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Mellow Weekend
On Saturday Christina's boyfriend came for a visit. They stayed in town that night and left the next day to go to Lago de Yojoa so I had a few days by myself. I relaxed at the beach most of the weekend. Along my bike ride down the mostly dirt roads I saw goats, horses, lots of dogs and chickens, pigs, birds, and a squashed frog. It was fairly humid all week, about 88F, but with a nice breeze. The nights get down to about 72F. Besides the beach, I hand washed some clothes and hung them out to dry, went into town for soy milk, bought birthday gifts for friends, stopped by the post office to mail some letters, watched some movies on my computer, listened to some NPR podcasts, and, of course, read.
Scorpion
On Saturday night I noticed a scorpion crawl across my bedroom floor. As I began to panic, it crawled out of my room and into Christina's. I put on my Vans to try to avoid being stung and went into her room with a can of bug spray. I am not convinced bug spray would be effective on scorpions but there was no way I was going to step on it. It was beside the point because I had lost sight of it anyway. I superficially searched around a little but not too thoroughly since I would be happier not seeing it again... and I didn't. I shut her door and stuffed a towel under so it wouldn't get out. Even with my precautions I slept very anxiously and awoke to every little noise, turning on the lights to scan the room before continuing my fretful sleep. I tried searching Christina's room again (in the daytime) but found no signs of it.
Holidays at School
We celebrated Father's Day last Friday at school. Each class performed a song or poem. My class wrote an acrostic poem for "Happy Father's Day" and each student read one line. All the students pitched in money to buy a father's day gift and one student's name from each class was picked to give the present to their father. This was a frustrating holiday for many students as some have been more or less abandoned by their fathers and just as many have fathers living in the US. 
This week, on Tuesday, April 22, we celebrated Earth Day. Usually the holidays at our school are disorderly and confusing but this was the most well planned holiday ever. The kids started the day in their rooms, learned about the history of the day, painted rocks to resemble bugs (for paperweights... I suppose), painted a picture about Earth Day, and made "healthy" food to sell at recess. My class made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The other classes made liquados (smoothies), fruit cocktails, nachos?, bags of cereal?, and bags of trail mix. There was also a teacher painting faces, I couldn't pass it up. 
After recess, we all went outside to have a poetry contest. The student from my class won. Then there was a fashion contest for who wore the most green clothes. The kids also picked up trash around the school, I talked about reduce, reuse, and recycle, and new plastic recycle bins were introduced. Of course there wouldn't be a Honduran holiday without cake, so we sang happy birthday to the Earth and ate cake while writing our promises to the Earth on a paper leaf and taping it to a giant cardboard tree. 
Fun Around the House
There are a few hassles about the house that I deal with an a regular basis. First, the refrigerator has sealant problems and will randomly pop open. To keep our food from going foul, I tied a rope around the door and wrapped the other end around the window latch. Whenever opening or closing the fridge, I now have to unwind and wind the rope around the latch again. The fridge also has a condensation problem causing everything inside to be constantly wet. 
Second, the pipe in the pila (large concrete wash basin) outback keeps coming undone. One piece of the pipe disconnects causing all the water to come gushing out. Then I have to shove the pipe back in the hole while trying not to get soaked from the spray.
Third, the pipes under the kitchen sink also leak. To avoid an incessant flood on our kitchen floor, I placed a bowl underneath it to catch the water. It catches most of the water. The sink also leaks around the rim into the wooden drawers adjacent to it. The top drawer is constantly wet and has developed mold so we can only use the bottom three drawers.
Fourth, the yard in insanely overgrown. At the beginning of the year, we had a dispute with the school about the yard work. They tried to tell us the previous volunteers all paid for their own gardening. We argued that they stipulated all bills related to the house were their obligation. They finally agreed to pay for a gardener... but they wait until the yard is so impenetrable and Christina and I almost reach our breaking point before getting someone to take care of it.
Fifth, the toilet has been getting the chain stuck under the flap when it is flushed. This means jiggling the handle every time to ensure the toilet doesn't run constantly. Half the time I forget and have to go back in the restroom to jiggle it.
Sixth, the windows (in the whole house) don't properly fit creating space between them and the concrete house. On the top portion of each window, the gap is as much as 1 1/2 in. while the gap on the bottom of the windowsill is much smaller. This causes two problems, bugs can easily get into the house as can water when it rains. For the bugs, we taped up all the windowsills with duct tape.
The water issue is harder to solve. Fortunately we have overhangs above most of the windows in the house so the rain can't even reach the window, unfortunately the two windows with no overhang are in our bedrooms. So when it rains and is windy, the water trickles in the gap and down the wall to our beds and the floor where we have clothes and suitcases and other junk. I tried stuffing bags in the holes to no good. I also tried taping it but the tape just comes off. So when it rains, I put a deodorant can under each suitcase, to lift it off the floor, move the clothes to the other side of the room, and pull my bed away from the wall. I also laid down paper towels under the ledges to try and soak up some of the leakage.
