aventuras de la navidad

Here's my attempt to document our travels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua during our Christmas vacation. I hope give just the right balance of details, experiences and meaningful reflections. Hope you enjoy what you read (and see)! Day 1. San Pedro Sula, HN to San Jose, CR It was a very good idea to fly for one leg of our long journey. Thanks Karla for the sound advice. Our morning started off slowly and very relaxed. Since our flight didn't leave until 3:47 pm, we had several hours to spend how ever we'd like. This was especially important since I just had a LONG two round of food poisoning...or something. 101 degree temperature, severe chills, days of stomach related symptoms (I'll spare you the details), and vomitting for the first time in over five years. It was ugly. Thanks to Jason and our amazing principal, Martha, we had an ambulance at the house after 24 hours of symptoms. With an IV of fluids and some antibiotics, I felt good as new in about a day. Just in the nick of time. We left our house about an hour later than I'd have liked, but even in the torrential downpours of "rainy season", we made it to the airport with a few minutes to spare nothing like the rush of catching an international flight. After standing in 5 lines (including the "tax" line where you pay an additional tax to the Honduran government for leaving the country-weird), we boarded our plane, and to our surprise we were sitting in business class. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to go back to coach. We had more room than we do in our bed at home. Large, plush, leather seats. A full meal. I had a delicious Caesar salad and Jason had a gourmet deli sandwich with pesto dipping sauce. I didn't even miss the peanuts I have grown so accostomed to ;). Our flight was fast and easy. We landed amidst the expansive mountains of CR's central valley, retrieved our packs, and found our driver to the hostel, holding a sign for Sr. and Sra. Redelman. Sweet. He dropped us off at our hostel, Casa del Parque, downtown San Jose and across the street from the main city park. This was by far the largest and most comfortable hostel either of had ever stayed at. If you're ever in San Jose, you NEED to check it out! The owner nd msnagers were helpful, knowledgable, flexible, accommodating and so very kind. We loved every minute and were tempted to change some of our plans already. Now that I'm sitting in my beachfront hotel room, serenaded by the powerful Pacfic "olas", I'm glad we didn't. Still, for a capital city, it was far and away the best. We ended our night with one of the very best meals I've experienced since moving to Honduras in July. We read about Tin Jo on Lonely Planet, anda although no one was able to help us with directions, evidentially it's a hidden gem, we found it with only a little trouble. Probably couldn't again, though. :) Were ordered our favorite Thai appetizer, Chicken Satay as well as a cup of their house soup, both delicious, the peaunut sauce especially. Surprise surprise, I ordered Pad Thai with tofu, didn't taste much like Mai Thai or Thipi Thai, but very tasty and very spicy, a welcome treat from the bland food we've grown used to eating. The owner was very friendly and made sure we, gringos, we're well fed and enjoyed our evening. We'd definitely return! Exhausted, we stumbled home and fell hard to sleep, full tummies and happy hearts. A lot of activity for day 1.

