On to Honduras... 10/21-24
So we dropped off our rental in Chinandenga, Nicaragua, hopped a bicycle taxi, rode in a mini-van bus to the border, were mobbed by "borderites" who were ready to feast on the gringos. Seriously, it was a mob scene. A bunch of bicyle taxists wait at the bus stop to try and pick up passengers that need to cross the border. So they run alongside the van before it even stops and peek in the window to see whose aboard. And of course upon spotting us they were immediately yelling that they would take us to the border. By the time we stopped they were on all sides of the van, calling into the windows. Blake and I were in the back seats and by the time the other passengers has gotten off, but before we had a chance to move, a couple of guys were climbing on the bus and trying to grab our bags for us and get us to ride their taxi. It was too much for me - I finally yelled out to them "Esperese, por favor! Hasta que bajamos. Fuera del bus!" Which means basically "hold your horses, PLEASE! Wait until we at least get off. Get out of the bus!" They seemed to be a little surprised by my outburst but it served to get them out of the van and a little breathing room for ourselves. After we got out and grabbed our bags they were right on us again like white on rice. The bus driver pointed out one guy to me who was standing back from the mob scene and told me to go with him, because he was well-known and a good guy. I was happy to oblige and enlist the services of someone a little less forceful so I pulled Blake out of the mob scene and we got on the bike and got out of there. The rest of the border experience was much more smooth and peacful, thank goodness. And when we made it safely to Honduras we were able to board a minivan bus that was leaving momentarily for the city and main bus station to the capital of Tegucigalpa.
WEATHER - Honduras was already an improvement in this department. It was a bit more of the "scattered showers" that we had been expecting rather than the all-day downpours. Still some clouds, but a bit more blue sky to be seen, and even a patch of sunshine or two.
TRANSPORTATION - Definitely a more developed country, Honduras doesn't feature the wide variety of man, motor, or animal-powered modes of transportation that we found in Nicaragua. After a short ride in the minivan from the border, we boarded a big tour-type bus for the 3 1/2 hour ride to Tegucigalpa. The plethora of salespeople with fruit, drinks, and food at the bus stop and even boarding the bus was not a new scene to me, but the fact that several young boys were selling microwaved popcorn was definitely a new photo op. Considering how much I love micro popcorn, I was loving the sight. I did refrain for purchasing though... I try to limit my intake of my usual American treats. Gotta try new stuff, right?! In Tegucigalpa the taxis were a sight to be scene. I would have to say that the average age of the cars was probably 1978 - a lot of old Toyota and Honda hatchbacks, and some crazy old station wagon types. It was like riding in luxury if we managed to snag a taxi from the 90s. Another thing about the taxis is they don't have meters. When you hail a cab you ask how much it will cost to your destination, and if you are not happy with the price you can try and bargain a bit, or try your luck with the next guy.
LIFE - The capital city of Honduras is a sharp contrast to that of Managua, Nicaragua. Gone are the donkey carts and available once again are all the American fast food chains. Plus the new "Megamall" in addition to the already present Multiplaza mall - both of which are as nice, if not nicer than malls in the states. Since Blake had lived about an hour or so away from the city for 9 months 4 years ago (while in the Army), he already knew his way around pretty well and had some old stomping grounds that we checked out. Teguc offers a fancy high rise Intercontinental Hotel, and Marriot among others. Plus Tony Romas and TGI Fridays. Definitely more like the major cities that one is used to in the states. There are still some old parts to the city, plus mostly narrow, windy, and hard to figure out where you are going streets. It seems like to get from any Point A to B you have to take 3 rights, a round about, 2 lefts, and a few up, down, and arounds. Everything is very spread out and there are lots of hills, so it is definitely not a place you go walking around from place to place.
SIGHTS - On one of the hills above the city there is a huge statue of Christ holding his arms out. During one patch of clear sky we hailed a cab to get up there and managed to get a few good photos of the city below before the clouds rolled in and the rain came. A definite highlight of Honduras was catching a Honduran league futbol match in the stadium. It was quite the scene of crazed fans dropping sticks of dynamite to support their team and get folks riled up. Plus, instead of the usual behind-the-counter hot dog and soda stands that we have, they have a bunch of street food carts set up all around the inside of the stadium. So its like a street food fair right there in the stadium. Plus there is no end to the folks that are walking up and down the aisles selling beer, soda, cigarettes, gum, banana chips, french frieds, and all sorts of other snacks. One can easily be so distracted by everything that is going on around and forget to watch the game. It proved to be an entertaining one though, and the hometeam came away with a 3-0 victory. Yipee.
