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On Thursday evening, Christina and I grabbed our bags and hopped on the bus for Pico Bonito National Park. Luckily, we made the last bus at 6:30pm. It is about a 2 hour bus ride to La Ceiba and then we took a taxi to the Jungle River Lodge in Pico Bonito (about 20 minutes down a bumpy, gravel road). (I visited this same place in January with my sister and 2 friends). We decided to stay in a private room (as opposed to the dorm room that you share with up to 6 other people and has a shared bathroom outside). Our room had private bathroom and a full bed with another full bed in a loft above. It was late so we ate dinner and went to sleep.
On Friday, we woke up and went to breakfast. The lodge is situated right in the jungle perched on the edge of the Rio Congrejal.
The dining area/bar has the best view of the river and jungle and has a pool and adventure equipment stored below. As in most of Honduras, it doesn't really get too cold here so everything is open air. The window in our rooms only have screens. 
The view is so amazing it almost seems like a painting.
The lodge offers a few different adventure day trips: white water river rafting, kayaking, jungle hiking to waterfalls, treetop canopy tour, and mountain biking. I had hurt my foot fairly bad during the UN day and was worried about hiking. Some people mentioned the rafting was fun so we decided to try it.
Neither of us had done it before so we were a little nervous. The guides, Darwin and Elias, gave us life jackets and helmets and then led us up the river. They taught us how to row forward and backward, how to get on the floor in rough rapids, how to ride on the side of the raft, and what the commands are for each action. They also had us practice floating on our backs with the current and grabbing the rope in case we fall in and missed the handles on the raft.
Then we hopped in the raft and headed down the river. Overall, we rafted through Class I - Class IV rapids. Not too shabby. The water was cold and it was raining out but with the adrenaline pumping through us we barely noticed. It was a rush of excitement. The end of the river was calm and we got to just lazily float by and take in all the gorgeous scenery and wildlife.
Afterward, we dried off and changed into warm clothes. We then walked up the dirt road to a suspension bridge that crossed the river. Those afraid of heights would not want to attempt crossing this. The view from the middle was great though. 
We headed back to the lodge to read, eat dinner, and talk with the other guests. We met people from places like: Texas, Russia, Germany, Boston, and Washinton D.C. One girl from Germany had been working and living at the lodge for 7 months and she had to go back to Germany on Sunday for an unplanned reason. She didn't want to leave and it was a sad weekend. We spent a lot of time with her and the guides and owner (all Honduran). We quickly were included into their family. They even have two macaws that will occasionally talk to you. 
On Saturday at breakfast we discussed which adventure to try (I had already been on the hike back in January and my foot was still recovering so that was out). Somehow, unexpectedly, we both decided to do the treetop canopy adventure. Neither of us had done this before and we were once again a little frightened. We had the same main guide, Darwin, as the day before. We were strapped into our harnesses and donned our helmets yet again. We were led through the jungle to the first platform. On the way we learned about some plants you can use for soap, for stomach aches, and for good dreams.
There are 9 ziplines altogether, the first and last go over the river and the rest are through the jungle. Basically, your harness has two cords with a clip attached to the end of each one and those are attached to a trolley which attaches to the top of the zipline cable. With thick gloves on, one hand holds onto your harness cords and the other holds onto the cable so you can keep yourself straight and you can slow down when needed. As you fly across the zipline cable, you lay back, put your feet up, and enjoy the quick ride. It was very relaxing and fun and not the least bit frightening. My only complaint is it didn't last long enough.
Check out the videos of us:
Here is a link to me flying over the river:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiGgoqxNZvA
Here is a link to Christina zipping over the jungle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkSGjZyyvGY
Afterward, we walked up the dirt road to a small nearby village, El Naranjo. There was a sign for a tourist center with local handicrafts for sell but we couldn't find the building. We asked a boy and he led us to a woman's house. She brought out a plastic bag and proceeded to take out some jewelery and carvings one-by-one for us to admire while chickens and ducks pecked around our feet. The "store" consisted of about 15 items total. It was lovely. Oh, and the woman had gold stars on her teeth.