12.1.2007

it was a pretty average winter's afternoon in chicago. the day was saturday, december 1st, 2007. i remember it like it was yesterday. liz and i were sharing our pilsen apartment on 18th street. she had to work at trader joe's on ontario. i planned to do the reverse commute (again) out to wheaton. both normal events in our respective lives. the only glitch was the snow, and a lot of it. we boarded the 18th street pink line together, planning to split ways when i went to the ogilvie metra station and she transferred to the red line north to work. after what was normally a one minute trip to the next pink line stop at UIC took over an hour, we realized we would have to revise our plan. we battled the snow, wind, hail, ice, and intense cold as we cautiously walked down ashland to find a bus or taxi that was able to drive through such intense weather conditions. liz made it work, late, and after hours of busses and trains i finally arrived in wheaton. although frustrated, cold, exhausted and hungry... i'm so glad i stuck out the trip all the way to the college ave. station and that familiar light, blue honda waiting for me. rather, for that dark haired, exuberant, and tender-hearted boy who was so often waiting at the other side of the sliding metra doors. i didn't expect this to be any different from the countless hours we had spent together since we re-connected at our then job at quest. i expected an afternoon studying for my urban studies degree alongside a person who was becoming a very dear friend. when i remember those first few months together, laughter, games, conversing, and a lot more laughter come to mind. i don't remember very much about dec 1, except that neither of us wanted the day together to come to an end. that was happening more and more often. finally, after hours of playing cards in his parents' basement, we decided reluctantly to call it a night. the drive to the csukor's (where i was privileged enough to sleep over at so frequently) was peaceful. i remember listening to christmas music and admiring the moonlight, snow covered trees. after a few minutes of saying goodbye in their driveway, i reached over to open the door when jason stammered something like..."uh..eh...ahh....argg.....ummm...can we talk for a minute?" sorry, hope the sound effects come across clearly, it's the best i could do :) he said something about how much he was enjoying our friendship, and how he was surprised how easy and enjoyable it was together. he told me how he was guarding his heart because he valued our relationship so much, and so had been watching for "red flags" during our months hanging out together to warn him from pursuing anything anything more than a friendship. he told me it had been two months, an no red flags. then he realized that he should start recognizing reasons for us to pursue more in our relationship. the list of reasons pretty much made itself. that's when he asked me if i wanted to be his girlfriend and try something more. he told me he didn't want me to consider it unless i was sure it was something i wanted, our friendship was potentially at stake after all. well, the rest is history... tomorrow, december 1, marks four years learning all about jason. what makes him laugh. what he likes to eat. how he is with family and friends. how to communicate care in ways that he needs. i am learning to love jason, my husband, more and more every day. i consider him a specific and purposeful gift from God in my life. he challenges me. he irritates me. he tries my patience. he looks out for my needs. he fills so many minutes in my day. but ultimately, he is making me better. a better friend, daughter, sister, teacher, christ follower. i love you jason and celebrate the many twists and turns our relationship has taken from our junior high youth group days, to working together at quest, beginning to date four years ago, vowing our futures together two and a half years ago, and today four months into this journey. i can't tell where we're going, hopefully it's not another dead end in the mangroves... but even if so, there's no one else i can imagine spending my days with. i'm so glad you asked me to be your girlfriend. and i'm so glad i was smart enough to say yes :) here are some pictures from our early days together...

el dia de gracias

although a bit early, we celebrated thanksgiving this year in the most traditional ways. well... as traditional as you can amidst 85 degree weather, the lack of family, and teaching a full week, while living in far away Honduras. our "thanksgiving" morning started with the ever popular (american) football game. jason played, and i babysat adorable and sweet natalie (the daughter of two of our co-workers). we all made the short trek to E.I.S.'s main futbol field, dressed in opposing white and black to battle it out. the heavy rain and mud-soaked field only added to the thrill of the game. jason's team, the black team, tasted sweet victory after a goal made by your's truly. he even punctuated the goal with a full out front flip into the end zone. go jason! here's a quick shot, documenting the crazy teachers who thought a muddy football game would be the perfect start to our thanksgiving.

i was super excited to try out a few new recipes to serve at the foreign hire thanksgiving dinner hosted by the CNA apartments. Jackie helped me bake the very popular Iced Pumpkin Cake Cookies and Chocolate Covered Macaroons. We spent hours Friday night stirring, mixing, tasting, dropping by spoonfuls, frosting, and more tasting of these delicious, sweet treats. The cookies were a HUGE success. My favorite quote of the night, "This Pumpkin cookie brought tears to my eyes, as I re-lived my childhood", added to the chorus of compliments I received all night for our baking. Here's a picture of our dessert table, and the links to the "All Recipes" description. Enjoy... they're delicious!

I also made the following Carrot-Pineapple cake, also feature on "All Recipes". http://allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-pineapple-cake-i/detail.aspx It was extremely moist, probably due to the crushed pineapple, freshly shredded carrots and sweetened coconut mixed right into the gooey cake batter. The double-layered cake was frosted with a basic cream cheese and coconut frosting. Carrot shavings and crushed walnut topped it off as a beautiful garnish to showcase its irresistible flavor. The quote of the night, "This was the absolute BEST carrot cake I've ever tasted", coupled with, "This puts my grandmother's carrot cake to shame, please don't tell her!" added to my enjoyment of the process. I was so glad that my efforts were able to please so many people, and were so thoroughly appreciated. I mean, Jason enjoys EVERYTHING I cook, but then again, he enjoys MOST EVERYTHING he's ever eaten. He's not the most critical voice when it comes to food :)

