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Bright and early at 6:00am on Saturday I caught the bus for my first weekend trip alone. Christina has volunteered at a church to teach English classes for a group of kids on Saturday nights so she will no longer be able to join me on any of the weekend trips. I was headed to el Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cuero y Salado (Cuero y Salado wildlife refuge). I had to take 3 different buses and a trencito (small train).
The final bus was from La Ceiba to La Union. The ride went through the two small communities of El Porvenir and La Union. The dirt roads through both were very dusty. When we arrived in La Union I could see my hand print on the seat and could feel the crunch of dirt in my mouth. Almost everyone who lives in the towns was outside. There is not much to do there but sit on their porches, visit with neighbors, ride their bikes around, and walk to the store for supplies. Life in Honduran villages is simple. The houses are basic. Why do you need glass in the windows or solid walls if it never gets cold? Why do you need a door when you have nothing of value?
Along the way I witnessed: a man just strolling around holding a 3-foot-long fish by the gills, a 3-year-old girl scrubbing the laundry on a washboard, a 5-year-old boy and his dad using their machetes to trim the lawn, signs on bars and pulperias reminding people "no porta armas" (don't carry guns), and a man in his truck with a megaphone enticing people to come out and buy the various wares in the back of his pick-up. We also drove past huge fields growing pinas (pineapples) for the Dole corporation.
I exited the bus in a Union to wait for the trencito. These train tracks, remnants of the banana industry, are the only still in use in this area. I had to wait about an hour on the dusty road for the trencito. In the meantime, I spoke with some armed Navy men who are assigned to protect Cuero y Salado and I met some kids who live along the train route. 
The kids had a burra, a wooden platform attached to train wheels. They have two options for using the burra: either drag it onto the tracks and push it gondola style with thick wooden poles, or wait for the trencito to arrive, drag it onto the tracks behind the trencito, then grab hold of the trencito and let it pull them along. The kids opted for the latter, surely more dangerous, option.
When they arrived at their casa, they let go of the trencito and slowly come to a halt. 
The trencito was barely that. It consisted of two open cars with bench seats. It reminded me of the Calico mine ride at Knott's Berry Farm. 
Along the way, we rode past houses encompassing many different building styles: solid concrete brick, mud brick, wooden stick with thatched roofs, and pieces of tin and wood nailed together into makeshift dwellings. Long stretches of the track were surrounded by pure nature with savanna-like fields on one side and tropical palm jungles on the other. There were many cows grazing, pigs rooting, horses wandering, dogs relaxing, birds gracefully flying, and chickens pecking. Click on the link for a video of some scenes along the train ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhRM6UcoyxE 
Along the ride, the train would occasionally stop to let passengers off near their houses. Many of these passengers had large ice chests with them. Since the only stores are in La Union, the residents along the tracks and in Salado must grab their coolers, ride the train into La Union, stuff their coolers full with needed supplies, and ride back to drag the heavy coolers to their houses.
After about an hour train ride, we pulled into Salado. On the left of the train was the huge estuary. 
In front of the train was the main visitors center. 
It was a large wooden cabin built on stilts housing an information center with posters, displays, and facts about the park and a restaurant with quaint wooden tables and checkered tablecloths. 
Out front it had a spacious balcony looking onto the dock and lagoon.
I headed into the visitors center. There I, of course, explained my current impoverished situation and displayed my volunteer ID card to verify my status. They agreed to give me discounted prices for almost everything. The train round-trip was 200 Lemps (L) ($10.53), the room for the night in the hospedaje (guest house) came to 150L ($7.90), the park entrance fee was 95L ($5), the canoe trip was 120L ($6.30) and the guide was 200L ($10.53). So my total came to 765L ($40.26). A little more than I had planned to spend but still not so bad for a weekend trip.
They walked me down the lovely garden path lined with painted white stones to the hospedaje behind the main building. Along the path was a coconut garden. 
