes were in abundance, standing tall and elegant at the water’s edge; perched peacefully on a branch alert to their surroundings; or soaring gracefully through the air.

Four-eyed fish occasionally skittered quickly across the top of the water. Colorful foliage in and out of the water provided a fitting backdrop for the scene. The quiet hum of the motor and the gentle lapping of water against the barge provided the musical score. This was a production that could command a top dollar fee, and it was just a part of our trip to the beach.

At the beach, nature once again provided our entertainment – huge waves that could be played in, glorious sun that could be roasted in, and shade to cool in. Nature was assisted here with a pool, waterslide and restaurant at Don Carlos’s resort. After a wonderful day at the beach we all looked forward to the journey back along the river.