Poop Panic Attack

We just enjoyed our spring break last week--along with the rest of the country. We drove up to a little spot on the north coast of Honduras (Trujillo) in our little Kia. That car has definitely proven itself this trip! The trip should have taken only 5-6 hours, but with traffic, rough roads, and a police check at every small town (and then some), we got there in about 10 hours. We took a break in the middle (spent the night in a motel in La Ceiba) because we knew it might be a long stretch. But when we arrived at Casa Kiwi, we were ready for some R&R.

The place was very chill. We met some travelers from around the world--New Zealand, Ireland, Colombia, Ecuador, and the whole family of 20 Hondurans who squeezed into the two one-room cabins beside us. Fascinating family to watch--at the crack of dawn, they began their mornings with a few cervezas and freshly caught fish.

The beach in Trujillo is on a bay. We didn't really believe that until we got there. In our minds, we had big, ocean waves crashing in the distance, seagulls soaring above, dolphins chasing after one another in front of the sunset...and then we came up on the bay. We were a little underwhelmed. No waves. No seagulls. No dolphins. But we knew there had to be beach on the other side of the road, so we raced over that direction before sunset, and that's when we feast our eyes on the long-awaited, wave-crashing ocean. So, with that ocean in our minds, we began our week of "break." It takes a while to let out all that stored up stress, tiredness, and whatever else has nestled itself up inside you. Within in a few days, we were finally relaxed, and we found out why the bay was such an attraction. One really could get lost staring at the glass of the sea...and reading fun beach reads! (thanks, Mom!)

I did, however, have my first panic attack. I know, right? We're on the most tranquil beach in the whole of Honduras, crystal clear water all around...what's to panic about? Well, on our last afternoon at Casa Kiwi, Colin and I decided to go snorkeling. We heard there was a shipwreck about 200 meters off shore that we could swim out to and see some interesting stuff. So, without much thought, we grabbed our snorkeling gear and began our walk down the beach.

Now, the beach really turned into the dump as we walked further down shore. The sand disappeared beneath the bark, branches, random bottles (glass and plastic), shoes, underwear, used syringes and a sundry of other things (not to mention the smell had begun to resemble that of a port-a-potty). Well, as we came upon this huge pile of decomposing mulch, I basically fell in and lost my shoes (I retrieved them afterwards). As my feet sank into the muck, all I could think was that I was falling into people's poop! The smell, the feel, the endless sinking...I couldn't take it! I began to WAIL. And Colin was completely astonished, but he tried to get me to snap out of it. The attack lasted a good five minutes of panic, crying, near-hyper ventilating, sniffling to calm down, and then complete quiet. Weird. I thought the coast was clear until we found our stopping point. I looked down at the water that we had to swim out in (at least 20 condoms were floating around the sea grass) to get to the shipwreck. My breathing picked up. Unwisely, I hopped into the water...immediately got on my back and did the backstroke (in knee-deep water) for as long as I could. Colin was really worried about me. However, after a quick prayer, asking God to just calm me down and help me trust him, I made it past the murky waters and into the deep. I was able to enjoy snorkeling around the shipwreck (Colin's made for underwater sports!) and saw beautiful starfish, schools of fish, and a mermaid. It was worth the trip.

We did not take the beach back--we got up on the road and hitched back to camp. Much better idea. Why didn't we think of that in the first place?

So, we're back home, with tomorrow off. I'm glad to be back. The break was nice, but it's nice to be in your own nest, you know? And I'm looking forward to hearing about my friends (and students) adventures over the week.

We've passed this bridge before on another trip. However, the sunken bus caught our eye. We later learned that this wreck had occurred early that week because the driver didn't see the big blockade to warn drivers not to cross. Five people died as a result. 

However, on our return home, the whole area under the bridge had become a huge water park (and the bus had been removed). People were everywhere! Life goes on in Honduras....

Aaahhh...Sunsets at the beach. 

We visited the Garifuna (the indigenous people of the north coast--long ago they were used as slaves) town, Santa Fe, on the only rainy day of the week. Our new friends, Andres and Gaby, took us in their truck through the dirt/sand/washed out roads to this little town and we had a delightful (and surprisingly expensive) lunch. It was worth the visit!

The vegetation around this town was so rich!

Our new friends, Andres and Gaby, and their family (whom we fell in love with), Manuela (the golden lab) Samuel (the black lab), and their adopted stray dog, Nacha. They live in San Pedro Sula and we plan on visiting them. Especially as our Spanish improves...

I think everything was going right for this picture until Colin passed me the coconut.

The roads were constantly being bulldozed because of the rains. It was an interesting procedure. The main event of the day, really.

This American fellow has been living in Trujillo for a while now--he built this sailboat and we watched him take the wind and sail out over the glass sea. It was really beautiful.

We went downtown to Trujillo to pick up some souvenirs (and some cough syrup--I've been struggling with a cold for the past two weeks). While there, we explored a fort built by William Walker (from Tennessee!). He was some dude that wanted to take over Latin America...and got close enough before they executed him in Trujillo. Interesante. (Like the $5 cowgirl hat? Yeah...I think I'm getting cooler with age). 

Ok...so this is a little indulgent, but hey! How often do you get a shot of yourself silhouette-style?

Here's to a sweet marriage of 6+ years!

The drive home...two trucks racing to pass at the same time--both loaded down with people as you can see. We're really learning the ways of being a "defensive" driver.