Tela Tales

It wasn't too long before Justin and I hit the trail again. After staying only a week at the monastery (where we we finally really able to achieve progress with the website.. once again thanks to Kurtis' help!), Holy Week or "Semana Santa" was upon us. Our plans were to meet up with the CSB/SJU Guatemala Study Abroad crew in Tela, Honduras, where many Hondurans go for vacation. In typical style, Justin and I neglected to pay for a bus ticket direct from Antigua (about 6 hours away from Cobán) to Tela, a full day worth of traveling. Having gotten a hint as to where it would be most convenient to cross over the Guatemalan-Honduran border, Justin and I headed to "Entre Rios," A small town outside of Puerto Barrios and the eastern frontera. We arrived at the border at 5:30p.m. to discover that there were no other buses leaving for the day. Our choice was to pay for an overly expensive hotel, or each pay $100 cab ride to get to Tela that night (we already have a hotel reservation, too). Since we were told that public transportation was rather expensive (we found out later this wasn't at all true), we chose the cab. 

 3 hours, 4000 lempiras, a gas station sandwich, and a box of cheap red wine later, we arrived at our Tela hotel, a slick establishment with the best view of the city. Familiar faces such as Collin Motschke, Bryton Overton (still owe you $50 man!), Alivia Tison, Kirsti Klaverkamp, Nicola Franta and many more wonderful bennie and johnnie personalities. I spent a lot of time getting to know and kindling a close friendship with Evan Forsythe, a johnnie from my graduating class that had come down independently for a month to learn Spanish and become immersed in the culture. Evan and I shared in fantastic adventures, including finding fresh "cocos" and buying them at a discounted price. There's nothin' better than some fresh coco right outta the nut. And yes... we did actually put limes in the coconuts and shake 'em all up.

Coco Loco Fiesta 

Jammin' out with fellow beach buddies 

The three days at Tela were fun because of the company rather than the place. Tela ended up being a rather run down city. Electric wire strung between buildings, most densely over busy main streets, and gave a perpetual "christmas-lights-up-in-July" feeling (I'm sorry... I once again neglected to bring my camera). The beaches were packed with Honduran families, and several stage-like dance floors were set up all along the oceanside. Fewer foreigners were here, as we later found out that the big tourist places to visit are Utila and Roatoan, a couple of islands off of the Honduran coast farther south. Having spent money on a $100 cab ride, Justin and I were in no position to do much touring around, and neither was the rest of the group. It was a great group dynamic. Everyone did their own thing, but were also inclusive. Some people went snorkeling with local tours, some went running with Justin, some shopping. I spent most of my three days at the beach, soaking in the sun and playing my newest fun instrument, the Ukelele. 

We did check out the night life a bit as well. The stage-like dance floors were a blast, and stayed open till the sun came up. On our first night out in the town we met up with a group of English-speaking Hondurans. They were a group of  culinary students from the National University of Honduras. I spent most of my time talking to Ana Rubio, a beautiful young lady with quite a passion for her studies and an incredibly interesting life story. On the last day in Tela, I spend the day with this fun group in one of Honduras's National Parks and beaches. The group dynamic was fantastic. A constant vibe of happiness surrounded their conversation; I miss them all. 

Our journey back from Tela wasn't nearly as bad as the arrival. Justin and I started our journey at 6:30a.m. and arrived back at the monastery in Cobán by midnight. Bus fares were cheap, and crossing the border was easy. Our only painful experience was the micro-bus back from El Rancho (about 2.5 hours away from Cobán). In one little Euro-van styled bus, these crazy drivers fit in at least 40 people because it was the last run of the night; standing, leaning, squashed, I've never had a more miserable bus experience. We were certainly happy to finally reach our beds, where our desk lights weren't even turned on before we hit the pillow.