Scroll down to see all pictures It turns out it’s a good thing we did not leave here, because in May we discovered water in the oil of our diesel engine… not a good thing. We got a new oil cooler, which we thought was the cause of the problem, and installed it. But that wasn’t it. As neither of us are diesel mechanics, we needed help. We hired Rudy Valle, a Guatemalan who works as a mechanic at another marina here on the rio. Rudy removed the engine from Carina (with help and a lot of muscle) and took it to his workshop at his house. The engine needed a complete rebuild, which is not too unusual after 5000 hours and 24 years of service. Thus began our Bukh engine saga that continues today… we’re still not done.
But life had to go on, and the Sweet River Band was sorely in need of another musician, with only bass and lead guitarists and my vocals. So, after being inspired by two fellow cruisers who play keyboard, I took the plunge and purchased my very own Yamaha portable keyboard. Yikes-what have I got myself into?!? Well, Dad was surely encouraging me from afar, and I am my father’s daughter. He played accordion, then keyboard for years and years… I inherited his love of performing music for others, and I’m really having fun with my keyboard. My family gathered at Shekomeko, NY, the site of our family cemetery, on Dad’s birthday to bury his ashes in a graveside service.
June is the beginning of rainy season, and boy did it begin! It rained the whole month and by July 1st the water level here at the marina was over the docks. We were wading through almost a foot of water on the docks for a couple weeks. This meant it was not safe to turn on the power supply to all the boats, as the power lines and boxes are all on the docks and were underwater. Normally this would not be a big deal, because we would just run our engine to keep our batteries charged and our fridge cold. But of course, we had no engine!! Thankfully, cruisers are always willing to help each other out and our neighbor allowed us to run a power cord from his boat to ours so we had a power supply. The water did not recede enough to restore power to the docks until the 1st of August.
The rain did not stop a group of us from attending a Mayan festival in June at the Qana Itzam Mayan Cultural Center down the river. The local residents, descendants of the Maya, dress in elaborate costumes to perform the Dance of the Deer, and hold a purification ceremony after dark. It was an enlightening experience. We spent the night in a rustic wood and thatch hotel/restaurant and returned to the marina in the rain next day. The photos tell more than words can.
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