DREAM AWAY Update 12-11-2016
Greetings,
Yes, I know, where is DREAM AWAY, and where are Jim and Kitty? Are they alive, are they well, why don't they send out updates? The reasons are that we have been very busy, and our lives just seem to be very full, even though we are "retired".
Well retired, we are not! If you recall from our last update, we had temporarily taken over management of Monkey Bay Marina. It became clear, after several weeks, that the previous manager was not coming back. The marina owner, Karl, asked if we wanted to continue on with the management of the marina. Kitty and I talked about it, and decided that we would probably stay on as managers, at least until the end of 2017.
Since we agreed to continue management of the marina, it has been a lot of fun in many ways. One thing is our Spanish is getting better, not good, but better. Our guardian and his family are very tolerant of us, and they have been a great help. Efrain, our guardian, is great with keeping the marina maintenance up, and helping me with the problems and issues that come up. Overall it is good.
Near the end of June, and the first of July, Judy came down and visited with us for about ten days. We met Judy in Guatemala City, and then went right to the Rio Dulce. We had planned to go to Antigua from Guatemala City, but it was raining so much in Antigua, we decided to take a chance, and go there at the end of her trip.
When we got on DREAM AWAY, we kicked back and relaxed for a couple of days. We showed Judy around to some of the interesting sights here, and to some of our favorite restaurants and people. On one day outing, our friend Jody drove us to one of the more famous Mayan ruins very close to us. It is called Quirigua, and it is really wonderful to see.
We then went down the river in DREAM AWAY, and anchored in Bahia Buena Vista (Gringo Bay). We visited with our good friend Jennifer, and had a great time swimming, and just kicking back. Jennifer, being the sweetheart she is, loaned us her launcha, and Kitty, Judy, and I went down the canyon of the Rio Dulce to the town of Livingston. We did not stop in Livingston, but we drove around the harbor, and came back up the canyon. On the way back, we stopped at Texan Mike's restaurant, and Kitty and I had a burger. Judy just had a coke, as she eats kosher. We got back to DREAM AWAY, and did the kick back thing again.
The next day, we went back up to Monkey Bay Marina, and got tied up to the dock. We had a nice meal, and made plans to go to Antigua the next day. We took the bus to Guatemala City, changed to a smaller bus, and went to Antigua. As it turned out, it was a short taxi ride from the bus stop to the hotel. We got settled in, and were pretty tired, so Kitty went to a restaurant very close, and got take out. Kitty, Judy and I had a nice meal on the patio just outside our room.
We had a nice couple of days in Antigua, visiting friends, and visiting the historic sights in the city.
On the morning we left Antigua, we took the taxi to Angie's Guest House, and dropped off our luggage. We then had the taxi take us to the airport, where we saw Judy off to go back to Atlanta. Kitty and I went back to the hotel, had lunch, and then we walked down to see my dermatologist. It was a good appointment, no cutting, so we went back to the hotel.
The next day Kitty and I got on the bus, and came back home to the Rio Dulce, and DREAM AWAY. I know I have been bad about doing the DREAM AWAY Updates. I do write a log every day and when I am on a project take pictures when I remember. Someday, I will really be retired, and get all of the news out on what has been going on.
In August we flew back to Atlanta to attend our son's, Stacy, 50th birthday party. The actual party was not a surprise, but having his mother and father show up at the party, was a huge surprise! The party was a great success, and Stacy had 80 of his closest friends attend, plus his parents and his sister!
We also did all of our medical, dental, and vision appointments. We were very busy during the whole trip. We arrived into Atlanta on a Wednesday evening at 1900, and our first appointment was at 0900 the next day. We left on a Monday, and my last dental' appointment was the Sunday before we left. I think of the 12 days we were there, we did have appointments on all but three of those days!
With the Christmas holidays coming up, we wanted to say that we are well and happy and ask a favor of all of you. As you know, I am the Santa Clause for the Casa Guatemala orphanage here on the river. Last year I did the Santa thing, but never got the event or the photos in a DREAM AWAY update. If you would like, you can see a couple of the photos and read about it in an article in the Rio Dulce Chisme Vindicator, our local on line newspaper. Of course, I will be doing the same thing this year and be the Santa for the Casa Guatemala orphanage.
As a help to make sure we get plenty of presents for all of the children, I am asking you to read the article on the Rio Dulce Chisme Vindicator, about a postcard, and a Miniland donation. If you will fill out the postcard, and send it on, a present will be sent to a child at the Casa Guatemala orphanage.
I hope this update finds everyone healthy and happy. Have a wonderful holiday season and a safe New Year.
regards,
jim & kitty