The hospedaje was also a large wooden cabin built on stilts. The cabin had seven dorm rooms with 4-6 bunk beds in each room. Lucky for me, they had one room with a single bed. This was great because although I appeared to be the only tourist so far, it was still reassuring knowing I could lock my stuff in a room and not worry about other people keeping me up at night. The room was basic with a bed, a sheet, a pillow, a window with wooden slats, and a small dresser. No towel. The shared bathroom was right next door with a flushing toilet, sink, and cold water shower (with a shower curtain and toilet paper).
I unloaded and then went back to the restaurant to order up some grub. For vegetarians they offered a plate of refried beans, rice, and greasy scrambled eggs (oh, and a chunk of that nasty Honduran cheese which I didn't touch). It wasn't the best but since I hadn't eaten since breakfast, about 7 hours earlier, I gobbled it up.
Since it was hot and humid and I was all dusty, I decided to follow the path that lead to the beach only 3 min. away. When I arrived, I found the beach was completely deserted save for a few horses. 
I went for a short swim and laid down to dry off. It was eerie being there all alone and I began questioning my plan. Then one of the navy guys walked up and began chatting with me. He seemed polite at first but then turned kinda creepy repeatedly trying to convince me to swim with him and asking about my (made-up) boyfriend. He wouldn't leave me alone so I put my clothes on and gathered my things to skedaddle. I felt really uncomfortable and vulnerable given that there was no one within hearing distance.
Heading back down the path to a more populated area, he followed me a little while. He asked if I was leaving because I was scared of him and I thought "well, now I am". There was a fork in the path and he thankfully decided to go down the other one. When parting, he shook my hand, which I consented to hoping it would get rid of him, and he tried to pull me in for a kiss! I pushed him away while forcefully saying "no". Luckily he just walked off. The rest of the weekend the other navy guys would talk to me and they were all very nice but whenever he came around I would turn the other way or leave.
I still wanted to cool off from the heat so I swam in the estuary instead. It was squishy and warm on the bottom but I just lifted up my feet and floated around. I was a little paranoid about caimans or snakes but there were a few kids swimming nearby so I figured it was safe. 
Afterward, I wandered around some of the other trails (not too far!) through the scenic surroundings. I was still hot and sweaty so I took a cold shower back at the hospedaje.
I was beginning to realize there is nothing to do here except go on the boat tours. No wonder most people just come here on packaged day trips. But then again... they would miss the trencito, meeting the locals (and by consequence practicing Spanish), and really getting into the vibe of living in a place where life is very simple. 
I walked down to the waterfront and some kids started talking and playing with me. They were hilarious and, like most kids, kept doing silly things and asking me to take their pictures. (Many children in Honduras have decaying teeth because all they ever seem to eat is soda, candy, cookies, and chips.) 
They rode their bikes, tackled each other, hunted for crabs in the lagoon, and were just having fun being kids. I started to feel like I was a child on summer vacation again. I used to just pursue whatever interest came up without a care in the world but to be home when the streetlights came on: hunting for tadpoles, drawing up plans to build a clubhouse, searching for the perfect pebble to play hopscotch with. 
I miss those days, although my year here feels almost like I am reliving them... just minus the friends. As with every child I have asked here, they all said they go to school, which was surprisingly within walking distance.
After the kids got bored of me, I got a beverage from the pulperia next door to the visitors center. There was a shack next to the pulperia with a few men playing on the two billiard tables. Other people would bicycle by on the paths. I sat on the large porch of the visitors center to watch the sunset. There was nothing else to do there. It was nice in a way but after a week I think I would go insane. I'm glad Tela has at least some variety.
As I sat there, everyone kept commenting on the zancudos (mosquitoes), which I hadn't noticed. I immediately thought of poor Christina and how miserable she would have been sitting out there. I still haven't gotten one sting the entire time I've been here and she is constantly bitten despite her bug spray (which I have never applied). After their comments, I noticed many mosquitoes, june bugs (yuck), and those magical fireflies (to my delight) all over the place. I headed back to my room to read and then get some sleep. I had been up since 5:00am and the next morning, Sunday, I had to wake up at 5:00am again to get ready for my canoe ride.