My last creation, another take on the traditional sweet potato dish, was also a big hit! I started with boiled and sweetened orange yams (VERY hard to come by in Central America). Then I layered them in a clear, glass baking dish with the following enhancements to "candy" the dish: brown sugar, pecans, coconut, and honey. I can't remember the exact measurements, likely because I didn't use any :). My favorite kind of cooking involves wondering what ingredients I have in the cupboards, that would help to achieve the flavor I'm going for. In this case, mission accomplished. After about 45 minutes of baking, I removed the gooey and crystalized sweet potatoes, topped them with a few mini marshmallows at jason's request, and sprinkled fresh coconut and pecans to enhance its "curb appeal". They were, surprisingly, the only traditional sweet potatoes at the dinner, so this added to their popularity among both the Americans and Canadians alike. Thanksgiving dinner was a very nice evening together as friends. We cheered each other, sang a Thanksgiving song, shared stories, and took some time to enjoy the efforts of our friends to provide a night of normalcy and tradition, in an otherwise abnormal and always changing lifestyle.

from me and jason... happy thanksgiving to all! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

it was a LONG october.

hard to believe november 1st has already come and gone. i told my students today that it's especially hard to believe since i'm still wearing sandals and tank tops :) they just snickered. i remember the smells of october, though. the smells of cool morning air, quite refreshing after the hot and muggy end to a chicago summer. i remember the smell of leaves burning over an open fire pit, as friends gather to reminisce about old times. i remember the sounds of the wind whipping through the trees, commanding the branches to drop their leaves in preparation for a long, bitter winter. i remember the taste of sweet, warm chai, sipped carefully while reading a good book, curled up in a fuzzy blanket. i remember the crackling warmth coming from the fireplace, and the twinkling of dozens of candles lit in every nook and cranny of our apartment, inviting me to just stay, and be. it's no wonder fall is my most favorite and anticipated season. i should have guessed that I would be presented with some unique challenges this fall, 2011. i miss the leaves, the cool morning air, and the bon fires with friends. i long for a sip of warm chai, a fuzzy blanket to provide relief and the sound of a crackling fire. i wish more than anything that this fall i could have shared personally in the joys and losses of my dear friends and family. congratulations dani and michaela. i KNOW you make amazing mothers already, and i can't hardly wait to be a part of this season in your life soon. barkers and csukors, i grieve the loss of a very dear woman, peggy finn, and am crying tears of sadness with you, hoping in our most satisfying and comforting God to be near you now. wells and austy, i am so proud of and happy for you in this huge step of faith. i know God will deliver to you a precious child to love in the right time and in the right way. keep us posted! sisters, you are taking huge steps in your life right now, and it seems like the first time i wasn't there sitting in the front row. i hate that. in my heart i am though, front and center. cheering you on and planning to give you that standing ovation as soon as we're together again. i guess it's about time for me realize that my job as a big sister is pretty much done. i trust you to walk in a manner worthy, and always seek first the love of your Father in heaven to fill you. i'm learning from you now.... :) mom and dad, watching you handle all this change with grace, love and wisdom rocks my world. the way you just keep getting "better" and "better" as parents, astounds me. i'm sorry for the pain we are causing you right now, in all of our leaving the nest, but know you raised us well to follow our dreams and trust in our faith to guide us. i love you. this is a very small start to the many ways i have missed the october i have always known...but i wanted to end with some updates about what life in honduras, during october, has looked like for us... first, we started off october by celebrating jason's 28th birthday a week late... but he didn't mind once he learned what i had up my sleeve ;) what screams "jason" more than: rugged, outdoor, deserted river lodge, white water rafting, canopy tour, quelf, card games late into the night, hot springs, massage, sleeping in, delicious food, a new tennis racquet, and birthday snacks?! nothing. you're right. except maybe a rock band set, but that's going to be pretty hard to top for a while

october ended even better than it began! my parents visited! they sacrificed so much to make the trek down here, but boy were we grateful! they spoiled us every chance they had, reminded us of why they love us, updated us on what everyone back home is up to, stuffed their suitcases full of the many things we miss from home, and most importantly shared in four full days of our life here. well, not so much our day to day life, since we left san pedro about 12 hours after they arrived :), but the life we're building here together as we learn a new language, meet hundreds of new people, and experience a culture so different from our own. we decided to take them to Copan Ruinas, good choice. the weather was perfect! howard, the owner of Casa de Cafe (a beautiful bed and breakfast on the edge of town, overlooking the mountain range separating Honduras from Guatemala, upgraded us to his two story town house. needless to say, we extended our trip two days :) we saw the Mayan ruins, took long leisurely walks, and ate delicious food. we met some very interesting people, and they got to know my friends. we laid in hammocks, drank fresh coffee, hot cocoa and lemon grass tea every morning. we even had time for some shopping, a must in any milano family vacation ;) without fail, the time passed too quickly, but i will hold tightly to these memories and cherish the generosity and love my parents lavished on us during their visit. oh, did i mention, that i convinced my parents to go on a zip lines with 14 separate sections, the longest being both a kilometer long and a kilometer high. they rock!

