We had really had so much fun around Tela, but a move to a new place always brings yet more fun and new adventures! Our next move was Copan Ruinas, a small town only a kilometre away from Honduras´most famous Mayan site. A small little place, with cobblestone streets and adobe buildings, we wondered how much had actually changed over the last 5oo years!

The idea was to spend only a few days here, but in addition to it being so peaceful, tranquil and spiritual, we also met some amazing locals, and so it ended up rolling into a week. We kept saying, ¨Just one more day!¨. We stayed at a place called Hostal Rosalila, a place run by Senor Rafael Gonzalez and his family. We stayed in a beautiful high ceilinged room with big windows lending themselves to mountain views, and a big comfortable bed, actually the best we had slept on for ages. The family went out of their way to make us feel at home and Iris, one of the daughters, was always tempting us with some home made speciality she had cooked up…which was always good!

We rarely find a restaurant that is so cheap and with such great food that we keep going back, but we did here! Dona Martha at Cafe Allegro served up some great numbers. When I saw ¨vegetarian burrito¨on the menu, I almost passed out! Hey, it´s not over ´till the fat lady sings though…..so, I ordered one and out came this whopping burrito bursting with all types of veggies! I felt like I had found god! Needless to say, we went back there on several occasions. ¨La Casa de Todo¨ (The house of everything) down the road from the restaurant had the best coffee in town (trust us we also frequented this place with gusto) as well as internet cheap enough that I could catch up on all my blog writing.

The archaelogical site of Copan Ruins was a pleasant stroll only 10 minutes or so out of town. Between this site and another one called Las Sepulturas, a further one kilometre on, we spent two full days. The Mayan temples and carvings here stem from one of Honduras´earliest civilisations, settled in 1200 BC or earlier. The history is rich, and the energy overwhelming! So much mystery surrounds the Maya: Why did they suddenly disappear? Where did they go? Why did they build these ceremonial centres? How where these temples built and by whom? So many questions, yet with no definitive answers. As we walked through the ruins, I immagined what it must have been like in the times of the Maya. The best one can do is walk around and be enveloped by the energy! Trying to find answers only seems to aid in making one feel frustrated. It was definitely part of some greater plan!

One of our highlights was meeting Carlos, the architect. He is currently working on the design of a place called ¨Luna Jaguar Spa Resort¨ www.lunajaguar.com (coming soon), a place with natural thermal waters about 45 minutes out of town. Please do not let the word resort throw you off! We would like to congratulate Carlos on an amazing job – he is working on thermal waters in a natural setting, that works with the environment instread of against it! This means small pools or jacuzzis made of stones , replicas of old Mayan statues, caves, and natural wooden bridges, all designed to blend into the landscape instead of stand out. This man has a vision very few in his continent have- he is thinking about the future impact and not just about tomorrow. In addition he treats the workers well, and is also helping them understand what it means to think about tomorrow too. It can be done. We spent an extremely relaxing day there with Carlos, Trevor ( a New Zealander…..who has been to over 100 countries…I´m jealous!) and Jose, the masseuse, and a good one at that. We later spent some more relaxing nights hanging out in the town together as well.

After a full and exciting week, we made our way to Santa Rosa de Copan. This trip jolted us out of peaceful mode and back into travel mode! Back on the chicken bus, which had so many passengers crammed into it, that all I could keep thinking was that if there was an accident we would all be instant minced meat for the local livestock! But, alas, we made it to Santa Rosa alive.

Santa Rosa is a tranquil town….actually so tranquil that we barely saw another tourist. Amongst the very few were Erika and Francesca from northern Italy. Great girls, who also spoke reasonable Spanish. Picture this: Erika and Francesca speaking Italian, Ombi also speaking Italian and making several mistakes (the girls helpfully correcting my Italian / Spanish medley), and Alex speaking in Spanish. And you know what? We all understood each other! At the moment, due to greater usage, my Spanish is much stronger than my Italian. Hopefully, our jaunt to Italy in a few months should help to polish it up. They say that if you don´t use it you lose it, which sadly is true.