The night was uneventful and relatively quiet. The hospedaje had two car batteries that stored the energy being captured in solar panels on the roof. This powered the lights in each room. (They had the same set-up when I was in Miami.) I awoke while it was still dark, ate a package of dry oatmeal and a cranberry granola bar (since the restaurant was not open and I get nauseas when I skip breakfast), brushed my teeth, slathered on sunblock, and headed off to meet my guia ("guide") at the dock. 
He looked to be about 15. We both dawned life jackets (for a canoe ride in a calm estuary?) and shoved off, just the two of us. 
He silently rowed us throughout different channels of the reserve. It was so dreamy and tranquil: the sun was just rising, 
the placid water reflected perfect mirror images, 
and the only sounds were the animals and the paddle gently sweeping through the water. So serene.
The guide paddled us into narrow channels where the canopy completely engulfed us. Then we would just sit still, take in the sounds, and try to spot animals. 
I saw numerous howler monkeys climbing through the treetops for their vegetarian diet, two iguanas dove into the water from branches above, and countless different birds (toucans with their over-sized yellow beaks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, birds with long skinny necks, birds with brightly colored breast or tail feathers, birds with very curious calls) perched in the trees and flying above. There are also manatees here but they are rarely seen (probably since they are endangered). And I happily did not see any caimans while in the small canoe. There were a few bats sleeping on the tree trunks. After awhile they would fly right over our heads. Click on the link for a short video of sounds and scenes from the canoe ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQrinQ9b5ns. 
Back on shore, I ate some breakfast (more greasy eggs, refried beans, tortillas, and crema- a very soupy sour cream), packed my things, and jumped back on the trencito. Before leaving, the kids from the day before came to say adios and inquired as to when I would be returning again. After arriving back in La Union, I took the 2 buses back to Tela. Along the way, I noticed a great shot capturing some essence of Honduras: the bus sign states to put trash here and is clearly pointing to the open window, where everyone does indeed put it, and out the window you can see the meat hung out in the open air along the dusty roadside.
In Tela I stopped by the beach on the way home to people watch, reflect, and enjoy a refreshment.
On the way into the center of downtown Tela, you will ride over some train tracks. Tela used to be a huge banana producing area, hence the nickname "Banana Republic". (Palm oil is also a major industry in Honduras. It is used for food, soap, and more recently as a biodiesel. Along the highway there are thousands of acres of African palm tree plantations cultivated for this reason.) 
Although many bananas are still grown and sold from Tela, it is no longer the main industry. But back when bananas were big business... the United Fruit Company, known for the Chiquita brand, was reaping huge profits.
In 1913 they agreed to complete and operate 2 national rail lines and in exchange received huge tracks of land, leaving small-time farmers landless. The fruit company never finished the railway and, although they only used a tiny portion of the acquired land, it wasn't returned to farmers until the 1960's. The land was returned "voluntarily" in exchange for exclusive banana contracts with the farmers. This meant more money for the fruit company with all risk being shouldered by the farmers. The workers are are still fighting for more rights and better wages. The railroad was abandoned around 1974 when the banana business moved elsewhere and all the tracks have long since been overgrown.
The railroad building is still standing but has greatly decayed over the years. Christina and I were planning to come here for a spooky Halloween night but it was raining and so we used that as an excuse to chicken out. The other day I went to check it out. It was eerie walking around by myself even though it was daytime. Come with me on a tour inside. Click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLvpZgoFcOg 
Just down the street from the railroad building is the pier. This is where the train tracks ended their journey. It seems odd to build railroad tracks on a pier but this is where the bananas were loaded onto large cargo ships. Click on the link to see a 360 degree video of the gorgeous surroundings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gHHaMESKgQ 
The pier caught on fire in the 1990's and and hurricanes have also taken their toll. Some haphazard work has been done to try to repair it but to no apparent benefit. It is very precarious with wobbly boards, holes in boards, and missing boards. Christina won't even go out there with me. I love it. It is only used nowadays by fishermen and weirdos like me who have some strange attraction to standing over and staring at water. Instead of fancy poles, the fishermen just tie a piece of string to their fingers or a wooden stick and are actually successful. 
The water below was green and very clear. 