In any house there are bound to be little annoyances. The difference is in San Diego I can call someone to come fix them or go to the hardware store and try my handyman skills whereas here there is no one to call and even if you do they probably won't do anything (or anything that lasts) anyway and the hardware stores are sadly lacking (plus I don't have a lot of extra money to spend there).
Mom
My mom is coming to visit me for a week. She will be here Saturday. I am so excited. We are going to the jungle for a few days and the idyllic paradise of Roatan, an island off the Caribbean coast, for a few more.
More Holidays
On Friday, after the memorial, my class arrived back at the school just in time to celebrate Day of the Americas... another made-up holiday. Definitely an awkward transition from the memorial. One student couldn't stop weeping so I let her stay in the classroom.
I was told on Wednesday that the kids needed to perform something for the celebration on Friday... nice advance notice. Since I only had one day and I had no idea what the holiday was, I chose the shortest song I know about people uniting: "It's a Small World." Yup, the Disney song, that's the one. The kids amazingly learned the songs and motions in about one hour. They were great. School was also canceled Monday to for the Holiday.
After work, we had a staff dinner for Father's Day. Honduran Father's Day was March 19 but that was during Semana Santa so it was rescheduled. The women staff all pitched in to pay for the male teachers' dinners. We had a lot of fun. The dinner being especially ironic since only one male staff is actually a father. Miss Pacheco was hilarious as usual posing for silly pictures.
Then a mariachi band stopped by to serenade us with a few songs. 
This coming Friday our students need to learn and perform yet another song or skit to celebrate Father's Day. The week after that is Earth Day. Intermixed with all the holidays are those never-ending student birthdays involving cake, soda, ice cream, and usually a pinata. All during school hours. The party never ends here in Honduras.
Rio Maria
Saturday morning Christina and I got up at 6:00am and got ready to go check out a river, Rio Maria. We had heard it was a beautiful river with some little waterfalls and swimming holes surrounded by verdant jungle. Through a travel guide, we had rough directions on how to get to the spot. First we took a bus into downtown Tela, then a 2 hour bus to La Ceiba, and then a 30 min. bus to the Rio Maria bridge. At the La Ceiba bus depot, we looked for a bus either headed to Trujillo or Sambo Creek or something in that general direction that would pass Rio Maria.
Getting on the bus, we informed the driver we wanted to be let off at the Rio Maria bridge, since we had no idea what it looked like and there are never signs when you need them. While paying the assistant, we also asked him to let us off at the Rio Maria bridge. When we reached Sambo Creek... Christina and I both knew we had gone too far. The driver and assistant admitted they forgot about our stop and had passed it but kindly gave us back our money. Crossing the highway, we took a bus in back in the direction we had come. This time we got off right at the bridge over Rio Maria. We verified at the nearest house that this was indeed Rio Maria.
At the bridge we reviewed our directions:
"As you face the river, take the dirt road on the left, which quickly becomes a trail. Continue on to where the river crosses the trail and go left up the path before crossing the river. The trail continues for 10-15 min. The first clear path, 1 ft wide, on your right leads downhill to the pools."
We followed these precisely and luckily found them to accurate. A pickup gave us a ride part way and a few young boys followed us awhile also, all confirming we were headed in the right direction. Along the hike we were surrounded by green vegetation everywhere. At a few points there were excellent views all the way to the ocean. 
The 1ft pathway to the pools was very steep and slippery but we made it. We emerged to find a beautiful little waterfall with a large pool below it and a smaller one above. 
The water was crystal clear and refreshingly cool but not icy. It was all very enchanting with huge blue and yellow butterflies curiously drifting by and large leaves gently falling off the trees like snowflakes. 
I even climbed up the rocks to the top of the little waterfall. It was a little slippery but I found a rough patch with more friction so I could stand. (Thanks for the inspiration Ray Remy). Climbing down the steep cliff was a bit scarier with few finger and foot holds but I was careful and made it back down safely. 
After a couple hours we hiked back down, bought an ice cream at Pulperia Claudia next to the bridge, and waited for the bus. For some reason the bus took forever in coming. Finally one approached but just drove right on past us. We were both baffled and frustrated as to why it didn't stop. Luckily another one came in a few minutes more. In La Ceiba we transferred to a bus for Tela, then took a taxi to our house. It was a very lovely day trip.
