Fall Break

I would first like to apologize for two things:
1. My three week absence. Time flew and deadlines were hastily met.
2. Giving you the impression that all we do is travel- which is partially true. But I promise to make you think otherwise in my next post. Also, I am writing this as a display of procrastination from homework (proof that we do more than backpack).

Aside from the antics and my need to justify actions, let's get to the part where you get jealous, assuming you love lakes, oceans, and bumming around the Caribbean.

We first began our adventure in Gracias, on the northwestern side of Honduras. It is a quaint little colonial town and a few of us slept in, drank coffee, and enjoyed the view of this old fort while we waited for two of our more adventurous vagabonds to climb the tallest mountain in Honduras. I admired the pictures on their return.

A hop, skip, and a chicken bus later we were in Roatan. It is one of the Bay Islands off the north coast in the Caribbean and a very popular tourist destination. We even saw a Royal Caribbean liner in port on our ferry out! It is an interesting place because it is technically still Honduras but everything is owned by expats and everyone speaks English. In all honestly, it was a bit of culture shock to have the ability to overhear conversations. Quite odd.
While in Roatan we snorkeled, rode some mopeds, and played countless games of Trivial Pursuit Young Players Edition.
The game can be dated by this one question.
     Q:What is the largest country in the world?
     A: the Soviet Union.
A step down from the 1986 Genius edition I have been seasoned with since a young age at Smith family gatherings. I unfortunately could not carry on the family torch to victory. Apologies, Grandma Jean.

Rounding out the batting order is Lago de Yojoa. I believe it is the most beautiful place I have ever been. The lake  runs right at the base of mountains. We spent nights at a gringo-owned brewery which crafted the best Pale Ale; we spent the day on a row boat in the middle of Lago de Yojoa with novels and nature. It was one of the moments where I wished life had a "pause" button.

I almost forgot! A big, special thanks to all of those wished me a happy birthday. That happened while we were in Roatan, so white sand beaches and Clive Cussler were adequately involved. I've got two decades down and many more to come God willing!

Enjoy the photos and have a (not too scary) Halloween!

This was a marvel! We were in the middle of Honduras and I screamed at the sight of a Pella Windows and Doors truck! I felt some Iowa pride in the moment! 

At the entrance to the fort there were little ruins, and this guy adorned with a little facial hair.

View from the Fort in Gracias. On the upper right is the mountain (slightly covered by the clouds) that the two ambitious people climbed. 

Roatan. 

Lago de Yojoa. 

 

Guest Post: The Parents

I, Addison, am relinquishing my Five Senes over to the parental units. They came down for the weekend and we had a fabulous visit.

In all honestly, I did not expect them (cough cough, my dad) to go so overboard with this project. I didn't get a hold of a draft until after "Hearing" and then I strongly encouraged brevity; then I applied my own sort of brevity - the delete key.

Hope you enjoy it. If not, I'm back next time. 

Time for a guest post from the Gringo visitors from the North.

This will be a poor substitute for Addison's insight into all things Honduran, but Donna and Bob are giving it a try.  Here we go with Five Senses -- 

Hearing --

• we welcomed Honduras with the loud applause of our fellow passengers aboard Delta Flight 849 on Thursday. It is unsettling when the passengers are overjoyed when the pilot gets the forward thrust of the aircraft under control before we run out of runway.  I used to view that as automatic, but once you saw the airfield and surroundings -- you find out its not necessarily so.  
• listening in with Addison's International Development class on Thursday night when a Honduran from the professor's neighborhood came in and told his tale of illegally immigrating to the USA.  A strong Christian man trying to provide for his young family by working hard -- and America gave him that opportunity. It was fascinating to hear such a story from his perspective.  If only there was a way to harness the desire of those who are motivated, hard working and well intentioned.  No easy answers to this one.

Touch --

• the extremely bumpy surface of the cobblestone streets in Santa Lucia and a 50 lb. checked wheelie bag careening down a 20% grade for what seemed like six miles (but was probably 300 yards).  The wheezing was Bob trying to hold on for dear life and lugging it up a gentle grade to La Posada de Dona Estefana (The Best, Most Exotic Honduran Hotel).
• the shock of lukewarm (heck, it was cold) showers with the electric-assist, heater head.  Bracing!!
• a warm hug from Addison's Mama upon greeting us, as she hosted us at her home on Friday evening.  What a lovely lady and welcoming family. Addison is in very good hands!!