I spotted whole schools of little fish. 
There were a handful of long skinny fish. I saw this one while swimming in Belize also. Name? 
Afterward, I walked past a few small boats lying next to the pier (pavon is Spanish for peacock and it is also the surname of a popular Honduran futbol player who played with the LA Galaxy team in 2007 but left to rejoin his previous Honduran team, Real Espana.)... 
and sat under the pier to watch and listen to the waves roll in. Check it out. Click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJZjAY2jZaA 
Hope you enjoyed the stroll. I am dying to jump off of it but am a little afraid of doing it alone. Any takers? It's not very high.
To celebrate Valentine's Day or Dia de la Amistad (day of friendship) as it is referred to here, our school planned a field trip to a water park. If the students wanted to go, they had to pay 100 Lemps (L) for the bus and 150L for admission (250L - $13.15) and they were strongly encouraged to bring a chaperon (who was also required to pay 250L). We would be going to the water park all day on Friday, Feb. 15. There would be no classes for any students not going.
On Friday morning I put on my bathing suit, sunblock, ate breakfast, and headed off to the school. I arrived at 8:20am and the bus was scheduled to leave at 8:30am. Gradually, more students and teachers arrived and boarded the bus. Based on permission slips turned in, the turn-out was predicted to be low so the school only hired one bus.
As more people continued arriving, the bus became packed. There were as many as 5 kids in one bus seat. A few teachers began bringing in chairs from the Kinder room to put in the aisles for more people to sit. The sign on the dashboard stated: max. 72 people. There were at least 150 on this bus. More sat up by the driver on the gear shift and stairs leading from the door. This would never be legal in the states (nor would going on a field trip to a water park for both safety and non-educational reasons, especially when many of the students here don't even know how to swim). Even with the bus being packed we only had about 15% of students in attendance. What a waste of a perfectly good teaching day.
The bus managed to pull out at 9:00am. We chugged along for about 1 1/2 hours to Zizima Water Park in San Pedro Sula. The nice part was almost all students had chaperons so I was free to roam around the park as I pleased. We paid, I got a locker, and then everyone was off. The water park was just like any in the states. It had about 5 big slides, a wave pool, 
a kiddie section, 
a river float, and eating areas. Only 2 of the big slides were open but they were both very fun. Although there were a few lifeguards wandering about it was not nearly enough. One of the big slides had no lifeguard stationed at it to tell you when to go. Kids would just slide down one immediately after another coming out the bottom of the tube with feet almost slamming into the firsts head. Gotta love Honduras.
I think I mentioned on previous blogs that Honduran adults almost always swim with their clothes on. The water park was no exception. Although most adults wore swimsuits, they also wore clothes on top which were never removed, not even for the slides or to swim in the pool. Even the men at the park wore shirts with their swim trunks. So only the kids and I walked around uninhibited and unencumbered in just a swimsuit.
The day turned out well, with no casualties, except a few chlorine reddened eyes and burned shoulders. We hopped back on the bus at 4:00pm to head back to Tela. On the 2 lane highway home, we have to cross many bridges over streams and rivers. The biggest river has been having trouble with the overpass. The original bridge was destroyed before I came. They had since constructed concrete posts holding up metal sections to drive over creating two makeshift overpasses, one in each direction.
Well, during the flooding in the hurricane season, one collapsed. They are in the process of rebuilding it but in the meantime traffic in both direction must share the one remaining "bridge". Thus while the east-bound traffic crosses, the west-bound traffic piles up waiting for their turn, etc. As you can imagine during "rush hour" in Honduras the line waiting for the overpass grows quite long. This is on the main highway and there are no other ways around.
We had to wait about 20 minutes, motionless, before our line began to inch forward. While sitting, I mulled over the idea that we are waiting to cross a bridge next to one that recently collapsed which didn't help my claustrophobia in the sardine-like bus. I was relieved when we finally crossed over. We safely arrived back at school at 6:00pm and I walked home to rinse off all the chlorine.