Two interesting sights on the bus ride back to Tela: one, a man was walking down the highway completely naked except for an unbuttoned, open shirt and a hat; two, there was a bad accident and a dead body was lying on the roadside. The body was covered with a white sheet but you could see the blood running from him or her down the road. Too much death for one weekend.
Making Tortillas
On Sunday, Marlon, a teacher from our school, invited Christina and I to learn how to make tortillas. He knew a woman, Virginia, who had happily agreed to teach us. First we went to the Tela's tiny beach front boardwalk for some lunch and drinks. There were many people at the beach so we had fun just watching everyone. Then we bought some ingredients from a local mini super and went to meet Virginia.
Virginia is so sweet and giggly... like a little school girl. To make the tortillas, we mixed 2lbs. flour, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tbsp. baking powder. Then, while kneading it, we added water little by little. 
Then we kneaded it even more. 
Afterward we rolled the dough into little balls and rubbed a little oil coating onto each ball. 
We let them sit for about 10 min. Finally we patted the balls into pancake shapes and cooked them in the frying pan. 
They were delicious and it was all quick and simple. Try some yourself.
Our day off
Since there was no school Monday, due to Day of the Americas, Christina and I had a relaxing day at the beach. The water was turqouise and clear all the way past my feet. It was warm but not too warm and just a little rough so as not to bore you. It was perfect. 
On the way home I spotted the hippest goat ever. A close runner up to the coolest beatnik of all time... Maynard G. Krebs from Dobie Gillis. Like, you're a real cool cat daddy-o. 
I also noticed a propane tank delivery bike in front of our house... convenient yet somehow dangerous at the same time. 
Later that night at home, I found the cutest, tiniest gecko I have ever seen. 
The weather here continues to be as unpredictable as always... all weekend and Monday it was 88F, clear and sunny, while Tuesday was 72F and pouring rain the entire day. Then again, that's why it is so naturally green and lush here while in the San Diego you need to use sprinklers to pretend you're not living in a desert. 
This week our small town of Tela experienced a tragedy. The young man, Rene, that owns our local grocery store, Mini Super Venecia, was in a fatal car accident. He was only 24 years old and, having been raised in Queens, New York, had only recently moved back to Honduras to begin his future. The accident occurred on Thursday afternoon and by that evening the entire town had already spread the word. Being a small town, almost everyone knew him.
While in the school office on Thursday, I was informed of the accident. I immediately thought of my student who was his cousin and we agreed I should not say anything. Mr. Palacios (Carlos), another teacher at our school, was also his cousin and had left campus already. After school, I tutored the related student alone for an hour and tried to keep my mind off the subject. I walked her home afterward with a guilty conscience knowing what she was about to walk into.
The next day, Friday, was very somber. It was chilling passing the Mini Super on the way to school and seeing it closed. Because my student was family of the deceased, our class was sent to the memorial to comfort her. We got into the mini-van and were let out at the funeral home. It was very crowded and another teacher who joined us led the students into the main room. Before I knew what was happening or could do anything, the students inadvertently were led to the open casket. A viewing is always difficult but because of the accident this one was especially distressing.
As quickly as I could, I ushered the students out to the front porch, although by then all of them had already seen the body. The kids seemed to handle it surprisingly well. I was informed later that in Honduras all memorials have open caskets. Often times, after the viewing, the body is taken to the family's home until the funeral. My students all hugged and consoled the grieving student as best they could.
Although he was not a close friend of mine, he was a good acquaintance and someone with whom I came into contact on a daily basis. Every encounter was enjoyable and amusing, always leaving me with a smile. He was sweet, cheerful, and good-natured. I will truly miss him. He welcomed me into the community and helped me feel at home here.
Science Fair
Friday was my school's annual science fair. The whole school, preschool through 11th grade, participated with each class divided into groups for different experiments. My class had 6 different experiments with 2 - 4 students in each group. The kids worked all week making their posters, practicing the experiment, and giving speeches in English and Spanish explaining each step in the scientific process for their experiment.
The science fair was held on Friday from 7:00am-12:00pm. As Christina and I approached the school that morning, we noticed many large posters and banners decorating the school to advertise the fair. The interesting thing about the posters was they all contained Christina and my names (and misspelled Christina's on each). 
Upon inquiry, we were informed that the school had chosen to honor us at the science fair because they recognized all the hard work we had put in throughout our time here. It was quite an honor. At the opening ceremony for the science fair we were both introduced and given seats of honor at the front table. We were also given scissors and ceremoniously cut the ribbon to begin the fair. 
Then all the students went to their classrooms to show off their experiments. 3 or 4 different schools came to see our experiments. There were also judges walking from room to room and a crew from a local T.V. station. My students did a great job bilingually explaining and modeling their experiments for the guests but in between guests the kids would get bored and begin goofing around. During long breaks, I would let small groups go to check out the experiments in other classes.
