Good times

Carribean culture is fun, and not really what I had in mind when I was thinking about this trip. Roatan (the island we dived from in Honduras) is where the Garifuna (black Carribean culture of the region) emerged in the 19th century, and have since spread along the coastline and various Carribean islands of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. We encountered the culture) or at least its more touristy form - ie lots of rastas, rainbow beanies and Marley) at Livingston, a tiny port town in Guatemala accessible only by boat.

Livingston had a great attitude (or at least the hostel did). And you´ve got to love a place where the town square consists entirely of a basketball court, a children´s playground and an alligator pen, in which a number of the town's mascots are being raised and bred.

Bad photo but cool town square. Behind the basketball court is the kiddies playground and behind that - the low brick wall you can just see behind the slide - is the alligator pit. Order yourself one today.

After a few days in Livingston, we jumped in a boat for a ride up the Rio Dulce, a beutiful ride with the jungle pressing in on both sides with old Spanish forts and hot sulfur springs providing the odd diversion along the way. Pretty sweet.

Another day another beach. This one private and boat-access only.

And yes when hungry we really did climb the nearest (short) tree, pick a coconut, and smack it open :).

For more active entertainment we hiked into Siete Altares - cool swimming holes where apparently the first ever Tarzan movie was filmed. Who knew.

Random jungle shot from the Rio Dulce. Jungle really just looks like a big bunch of trees in photos.