After we left the capital city we stayed a night at the Copan Ruins, very near the border with Guatemala. This was a picturesque little town, complete with stone streets and steep hills and a cute center square, all with the back drop of lush green tree-covered hills. The town is a bit of a tourist spot as it is home to the southern most site of Mayan ruins.
ACCOMODATIONS - In Tegucigalpa we stayed at a new hostel, right across from the airport. It was nice and clean and offered free internet and even towels (which is definitely not a usual occurrence on the hostel scene). There were only a couple other folks at the hostel - a couple guys from California, one guy from England, and one guy from Denver (ironic). In Copan we found a great little hotel for cheaper than our hostel had been and even was a private room and bathroom with a TV. Pretty high class for us.
FOOD - We were definitely fans of the traditional Honduran food and had the most fabulous experience at a spot called El Patio. Aside from the great atmosphere - mariachi band, big wood tables and chairs, huge open dining area, and waitresses in traditional dresses - the food was definitely something to write home about. Each of the main meals comes with a whole boat load of sides, so its a good thing we just ordered one. First comes the anafre de frijoles and another de queso - basically this was a ceramic pot of refried-like (but better) beans, with a bit of cheese and sour cream-like sauce and homemade tortilla chips. All of this was sitting on another ceramic pot that had a little warming candle inside, making it like a bean fondue. The cheese one was the same type, but the cheese itself is what really makes it great. Its a white cheese, kind of like mozarella, but better. Then there was a side of veggies (broccoli, carrot, cauliflower) that had been soaked in a vinagre juice of some sort (thoroughly enjoyed by me - the veggie eater of the 2 of us) and then another side of a tomato, onion, cilantro, pico-de-gallo-like salsa (also thoroughly enjoyed by me - the only tomato eater in the group). That was enough to fill me up, but Blake still had the main course coming... a HUGE skewer (probably 14 inches long at least) of big chunks of pork and beef, grilled to perfection. Blake somehow managed to put away the beef while I handled the tasty grilled carrot slices in between each. Needless to say, we left very fat and happy, and quite satisfied with our traditional Honduran food experience. We enjoyed another anafre of beens and cheese with chips in Copan, as well. Had to get at least one more in before crossing the border! And there was a nice surprise when the lemonade drink I ordered proved to be fresh indeed, and was more like a lime slushy. I am won over by the strangest littlest things... Oh, I also had the most delicious cream of asparragus soup in Copan. It was totally fresh, not too creamy, and just the perfect flavor. Plus it came with this fabulous homemade garlic bread, even with little chunks of fresh grilled garlic and herbs on top. Turns out it was made out of a hot dog bun, but who cares?! Definitely the best hot dog bun I have ever eaten!
So Honduras receives a good overall rating in my book. The food didn't disappoint, the weather proved a little more condusive to travel and exploration, and we got to do and see a lot of different stuff - from a local futbol match, to seeing Mayan ruins, to having a drink in the fancy lounge of the 5 star Intercontinental Hotel.
WEATHER - Honduras was already an improvement in this department. It was a bit more of the "scattered showers" that we had been expecting rather than the all-day downpours. Still some clouds, but a bit more blue sky to be seen, and even a patch of sunshine or two.
TRANSPORTATION - Definitely a more developed country, Honduras doesn't feature the wide variety of man, motor, or animal-powered modes of transportation that we found in Nicaragua. After a short ride in the minivan from the border, we boarded a big tour-type bus for the 3 1/2 hour ride to Tegucigalpa. The plethora of salespeople with fruit, drinks, and food at the bus stop and even boarding the bus was not a new scene to me, but the fact that several young boys were selling microwaved popcorn was definitely a new photo op. Considering how much I love micro popcorn, I was loving the sight. I did refrain for purchasing though... I try to limit my intake of my usual American treats. Gotta try new stuff, right?! In Tegucigalpa the taxis were a sight to be scene. I would have to say that the average age of the cars was probably 1978 - a lot of old Toyota and Honda hatchbacks, and some crazy old station wagon types. It was like riding in luxury if we managed to snag a taxi from the 90s. Another thing about the taxis is they don't have meters. When you hail a cab you ask how much it will cost to your destination, and if you are not happy with the price you can try and bargain a bit, or try your luck with the next guy.