These were my students experiments (don't you just love their little lab coats and badges?):
1. Causing a chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda to create enough carbon dioxide to blow up a balloon. 
2. Generating electricity from acidic fruits and various metals. 
3. Causing a chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda to create enough carbon dioxide to extinguish a candle's flame. 
4. Extinguishing a candle's flame by depriving it of oxygen. 
5. Comparing balloons of various size and shape to see which will fly faster and further. 
6. Making a filter of natural materials to clean dirty water. 
The science fair concluded with an awards ceremony. First Christina and I were again introduced with a rundown of our educational achievements and awarded an engraved plaque (with Christina's name misspelled permanently). Then the awards for students were presented. Each winner got an Olympics-like medal. The balloon experiment from my class got 2nd place, which frustrated me because those were the students goofing around the most. By the time the judge came to my room, a few groups had run out of materials and she only judged two experiments. 
Trujillo
After the science fair, I walked home, ate lunch, and grabbed my backpack for a weekend trip. I was headed to yet another beach town, supposedly the most beautiful along the coast, Trujillo. Trujillo is situated on a sizable bay. It was there on Aug. 14, 1502 that Columbus first set foot on the American mainland. Afterward, Trujillo was used as a port to ship gold and silver to Spain. Due to numerous pirate attacks, a fortress was built by the Spanish but it did no good.
The other end of the bay's large arc is Puerto Castillo but you can't actually go to it's point as it is used as a military base. The base was built by the US military in the 1980's to train the Contras and the Salvadoran military; illegally funding their fighting against the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and the FMLN guerrillas in El Salvador, respectively.
From my house, I took a taxi ride into town for 15 Lemps (L) ($0.80), a 2 hour bus to La Ceiba for 35L ($1.84), a quick taxi ride to another bus stop for 20L ($1.05), then a 3 hour bus to Trujillo for 93L ($4.89). The hotel I was staying at, Casa Kiwi, is in the middle of Trujillo and Puerto Castillo so from the bus stop I had to take a 15 minute taxi to the hotel. By that time it was 8:00pm and dark. The taxi driver wanted 200Lemps (L) ($10) which was outrageous. I bargained and pleaded but only got him to come down to 120L ($6), way over priced but I couldn't exactly walk in the dark. The ride was down a deserted road with no other cars or buildings and it was eerie.
At the hotel, I walked into the main cabin consisting of a large dining room, bar, and a pool table. I checked in and got my room key. The room, 160L ($8.42) per night, was basic: bed, shower, towels, and toilet. I immediately noticed a sign in the bathroom urging you to put your toilet paper in the toilet. They explained that the hotel has large pipes so it is fine. (I am fairly certain that it is not that simple and probably the inadequate sewage treatment facilities are the reason you can't flush it, not the size of the pipes, but I complied no less.)
Back in the main cabin, I ordered a snack and had a few drinks while getting to know the others. I was the the only guest besides a retired US Navy man who had been there 2 months. He had recently come from El Salvador where he had laid pipes to bring water to a small village.
The other 5 people were employees of sorts. One guy was born in Roatan and had been working at the hotel two years now, two girls came from England and had been working there 3 months, a girl from Oregon whose boyfriend was stationed at the US military base in Comayagua (which is about an 8 hour bus ride away so I wasn't really clear on how she ended up in Trujillo) had been there 2 months, and a boy from Vermont who had been there 3 months. They all ran the hotel and got room and board for payment. At the moment, the owner had just left town to work for an NGO in Africa. They were all friendly.
I asked if there was hot water and was informed that it was plentiful because it was solar heated. This was vigorously confirmed by the navy man. When I got back to my room to shower... it was cold. I was already half expecting it. I slept the night peacefully until some loud birds started squawking at 6:00am and the room became too stuffy to sleep anyway. So I got up, washed my face (the water was still cold), and put on sunblock and my swimsuit.
Then I went to the main cabin for breakfast. The whole cabin was open air with no walls but only screens stapled around it to keep out the apparently bothersome sand fleas. Everyone mentioned their annoyance and many wore baby oil as it was the only substance the fleas could not penetrate. They never harassed me. Being right on the cove, I had a lovely view while eating.
Previously researching Trujillo in my travel guide, I discovered there was a sunken ship down the beach a ways that was great for snorkeling. The guy from Vermont confirmed the guide book and lent me a raft explaining that the ship was a little far out. Grabbing my snorkel gear, towel, sunblock, and water I began walking down the pretty and tranquil beach. 
After about 10 minutes, the sand on the beach disappeared and was covered with huge masses of dried sea grass and twigs with a few dead starfish (which scientists are now stubbornly trying to rename the more accurate: sea stars) lying about too. It was really odd, ugly, and hard to walk on as my feet would sink into the mounds. This continued for the majority of my 45 minute walk down the shore slowing my progress.
