Beyond the farm and into Honduras

Matt and I originally intended on staying at the farm for only three weeks but we flirted with the idea of staying an extra week to avoid the busy Easter week. In the end we decided to move on so we utilized our short time here in Central America. Also, our bodies and minds are anxious to get home so moving South makes us feel like we are getting closer to home.

We also originally planned to go to Utila, Honduras, an Island that is known for great, yet cheap diving. However, as usual our plans changed. Brooks, Justin and a friend from their home were planning a trip to a Caye in Belize and invited Matt, Christian and I. For three days we relaxed on the beach burning off our massive amounts of bug bites and drying out our sweaty skin in the salt water. It was amazing and refreshing. One day we took a sailing trip to three different snorkeling sites on the same reef that reaches the Islands of Honduras. In fact, this reef is the second largest in the world with the Great Barrier Reef in Australia being the biggest.

Our first snorkel site seemed intimidating since it was open water and no land in site but once we jumped in our fears were subsided with excitement. We got to see MANATEES!!! They are an endangered species and many divers and snorkelers dream of seeing them. It was exhilarating! Our second dive we went to shark alley and saw, reef sharks (small ones though we saw a shadow of a larger one maybe 30meters away), sting rays, eagle rays, Grupers and an array of many other fishes. Our last dive was no less exciting since we got to see Sea Turtles and beautiful coral life. The Carribean water had near perfect visibility and it felt as if we were in a movie it was so beautiful. To top it off, we ate fresh fruit and ceviche (Latin sushi with pico de gallo) while hanging off the side of the sailboat.

It was hard to leave such a beautiful place but Matt, Christian and I had to bare a sketchy night in Belize City before heading off to our separate destinations. Matt and I took a bus to Punta Gorda, Belize and then a boat taxi to the lively Livingston Guatemala. It was a relief to be back in Guatemala and revilitalized our excitement for travelling. Once in Livingston we took another boat taxi through a winding river and lush tropical rainforest to Rio Dulce. If I could convince my Dad into buying and keeping a sailboat in the Carribean this would be his launching point. Massive sailboats anchor next to quaint Palapas´s and cabins that line the river coast. Though we didn´t spend much time here we took note to return soon.

All of this was travelling was done quickly so we could beat the rush of tourist and locals travelling to the coast for the Easter break. Matt and I, however, had other plans. We wanted to get away from the crowds and enjoy a quiet Easter (Semana Santa) in Copan Ruinas, Honduras. We were excited to be exploring another strange and wonderful Central American country. Honduras is another anomaly. Though it is not as developed as Guatemala and seriously lacking infrastructure, the clothing attire and culture is much more modern. Mayan history is shown every though it is just that, ¨history.¨ The town is made of Spanish Colonial building and roads with a quaint and safe atmosphere. Though there is less English here than most other Central American countries we have developed enough Spanish skills to comfortable get around and talk to the locals.

In Copan Ruinas we enjoyed visiting the old city of Copan Ruinas located 2km outside of town and visiting Macaw Mountain. Copan Ruinas was not as grand in size as Tikal but the hieroglyphs and stelaes were more detailed and abundant which made it a bit more magical for me. There was a massive staircase made with stones that each had unique hieroglyphs carved into them.

Macaw Mountain is an aviary sanctuary where there are Macaws, obviously, Owls, toucans, an assortment of parrots and other tropical birds. All of these birds were taken from illegal trade/sell, abusive homes or were in loving homes but turned aggressive. None of the birds were taken from the wild and if they believe the birds are capable of living in the wild they are set free. There was a fun interaction center where Matt and I took turns holding the Macaws on our arms and shoulders and of course took to many pictures. At one point Matt thought one of the Toucans would be willing to jump on his arm and put his hand just a bit too close. Now Matt will be going home with a small scar and a good story. Toucan Sam´s beak is no joke!

The last aspect I want to cover is Semana Santa. Easter Week here in Copan Ruinas, though not as famous as Antigua, is something special. For an entire day church groups use sawdust to paint religious pictures into a street in the city center. Then on Good Friday the have a procession carrying a plastic Jesus and on BIG wooden cross for ten hours around the city and surrounding towns. On their return to the city they end the procession by walking over the sawdust pictures in the street. I didn´t last watching the procession more than five minutes but the festival overall had hours worth of entertainment.

After Copan Ruinas we stopped in a small town called Gracias. There isn´t much to say about this town or anywhere else in Honduras. Tourism isn´t popular in Honduras for a reason and we wanted to move on quickly. We arrived in Leon, Nicaragua yesterday and in my next post I will be excited to tell you about our adventures here.

Only 13 days left...