Honduras 2013

Comayagua, Sat eve, Nov 9, Hotel Posada de mi Viejo

We were there over an hour ahead of time, but we could not sleep, knowing the one & only Tica Bus today to Honduras was coming by León, reportedly about 6:30 am. It did stop for us, just before 7, & began it’s international trek. Border crossing was WAY easier than the gauntlet from Costa Rica in to Nicaragua. The Tica guy took our passports & $8 each, either payment for leaving Nicaragua or for entering Honduras. We stood outside the bus for about 10 minutes, got back on & continued our way toward Tegucigalpa. Not crowded, I found an empty seat, so Mary could put her leg up. Pretty countryside, very green (now the end of rainy season). When the bus rolled in just before 1 pm, Arturo was waiting for us. He met Mary almost 2 years ago at a coffee fair in Portland. A coffee farmer here, he & Mary have exchanged emails & planned this visit for months. Art is from Puerto Rico, a 20-year retiree of US military, now the proud owner of 21 acres of coffee in the mountains outside Comayagua, a historic city that was the first Honduran capitol. Art also works as a contractor on the US Army base here. None of us slept well last night, anxious to catch the bus this morning. Mary is already asleep & I’m heading that way.

Sunday night, Nov 10, Comayagua

Art picked us up after breakfast & took us to Finca El Rosario—his coffee farm in the Montecillo Mts west of here. Probably only 25 km as the crow flies, over 1 & ½ hours by road. Near the community of San Jose, at about 4500 feet elevation. He is building an eco-lodge, has lots of plans for improvements to his coffee production & providing a special experience for travelers. We spent about 3 hours walking the finca, talking about his plans, snapping lots of pics. On return to town, we went to Don Ricardo’s restaurant next to the church & central plaza, where, over jalapeno steaks, chicken fajitas & drinks, the animated conversation continued.

Tue am, 11/12, Comayagua

Packing to head home. Yesterday we visited the local market, cathedral, with allegedly the 2nd oldest bell tower in the world & historic center of Comayagua. A local tourist guide managed to befriend us. We could have figured out going up the bell tower for noon ringing on our own, but he took me to a place in the market where I got some Honduran cigars at better prices than the shop on the plaza. Art brought green coffee beans, to fill up the extra bag I brought along. We thanked him for everything, promised to return to stay in his El Rosario eco-lodge when it’s completed. Maybe we can fly here, go visit Matagalpa, across the border in Nicaragua, the coffee region we didn’t get to, due to transportation issues & too little time to get from there to here.

For pics of Finca El Rosario & Comayagua, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/ElRosarioSanJoseComayagua#

Tuesday night, Nov 26, Edgewood, WA

A couple days after getting home my cough began. Repeat of a year ago, when I came back with a cough from our trip to Cuba & the Yucatan. I'm still coughing, but I have faith that I'm getting better. Mary & I agree—next trip I need to shed the distorted perception of myself as a 20-something backpacker—cover less territory, más tranquilo.