I spotted the half sunken ship and continued walking to see if it the shore got closer to it. It was fairly far out. See that little black spot near the middle? 
I found a sandy spot, luckily, and put my stuff down. Then I had the awkward experience of trying to figure out how to swim out to it. The bay is very shallow and much of it is covered in unpleasant sea grass. The hotel had also warned me of various deadly and painful animals in the area: stingrays, jellies, and, the most venomous fish in the world, stonefish. This caused me to think twice about walking through the camouflaging sea grass to deeper waters.
Instead I laid down on the raft and swam, barely reaching the top of the sea grass. It was unwieldy and nerve-racking. This was confounded by the fact that I was the only person around for miles. I could not see another person in any direction and there were no buildings in this isolated part of the cove. I began to get really worried and paranoid. I mean what if something happened to me. No one would be there to help until possibly hours or days later when the hotel, hopefully, discovered I was missing and searched for me... but by then it would probably be too late.
Being a bay, the water was crystal clear and placid which eased the swimming but even after about 15 minutes I seemed to be no closer to the ship. Luckily I happened upon a sunken metal box and debris, possibly from the shipwreck, that was a great snorkel spot. There were many colorful fish, some were yellow with large spots on their sides that looked like eyes and I found one phosphorescent green fish. It was rad... like a firefly under the sea. Coral ranging in color from light blue to pink to white had also begun to grow on the debris.
As the ship was still at least an hour swim away, and my paranoia at being alone on the deserted beach heightened, I decided this satisfied my snorkeling appetite enough and swam back to shore. I walked back down the shore, through the dried muck, and laid down on the sand by the hotel. It was a rather hot and humid day but the water was refreshing and happily sea grass free. 
After about 10 minutes, I suddenly began to have a panic attack. I began to feel my insides tightening, got that lonesome faraway feeling like you are the only person left alive, started feeling nauseous, and my breath became short. The only causes I could attribute it to was the isolation I was feeling from the miles of deserted beach and uninhabited surrounding areas, the closed-in claustrophobic feeling emanating from the bay (granted it was a very large bay), or maybe the heat. Whatever it was my insides were crawling and I couldn't sit still or concentrate.
I had to go back to the room and take a cold shower (and it was still cold). Even that did nothing to stop the attack. The urge to flee was my only hope so I quickly packed my things and went to the main cabin to check out. This was about 2:00pm and the last bus for La Ceiba, I was told, leaves at 2:30pm. Luckily a girl from the hotel was heading into town and could drop me off, otherwise I would have been stuck there for another night. I got to the bus stop and found it didn't leave until 3:00pm. I got on and anxiously waited for it to pull out.
Once on the road with the wind blowing in my face, I still felt no relief. Not even the beautiful countryside could soothe me. I hadn't had a panic attack like that since I first came to Honduras in August and the reality of being so far from everyone for a year set in. 
Arriving in La Ceiba at 5:45pm, I hurried to catch a taxi to the main bus depot in town. There as I rushed to catch the last bus for Tela, I was informed it had just left. The bus depot is a big circle they have to loop around and return by the main road. I ran up to the main road, hoping it hadn't already passed, as I heard the assistant lean out the open door shouting, "Tela, Tela, Tela," to my relief. I waved him down and squeezed into the overcrowded bus. Every seat had 3 people crammed in and the aisles were stuffed but in Honduras they always find a way to make room for more.
I don't know if it was being surrounded by so many people or the fact that I was almost home, but I breathed a sigh of relief as the attack had passed. Once home, I was frustrated with myself for fleeing as I never got to see the actual town of Trujillo or the fort, which is supposed to be pretty cool, and I would probably not return just to see those. Oh well. By the way, as far as the prettiest beach on the coast hype, well... I hate sea grass. Tela's beach is much better.
Fri. March 21
After the lancha ride from Casa del Mundo to Pana, we hopped into our private shuttle. Because it is about an 8 hour ride to Rio Dulce, our driver had his young wife and baby join him upfront for company. We left Pana at about 7:30am. We were headed directly eastward across the entire country of Guatemala to the Caribbean coast.
But first we had to get out of the mountainous Lago de Atitlan area. Our shuttle wound around an insanely twisty two lane road for about two hours. The switchbacks were somehow, impossibly, greater than 180 degree turns. If you ever needed a visual for hairpin turns this was the road. It did manage to have amazing views of the lake as we left and the farming countryside.
