The Finca

We woke up and met Manfred on the dock. We were headed for the Finca. We were all so excited. The day held so many promises and we didn't want to miss a beat. We headed up a river, the smells and raw nature that surrounded us was intoxicating. Manfred gave us a brief hstory of what we were seeing. The mountains were home to jaguars, and if one was lucky, it was possible to see a manitee in the waters. Crockodiles called some of the shore home, while birds dived into the surrounding water for their morning breakfast. We waved to fellow boaters as they past and inhaled the beauty that enveloped us as we headed upstream. It took all of 40 minutes to reach the Finca. Andrea and the kids were waiting. There was horses, cows and sheep, a dog and a cat. It was perfect.! It felt like we were the only inhabitants on earth. The finca was so remote. The house, with it's thatched roof and outdoor living space was amazing, like something out of swiss family robinson. Manfred gave us a rundown of how things worked and where things were. We put our belongings away and settled in, relishing in our great fortune of not only meeting Anrea and Manfred and the children, but being invited to their place as their guests. To live in the majestic beauty of their world for just a day. What an experience for us all. The girls quickly got aquainted with the horses and took to riding them around the enormous property. Mark, myslef and the little ones got versed on the different fruit trees that they grew, the fish pond, and the ways of their remote life. They had two toilets, one inside, as well as a composting toilet outside. Andrea did all her washing in the river, and made all her own bread, and cheese. Not only was she beautiful inside and out, but i was taken by the way that she excepted this way of life and did it with such grace. We talked about having children in a remote place, and the different hardships one endures living off the land with few amenities close by. I felt blessed to know her in those two days. Mark and Manfred were like old friends, chopping down trees in the mangroves whilst getting biten by ants. Fishing in the pond, drinking beer, we were enjoying every moment of our time. Andrea made an amazing pasta sauce and we ate spagetti and homemade bread. The children had fun in the dirt pounding nails and sailing to distant places in the boat. We cooled off in the river and talked until late into the night. Manfred and Andrea gave us their loft bedroom while they took to sleeping in the guest quarters. The rain pounded on the roof of our home on the Finca, but we slept soundly in our beds dreaming of the day we had together with our new friends. The next morning Andrea made us a wonderful breakfast, we hugged her and waved goodbye to the children. I stood one last time on the hill staring at the Finca, at Andrea and the kids, at the horses,cows, the sheep and the dog trying to take a mental picture of this perfect place we hade the privaledge of coming to. I wanted to burn it into the depths of my mind, a place that i could come to on days when i felt overwhelmed. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in that moment i didn't think a picture could possible capture what i was seeing, what i was smelling and how it all made me feel. We got in the boat with Manfred, i closed my eyes and just inhaled, i could feel the breeze blow through me as we headed up river towards our home on wheels. I could smell the Guatamalan nature that was all around me. I wanted to hold onto the minutes that fell by me, to remember this experience forever. The effect that it had on us all that day was a highlight in our lives. Thank you so much Manfred and Andrea, for your kindness, your hospitality, your friendship. We will hold onto our time with you close to our hearts, we will see you again one day.
All our love,
Us