Lívingston Relaxation

During our vacation break from teaching classes, we decided to head to the beach! The Caribbean coast of Guatemala is not very lengthy, but provides a unique culture unlike the rest of the country. The town of Lívingston, only accessible by boat, is home to the Garífuna people. Garífuna are descendants of Africans brought to the islands in the Caribbean but were cast off to the coasts of Honduras and Guatemala many years ago. They speak an indigenous language made from a combination of African languages, as well as Spanish, and quite often English. Being of African descent they connect more with the hip-hop culture of the United States more so than the rest of Guatemala. And amazingly enough, there is a huge community of about 50,000 Garífuna in New York.

The highlights of the trip were firstly, plenty of seafood choices for Toby which he indulged in at almost every meal. Included in the seafood fest was a portion of tapado soup the local seafood specialty made of coconut milk, plantains, and an assortment of sea animals like octopus, shrimp, squid, whole perch and crab. This is a must try!

Secondly, we trekked 2 hours along the beach in search of the hidden Siete Altares (Seven Altars) waterfall. We finally arrived to a beautiful river cascading more than 7 times, but creating refreshing pools for our swimming enjoyment. Up into the jungle, the highest pool is the deepest, and has a large waterfall, where one can sit on the rocks. Funny enough, when we arrived at the best pool there was a large crowd of Guatemalans hovering around the edges, but not swimming. The majority of Guatemalans do not know how to swim, so we prepared for their stares as we dove in. Needless to say, there was a lot of staring, and then a few macho guys struggled to swim over to the rocks, as I jumped into lifeguard mode and prepared for a rescue. No accidents occurred, but we continued to enjoy the falls and the beautiful scenery.


Thirdly, we stayed in a bad-ass hotel on the river, with a private thatched cabaña, complete with mosquito netting. This hotel had a serene tropical flower garden, a hammock way out on the dock, and incredible iced lattes. We just relaxed the day away watching white herons and pelicans as we sipped our coffees and read.

Lastly, the Caribbean sea was quite memorable. Although not sparkling like the gorgeous beaches of Hawaii, the temperature was incredible and a refreshing break from the humidity. Toby and I have never experienced water so warm! It was like swimming in a therapy pool.

The long bus ride and efforts to arrive at the coast were well worth our trouble. The food and culture of the Garífuna people are strikingly different to the Highland Mayan we are accustomed to in our daily lives. The water soothingly relaxed us every day!