The snaky turns did not sit well with Reina or Christina. Both were grasping onto plastic bags and fighting the urge to get sick, sometimes unsuccessfully. At one point we stopped at a lookout and I eagerly hopped out of the car. When I turned around to see why they weren't joining me, it became immediately apparent... Christina's face was pale and green and Reina was hunched over her bag. Poor girls. But I took a photo of the view so they could enjoy it later.
We finally left behind the tortuous mountain roads, passed through a small town having some Semana Santa processions, and drove through Guatemala City. It was very colorful and extremely densely populated. Most of the housing seemed to be tin and wooden shacks built right next to each other (maybe for extra support) on steep hills. The sanitation situation was definitely iffy at best.
The ride across most of the country was brown, dead, and dry. I still can't understand how it can be so opposite it's lush green neighbor to the south (Honduras). After about 4 hours we stopped for lunch. As we approached the Caribbean coast, the scenery began getting much greener and lusher, to my relief.
We finally arrived in Rio Dulce at 3:00pm. Rio Dulce is a large, tropical, jungle lined river that opens into the Caribbean Sea at the town of Livingston. Rio Dulce is also a city along the river, but we weren't here for that. Upon exiting the shuttle we began bargaining with the men at the dock for the lancha price to our hotel. 
Almost everything around Rio Dulce is reachable only by boat... no roads. We got the price down to $16.00 each for the hour ride to our hotel. The ride to the hotel was gorgeous. The river was very large and we rode past mangroves, local people in cayucos, huts, birds, and tropical life on both sides. 
We also stopped at a boat gas station. There was a fuel pump built right on the dock. Maybe this is the normal way boats fuel up (I don't know much about boats) but I thought it was interesting no less.
After about 1 hour, we turned down a small tributary, the Rio Tatin, shortly down which we found our hotel, Finca Tatin. At the hotel, we pulled up to the dock, unloaded, and followed the wood plank path to the main cabin to check in. The hotel was situated right in the jungle. They certainly didn't cut down any more trees than were absolutely necessary as vegetation abutted every walkway and building. It was the perfect antidote to all the brown scenery along the drive. The main room was very welcoming with hammocks strung up all around, tables, games, books, a ping pong table, and all the friendly travelers relaxing. 
There were also adjacent bathrooms with flushable toilets (but not the toilet paper, of course) and open unscreened windows bringing the jungle in for you to enjoy. 
As we checked in, we were given our room key, shown a book about all the different things to do while here, and informed to mark down all our expenses in the log book under our names. I love the honesty policy... it actually does keep people more honest.
We had reserved a riverfront bungalow for three and it was exactly that. It was a wooden, thatched roof bungalow built on stilts with windows all around with only screens... who needs glass when it never gets cold, princess style mosquito nets over the beds, and a private bathroom (only cold water here). 
We also had a private deck in front next to the lake with it's very own hammock, table, and chairs. 
We unpacked and relaxed for awhile until dinner, which was also served family style and you signed up by writing your name on a white board under vegetarian or not. I noticed anyplace where there was mud, there were crabs. They were so cute and there were a thousand of them just hanging out doing what appeared to be t'ai chi exercises. They wouldn't show up in photos but I caught one stealing a cracker.
Going into the room for my book, I spotted a small scorpion on one of the curtains in our hut. I haven't had much experience with scorpions except once while camping on the beach in San Felipe, Mexico but I knew enough to stay away. I positioned myself as lookout while I sent Christina to get an employee. He gladly came and scooted it out of the room without even blinking.
At dinner we met a few other travelers from Oregon, Germany, England, and elsewhere. The meals were cheaper here than our last hotel, 50Q ($7), and almost as delicious. The room was cheaper too, $10 each per night. Getting ready for bed that night, we tucked in our mosquito nets around us, not so much for the mosquitoes as for the other creepy crawlies. 
During the night I got up to use the restroom and spotted a large spider and a cockroach scurrying away. That is, the cockroach scurried away, the spider just sat there and I stared at it on the curtain praying it would not move until I finished. I can deal with a few bugs but later when I was going to go in the restroom again, the lights wouldn't turn on, and I figured I didn't want to push my luck in the dark so I just went back to sleep.
Sat. March 22
We awoke around 9:00am to frogs croaking and birds chirping. I showered in the cold, tiny shower, we ate breakfast, and decided to go kayaking. Deciding to do something and actually doing it are two very different things (as I have discovered in previous travels). Since Reina had done this before and Christina and I had not, we rented a single for her and a double for us. Our plan was to kayak 2 hours into Livingston (the nearby Caribbean town) where a boat would meet us to bring the kayaks and us back. Ha!
