Vacationing in Honduras

One thing that we really appreciate about our role is the opportunity to connect with other offices in the region.  One thing that is complicated is actually getting to these other offices and spending good time together. Our friends Matthieu and Ilona of MCC Honduras will be heading back to Switzerland next year, and we wanted to have a chance to get together before they head out.  We found some dates that worked, bought some bus tickets, and headed north for some vacation.

There were some challenges to the trip, but let's choose to see the bright side. The bus ride was a good long 12 hour ride, but the kids did great and were thrilled to get a bus that happened to have screens on each seat.  (Parents were also happy to have some selection, since sometimes these buses play scary/gruesome movies on the shared screens for everyone.) The border process was really slow on the Honduras side, going north, but the kids were remarkably patient as we stood in the crowded and hot room for two hours.  On the tail end of the trip, Silas and Miriam caught a stomach bug.  No details here, but really thankful for Cesar and Lizette's uncomplaining support, Matthieu and Ilona's house for an extra rest day, and TicaBus for allowing us to easily adjust our return trip.

Now, some highlights.

Without a doubt, the best part of this trip was simply time with our hosts:

The kids enjoyed San Pedro Sula's children's museum.  A bank, grocery store, cavern, planetarium, and more. Below, digging for dinosaur fossils.

We met up with César and Lizette as well at the San Pedro bazaar. The kids had fun playing around the fountain.

We hiked up to a lookout along the Merendón mountain ridge, to the west of San Pedro Sula.  The fresh oranges at the top never tasted better.

If you could burrow under the security wall behind Matthieu and Ilona's house and walk across that street, you would come to this place for kids called Planet Jump, which is a mix of trampolines and inflatables.  The kids loved it.

From San Pedro, we traveled east, past La Ceiba to a small town along the beach, staying a favorite destination for MCCers, Helen's Restaurant and Hotel.  The kids enjoyed the pool, Miriam enjoyed Mireya's company, and we enjoyed hanging out, playing along the beach, learning games from Matthieu and Ilona that we played in the evenings. Below, Lia takes a turn with the camera.

The grand finale of the week was a trip out to the Cayos Cochinos, some island keys where some small communities, mostly Garifuna I understand, also live.  We enjoyed some wildlife including snakes and a tarantula on the land (the guide showed where to find them), and then snorkeling in the clear Caribbean water.  Even Lia and Silas had their chance to swim and see the fish and coral.  From there, it was the journey back to Managua.  Thanks again to all our friends in Honduras!