There was no cruise ship terminal in Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla. We docked at a cargo terminal. Between October and April the port receives about one cruise ship a week; none during "the rainy season".
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Today's Tour: ECO-HIKE AT HACIENDA TIJAX
Experience the beauty of Guatemala's rainforest in a unique new way during this memorable eco-hike at the Hacienda Tijax.
Depart the pier for the drive through the scenic Motagua Valley. Along the way, you will see lush tropical vegetation in the countryside. You will view the bridge over the Rio Dulce. Lake Izabal and Rio Dulce National Park, are a protected area and one of the most important ecological reserves in the country.
Next, you will embark a small boat for the transfer to nearby Hacienda Tijax, an actual preserved rainforest. A staff member will greet your arrival, then lead you on a walk along elevated cable bridges that rise up to 60 feet high through the rainforest, and cross over crystal-clear natural springs and rivers. As you proceed along the elevated trails, you will learn about the natural products of the jungle, including gum, rubber, spices and medicinal plants. You will also take in splendid views of orchids and epiphytes throughout your 3.25-mile, round-trip journey.
Halfway through your walk, you will have an opportunity to climb the Observatory Tower for spectacular views extending along the river to the Castillo de San Felipe. The Tower of the Shaman at the top of the hill uses the ancient methods of directional construction. Utilized by the Maya for tracking sun and moon activity, it served as the basis of their baffling advancement in the areas of astronomy and calendar development.
A poolside barbecue will be served during the 1.5-hour lunch break, followed by some time to relax or swim in the pool. Time permitting, you may choose to take in one of the optional activities available for an addition charge, including horseback riding or kayaking.
Following your visit, you will re-board your boat for the return trip to the bridge, then be transferred back to the pier.
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Once again we had the combination of a good bus and good guide - Julio - getting us off to a great start.
The bus ride took about 90 minutes. The two-lane road was packed with trucks going in both directions. Those going to the Puerto Barrios area (in which Santo Tomas is located) were hauling produce for shipment overseas. The trucks going our direction were hauling goods out of the port. It was not until we turned off the main road to Guatemala City that we were clear of the truck traffic.
During the drive, Julio told us an assortment of facts about Guatemala. A Maya himself, he spoke about the discrimination the Maya people continue to experience in Guatemala. (This was something I had learned about in New Bedford, Massachusetts, which has a population of several thousand Maya.) On the subject of politics, he noted that three out of the past four presidents of the country were currently serving prison terms.
Just before the bridge that spanned Rio Dolce (Quiet River) we disembarked the bus and got into a small open board for a five minute trip to Hacienda Tijax. Along the way we saw boats with home ports along the Gulf Coast of the United States.
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| SERENITY - Orange Beach, Alabama |
The mouth of the Rio Dolce is at Livingston, Guatemala on the Caribbean coast and the river is navigable all the way to Lake Isabella. (BYC winter cruise?)
At Hacienda Tijax we had a few minutes to use the rest rooms and have something to drink before heading out on our nature walk...which became a hike...which became a trek, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Leaving the camp, we crossed two suspension bridges. We had to keep some distance between us to spread out the load on each bridge. It was an interesting sensation walking across them, the primary motion being up and down, but with a noticeable side-to-side component.
Once on the trail, we stopped frequently so that our guide could point out various plants, describing how they were used for cooking, medical purposes, etc. The medicinal uses were a combination of herbal cures and superstition.
For example, after explaining an effective herbal treatment for a baby who had what sounded like croup, our guide said that prevention involved covering a baby so that it could not be seen by someone who could give it the illness. Included in the list of those who could infect the baby was any woman going through her menstrual cycle.
It was warm, particularly since we were going up a gradual incline. It was warmer because the tour instructions had recommended wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Given the absence of things necessitating our precautionary apparel, Pam & I were envious of people who had ignored the instruction.
We eventually moved into a secondary growth forest and from there into a primary growth forest, the former being somewhat hot and steamy and the latter dropping the "somewhat" qualifier.
Walking in the forest required careful attention to foot placement. The surface of every rock and board used in the trail's construction was green and slippery as were exposed tree roots.
For example, after explaining an effective herbal treatment for a baby who had what sounded like croup, our guide said that prevention involved covering a baby so that it could not be seen by someone who could give it the illness. Included in the list of those who could infect the baby was any woman going through her menstrual cycle.
It was warm, particularly since we were going up a gradual incline. It was warmer because the tour instructions had recommended wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Given the absence of things necessitating our precautionary apparel, Pam & I were envious of people who had ignored the instruction.
We eventually moved into a secondary growth forest and from there into a primary growth forest, the former being somewhat hot and steamy and the latter dropping the "somewhat" qualifier.
Walking in the forest required careful attention to foot placement. The surface of every rock and board used in the trail's construction was green and slippery as were exposed tree roots.
Eventually we got to a stopping point where the guide pointed out several trees. We then had to retrace our steps a short distance to get back onto the main trail. Somehow in this backtracking, I wound up directly behind the guide when we headed for our next destination. It was up.
My god could our guide hike fast. Of course, she was probably 30+ years younger than the average age of our group and she probably did the hike at least once a week. Regardless, with perspiration coming off my forehead at a rate commensurate with the water flow over Niagara Falls, the uneven steps seemed endless. The Bataan Death March came to mind as did the French Foreign Legion's 'march or die' mantra.
We finally came to level ground with an observation post on it. I dared not stop, foregoing an offer of water from our guide before climbing the tower. I knew that once I was up there it was literally downhill all the way back to Hacienda Tijax.
From the tower we could see Lake Isabella and Rio Dolce in one direction and a rubber plantation in the other.
Coming down off the tower, we gathered around the owner of the rubber plantation who was also the owner of Hacienda Tijax. He explained how raw rubber was harvested and that there was still a market it for it, particularly in China.
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| The "T" on the trees designates a specific area tended by one worker. Each worker is responsible for 600 trees. |
Starting about eye level, a descending semi-circular notch is carved into the tree's trunk. The liquid rubber oozes out of the tree and runs along the carved track, then down a vertical notch into a bucket where a chemical is added causing it to coagulate. The coagulation prevents the rubber from being lost when the bucket fills with rain water. A new semi-circular notch is carved twice a week. When the bottom of the truck is reached, the cutter starts notching the tree on the other side. By the time the bottom of that side of the trunk has been reached, the first side has had sufficient time to heal, allowing the cutter to return to it.
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