37 Short Days in Guatemala

Wow, hello all! We had a set back last December when my lower back went out again. In a nut shell, we struggled for a month and a half before deciding that I needed more medical help then what was available in the Rio Dulce. In February, we traveled back to Michigan for Chiropractic treatments. Five months later, I was doing really good and we made the decision to return to Guatemala.

On June 21st, we flew into Guatemala City. First, we stopped off in Antigua, Guatemala. Antigua is a very pretty town and made for a very comfortable visit. It is small enough to walk around and see everything, but big enough to find something new every night. The horizon provides a view of three volcanos and Lake Atitlan is a 30 minute drive away. Coffee plantations are located just outside of town and Antigua is filled with very nice coffee shops. We are lucky to have friends who live in Antigua. We are now good friends with Andres, who is one of the owners of Nutria Marina, and his lovely wife Rachel (oh, and don't forget their baby, Stella). Andres, treated us to the local tour of Antigua and showed us all of the in and outs of the town -- like where to get the best ceviche -- I only know it by sight. (this was the white truck on the corner of ?????).

On June 25th, we said good bye to Antigua after a wonderful visit and headed to the Rio Dulce to see how the Woodduck was doing after 5 months of being away in the states. After a long ride of about 8 hours from Antigua to Rio Dulce, we made it back to the Woodduck. We wasted no time in beginning our remodel project. We are going to remove the old cockpit (3 feet by 6 feet) and install a new cockpit (8 feet by 10 feet). The roomier cockpit will allow us a new level of comfort and some serious leisure time while anchored in paradise. We also rented a comfotable cabin at Nutria Marina where our boat is located, to make it easier to get all of the work done. The month passed quickly and we finished construction of the new cockpit the day before we had to return back to the states.

On July 27th, we returned to Michigan. What are we going to do to keep busy now?? Well, for those of you who don't know -- several months ago, my brother and I entered our homebrew into a beer competition held by Arbor Brewing Company! We won first prize! We have been awarded the opportunity to brew our beer in their system. We will be brewing on August 9th and when the beer is ready (around the 1st of September) a party will be held to launch our beer ( Ale-n-dog's Alt Blind - It is a German Altbier). See www.alendog.com

After the party, the real truth sets in and we have to get back to work in San Francisco. Ouch, the word just hurts thinking about it, but that is our rough plan. We will continue to update everybody, as the plan smooths out.

Enjoy the pictures!
Jake

A view of Antigua from the hilltop... volcano on the horizon


Guatemalan license plate...


Antigua is filled with old ruins.... which provide beautiful photo opportunities!






Baby Stella!!!


The town has a square called Central Park.. adorned by this beautiful fountain.


Several views of the volcanoes surrounding Antigua...



The large doors and walls in Antigua were very impressive.




Antigua has some beautiful hotels. We stayed a few nights at the Plaza Real.



This group of pictures is a play-by-play of the construction project for the Woodduck. Our new cockpit is complete and ready to install on the boat. Installation will take place on our next trip to Guatemala (Jan. 2008).







Our home brew label... Ale-N-Dog


Jake bottling his homebrew beer in Guatemala @ Nutria Marina