Since Christina and I already went on 2 adventures and were running out of money, we decided we were going to head back to Tela that night. We informed the lodge we would need a ride to La Ceiba before 5:00pm to get the last bus back to Tela. They said it would be fine. Then at about 4:00pm the owner decided they all like us so much they want us to stay another night. We explained that we had no money to pay for a room or eat and he said it would all be on him. How could we say no to that? So we stayed another night hanging out with the owner, Oscar, the guides and the German girl, Roma, who sadly was getting ready to leave. We slept in the bunkhouse that night with 5 other people. Everyone was very quiet and respected the other peoples right to sleep.
On Sunday we woke and ate breakfast, pancakes and cereal, and basically relaxed with the others until our ride came at about 1:30pm. Our ride, by the way, was a huge army vehicle. The back had bus seats.
I was sad to say goodbye. Although I had only been there for 4 days, I spent a lot of time getting to know all the people and relaxing in the natural beauty of the area. It was all very welcoming. I will come back again.
For United Nations Day, each class was assigned a country to represent. 3rd grade (my class) was assigned the United States of America and 2nd grade (Christina's class) was given the Philippines. Each class needed to make a large banner to carry in the parade that showed the highlights of their respective country. They also had to learn and song or dance and wear clothing or a costume representative of their country.
We spent most of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday practicing our routines and making the banner. They was almost no teaching of actual lessons (unfortunately). The parade was on Thursday.
Christina and I arrived on Thursday at 11:00am as instructed and, of course, no other administrators or teachers arrived until noon. We set up tents and chairs for the parents and students. At about 1:00pm, all the classes lined up for the parade. We marched down the street, to the end of our barrio, and back again. We were even escorted by an ambulance with siren blaring. It all went very smoothly. (Notice the hamburger, hot dog, Statue of Liberty, and dollars on our poster. By the way, unlike other classes, my poster was all student created). 
Back at the school, we all took our seats to watch the student performances. The principal discussed the meaning of today and began to introduce the first class. Right then, the electricity was shut off. The city turns off the electricity at least once a week so we were not surprised. The problem is most classes had music on CD's to dance to and now they couldn't. The school didn't really know what to do. They had the parents go eat some food they had for sale and then we waited. And waited. 
Cuba is waiting (a Cuban rockstar guarded by Fidel Castro & Che Guevara):
We waited 2 hours. Finally, the principal had my class and another class perform since we didn't need musical accompaniment. My class performed "This Land is Your Land" with body movements. 
The other class (representing Brazil) performed a little Capoeira. One of the boys could play a unique wooden instrument. 
Then we continued waiting. Finally someone got the idea to locate a generator. A few cellphone calls later and the show was back on. Unfortunately by that time, many parents and students had already given up and went home. The cute kindergarteners and 1st graders didn't perform because not enough were left
but Christina's class got to go on. The performed a typical Filipino dance called Tinkling. The kids were great. Click on the link to see a sample of their dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2SakVoVuq0
Japan demonstrated a little dancing and karate:
Except for the electrical problems and waiting, it was a very enjoyable day. The kids had a lot of fun performing and dressing up. Plus, Friday we had no school for the holiday so after it was all over, Christina and I grabbed our bags and hopped on the bus for Pico Bonito National Park.
I haven't been able to write to the blog lately because I have been busy.
I got to go home to San Diego for a short visit. I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to (including all the kids and teachers at Carson Elementary) but I got to see my sister, my parents, and some friends.
I went to 2 movies (Halloween and Darjeeling Limited). I was able to spend a day in L.A. visiting friends and going to an art gallery (La Luz de Jesus). I went an art show in San Diego (Ray at Night) and saw some live bands (Woggles, Creepy Creeps, Secret Apollo). I even got to wish my friend Tiffany Happy 21st Birthday and stroll down the O.B. pier. 