In the meantime, Christina's sister, Belinda, had flown into town the previous night (Thursday) from New York. Christina and Belinda headed off to Pico Bonito for a rafting adventure on Friday. That evening, they arrived at our house just as I was preparing dinner after my cold, but very refreshing, bucket-shower. I was exhausted from the water park and we were getting up early the next day (Saturday) for another trip so I stayed home and went to bed. They went into town for dinner and slept in one of the beachfront hotels for the night (I guess her sister wanted a real shower with hot water).
We met up Sat. morning at 7:30am to go to Punta Sal. Christina and I had been on this same trip with Garifuna Tours in Aug. and with the jet ski guy just last weekend, but it's the nicest beach in Tela and we wanted to show it off to Belinda. We hopped in the boat in the lagoon, made our way over the sandbar, and rode the 40 minutes to Punta Sal. Click on the link to see some clips of the boat ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDZ7giHERwI
We stopped off for a short (40 min.) hike and even caught glimpses of howler monkeys, native to South and Central American forests. Their growls were much harder to miss. Click on the link to hear some growls (hint: that means if you don't have speakers this video is kinda pointless): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFuiJKx8ks8.
Read more about howler monkeys here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howler_monkey 
Along the hike we had great views of the surrounding beach. 
After the hike across the peninsula, we emerged onto a secluded beach. 
The beach was a small cove.
While exploring, we spotted animal tracks in the sand. 
Then we climbed aboard the boat again and rode around the point to another secluded beach, Cocalito. There were two families living in the park when it became a protected area (an area Blanca Jeannette Kawas, or school's namesake, was murdered protecting) and they were allowed to remain so as not to displace them. They have a few wooden, thatched huts on the beach and earn money by making lunch for the tour groups.
All our hopes of showing off Tela's best beach were for naught. It was windy, a bit overcast, and the water (normally crystal clear for great snorkeling in the surrounding coral reef) was cloudy and choppy. Belinda seemed to enjoy it anyway (especially since the day she left New York it was snowing there... what a change of scenery).
Due to the wind, the boat ride back to Tela was fairly rough and occasionally jarring. Numerous times the waves bounced us out of our seats. Rather than making me seasick, it was actually fun.
After disembarking, we decided to get drinks and pupusas at our favorite restaurant, Paseo Junior 's. We had met an Australian girl, Sarah, on the tour and invited her to join us. She is a doctor in Australia and came to Honduras for a 3-week internship at a hospital in La Esperanza. (For more photos and info. on gorgeous Punta Sal check out the Aug. post: "A Trip to Punta Sal".) 
That night Belinda slept at our humble abode and got up at 8:00am on Sunday to head off to the airport back to New York. A short trip but it was all her job as a financial analyst would allow. Her job is so demanding, she even brought her BlackBerry (it's is some sort of phone and mini-computer shrunken into a palm-sized contraption) to Punta Sal with her. Those crazy New Yorkers.
Welcome to Tela!
The bike tour is about to begin. Hop aboard but please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. (I am sure you can all fit since everyday I witness mothers with two children all on one bike. Most of the people here are proficient enough to ride with no hands. I once saw a grandma riding her bike while holding a baby in one arm and an open umbrella in the other. I don't think I will ever be that good.)
If you turn down any side street off the paved main road, you come to a dirt road surrounded by loveliness. Of course there are always horses about. 
Beyond the trees is more endless, lush plant life. 
There are many side streets off the road. Most are dead ends but instead of suburban concrete cul-de-sacs, these roads lead to houses in picturesque tropical settings. 
It's like your own private paradise, though some of the houses are showing their age. 
Back on the main road, I noticed a new restaurant had just opened. Of course it taunts me promising Mexican cuisine. I have yet to find a burrito in this whole country (unless I make it myself). 
Down another side street, I found a house built completely on stilts. Many houses here were originally built on stilts but they have since built concrete additions filling in the bottom. This is one of the few that have remained authentic. How safe would you feel swinging in a hammock under your entire house? 
Many roads abruptly terminate due to streams meandering through. At this dead end I found a concrete bench and table built next to it. What a lovely picnic spot. At another stream, I discovered four swings hanging from the trees along its bank. Very quaint. 