Our Sunday with spent with some locals, and a Catholic priest and his family. We met Erik and Ana, the owners of Ten Napel Cafe (on another of my quests for good coffee!), and along with their daughter Pamela, we had a wonderful afternoon on the ¨finca¨or farm of Father Jesus and his sister. It was so lovely to be spontaneously invited. Although the farm was only seven or so minutes out of town, it was so peaceful and tranquil. We went for a couple of walks and with so many trees and foliage, it was like being much further than seven minutes out of town. The rest of the time was interspersed eating brilliant home made food with relaxing. When I saw a big plate of fresh-from-the-farm spring onions cooked in olive oil come out, again I thought I´d found food heaven.

Our Honduran adventure was coming to an end, and we were getting ourselves psyched for El Salvador, the least travelled Central American country. Do we need any other reason to go?

Ombi

Dedication: I would like to dedicate this blog to two people, the first is Carlos the architect from Copan Ruinas, and the other is Keylin, the super friendly young lady that served us coffee at Ten Napel Cafe in Santa Rosa de Copan.

Carlos – you are a wonderful person, with a wonderful heart, and your vision is exemplarary. We not only hope, but are sure that you will succeed in all you endeavour to do. You can count on our friendship.

Keylin – You said that you wanted to travel, and you will……if you really set your mind to it; despite the hardships, anything is possible. In Spanish they say ¨querer es poder¨! (If you want to do something you can). Keep following our blogs and igniting your dream.

Photos: 1.-Town of Copan Ruinas, trasportation. 2.- The archaelogical site at Copan Ruinas. 3.- Mayan Sculpture, Copan Ruins. 4.- At Luna Jaguar Spa, in the town of Agua Caliente.Lto R: Jose, Ombi, Trevor, Carlos and Susie infront5.- The Italian contingent, with Francesca on the left and Erika on the right. 6.- Sunday feast at Father Jesus´house at at Santa Rosa de Copan. 7.- Fresh lemons, no artificial flavours, chemicals or steroids. I am serious, they are natural!

The ferry arrived back in La Ceiba at around 8.00am. We made our way to the city centre, where we headed straight for the tourist information office. Somebody had given us a good lead, Omega Tours. So after a quick phone call and chat with the very cordial Udu, originally from Germany, we found ourselves in a taxi, taking a 20 minute ride out to his and Silvia’s eco-lodge, where we would go on a rafting trip as soon as we arrived. Actually, they were waiting for us, as a group was just about to head off! No rest for the wicked! The days that ensued were yet again, action packed and full of fun and good food!

Omega Tours Jungle lodge is only 9 kilometres from La Ceiba, up a dirt road alongside the Cangrejal (crab) river. As we were driven up, we were presented with a spectacular view of a river cascading over rocks ranging in size from pebbles to boulders, and with a spectacular mountain range in the background. We arrived, dumped our stuff into a room, met Udu, and were immediately introduced to our rafting guides, Jeff and Ben. Bathers on, and we were off! After a short jeep ride to our destination, and a brief explanation of what not as well as to do, we were off…………rafting! Action packed is really the best word to describe our afternoon. This took me back to the Zambesi River in Zimbabwe, way back in 1995, which was the last time I went rafting. Absolutely no less fun though! My favourite part was the 2 metre drop, and we didn’

When we came back, we settled into our room, and properly met Udu and Silvia, who have an absolutely marvellous and self sustainable little operation happening up there in the hills, away from ¨the city¨which is, in reality, so close by. The guest houses are clean and comfortable, and there are a couple of very special cabins, and certainly worth the splurge. Check out their website, www.omegatours.hn The property also has a small orange orchard and various other fruit trees, not to mention excellent food. When I say excellent I should explain: Good quality, good portions and good variety! Bless beans and rice, but I must say I am a little over them! In Central America vegetable options are marginal and boring! It´s a meat lover´s world out here!