The best part was being able to go out to dinner and having my favorite foods: banana curry (Bombay), potato flautas (Pokez), zuchini tacos (South Beach), and of course bean and cheese burritos (El Zarape). I spent way too much money replenishing my supply of books and cd's.
When I returned to Honduras, the hassles started right away. My plane left at 2:00am from LAX. After waiting in an hour-long security line, I slept most of the way for the short flight. When I landed in San Pedro it was noon and I was hot, tired, and starving. I began looking for my ride (the principal's father) who was going to take me to Tela. Instead, I found the principals brother waiting for me. He explained that the father is out of town in La Ceiba and wouldn't be able to give me a ride. The brother was sent to meet me and take me to the bus station. Oh, great! So I got to ride on a sweaty, crowded, 2 hour bus to Tela. I was dropped off at the end of our street. By now it was 2:00pm, hot and humid, and I had to carry my backpack and two large suitcases (stuffed with food, books, and machine-washed clothes) down to the house. It was definitely not what I was looking forward to.
I finally made it to the house drenched in sweat and opened the front door. THE HOUSE WAS COMPLETELY FLOODED! The kitchen sink was on full-blast and there was water everywhere. Christina had left town 2 days before so the water must have been on the whole time. Since our water is shut off on a daily basis, Christina had turned on the kitchen faucet, nothing came out, and she forgot to turn it off again so when the water came back on later...Whoosh!
I immediately ran to my room to see what was ruined: my teacher plan book, my grade book, my Honduras travel guide, a book, and some student work. Everything else was soaked but not ruined. Then I had to spend the next 3 hours, in the heat, sweeping all the water out of the house. I hadn't slept or eaten a full meal in 2 days....this is really not what I wanted to do right then. After I finished, I laid out my books and papers to dry.
Christina had two friends, Abbie and Lindsey, come to visit us in Honduras (our first visitors) so they had gone to the the lake. The three of them returned to the house the next morning. We showed them how to get to the beach and we went to work. Then we met them at the beach after work. The next day they went to Punta Sal while we worked and after we all had birthday cake for one of the girls. Unfortunately they had to leave the next day but at least Christina and I had some guests for a few days. It was fun and I encourage you all to visit us. 
This week at school the students took their exams and practiced for the United Nations parade and celebration next week. My class was assigned to represent the United States and Christina's was assigned the Philippines. My class is going to wear blue jeans, white t-shirts, and red accessories. I am teaching them the words and hand motions to "This Land is you Land". We also have to make a United States banner to display in the parade. Ahh, time well spent.
Next week we practice Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The parade and celebration is on Thursday. Friday we have the day off so Christina and I will be headed to the Pico Bonito mountain for a jungle lodge, hiking, and waterfalls. I guess our life ain't so bad. I will make sure to get photos of it all for you.
This week my class was great (I secretly think I have the best grade in the whole school...I tell them that all the time). I even almost got to teach for the whole week, until the school decided Friday was a holiday. My students are really improving in their writing and language already. Christina and I also finally finished sorting the donated books and labeling them. So last week the students were able to choose their own books. They are very excited about this and they can't wait for reading everyday. Even if they haven't mastered the concept of choosing "just right" books it is still a step forward. They are also doing amazingly well in science and math even with no manipulatives. I did bring my laptop on Wed. to show them a Magic School Bus science video.
Christina had a rough time this week though so I think she is glad they cut it sort. Right when the bell rang for the beginning of school on Monday afternoon, Christina had 3 students start crying. This wasn't your regular crying either but all-out screaming and sobbing. Christina did her best to find out what was wrong and calm them down but to no avail. One crying student repeatedly ran out of the classroom to the gate until the principal would bring him back to class. The final time, the principal shoved him in the room and closed the door behind him. Christina tried to proceed with her lessons but probably didn't get much accomplished. The crying continued the rest of the week. No one is sure what is wrong with them. Hopefully they are better next week. Keep in mind these are 2nd graders (not preschoolers).