Taste --

• fried plantains for breakfast along with eggs, beans, and fresh coffee. 
• SalvaVida beer - cold and smooth
• fresh tortillas

Smell --

• corn cooking in early morning for masa . . . and fresh tortillas
• sweet breads and rolls at Teguc Central Park

Sight -- 

• the unbelievable number of private security persons packing heat outside nearly every store of any consequence -- even delis, Burger King, etc.
• twinkling lights of Teguc at dusk -- like tiny LEDs.  Like a Robert Kincade painting -- only real.

Our trip to see Addison and her Honduran classmates and their program was a great success.  The program is in fine order, the instructors are terrific folks, the kids are really special and we had a great time visiting them.  Three and one-half days were just about enough!!

We invite your continuing prayers for Addison and the Calvin Honduras Semester youth.  They are learning much - academically, culturally and about themselves.

We look forward to having Addie back on December 17.

Above. Addison and Bob on the balcony of our hotel in Santa Lucia.

Above. A view of Tegus.

Above. Donna and Addison enjoying a Honduran style lunch on Thursday: rice, vegetables, chicken, and tortillas. Bob opted for some quesadillas or 'gringas' as they're referred to locally.

Above. View of the Catholic church of Santa Lucia.

Bananas, Maquilas, and Ruins - Oh My!

This weekend was jam packed with good. We had the coolest field trip I've ever taken.

Here's a run down through the senses:

touch: a banana tree! Our first stop was to a Chiquita banana plantation to see how they grow, package, and ship their product. The visit was very interesting considering they've been growing bananas pretty much the same way for about 100 years.
taste: poundcake, bananas, and coke. The ladies at the maquila union were so enthusiastic to have us. So much so that they filled the table with many goodies. Their stories were inspiring and a testimony to labor rights' ability to dramatically affect many lives. The point they pounded home was that we have a choice as consumers. We have the power to reward the company who compensates their employees properly.
smell: large mammal manure. specifically, horses. We had a free day once we got into the town of Copán and chose to ride along the river and up to a field. We were promptly bombarded with small children. Picture of this are below.
hear: the white noise of a factory! I was so excited to put on earplugs properly (thanks to the EH&S team at Vermeer) and walk around a heavy machinery. We visited a maquila and a plant where they turn thread into cloth. The processes and how their lines works were very interesting to see and contrast with other plants I've seen. I was most surprised about how much manual labor is put into packing. Because of company policy, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the factory.
sight: Mayan ruins of Copán. I cannot due justice to these with words or pictures. But I'll display a few shots from our visit below.

Oh, and my parents are coming in Thursday - tomorrow! They're bringing funfetti cake mix and microwave popcorn. I'm pretty pumped.

Housekeeping: I understand that the blogspot comment system is tricky to navigate. If you cannot figure out the system or are just super frustrated (like myself) - email me instead! addie.smith22@gmail.com. I recieve it much quicker and can respond with greater ease. 

Thanks again for reading and following! I really appreciate it.

Take care and enjoy the 15,000 words worth of pictures. 

Gringos taking off of the streets of Copán on horses. This is a frightening sight.

One of the many spectacular views on our ride. 

The cause of some soreness for the next two days. Still worth it.

Before running into ruins we ran into some macaws. They were so cute - and slightly frightening at the same time. I kept having flashbacks to The Birds. 

Warning: I may have gone crazy with the panoramic function. It's just too tempting!

An artist's demonstration of what Copán would have looked like back in the day.

The Japanese had been doing more excavation projects within the city and this exhibit just opened up last month. It's a residential area where they think families of the rulers lived. Above is a representation of the area. Below is what the area looks like now. 

Lastly, there's a museum which houses a lot of the original pieces they find throughout the city. They're kept in this museum to make sure that mother nature doesn't erode them more than 1,400 years she got already.