The next day was spent kayaking, also organised through Omega Tours. I know, some of us really do have it tough! Our guide was a guy called Alex, and he took us to the Cacao Lagoon, about an hour away. Exploring the lagoon and its mangroves was relaxing, especially as we were able to view birds and wildlife, such as monkeys. I tried to ignore the fact that I was much less than an expert kayaker, often going around in circles and that the mozzies were having a meatfest on my back and legs! Oh, my legs…….be afraid, be very afraid. They are currently looking pretty tragic, with mozzie and no-see-um (these tiny, minute little evil critters that leave bites that itch like hell!) bites all over. I could be a walking advertisement for a join-the-dots colouring book!

Alex and his wife Karen, are in the throes of opening a beautiful bed and breakfast right next door to Omega Tours Jungle Lodge – designed by Karen, and built by Alex. Alex (my Alex) did a contra deal – he would take photos of their superb property, and we would get a night in the B´n´B with breakfast thrown in! I think both parties were happy with the end result. By the way Karen, that was one seriously good (and varied!) breakfast – fruit, yoghurt, home made brown bread (with no sugar, which is the way they seem to like it here), veggie omelet, peanut butter, jam and superb coffee. I never knew that I could find utopia in a breakfast! Please keep your eyes open for their upcoming website, www.casacangrejal.com It should be up by March of this year, and you will be able to see some of the photos Alex took too.

The last week or so had been so full on that we decided that we truly needed a rest. By a rest I mean, no diving, no kayaking, no rafting, just some quiet time. A week earlier, on the bus going from Tegucigalpa to La Ceiba, we had met a lovely lady called Nelly, who had a guest house just outside of Tela, also on the Caribbean coast. She had told us that it was very peaceful and tranquil, yet right next to the beach. That gut feeling thing! We decided to go! The chicken bus ride, as always was enjoyable; mothers feeding their kids local food, men hauling sacks of onions through the back doors, groups of locals chatting about what they had done the night before, and…everyone looking happy! Smiles on their faces!

A word on consumerism: Many of the chicken buses to be found in Central America are old school buses from the USA (photo to the right). They are mostly all yellow, and they have swinging doors that open up at the back as well as the front, and………..THEY ALL WORK!!!!! My point being: this form of transportation has comfortably taken us from point A to B on a multitude of occasions in the past months, so why where they discarded in the first place? Well, here is your answer: We live in a world where (supposedly!) bigger is better, newer is nicer and keeping up with the latest trend is not only imperative, but necessary! Food for thought!

We arrived in Tela at dusk, and not wanting to navigate the bus system after dark we decided to take a taxi to Noni’s Plantation. As soon as we arrived we were greeted with a big hug from Nelly, and we soon settled into a small but comfortable room.

Noni’s Plantation is beautifully situated inbetween San Juan and Tornabe, on a peninsula very close to Tela. As soon as we were free of our backpacks, Nelly took us for a walk. No gravel, no bitumen, just dirt roads lined with very simple houses, yet right on the coast with breathtaking views. This area, amongst other areas along the Caribbean coast, is inhabited by the Garifuna people, who are the descendants of Caribbean Islanders and shipwrecked African slaves. Their language, Garifuna, is also reflective of their ancestry, with the language sounding like an African/ Indies fusion.

I felt like I had entered another country! People with a totally different look and language cooked coconut bread rolls in the streets, fished in simple canoes, and rode their bikes like we would drive our cars. I had to keep doing a mental reality check! By the way, that coconut bread was fantastic!

Apart from lazing on the beaches, and eating good food in simple places, we also walked the 6 kilometres to another place called Miami. Miami is a beautiful but basic Garifuna village on a narrow sandbar between the Caribbean Sea and the Micos Lagoon. I found Miami to be a little more primitive than the other Garifuna vilages I had seen, with the houses all being made out of traditional materials. It was a great experience, and a clear reminder that mod-con and flash is not the way in which we all live!

On the walk back we befriended Michael, a local boy of 13. He gave us some good tips on where it was and was not safe to walk. We all walked back the majority of the way, eventually jumping in the back of a pick-up, with the locals. Back in Tornabe, we sat down in the street and waited for the coconut bread to come out of the “oven”, whilst we interacted and chatted with the locals. It is the best way to get a feel for the people and their culture!