LIFE - The capital city of Honduras is a sharp contrast to that of Managua, Nicaragua. Gone are the donkey carts and available once again are all the American fast food chains. Plus the new "Megamall" in addition to the already present Multiplaza mall - both of which are as nice, if not nicer than malls in the states. Since Blake had lived about an hour or so away from the city for 9 months 4 years ago (while in the Army), he already knew his way around pretty well and had some old stomping grounds that we checked out. Teguc offers a fancy high rise Intercontinental Hotel, and Marriot among others. Plus Tony Romas and TGI Fridays. Definitely more like the major cities that one is used to in the states. There are still some old parts to the city, plus mostly narrow, windy, and hard to figure out where you are going streets. It seems like to get from any Point A to B you have to take 3 rights, a round about, 2 lefts, and a few up, down, and arounds. Everything is very spread out and there are lots of hills, so it is definitely not a place you go walking around from place to place.
SIGHTS - On one of the hills above the city there is a huge statue of Christ holding his arms out. During one patch of clear sky we hailed a cab to get up there and managed to get a few good photos of the city below before the clouds rolled in and the rain came. A definite highlight of Honduras was catching a Honduran league futbol match in the stadium. It was quite the scene of crazed fans dropping sticks of dynamite to support their team and get folks riled up. Plus, instead of the usual behind-the-counter hot dog and soda stands that we have, they have a bunch of street food carts set up all around the inside of the stadium. So its like a street food fair right there in the stadium. Plus there is no end to the folks that are walking up and down the aisles selling beer, soda, cigarettes, gum, banana chips, french frieds, and all sorts of other snacks. One can easily be so distracted by everything that is going on around and forget to watch the game. It proved to be an entertaining one though, and the hometeam came away with a 3-0 victory. Yipee.
After we left the capital city we stayed a night at the Copan Ruins, very near the border with Guatemala. This was a picturesque little town, complete with stone streets and steep hills and a cute center square, all with the back drop of lush green tree-covered hills. The town is a bit of a tourist spot as it is home to the southern most site of Mayan ruins.
ACCOMODATIONS - In Tegucigalpa we stayed at a new hostel, right across from the airport. It was nice and clean and offered free internet and even towels (which is definitely not a usual occurrence on the hostel scene). There were only a couple other folks at the hostel - a couple guys from California, one guy from England, and one guy from Denver (ironic). In Copan we found a great little hotel for cheaper than our hostel had been and even was a private room and bathroom with a TV. Pretty high class for us.
FOOD - We were definitely fans of the traditional Honduran food and had the most fabulous experience at a spot called El Patio. Aside from the great atmosphere - mariachi band, big wood tables and chairs, huge open dining area, and waitresses in traditional dresses - the food was definitely something to write home about. Each of the main meals comes with a whole boat load of sides, so its a good thing we just ordered one. First comes the anafre de frijoles and another de queso - basically this was a ceramic pot of refried-like (but better) beans, with a bit of cheese and sour cream-like sauce and homemade tortilla chips. All of this was sitting on another ceramic pot that had a little warming candle inside, making it like a bean fondue. The cheese one was the same type, but the cheese itself is what really makes it great. Its a white cheese, kind of like mozarella, but better. Then there was a side of veggies (broccoli, carrot, cauliflower) that had been soaked in a vinagre juice of some sort (thoroughly enjoyed by me - the veggie eater of the 2 of us) and then another side of a tomato, onion, cilantro, pico-de-gallo-like salsa (also thoroughly enjoyed by me - the only tomato eater in the group). That was enough to fill me up, but Blake still had the main course coming... a HUGE skewer (probably 14 inches long at least) of big chunks of pork and beef, grilled to perfection. Blake somehow managed to put away the beef while I handled the tasty grilled carrot slices in between each. Needless to say, we left very fat and happy, and quite satisfied with our traditional Honduran food experience. We enjoyed another anafre of beens and cheese with chips in Copan, as well. Had to get at least one more in before crossing the border! And there was a nice surprise when the lemonade drink I ordered proved to be fresh indeed, and was more like a lime slushy. I am won over by the strangest littlest things... Oh, I also had the most delicious cream of asparragus soup in Copan. It was totally fresh, not too creamy, and just the perfect flavor. Plus it came with this fabulous homemade garlic bread, even with little chunks of fresh grilled garlic and herbs on top. Turns out it was made out of a hot dog bun, but who cares?! Definitely the best hot dog bun I have ever eaten!
So Honduras receives a good overall rating in my book. The food didn't disappoint, the weather proved a little more condusive to travel and exploration, and we got to do and see a lot of different stuff - from a local futbol match, to seeing Mayan ruins, to having a drink in the fancy lounge of the 5 star Intercontinental Hotel.
posted by Dynasty goes to CR at
10:49 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home