Once we got in the kayaks, we had the most hilarious time just trying to go straight in our calm, small, tributary. We quickly came to realization that maybe heading out into the big river, where boats and jet skis would fly past, might not be the safest idea for us yet. To try to gain more confidence and practice we paddled up and down our inlet. It took us maybe an hour to go down and back, which was a ridiculously long amount of time given the short length of it. Back at the hotel, our arms hurt and we still couldn't stay straight so we opted out of Livingston for the day and just hauled the kayaks back in.
The rest of the day we relaxed on the dock: jumping off the rope swing into the river, swimming, reading, lying in the hammocks, and talking to other travelers. A Rasta-looking family lived in the house opposite us and the entertained us with their reggae music all day. Since my secret dream is to be Huck Finn, this was about as perfect as could be. 
Afterward, I took a nice cool shower (after gently encouraging a large spider to exit and fending off a moth and large ant), read a bit more, and then we went up to the main hangout room. We played scrabble and memory and then ate. During dinner I sat next to a family of four: two parents and their two boys, one 10 and one 14. They were from Canada and have traveled as a family all over the world, even when the boys were babies. The boys were smart and very entertaining. Afterward, everyone went out to the dock for an after dinner beverage to wind down. We sat around talking and just enjoying the stillness of the dark river and bright stars.
Sun. March 23
We woke up around 8:00am. It was very quiet outside. We got ready, ate breakfast, and signed up for a hike to a cave and village. We followed a path though the jungle marked with red flags on the trees to meet our guides across the river. 
They first took us on a 1 hour hike to a small village. It was rather hot and humid that day and you could feel the sun baking you anytime you stepped out of the shade. The path led through jungles, dry riverbeds, cornfields (which were taller than me and I had to fight the urge to run into them and start playing Children of the Corn... I get to be Isaac, Reina can be Malachi, and Christina gets to be the adult woman (Linda Hamilton)... anyway, back to the story), 
a woman grinding corn, 
and many animals: pigs, turkeys, chickens, and horses.
The village, one of the Q'eqchi' Maya, consisted of a small school and about 20 or so thatched huts with dirt floors. The school had three rooms, each colorfully painted with desks, chairs, a chalkboard, and students artwork. One was for grades 4 and 5, one was for grades 2 and 3, and the third was for grades K and 1. There were no kids as it was Sunday.
In the village, our guides took us on tours of about 4 houses. Inside it was just one big room with hammocks or the dirt to sleep on, maybe a bench or chair, chickens pecking about, their scant belongings, and a cooking area. I didn't seem to see a any sort of latrine or wash facility. There was a spigot outside where the women did the laundry. One hut had a tiny B&W TV which plugged into an outlet on the wall but I am not sure where the electricity came from, maybe a solar powered battery. 
The people were all very friendly inviting us to take pictures, showing us how to make tortillas, 
cook,
make some artesian crafts,
and weave on a loom.
On the way back, we stopped at a large cave, la Cueva del Tigre. First we had to climb down a tall, handmade, bamboo ladder, then over the rocky, slippery ground to the caves enormous dark entrance. This picture is looking out from the inside. 
A short distance into the cave was a large pool to swim in. You could either jump from the narrow slippery cliffs about 20 feet into the pool or climb down the slimy rope ladder the guides had brought while the small waterfall pounded down on you. Either way was a bit dangerous but we all made it safely in. The pool was chilly and black. It was a little creepy swimming in water where you didn't know how deep it was and could see absolutely nothing in it. The only light came from a few candles the guides had lit on the rocks. Very romantic. We climbed back deeper into the cave but it only led to more slippery rocks and smaller pools.
When we decided we were done, we toweled off, climbed back out of the cave, and hiked down to the riverfront where a small restaurant and local artesian shop were located. Both were begun by an NGO, Association Ak' Tenamit, to support and improve the living conditions of the indigenous community.
We paid our guides, bought a souvenir (a painted calabash bowl), and enjoyed a refreshment by the river. We decided, being worn out from too much walking in the past 9 days, to take a 2 min. boat ride back to the hotel instead of the 20 min. uphill hike. That seems pretty lazy but I'm okay with it.
Back at the hotel, we relaxed for about an hour and then took a lancha into Livingston to check out the small city life. Since it was about 4:30pm and boats don't go very late, we made sure to arrange for a boat ride back at 8:30pm. The ride was about 25 min. (which reiterated for us we would have never made it on the kayaks, especially when we hit the crowded choppy mouth to the Caribbean Sea). The Garifuna town was very small with one long main street stuffed with restaurants, souvenir shops, and people.
The street ended at the beach which was rough, shallow very far out, and had a small island with a Jesus statue. 
We wandered around, used the ATM, and got dinner and drinks. At 8:30pm, we boarded our boat. It was amazing. It was pitch black out except for the stars and full moon. The only way our captain could see, and not run into the jungle, was with a small flashlight he shined on the jungle and his backhand knowledge of the river. The ride was dreamy. I wanted to just lie in the boat and float around all night. Once we got back to the hotel, the boat charged us 50Q ($7) each, rather pricey but our fault for not negotiating the price ahead of time, and we felt the danger and beauty justified it so we didn't argue.