And of course you can't go anywhere without discovering yet another pulperia (convenience store),
observing men hard at work on their antique sewing machines (this tailor was born in Belize but has been living in Honduras for over 50 years now),
or spotting many families just chillin' in their casas.
We even have hillbilly-style yard ornaments here too. Well, hope ya enjoyed that thar tour. I kinder figgered ya wooda. Y'all come back again real soon, y'hear. I gots ta mosey on now n' teach them thar youngins' sumpin' new. Holler back now ifn ya has gots da time ta.
If you do want to come, you should come quickly as Tela is rapidly transforming itself. The beaches and lagoons in and around Tela, beaches that currently only have the tiny villages featured on previous blogs, are being developed into numerous 5 star hotels, resorts, private beach clubs, and even an 18-hole designer golf course. The Tela I live in will be drastically different in as soon as 2 years.
I exited the bus in a Union to wait for the trencito. These train tracks, remnants of the banana industry, are the only still in use in this area. I had to wait about an hour on the dusty road for the trencito. In the meantime, I spoke with some armed Navy men who are assigned to protect Cuero y Salado and I met some kids who live along the train route. 
The kids had a burra, a wooden platform attached to train wheels. They have two options for using the burra: either drag it onto the tracks and push it gondola style with thick wooden poles, or wait for the trencito to arrive, drag it onto the tracks behind the trencito, then grab hold of the trencito and let it pull them along. The kids opted for the latter, surely more dangerous, option.
When they arrived at their casa, they let go of the trencito and slowly come to a halt. 
The trencito was barely that. It consisted of two open cars with bench seats. It reminded me of the Calico mine ride at Knott's Berry Farm. 
Along the way, we rode past houses encompassing many different building styles: solid concrete brick, mud brick, wooden stick with thatched roofs, and pieces of tin and wood nailed together into makeshift dwellings. Long stretches of the track were surrounded by pure nature with savanna-like fields on one side and tropical palm jungles on the other. There were many cows grazing, pigs rooting, horses wandering, dogs relaxing, birds gracefully flying, and chickens pecking. Click on the link for a video of some scenes along the train ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhRM6UcoyxE 
Along the ride, the train would occasionally stop to let passengers off near their houses. Many of these passengers had large ice chests with them. Since the only stores are in La Union, the residents along the tracks and in Salado must grab their coolers, ride the train into La Union, stuff their coolers full with needed supplies, and ride back to drag the heavy coolers to their houses.
After about an hour train ride, we pulled into Salado. On the left of the train was the huge estuary. 
In front of the train was the main visitors center. 
It was a large wooden cabin built on stilts housing an information center with posters, displays, and facts about the park and a restaurant with quaint wooden tables and checkered tablecloths. 
Out front it had a spacious balcony looking onto the dock and lagoon.
I headed into the visitors center. There I, of course, explained my current impoverished situation and displayed my volunteer ID card to verify my status. They agreed to give me discounted prices for almost everything. The train round-trip was 200 Lemps (L) ($10.53), the room for the night in the hospedaje (guest house) came to 150L ($7.90), the park entrance fee was 95L ($5), the canoe trip was 120L ($6.30) and the guide was 200L ($10.53). So my total came to 765L ($40.26). A little more than I had planned to spend but still not so bad for a weekend trip.
The hospedaje was also a large wooden cabin built on stilts. The cabin had seven dorm rooms with 4-6 bunk beds in each room. Lucky for me, they had one room with a single bed. This was great because although I appeared to be the only tourist so far, it was still reassuring knowing I could lock my stuff in a room and not worry about other people keeping me up at night. The room was basic with a bed, a sheet, a pillow, a window with wooden slats, and a small dresser. No towel. The shared bathroom was right next door with a flushing toilet, sink, and cold water shower (with a shower curtain and toilet paper).
I unloaded and then went back to the restaurant to order up some grub. For vegetarians they offered a plate of refried beans, rice, and greasy scrambled eggs (oh, and a chunk of that nasty Honduran cheese which I didn't touch). It wasn't the best but since I hadn't eaten since breakfast, about 7 hours earlier, I gobbled it up.
