2019: Honduras
Gracias, Los Naranjos, Tela, Triunfo de la Cruz, La Ceiba, Rio Congrejal, Utila, San Pedro Sula
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Feb 16, 2019. Cabañas y Restaurante Colon, Triunfo de la Cruz, Honduras ($15).
Taxi to Jardín Botanico Lancetilla: big area, good variety of trees with English explanations, but nothing very photogenic (best was huge bamboo groves), and damn hot. Back to Tela, a banana, a beer, a bus to Triunfo de la Cruz, a bit up the coast, and not supposed to be that cool a Garifuna town, but the other choices are either too small or hard to get to. Anyway, it’s be Saturday night, so might be fun. No info in my guidebook whatsoever. Woo woo!
By the way, here’s the guidebook’s take on Tela:
Tela is a run-down urban resort whose beaches are, sadly, full of trash and in many places simply unsafe even during daytime. Its town center is fairly unattractive and definitely not safe after dark, while its hotels and restaurants are mediocre and overpriced.
Screw that. Really cheap, nice hotel. Plenty of good cheap food, especially liquados (tamarindo my favorite), great latte at the American Expresso chain: I love the place. Now sitting in a bar near the bus station full of weekend local beer drinkers (local brand is Salvavida, about 75 cents a bottle) and of course ridiculously loud music. Half the clients quite dark - I’m in Garifuna land! Across the street, two vultures in a tree. At the next table is a guy advertising Le grabamos su nombre en un granite de arroz.
Downloaded first Harry Potter book, in Spanish, and a Spanish/English dictionary for instant lookups.
Ended up taking taxi ($3) to Triunfo, because it has no regular bus service. Arriving in “town”, the driver asked where a place to stay is, and a boy jumped aboard to guide us to this place. Right on the beach, nice and quiet, Garifuna folks running the place. Swim in the warm Caribbean, conch dinner, maybe music & dancing later on (it is Saturday, after all), a short walk down the beach. A few local tourists in family groups, gentle warm surf. We’ll see if I can stay awake long enough to party tonight...
OK - went out around 9:30. Walked about a half km to the village “center”. Lots of people out strolling. And music! One place had a group of drummers and a singer wailing away, and many mostly large women shaking their booty, taking turns soloing in front of the drummers. Nice and loud and fun. Bed by midnight (late for me).
Had a second meal at a stand: thin strips of beef, spicy sausage.
Plan: taxi back to Tela (phone call already arranged) > coffee at Expresso Americano > bus to La Ceiba > lunch at El Jardin de Susana or Pupusaría Universitaria or Chef Guity > call for ride to Jungle River Lodge or La Moskitia Ecoaventuras, or take bus towards Yaruca or Las Mangas.
Feb 17, 2019. Hotel de la Costa, La Ceiba, Honduras
Taxi back to Tela (the same one I took yesterday), then bus (very nice, and air conditioned) to La Ceiba. Some horchata and peanuts for breakfast.
Random observations: Oil palm plantations. All homes have bars on doors and windows. Bananas. Corn. Sugar cane. Clear and hot. Motor hotels (like in Guatemala and El Salvador: pay by the hour). Rambutans at fruit stands. Clothes drying on lines and fences. Pepsi and Coke. Salvavida beer. Tamarindo juice. Kia buses and cars. Not much wall art. Every home has a satellite TV. Silverware wrapped in paper napkins. Stores locked - knock to open. Vendors selling meals, snacks, fruit, drinks, medicine, watches, chiclets on buses. No coins. Pollo restaurants everywhere. Christian sayings on buses, restaurants, hotels. Lots of ATM’s. Dorito look-alikes.
Still doing daily stretches and alternate day pushups. But feeling slow, stiff, lacking energy. Happy to sit around and nap. Bed by 7 or 8. Wake up a few times nightly for a pee and maybe a little reading. Left leg gets stiff and a little painful on bus rides. Walking straight (without sticks) always somewhat tricky. Getting old! But Spanish seems to be picking up - at least the talking part. Still can’t understand much of what’s said to me. Hearing getting worse? Maybe have ears cleaned?
Oh oh - long iPhone wire no longer works, and short one beginning to cause troubles. Could my iPhone be getting to be unable to charge? (This accessory may not be supported...) NOOOO!
Walked around town last night, ended up at Le Jardin de Susane for a really good camarón salad.
Now in habit of seeking out the best restaurant- which means meals are not that cheap ($5 - $10). Very little beer consumed- just not interested. Prefer liquados, or a Coke.
Read: The Longest Line on the Map, The Woman in the Window, Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World, Everything You need to Know about Latino History
In Utila: Rupy’s Hotel: room #6 but could be all booked)
Pumpkin Hill: lots for $12,000
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