Guatemala - Rio Dulce, Political Unrest causing Road Blocks Nationwide

Another 2 weeks have passed since my last post.

We've had Political Protests in Guatemala as the current Attorney General has jailed the President Elect, who was voted in by a 65% margin. So all main roads are blocked, which means our local town, Fronteras has no trucks delivering fresh produce. Thankfully I'd done a stock-up of fresh produce on the Friday two weeks ago, and the Road Blockades started Saturday! So I'm good for 2 weeks or so. 

Street scene in Frontiers with NO vehicles

A Street Vendor for Fresh Produce, with nothing available, except a few old peppers and tomatoes.

Local Supermarket  La Torre, Egg shelves bare

La Torre Vegetable baskets empty

All shops and markets had a few old apples, and a few other fruits at horrendous prices.

The Road blocks has had an awful impact on Cruisers trying to get back to their boats, or to leave Guatemala due to Visas expiring. It’s impossible to get to Guatemala City where the International Airport is located, and even if you could, the airport has no Jet fuel.  😳

However the situation is slowly resolving, and after 10 days, the blockades were opened for food trucks as prices in the supermarkets went sky-high, and locals could not get fresh produce or afford the processed foodstuffs.  Now trucks are allowed thru but still No vehicles.  

Back on Meshugga, I do Yoga every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and lead our Catamaran Marina Group using the Apple Fitness App which our family subscribe to via Apple One. My iPad is connected via a HDMi cable to the big TV in the Blue Lounge. We move all the couches out the way, sweep the floors and switch the overhead fans on.

Nicholas reads the news and catches up on world affairs. Getting back after Yoga for me, it's a quick cold shower and Iced Coffee, and then a look around as to what My Daily Chores will be.

Nicholas continues with Upgrades, Repairs and Maintenance. This week, we had Benjamin come start work for us. He is local and a really good hard worker. About 35 years old the heat does not seem to affect him.

Three new additional solar panel installed on our aft cockpit. 

New additional Lithium Batteries on charge and Balancing before installation 

We removed all the solar panels from our Flybridge, 10 x, and removed all the attachments ropes to hold the Flybridge to the awning structure, covering it with heavy duty plastic, Ceran wrap on the junctions etc. It is time to Gelcoat the underside of our Flybridge.

Flybridge relieved of solar panels, masked up and lifted from the frame so that the underside can be painted

Benjamin painting the Gelcoat on the Flybridge

This has been a whole week project$, and will take the whole of next week to complete. Tarpaulin has to be moved to protect decks and cushion backrests. Benjamin has been a huge help. 

The Solar Eclipse was very visible from Meshugga at about 85%. We used Nicholas’ Welders Helmet to view the spectacle. Unfortunately my photos don’t do it justice.  

I've been busy with normal household chores, laundry, cleaning etc, and giving the cockpit Screens a good cleaning. Can't believe the muck that has settled on them during the last 6 months.

Dirty screens

Cleaning the screens on the trampoline

And another month has passed so it’s Ladies Day Lunch again, this one not so well attended, as both the prices were higher and a noisy restaurant location which made speeches, chats and sharing difficult.

Fish with caper sauce, with sautéed veges and fried rice

Cheesecake

Our Catamaran Ladies en-Route back from lunch. Me, Maureen, Jennifer, Ruth and Annie. Thanks Steven for ferrying us. 

Sunday: Fresh baked bread and bacon for BLT lunch.