Although we only spent a few days in this area, we had a most refreshing time. Nelly and her husband Carlos, made us feel like we were at home. Nelly would often give us a taste of some of the local goodies she had bought, as well as coffee in the morning. Yet another unforgettable experience! When I hugged Nelly goodbye, we both had tears in our eyes, as she had now become another member of my “family”. As we jumped on the bus and waved goodbye, I wondered when we would see each other again.

Ombi

NOTE: Sorry, I am about to jump on the political bandwagon again! Plans have now been approved, but the contender not verified: They are going to build a resort of Cancun style, magnitude and proportions on the beautiful strip of land that I have just been describing, near Miami Beach. The Garifuna are being “bought out”, and their dirt roads and basic houses will make way for “beautifully” paved roads and a palace that will stand out like a tumour! Why? Why can’t we be happy with natural beauty in a natural setting? Why do we want a holiday that consists of “our current life in a different country”? But mostly, WHY are we hellbent on ruining somebody else’s back yard at the expense of our own “comfort”? More food for thought!

Next: The fascinating world of the Mayan Empire – the ruins of Copan.

(Photos: 1.- Let the rafting begin! The Cangrejal River; the place where our rafting trip begun, near La Ceiba on the Honduran Caribbean Coast. 2.-Yes, what a ride! We made the 2 metre drop! 3.-Looking for monkeys on the Cacao Lagoon, near La Ceiba. 4.- ” Contemplation”, man taking a rest on the beach, near the Cacao Lagoon. 5.- Casa Cangrejal B’n’B. 6.- Chicken bus (old school bus from the USA), crossing the narrow sandbar, Tornabe, Caribbean Coast, Honduras. 7.- Garifuna children on a truck selling second hand clothes, also from the USA, Tornabe. 8.-Alex (”El Gordo”) participating in his favourite hobby…….eating fresh fish in Tornabe. 9.- Fresh coconut bread rolls, straight from the oven to you! Tornabe. 10.- Kids playing on the beach in Tornabe.)

Alex and I have wanted to do a diving course for years, but something always seemed to crop up. Besides having a reputation for being pristine and spectacularly beautiful, Honduras’ Bay Islands, on the Caribbean coast, are also reknowned for having the cheapest world recognised diving courses. So, this was going to be as good a time as any to indulge! I should add that the reefs here, which are a continuation of the Belize reefs, are the second largest barrier reef in the world , after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It is said that that both the snorkelling and diving here is spectacular. We soon found this out for ourselves.

The three main Bay Islands are Roatan, Utila and Guanaja. We chose to go to Utila. The ferry ride over was a little over an hour, and I quickly acquainted myself with the front, and open part of the boat. It was tearing through the water, which may I say was not exactly still. Air and water splashing in my face, I soon forgot that my stomach was in turmoil, and we seemed to arrive in no time at all. Being distracted by the phenomenal views was particularly helpful too.

As we neared the dock, I half-looked and half-prayed that we would not be confronted with what we had seen when we arrived in Bocas del Toro in Panama, which was trash, trash and more trash. I sighed with relief, as we came into the turquoise waters of the dock……without rubbish!

There are quite a number of diving schools on the island, some good and some not so good, and upon arrival, there are a throng of people with options on both where you can dive and where you can sleep. It’s hard to gauge sometimes, but in my humble opinion, it’s about gut feeling. We took several pamphlets and brochures, but our amble started with Laura, a young and friendly Canadian from the Bay Islands College of Diving. First things first, a place to sleep. She handed us over to Topher, who showed us some sleeping options. I want to add here, that everyone at this diving school was super friendly and helpful, and nothing seemed too hard or a bother. Topher walked around with me for ages (whilst Alex sat at the dock with all the backpacks), and I finally decided on a comfy little room, with bathroom and small kitchen. Country Side Apartments was run by the cordial Woodie, and his daughter Rachel. There too, nothing seemed too hard or difficult, and our hosts were both friendly and helpful.

Hot and sweaty, but finally settled into a room, our quest was to find a diving school. As Topher and Laura had been so helpful and friendly, and not pushy (a sure way to make me run a mile in the other direction!), we decided to check out the diving school where they worked, and we were extremely impressed with what we saw (please check out their web site, http://www.dive-utila.com/ ). Besides having a good reputation, to begin with, we liked the vibe of the place, and Michel, the manager, was also helpful and professional. All these factors thrown in together made us feel like this was the place we wanted to do our PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) open water diving course. Remember that name, The Bay Islands College of Diving!

