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Omoa and Comayagua, Honduras, December
4, 2002
Well Livingston
was quite an experience. The Garifuna sure know how to
throw a 200 year-end party. I was glad to be moving again
and going to a new country.
To get to the Honduras we had to first take a launch
along the coast to Puerto Barrios, another once-important
port for the United Fruit company. Omoa
lies on the Caribbean coast about 2 hours east of Puerto
Barrios. Barrios is a rather squalid seaside town with
few still important commerce connections. The last working
train in the Honduras is here which is evident by the
sprawl of tracks that indiscriminately cut across the
main street where the buses and collectivos gather.
Collectivos are an interesting concept. You would
think that these small mini vans which are slightly
more expensive than buses, would be quicker and less
crowded ... not so. I hear the record number of passengers
is 25 not including the driver and steward. I wonder
if Guiness has that record? We only had 14 but we stopped
for everybody. I will never complain about chicken buses
again. Actually I have become quite fond of C.B.'s and
it is a good topic for the forum.
"The many good things about chicken buses." One that
I will expand on later.
So off to the border in a collectivo we go. A routine I am familiar with now. No big problems. Sometimes it seems like I fall into a trance on these road trips. Perhaps it's a protective thing. My senses heighten, I become very alert and time seems to fly by. Or maybe it is the lack of circulation in my legs from my pack on my lap and the crush of people. Whatever, I am ready for it. We arrive at the border, pass through customs and grab a pickup truck to the Honduran side. The customs here is very relaxed and soon we are all waiting for the bus.
It is early morning but it is already getting hot
and humid. I buy a big jug of orange juice, have a smoke
and relax. A big yellow school bus arrives and we board
it. Where are all the vivid colors of Guate's
C.B.'s? Oh well I open the window and try to relax
but the road begins as a half-rock and half-pot hole
cruise at 30 km per hour. The road winds through every
little village along the way. There is no relief from
the bumpy and jarring ride. One hour later the orange
juice kicks in. My bladder is ready to burst and we
have an hour to go.
There are many creative ways to solve problems and
necessity is the mother of invention. The bus only stops
long enough for passengers and there is no bathroom
on this bus. Oh and then I discover the fish in the
back have been leaking down the aisle where I have put
my mandolin bag. The road seems to be getting rougher.
Time to meditate. Concentrate on emptiness. No, concentrate
on ... hell I don't know I really have to go.
Oscar Wilde once said "The road to excess leads to
wisdom." Well I have had an excessive amount of orange
juice and this litre jug is almost empty... wait a second.
O.K., you figure it out. Let's just say I gained alot
of wisdom that day.
Finally the road smoothes out and we arrive at Omoa
the town. The beach and Roli's
place is about a 2 km. walk up the road. We pass
by a 17th century fort on the way. The fort is now a
museum but there is not much to see as far as tourist
attractions go.
Omoa is spread out along the beach and is quite a
sleepy little place. The
beach is nothing special either. What is good about
the place is the quiet atmosphere and the great seafood.
Roli's Place is a haven for the backpacker and he sure
knows how to make them feel at home. Many of the amenities
are included in the price; free fishing poles, kayaks,
bikes, communal kitchen and fridge. He even sells Drum
tobacco.
Roli is originally from Switzerland. Once a backpacker himself he gave up the road about 7 years ago to build this place. He also fixes cars and rents out a fishing boat. He always seems to be busy with something or other. While I was there he built a bike stand and a paving stone path.
What makes the place special is the people that show
up. It's a great place to unwind and refuel on some
good home-cooked meals. I met many great people there
from all over the globe. We ate great food, drank a
few beer, played a few games of ping
pong, chess, cards, frisbee and music. We walked,
swam, kayaked, biked and lounged around reading books.
This is the ultimate chill zone.
On one occasion we celebrated Erin's birthday with
her brother Jim and Bryant. They are volunteering in
an orphanage in El Salvador but were taking a break.
What a great night. The postcard video is from them.
I felt a little blue when everybody left the next day. I was the last person at the party and it was raining with grey skies. The same day, however a whole new crowd showed up. Already I was the veteran and felt like I was working there. Roli had gone out so I just gave everybody the tour and they all stayed til he got back. He was surprised to say the least with 7 or 8 people waiting to check in. The next 2 days we got to know each other and on the final night before many of us were leaving, we cooked up a huge feast with fish soup and the recipe I got from Copan called Chimimulas. It's a mixture of beans, cheese, onions, tomatoes, cream, peppers, chicken and spices poured over fried corn chips. We did not have chips so we used rice. Then for dessert we had Chocobananas. Basically a fondue with bananas, a regional favorite. Wow another great day with some great people.
The next day we went our separate ways, some to the
Bay Islands for diving, some for Gracias in the western
highlands and myself and others for San Pedro Sula to
catch connecting buses. I was headed for Lago Yoyoa
in the central highlands on my way to Nicaragua. There
is a waterfall near Lago Yoyoa that I wanted to see.
Brigitta from Holland was also going in that direction
so we travelled together.
The waterfalls
at Pena Blanca called Catarata de Pulhanpanzak are
truly amazing. We had to descend on a narrow slippery
path using roots and branches as footholds and hand
grabs. At times the jungle was so thick that we had
to duck through the overhanging vines and bushes. The
journey was worth it. The falls plunge over the edge
for 40 some metres into the river below. The mist rises
far above creating rainbows over the churning water.
Later we went to an eco-archeological park called
Los Naranjos. This is a site of the Lenca people dating
back to 2000 B.C. The route was a little confusing and
we had to back track, take a boat
back across the river and walk down a road between fields
of sugarcane and ranches. A rancher picked us up and
drove us the rest of the way to the highway.
The park is fairly new so there was not much to see
yet but the trails are magnificent as they circle the
park and converge on a lookout by the lake. Unfortunately
it was cloudy that day and I did not take many pictures.
The Honduras are just in the development stage of tourism so there is not alot of well defined backpacker routes. The upside is there are not alot of tourists and it is much easier to meet the locals. The Pine forests and sheering mountains are truly amazing. I was told there are many places to camp in this area because it so isolated but there are not alot of camping facilities. This would be a true wilderness trek. You can hire a guide from some local village and just go.
The next day I went south to Comayagua
and Brigitta headed north to Gracias. Brigitta told
me that one thing she does not like about traveling
is that you are always saying goodbye. I guess that
is also true at home only we do not notice it so much.
I told her the upside is that you are always saying
hello again. Hello Brigitta.
Comayagua is a colonial town in the comayagua basin.
At one time it was the capital of the Honduras. It seems
like a nice place but I did not plan on staying long.
The Museum
of Anthropology is definitely worth a visit. It chronicles
the Lenca culture with truly fine displays of ceramics,
jade necklaces, and replicas of cave drawings from the
region. The exhibit is housed in the 400 year old mansion
of the first president of the Honduras.
So next on the trail is the capital Tegucigalpa. Maybe
the weekend for some cultural connections. There is
a little cafe where musicians and poets are rumoured
to hang out. Then I am off to Leon, Nicaragua. Then
sometimes the spirit and the road take you someplace
else. Bye for now.
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Guatemala
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