Since Friday was a holiday we decided to go to the beach. It was the most beautiful day at the beach. The sky was blue with not a cloud to be found. The sand was whiter than ever. The water was clear and warm. It was calm enough to float. The best part is we were almost the only ones there. You can click on this link to see a 360 degree video (45 sec.) I recorded of the Tela beach: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9q6NYmb_3Q
It was still rather hot, as usual, so we retreated to the shade of the palapa.
Here is a view of the beautiful trees and clouds on a different day:
I love looking at the houses on the ride home from the beach. They are cool, old, wooden houses with shutters built on stilts. Most the newer houses here are built from cinder block and concrete (like the one we live in) so these add a lot of character to the scenery.
Here is another one:
We also often stumble upon interesting construction techniques: homemade wooden scaffolding, workers sledgehammering concrete into a main street from the second-story of a building (very safe), giant holes or piles of rocks in the middle of the street with no warning.
My unsuppressed juvenile delinquency and love of art always keeps me on the lookout for graffiti. Tela is sadly lacking in graffiti but I finally found some at our local vegetable and fruit stand. It is actually fairly rad...too bad it is unsigned.
Just wanted to let you all know, once again, that I really appreciate all the comments you send me. I read all of them. Although I am having a wonderful time here in Honduras, I miss you all and can't wait to see you again and hear about your amazing stories.
The dining area/bar has the best view of the river and jungle and has a pool and adventure equipment stored below. As in most of Honduras, it doesn't really get too cold here so everything is open air. The window in our rooms only have screens. 
The view is so amazing it almost seems like a painting.
The lodge offers a few different adventure day trips: white water river rafting, kayaking, jungle hiking to waterfalls, treetop canopy tour, and mountain biking. I had hurt my foot fairly bad during the UN day and was worried about hiking. Some people mentioned the rafting was fun so we decided to try it.
Then we hopped in the raft and headed down the river. Overall, we rafted through Class I - Class IV rapids. Not too shabby. The water was cold and it was raining out but with the adrenaline pumping through us we barely noticed. It was a rush of excitement. The end of the river was calm and we got to just lazily float by and take in all the gorgeous scenery and wildlife.
Afterward, we dried off and changed into warm clothes. We then walked up the dirt road to a suspension bridge that crossed the river. Those afraid of heights would not want to attempt crossing this. The view from the middle was great though. 
We headed back to the lodge to read, eat dinner, and talk with the other guests. We met people from places like: Texas, Russia, Germany, Boston, and Washinton D.C. One girl from Germany had been working and living at the lodge for 7 months and she had to go back to Germany on Sunday for an unplanned reason. She didn't want to leave and it was a sad weekend. We spent a lot of time with her and the guides and owner (all Honduran). We quickly were included into their family. They even have two macaws that will occasionally talk to you. 
On Saturday at breakfast we discussed which adventure to try (I had already been on the hike back in January and my foot was still recovering so that was out). Somehow, unexpectedly, we both decided to do the treetop canopy adventure. Neither of us had done this before and we were once again a little frightened. We had the same main guide, Darwin, as the day before. We were strapped into our harnesses and donned our helmets yet again. We were led through the jungle to the first platform. On the way we learned about some plants you can use for soap, for stomach aches, and for good dreams.
Check out the videos of us:
On Sunday we woke and ate breakfast, pancakes and cereal, and basically relaxed with the others until our ride came at about 1:30pm. Our ride, by the way, was a huge army vehicle. The back had bus seats.
I was sad to say goodbye. Although I had only been there for 4 days, I spent a lot of time getting to know all the people and relaxing in the natural beauty of the area. It was all very welcoming. I will come back again.