That very afternoon, we began, with Laura as our instructor! This little powerhouse of a woman, was a diving marvel! Looking much younger than her already young 26 years, she had more than 600 dives already under her belt. So, we were off!

We had a comfortable group of four. The other two being Lesley and Kristin, from the USA, who were also lots of fun. The course comprised of various components, which were undertaken in a variety of locations; the classroom, the pool and the ocean. Despite the fact that I was literally raised in the water, and have been a like a fish all my life, there was something about breathing all that way under water that felt a little freaky. The first time we practiced in the pool, my breathing felt so loud that I felt likeI was doing a Darth Vader impersonation! Having said that, I cannot evin begin to explain the surge of emotions I felt on my first ocean dive, and on a coral reef too! Wow, it was a burst of colour, and I felt like I had entered another world! I had entered another world! And all I could think of was, “Why has it taken me so long to do this?”. Over the next few days, there were several more dives, and many more feelings of euphoria. We saw coral, a plethora of fish ( which would take up a blog in itself if I described them all) and a small wreck, just to name a few. It was breathtaking. But more so than visual, it was a sensory explosion! The water really is the Earth’s balance!

Beleive it or not, diving is really tiring, and at the end of each day, we were totally fatigued. We did manage to walk around, interact with the locals, and do a bit of sightseeing however. The island’s food speciality were the super cheap and yummy “baleadas” – a tortilla spread with refried bean paste, some tasty local cheese and some onions. There were a few different people on various street corners selling them, but we decided that Carolina’s were the best! And she made enchiladas too!

I should explain that Utila is really a tiny island, measuring 13 kilometres long by 5 kilometres wide, and that the “main drag” is really only a section of paved road that runs along the shoreline for about 5 kilometres. There are then two arteries that run off that, and that is it! Those “roads” are shared by very few cars, a few more simple motor cycles, a greater number of golf cars and mostly by people! A few times, the things with wheels came rather close to those of us with feet! I wondered how much longer this could last. My guess, as the island’s population increases, is not long! The population is still relatively small and varied. Depending on who you speak to, the estimates are anywhere between 2000 and 7000, and the majority live in the settlement around the dock area. Most of the houses are wooden, and on stilts (it is in a hurricane zone!), and painted in pastel colours, so they have a real Caribbean feel.

I feel that the most interesting facet of the Bay Islands is how diverse the people are, and the fact that English is the prominent language , and not Spanish! Besides “Island English” of course, which is, to the untrained ear, a fusion of English, Spanish, and I am not sure what else. Speaking English does not mean that you will be able to decipher it either. There are whites, there are blacks, and there are all their mixes! Some people are of Caribbean extraction, and some are of English descent. I must say, I was a little taken aback to meet a white, blue eyed “Honduran”, called Glenda Bodden! And then there was Woodie, owner of our guest house, whose first language was English. His accent seemed British with a Caribbean lilt.

Before we knew it, a week had flown by! I should add here that on the day that we arrived, the internet and most telecommunications on the island went down. That meant no contact with the outside world. Normally that would not be a problem, except that my last e-mail to my Dad stated that I was leaving Nicaragua and only passing through Honduras to go to El Salvador! I knew that Dad would be sick with worry, especially thinking that we were actually in El Salvador! Sorry Dad! We do not realise just HOW many things we take for granted sometimes!

We had a 7.15am ferry to catch back to the mainland….and I once again familiarised myself with the front and open end of the boat! It is amazing what a breath of fresh air and amazing scenery can actually do!

Ombi

“There are two ways to have enough. One is to aquire more and more, and the other is to desire less.” – G.K. Chesterton

(Photos: 1.- Utila, West End, Honduras. 2.- Alex with Laura , our instructor, on the boat, after coming up from “down under”. 3.- All the girls – Ombi, Laura, Kristin & Lesley. 4.- Lagoon on Utila. 5.- Life support down under. 6.- Utila Beach.)