the "middle" is a little more difficult to capture with a picture. we've worked hard, getting to know this new school setting and our colleagues better. this brings new challenges in and of itself. we have now lived, worked, played, traveled, and worked some more with a relatively small group of the same people for over three months. that is taxing after a while. i think we're coming out of some of the weirdness and drama, and hopefully all finding ourselves a bit more confident and comfortable in what our places are. i have continued to love teaching here. i have time to take my time and carefully and thoughtfully plan out what and how i want to teach. i have been asked to join a committee with my principal, representing the middle among a group of other teachers and administrators from other divisions. i may have the opportunity to help facilitate some professional development for middle school teachers in the future. my relationships with my students have grown and are beginning to blossom in to something quite special. especially with a few. we've gotten to spend some more time in san pedro, actually getting to know our city better. we've hiked "coca-cola" mountain a few times. we've tried new restaurants, our favorite so far is "Baranda's". we saw a movie, "Crazy, Stupid, Love"... quite good and exceeded our expectations. we've found more success navigating the cloudy and illogical world of paying bills and managing our utility services. after another more than one week long stint without internet, i think we have this done to a science. jason likes to say that "frequency" over "intensity" is the way to get anything done here. that's been the case in so many cases! our house has been painted... a few shades of deep, rich brown throughout the main level, and then a bright robin egg's blue in our bedrooms. i'll let you guess who picked out which colors. i do have to admit, though, our bedroom is my favorite! it's so peaceful and refreshing to come home to. i dressed as a gypsy (sorry Mama) and jason as the "prime meridian" for halloween. i made my first infused drink, a candy corn martini. sweet and very festive! i have fallen in love with "carmelita", the caramel colored pit at the pet store. don't worry wells, jason won't let me play with her ever again :) we have started having some faith related conversations with friends here, wondering what our next steps would be. jason is really confident that it's our fruit that will produce any lasting impact. we're praying that we would love him more and more, honoring him with our actions every day, and really that our lives would point others towards a fulfilling relationship with jesus. i'm not sure mine always does, but i'll take it day by day and step by step. for now, i'll leave you with a last minute thought. “Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living.” ― Jim Elliot

at all times

listen here on yahoo.music: http://new.music.yahoo.com/vicky-beeching/tracks/at-all-times--41031277 In the summer of life, in the laughter and light I will love You, I will trust You When I'm weary and dry, in the souls darkest night I will love You, I will trust You You are my strength and my song Always giving me hope to go on And at all times I will sing in Your greatness And at all times I will sing of Your love And at all times I will say You are faithful For Your goodness remains and Your love is the same at all times On the mountain of joy where the view is so clear I will love You, I will trust You When I feel all alone in the valley of tears I will love You, I will trust You You are my strength and my song Always giving me hope to go on And at all times I will sing in Your greatness At all times I will sing of Your love And at all times I will say You are faithful For Your goodness remains and Your love is the same Whatever life brings still I will sing You are good, You are good, You are good Whatever life brings still I will sing You are good, You are good, You are good Whatever life brings still I will sing You are good, You are good, You are good And at all times I will sing in Your greatness At all times I will sing of Your love And at all times I will say You are faithful For Your goodness remains and Your love is the same At all times I will sing in Your greatness And at all times I will sing of Your love And at all times I will say You are faithful For Your goodness remains and Your love is the same at all times At all times I will sing in Your greatness And at all times I will sing of Your love At all times I will say You are faithful For Your goodness remains and Your love is the same at all times -V. Beeching, © Vineyard Songs (uk/eire)

