A Tour of Tortugal

Monday July 15, 2013

It’s occurred to me that we’ve been at the marina here in the Rio Dulce for a few weeks now, and I haven’t really shown any photos of what our new happy home looks like.

First, let me start off by saying that all marinas are not created equal.  Even though we had done no research before we came here and simply picked the place because our friends on Skebenga would be here as well (that,and we heard they just had a new wifi system installed), we lucked out with what I think is the best marina on the Rio Dulce.  It’s light, it’s airy, it’s even eco-friendly, set right in the middle of a nature reserve.  Even though there’s rarely anyone here, the complex is spread out which gives a feeling of privacy.  We’re tucked into a little cove away from town which affords great views of serene palm trees and mountains, and to top it off, we’re one of the few places on the river that enjoys a gentle afternoon breeze, something that is very needed in these hot and muggy conditions.  Here I introduce to you, our sweet little home for the summer.

The restaurant and bar area, which doubles as a movie theater under the stars every Friday night.

Couch and TV in the common area.  Perfect for catching up on my telenovelas.

Billiards table in the common area.  We’ve played, hmmm,…once.

View out to the swimming platform.  They recommend you don’t jump from here.

Bungalow’s available for land travelers.  They see our boats and are probably jealous of us, but really, we’re jealous of them.

The saloon doors to the men’s restroom.  I love the photos.

Seriously can’t get enough of them.

Kayaks available for tooling around.  Or in case your dinghy breaks down.

Cute little bench along the walkways. I don’t think anyone ever sits there, but it’s still cute nonethenless.

The ranchito right next to our boat.  My favorite place to hang out.

The 4 person dorm above the ranchito.  One of Georgie’s favorite places to sneak off to.

There are times I want to pay the $10/night just to be able to hang out up here.

The walkway from the ranchito to the backpackers showers and restrooms (which we tend to use as well).

Showers to the right, and toilets in the back.  And plenty of mosquitoes after dark.

The backpackers showers.  They don’t always have hot water, but in the middle of a hot day, they’re a nice place to cool down.

 View of the boats at dock from the bathrooms.  We’re the hillbilles with the blue tent covering our boom.

 The four room hut for rent at the end of the dock. Sometimes occupied by families, but usually drunk college kids.

 A lounge area looking onto the bay and river.  A perfect place to get eaten alive.