Rain & Travel

The rainy season here is worse than the rainy season in Portland! Parts of Honduras are on red alert for floods and landslides. It rains hard, nonstop, all day and all night. It isn´t cold like it is at home, last night was actually the first time I have been cold here in La Ceiba and it was mostly because I took a shower (cold water of course) and got into bed around 1 am with wet hair. Also, I failed to pack any sweat pants... Bummer.

My mom, aunt Gloria and Greg all just left yesterday morning. I met them in San Pedro Sula last Saturday and we spent a week away traveling. They wanted to give me a week of rest and relaxation away from the Hogar which they did and it was amazing! We spent the first 3 nights in Copan and visited the ruins, a bird sanctuary and a coffee plantation. We stayed in the most beautiful hillside Hacienda that had the most amazing food I think I have ever eaten. The huevos rancheros were about 100 times better than the ones at the orphanage (which I like as well), the coffee was fresh, local organic coffee, the chicken was the most tender chicken I have ever tasted. Also, to conserve energy and add to the atmosphere the Hacienda is fully lit by candles. There are about 15 candles in each room and all of the grounds are covered with candles, the dinning area, kitchen, etc. It was so peaceful and just gorgeous. Also I was able to take hot showers which were amazing! Especially now that it is a bit colder here. We were able to shop around Copan and get the lay of the land, we even got to pile in and take some rides in the tuk-tuk cabs.

From Copan we took the bus back up to San Pedro and then caught a flight to Roatan (one of the Islands off of the Caribbean coast of Honduras). Roatan was a blast as well. A storm had just passed through before we arrived so it seemed as if we were the only ones on the island. Well us and plenty of the armed security guards. We had one day of beautiful weather on Roatan and we were all able to lay out and read, swim and kayak in the Caribbean ocean, and walk up and down the beach while Gloria lagged behind digging for her seashells. What was surprising to me about Roatan were the prices... The prices were just the same as they are in the States for food, drinks, hotels, etc. The other Island, Utila is much cheaper and a bit smaller. We chatted with our hotel bartender, Tim, who explained that the cruise ships have driven up the prices. He also explained that many Hondurans from the mainland have been moving over to Roatan to find work because they pay higher wages on the Island. Tim mentioned that this has increased the violence on the Island as well, and that the mainlander Hondurans have been bringing weapons, guns and knives over to the Island. Because of this in the next couple of years the government will be passing a law that Hondurans cannot move to Roatan freely, they will have to apply for the proper paperwork so that the jobs on the Island can be reserved for "locals," the people born on the Island. Tim talked about how this will cause a lot of controversy because the 3 Caribbean Islands are all considered Honduras as well as the mainland, so not allowing people to move freely within their own Country...? I found this very interesting. Also, if you think about the root cause of all of this... Tourism and cruise ships. It is tourism and the cruise ships and the people that are moving to Roatan from Europe and the States that are driving the prices up and now as a result there is a greater desire to move to the Island which will eventually cause a greater segregation between the mainlander's and Islanders...

OK back to the vacation... Roatan was amazing! The kayaking was awesome, again pretty good food, and the people were very nice. We met about 5 people or couples who were from somewhere in Oregon. It is a small world.

While were were on the plane as well as the buses we took we were able to see a great deal of the damage that had been caused by the rain. From the plane we could see how high all of the rivers were and all of the lands that were flooded. From the buses we were able to see how the roads had been affected and washed out in many places.

From Roatan we took a ferry to La Ceiba and then made a trip out to the orphanage so the kids could meet my mom and aunt. I had mentioned they would meet my mom about 2 weeks ago and from then on anytime a woman showed up, regardless of her age, race, etc, they would run up to the woman and ask if she was my mom. So it was nice for them to finally meet her and Gloria. Also, they had been bugging me about when Greg would come visit again so they got to see him as well. We took all of the kids, with the help of 3 volunteers, into La Ceiba to the mall shoes shopping so that each one would have a pair of proper tennis shoes for running and wearing around. My mom, aunt Gloria, our family friends the Kopca`s and a friend of my aunts were nice enough to donate the money to buy all of the kids a pair of shoes. The kids were adorable picking out their shoes. We took them in groups of about 5 into the store and they were able to select the shoes they liked, try them on and make the decision of which pair they wanted. The kids and the shoes went back to the orphanage while we stayed in La Ceiba. I was up late last night getting all of the shoes ready to give to the kids and matching them all up with a jersey and a pair of socks, both also donated. When I get back today I will be giving the kids each their boxes of goodies and I will snag some pics to put up later this week. I cannot wait to see their faces, it is going to be adorable.
Funniest moment on the trip: We were on a bus from Copan to San Pedro Sula and I needed to go to the bathroom. The bus stopped to let me off and I ran up to a little construction site where they were currently working on constructing a building and had just completed part of the bathroom. I ran in and 2 guys put up some wood slats to cover the gap where eventually they would put a door. My aunt Gloria also had to go so when I was finished she walked in and I covered the gap and stood at the door. About 30 seconds later I hear her yelling for me to let her out. She runs out saying she almost peed herself but couldn´t use the toilet because of the huge frog. I was thinking I would walk in and see this little, maybe fist sized frog... I peeked in the bathroom and there was this HUGE toad sitting in the middle of the room. It was about the size of a standard size 5 soccer ball. It was huge! We ran to the bus cracking up.

Favorite meal: Hands down the breakfast at the Hacienda San Lucas in Copan-fried eggs with the most amazing salsa with fresh veggies and homemade corn tortillas, fresh made beans, and amazing coffee! Also the dinner, grilled chicken with a rich adobo sauce, with amazing sauteed veggies, rice, beans and tortillas... Mmm...

Best victory: I beat my mom and Greg in a kayak race from a buoy in the Caribbean ocean to the gate of our bungalow. I was so far ahead that I still won despite the fact that a wave knocked me over as I was approaching the shore.

Best drink: the bananarama-fresh strawberries, banana, pineapple juice and rum.

I was even able to vote this week! Greg brought me my ballot and I was able to fill it out in time to send it back with him. A couple of volunteers and I are talking about spending Tuesday night in Ceiba to watch the elections... I don´t know whether it will happen but we shall see.

I hope everyone is doing well. I am sure everyone is getting into the Holiday mood. I am trying to talk some of the volunteers into going to Copan with me for Thanksgiving to eat at the Hacienda... Mmm.

Take care.
Also, I promise pics this week!