Upon entering our room, we discovered a huge hairy spider on the wall. The girls kept watch as I got some help. Carlos, the hilarious, helpful, and very friendly owner from Argentina came and nonchalantly smashed it, laughing at our worried looks. Two minutes after he left, we spotted an even larger hairy spider and a big cockroach perched just above Reina's side of the bed. It was too high for anyone to reach, not that we would have tried, and we were too embarrassed to ask for help again so we just kept watch over it. Needless to say, we tossed and turned all night, fearing to use the restroom and paranoid of giant dinosaur-sized bugs attacking. Then it began raining. The huts are water proof but it was loud and we predicted it would cause more bugs to crawl inside. Obviously, not much sleep was to be had.
Ahh, the fun of staying in huts in the jungle. Besides the critters, it actually was very relaxing and beautiful. I wanted to stay for a week but, alas, we had to leave for Tela, Honduras tomorrow.
Mon. March 24
Our journey back to Tela. We woke up at 7:30am, ate breakfast, we each paid our tab based on what we had (truthfully) marked in the log book, and enjoyed our last views of the river.
Then we took the boat ride into Livingston. It rained a little on the boat ride so our captain had us pull a plastic tarp over us and our bags. In Livingston we switched boats for one going to Puerto Barrios. It was about a 30 min. ride along the Caribbean Coast. Luckily it didn't rain again until just before we pulled into the dock, when it immediately began pouring. Our bags would have been soaked. Good karma. Due to the rain, we decided to take a taxi to the Honduras/Guatemala border instead of trudging to the bus stop in the downpour. The taxi was 65Q ($9) each and took about 1 hour.
At the border we stopped, got our passports checked, paid the small exit fee, and then continued on 10 min. in the taxi to the first border town in Honduras, Corinto. There we ate some lunch at the roadside stands and got on a bus for Puerto Cortes about 1 hour away. Puerto Cortes is a large, no frills, impoverished, port city. From there we took a 1 1/2 hour shuttle to San Pedro Sula. Then we transferred onto a bus to Tela, another 2 hours away.
If there was a bus directly from Puerto Cortes to Tela, it would have saved us hours, but instead we had to go in a big U. We finally got to Tela at 5:00pm (only about 8 hours of continuous travel), walked down the road to our house, stopping to buy some corn being roasted next to the soccer field. Overall it was an amazing trip.
Then Reina got to spend 3 days checking out my town. She went to three beaches, on a short hike in the jungle, explored Lancetilla botanical garden, and tried out various restaurants in town. She even shopped in the market and cooked us a delicious mango curry dinner. I was very sad to see her leave but we got to share some great adventures.
And now I'm off to our science fair at school and my first weekend trip back in Honduras...
Holidays at School
This week, on Tuesday, April 22, we celebrated Earth Day. Usually the holidays at our school are disorderly and confusing but this was the most well planned holiday ever. The kids started the day in their rooms, learned about the history of the day, painted rocks to resemble bugs (for paperweights... I suppose), painted a picture about Earth Day, and made "healthy" food to sell at recess. My class made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The other classes made liquados (smoothies), fruit cocktails, nachos?, bags of cereal?, and bags of trail mix. There was also a teacher painting faces, I couldn't pass it up. 
After recess, we all went outside to have a poetry contest. The student from my class won. Then there was a fashion contest for who wore the most green clothes. The kids also picked up trash around the school, I talked about reduce, reuse, and recycle, and new plastic recycle bins were introduced. Of course there wouldn't be a Honduran holiday without cake, so we sang happy birthday to the Earth and ate cake while writing our promises to the Earth on a paper leaf and taping it to a giant cardboard tree. 
Fun Around the House
Second, the pipe in the pila (large concrete wash basin) outback keeps coming undone. One piece of the pipe disconnects causing all the water to come gushing out. Then I have to shove the pipe back in the hole while trying not to get soaked from the spray.
Fourth, the yard in insanely overgrown. At the beginning of the year, we had a dispute with the school about the yard work. They tried to tell us the previous volunteers all paid for their own gardening. We argued that they stipulated all bills related to the house were their obligation. They finally agreed to pay for a gardener... but they wait until the yard is so impenetrable and Christina and I almost reach our breaking point before getting someone to take care of it.
Fifth, the toilet has been getting the chain stuck under the flap when it is flushed. This means jiggling the handle every time to ensure the toilet doesn't run constantly. Half the time I forget and have to go back in the restroom to jiggle it.
