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Honduras - March 29, 2000
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Hi, I'm back... I loved Livingston, Guatemala but during
the end of my time there I started looking at my Central
America map thinking about where I wanted to go next and
Roatan seemed to be calling out to me. It also looked relatively
close. It isn't nearly as close as it seems on the map -
at least for overland travel - but at the time it seemed
like a good idea! Actually, the trip turned out to be a
wonderful adventure.
Roatan
I had heard in the past that Roatan has some of the best
scuba diving in the world. It is the largest of the three
Bay Islands off of the northern coast of Honduras. Once
I figured out that there was a way to get there from Livingston,
I decided to go for a few days. Getting there was the most
uncomfortable travel day I've had. It took 12 hours one
day and another couple of hours the next day, but it also
turned out to be my most interesting travel day. It started
with a boat ride to Puerto Barrios, then a long walk to
find a bus that would take me to the Honduras border, the
bus ride to the border that stopped at the immigration office,
a long dusty and bumpy ride in the back of a pick up truck
after crossing the border with another immigration stop,
and a few more bus rides before reaching the coastal town
of La Ceiba where I spent the night before going to Roatan
on a 15 minute flight for $8. (It was an Islena promotion
that was cheaper than taking the 2 hour ferry!)
It was quite an experience but well worth it because although
uncomfortable, the travel was beautiful through the lush Chiquita banana
plantations at the border, and Roatan was a paradise. My few days turned
into a week. I stayed in West End, which was less built up than I had
expected. That was a pleasant surprise. I think it is generally fairly
quiet, but for some reason it was especially quiet the week I was there.
I went diving a couple of times a day and it was as great as I had been
told. I also had an awesome night dive there. Our guide was excellent
because he briefed us so well on what to look for. We then saw
everything he mentioned and more. I saw so many creatures I've never
seen before!
In addition to diving, every afternoon I kayaked to the most gorgeous
beach at West Bay. I'll always remember my most "active" day. It started
with an hour run at 6:00am, my "rubber band" workout until almost 8:00,
a dive at 9:00, another dive at 11:30, an early afternoon sail with a
local fisherman (he dove for lobster and conch and then we fished for
snapper, providing a perfect sashimi lunch with the sweetest pineapple
for dessert), a two-hour afternoon kayak, a night dive, all followed by
a huge dinner! I slept great that night.
Copan Ruinas
I finally dragged myself away from Roatan and went to Copan
Ruinas in Western Honduras to see another site with Mayan
ruins. It isn't nearly as impressive as Tikal, in Guatemala,
but it is interesting that this area was inhabited for about
2000 years! My favorite parts of the ruins are the stone
carvings and sculptures, something that Tikal really doesn't
have. The fairly new sculpture museum is great and the highlight
of the visit to the site. However, my favorite part of Copan
was the town and people I met there. It is a beautiful little
village with cobblestone streets, quaint buildings, a gorgeous
colonial church and hardly any tourists, at least during
the time I was there. I met a group of Hondurans that were
doing service work there for the poor and I hung out with
them for several days. It was a lot of fun and very educational
as I learned a lot about Honduras and the local customs.
I'm now off to El Salvador to visit the neice of a woman
that I worked with at iPass. It has been impossible to reach
her by phone although I think I spoke with her cleaning
woman today. I hope she still thinks I'm coming! Adios for
now,
Karen
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