Great time in Guatemala

A few days ago we went to the ship's lecture about Santo Tomas de Castilla, the port that we would be visiting in Guatemala. Usually the talks are very detailed, not this time though, as no one on board had ever been here before.
It turns out that it is in a very isolated area, and few cruise ships, or any other tourists reach it.
We headed out straight after breakfast, and joined a trip on a little boat called the Happy Fish, crewed by local people.
Our first stop was completely unscheduled, as we were suddenly surrounded by a group of dolphins that were hunting close to the shore. Not a great photo, but you couldn't guess where they were going to pop up.
Next we came across children from a fishing village who paddled out to show us their catch of the day. It was a Saturday so they weren't at school, and next to them were the men of the village fishing with a big net.
It is no exaggeration to say that the whole place was teeming with wildlife, and while the men fished, a group of egrets perched on their boat.
Eventually, we passed the town of Livingston, which can only be reached by boat. The town was founded by escaped slaves, many of whose descendents still live there today.
We sailed past it and up the Rio Dulce, marvelling at all of the birds and watching the locals in their canoes. We then reached an area full of waterlilies where manatees live, but we weren't lucky enough to see any.
Afterwards we stopped at a hot water spring that was the temperature of bathwater, before visiting a village that is home to a large boarding school. The school is run by a charity that enables local children to get an education, and they were all very friendly, although pretty shy.
Finally, we headed back to Livingston for a lunch of chicken, rice and beans at the Happy Fish restaurant.
Fantastic day, the definite highlight of the cruise so far.