I went for a short swim and laid down to dry off. It was eerie being there all alone and I began questioning my plan. Then one of the navy guys walked up and began chatting with me. He seemed polite at first but then turned kinda creepy repeatedly trying to convince me to swim with him and asking about my (made-up) boyfriend. He wouldn't leave me alone so I put my clothes on and gathered my things to skedaddle. I felt really uncomfortable and vulnerable given that there was no one within hearing distance.
Heading back down the path to a more populated area, he followed me a little while. He asked if I was leaving because I was scared of him and I thought "well, now I am". There was a fork in the path and he thankfully decided to go down the other one. When parting, he shook my hand, which I consented to hoping it would get rid of him, and he tried to pull me in for a kiss! I pushed him away while forcefully saying "no". Luckily he just walked off. The rest of the weekend the other navy guys would talk to me and they were all very nice but whenever he came around I would turn the other way or leave.
Afterward, I wandered around some of the other trails (not too far!) through the scenic surroundings. I was still hot and sweaty so I took a cold shower back at the hospedaje.
I walked down to the waterfront and some kids started talking and playing with me. They were hilarious and, like most kids, kept doing silly things and asking me to take their pictures. (Many children in Honduras have decaying teeth because all they ever seem to eat is soda, candy, cookies, and chips.) 
They rode their bikes, tackled each other, hunted for crabs in the lagoon, and were just having fun being kids. I started to feel like I was a child on summer vacation again. I used to just pursue whatever interest came up without a care in the world but to be home when the streetlights came on: hunting for tadpoles, drawing up plans to build a clubhouse, searching for the perfect pebble to play hopscotch with. 
I miss those days, although my year here feels almost like I am reliving them... just minus the friends. As with every child I have asked here, they all said they go to school, which was surprisingly within walking distance.
As I sat there, everyone kept commenting on the zancudos (mosquitoes), which I hadn't noticed. I immediately thought of poor Christina and how miserable she would have been sitting out there. I still haven't gotten one sting the entire time I've been here and she is constantly bitten despite her bug spray (which I have never applied). After their comments, I noticed many mosquitoes, june bugs (yuck), and those magical fireflies (to my delight) all over the place. I headed back to my room to read and then get some sleep. I had been up since 5:00am and the next morning, Sunday, I had to wake up at 5:00am again to get ready for my canoe ride.
He looked to be about 15. We both dawned life jackets (for a canoe ride in a calm estuary?) and shoved off, just the two of us. 
He silently rowed us throughout different channels of the reserve. It was so dreamy and tranquil: the sun was just rising, 
the placid water reflected perfect mirror images, 
and the only sounds were the animals and the paddle gently sweeping through the water. So serene.
The guide paddled us into narrow channels where the canopy completely engulfed us. Then we would just sit still, take in the sounds, and try to spot animals. 
I saw numerous howler monkeys climbing through the treetops for their vegetarian diet, two iguanas dove into the water from branches above, and countless different birds (toucans with their over-sized yellow beaks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, birds with long skinny necks, birds with brightly colored breast or tail feathers, birds with very curious calls) perched in the trees and flying above. There are also manatees here but they are rarely seen (probably since they are endangered). And I happily did not see any caimans while in the small canoe. There were a few bats sleeping on the tree trunks. After awhile they would fly right over our heads. Click on the link for a short video of sounds and scenes from the canoe ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQrinQ9b5ns. 
Back on shore, I ate some breakfast (more greasy eggs, refried beans, tortillas, and crema- a very soupy sour cream), packed my things, and jumped back on the trencito. Before leaving, the kids from the day before came to say adios and inquired as to when I would be returning again. After arriving back in La Union, I took the 2 buses back to Tela. Along the way, I noticed a great shot capturing some essence of Honduras: the bus sign states to put trash here and is clearly pointing to the open window, where everyone does indeed put it, and out the window you can see the meat hung out in the open air along the dusty roadside.
In Tela I stopped by the beach on the way home to people watch, reflect, and enjoy a refreshment.
