Thursday, 28 September 2023

Guatemala - Rio Dulce, It’s Hot

Back at Meshugga. Jet Lag. Heat. Humidity. Rain at Night. TG for AirCon!

It took me a week to get over Jet Lag, and slowly become accustomed to the heat again.

I tried a New Schedule of: Get up at 5.30am, coffee and read the news, and get going on any outside cleaning tasks by 6.30am. At 7.30am my alarm goes off, have iced coffee and listen to the Rio Dulce Cruisers Net for any info of interest, and then back outside to clean til about 9am. By this time the sun is already high enough that it's become too hot for me, and retreat inside for another rest and then look at at tasks I need to do inside. 

HaHa. That lasted a day or two. The heat is relentless. I'm tired all the time! We run the Fans inside all day long, to move the heavy hot humid laden air.

Daily temps are 35+ deg C/ 95 deg F, and humidity at 80 %.

Catamaran Marina and Resort has a lovely pool, but it's in the sun all day long, and hence the water is warm. At about 4pm the shade from trees overhangs the pool, and I like to pop up for a warm swim - the best is getting out of the pool for the cool breeze that sets in each afternoon to airdry my body. So cooling!

Meshugga is on the western side of Catamaran Island, and the afternoon breeze, often reaches 10 knots is from the east, so we don't get the wind in our slip, and the inside of Meshugga remains stifling hot. At about 4 or 5 pm we close up the boat, and switch the Aircon on. Heaven, as the boat cools down. We first do the Salon, and after dinner open the doorway to our Cabin, and let the cool air flow down the stairs to cool our cabin for the night. When going to bed about 10/11pm Nicholas switches the Aircon off, and within a couple of hours as the ambient outside temperature drops to about 25 degrees, much the same as our internal temperature, and we open Cabin hatches to let the evening breeze flow in.

Drinks with fellow Cruisers, Ladies Who Sail Luncheons, Yoga, Poker Games, Dominoes. There is lots to keep busy with, not to mention the daily specials various restaurants put on to entice.

Dinghy ride to Casa Perico, the venue for our Ladies Lunch.


Michelle of SV Reach at the Ladies Luncheon.

Volleyball at Catamaran Marina


Pool bar drinks, every evening at 5.

The front seats on our bows are beginning to look shoddy as Lagoon did Veneer Teak on Marine Ply, and after 10 years  the veneer is beginning to lift and peel off. So we’ve been looking for solid teak. We heard about a lumber yard, and after some research found one close to us, with Plantation Teak, not Burma teak (which is the Gold Standard, and very hard to get, not to mention expensive).

We dinghied to Tortugal Marina and walked through the Mangroves on a boardwalk and then about 2 miles on a path finally coming to the Sawmill. We were able to buy a few ‘planks’ of Plantation Teak, and arrange for one of the workers to help Nicholas carry the teak back to our dinghy. I was lucky to walk unhindered by such weight.






I was amazed to come across Cacoa trees, with large heavy ripe pods.  Wow. They belong to someone, but the urge pinch a pod was huge …..


At least twice a week, I jump in the dinghy and drive the 1 mile to Fronteras, the town, and do my shopping for fresh produce and any other necessities. I've still not explored the whole town, and still hear from other Cruisers about a Store providing an interesting Service or selling something interesting. The Fresh Produce Vendors often sell different produce, so it’s always worth trolling down both sides of the street to check out who might have Avo's, or Mangoes, Papaya, Apples, Pears etc. Not to mention Red Peppers or Fresh Broccoli or a nice head of lettuce. 


Dispensa has just reopened, another great addition to availability of goods. 


A short video of our Main Street in Fromteras

I was astounded to see this fresh delivery of a pallet of eggs. 

This I’d the most eggs I've ever seen in one store!

Twice a month the area hosts a Cruisers Market, where Cruisers can sell off  'Stuff' they no longer want, and local Vendors also set up tables of Cruiser Interesting Stuff. It's always interesting and worthwhile to spend a couple of hours perusing the tables. You never know what you might just Have to Buy.



In between there’s the necessaries Cookie days!

Oats, Coconut and Cranberries


Marshmallow CRISPIES for Nicholas

Days morf into each other. I'm making a new Boom Cover, that require huge amounts of Sunbrella and Dacron. I arranged to use the Restaurant floor, as there is nowhere on Meshugga big enough to allow a 10m/34 foot length of fabric to be rolled out, measured and marked for cutting.



Cutting fabric on the FlyBridge with the Hot Knife 



Sewing on the dining table as I really needed space to hold all the Fabric


Finished and installed. Double layered with Marine Sunbrella on top and Dacron underneath, sewed with Tenara PTFE thread. New Boltropes sides with 25 foot YKK 15 gauge zips.
It should be good for 10 years, keeping the sun off our Mainsail, and dry. 

Ashore in Fronteras on Independence Day, Busses were festively decorated. 




 Early mornings, we always have a lot of swallows coming to eat the bugs. 



Shopping at La Torre as opposed to in the street market - bit more expensive, but air-conditioned 



Meshugga at Catamaran Resort and Marina (tall mast on the left)

I had fun on Saturday doing a Virtual Baking Class by King Arthur Baking


Another month and another Ladies Lucheon.. This time at Tijax. Lovely venue, hot, but with fans and interesting women to bond and exchange info with. Great networking opportunity. 

At Catamaran Marina one of our barmaids, Diane, is pregnant and about to go on Maternity Leave and the Cruisers rallied to support her with gifts for her baby girl.


Diane


Geoffrey and Ruth of SV Jroo

Michael of SV Tenagra and Dan of SV Zia, toasting Diane


Our Resort Staff

Cruisers at the Shower












3 comments:

  1. Great Photos - sounds like you have a good mix of work, social time, and of course sweating in the heat

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  2. Such a colorful collection of fruits at the markets! Sewing anything for Meshugga is a huge project! Thanks for the update! Sure will miss seeing you this winter....

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  3. How did the teak bow seats turn out? Last week, Chuck finally got some teak and cut new seats for Mimi. The wood looks nice and I can’t wait to see how they look once installed.

    ReplyDelete

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