thanks

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. (psalm 95:2) I confess it's been a real and constant challenge to enter into my heavenly Father's presence with thanksgiving since moving WAY out of my comfort zone and "normal" life almost two months ago. The pictures i've carefully chosen to share with you show a very glamorous and exciting side of this life here in Honduras. I hope you've found them enjoyable and that they are enticing enough for you to hurry and book a flight here soon! We miss you! The other side of life here, unphotographed and not easily revealed has been incredibly exhausting and a daily challenge. I've joked with some of you that I can't believe how many health related things have happened to me since deciding to move internationally, but truthfully, it has been hard. A fractured wrist, parasitic stomach, fungal skin infection covering my back, and crashing my scooter into the mud represent only a few of the ways I've been physically challenged. Emotionally, I am tired and having a hard time refilling myself with what I need to be able to continuously give of myself. I've experienced what can only be explained as a panic attack, twice. Once at school, and once on vacation while I was struggling to conquer my fears of all things crawly and creepy. Imagine: bats, gheckos, scorpions, ant/termite like creatures, tarantulas, rats and roaches. My literal worst nightmare. Then top it all off with a constant list of apartment challenges: broken fridge, moldy food, leaking window, broken toilet, SUPER high electric bill, no A/C, cold water, leaking fridge (again and again), ants everywhere!, creatures inside because the fumigator never comes when they say they will, spotty Internet service making me feel even less connected, and the list could go on... This weekend i have challenged myself to be thankful in the midst of all of it. Thankful as I clean up the mess that a leaking fridge makes (again). Thankful as I mop the kitchen floor on a Friday night trying to kill the constant stream off ants that is pouring through a crack in the cement wall. Thankful to cook with pots covered in rust. Thankful to be able to wake up this morning refreshed and able to surprise my husband with banana, chocolate chip pancakes for his birthday. Thankful to be able to sit inside as the daily storm moves in to provide relief from the heat. Thankful that there's so much to enjoy about teaching in San Pedro. Thankful that we've met people here to pass the time with. Thankful that God created Jason to be such a patient and affirming husband. Thankful that God has given me all I need for godliness and life here in Honduras. So, daily I am confronted with a choice, a decision to make regardless of the circumstances or challenges I face. Hang my head, cry, panic and grow in anger? Or, find reasons to approach God with a heart of thankfulness...for I know He has blessed me with enough to thank Him continuously for the rest of my life. In this time I am learning it's far better to be thankful. I'm learning I can handle a lot more than I ever thought possible. I'm learning that I "need" a lot less than I'd considered necessary to be content. I'm learning that I already have all I need to be satisfied in this life. I choose to be thankful. What are you thankful for?

la isla de roatan

i have had many "half ideas" for more thoughtful-type blog posts lately, but i'm going to start with updating you on our most recent adventure to Honduras' island of paradise, Roatan. Last Wednesday, September 14th we had a half day of school, in honor of Honduras (and most of the rest of CA's) Independence Day, which was September 15th. A group of about 21 foreign hire teachers reserved the EIS school bus (not a yellow bus. actually, more like an older more "used" version of a coach/shuttle bus sportin' a HUGE American Flag decal on the front windshield. i think it's there to provide some relief from the sun, but it also serves as an ever present reminder that 20 something "american"/canadian teachers are aboard and going somewhere pretty fancy). awesome. we boarded the bus at 12 from school, and drove all along the northern coast of Honduras, to a port city, La Ceiba, where we hoping to catch a 4:30 ferry to the island. at this point we were parting ways with some of our bus-mates who were heading to the "other" island, Utila :) and had to take a different ferry. if we missed the ferry, we'd have to stay overnight in Ceiba and try again in the morning. not such a poor deal after all since i've heard it said that: "in san pedro we work and in la ceiba we play". we couldn't find out whether or not that description proved true, since we (along with hundreds of other expectant hondurans) boarded the ferry on time and left for Roatan exactly at 4:30....actually we may have left late, since time is relative here. i hardly ever check my watch anymore. even scheduled events, like a school wide Independence Day parade, clearly communicated to begin at 8:20 am, will easily start 10 or more minutes early (or late), all you can do is be flexible :)

the ferry was pretty uneventful. thankfully. we heard HORROR stories of people getting "sick" all over the ferry, inside the main closed compartment, and outside off the balcony ledges. i was super nervous, as i frequently experience motion sickness. but, three dramamine tablets later i was passed out like a baby on that ferry. i woke up totally disoriented and remained that way the rest of the night. good thing we didn't have to think very much :) we did however have to call the resort that confirmed with us they'd pick us up from the ferry, only 9 of us at this point, since half of the roatan group rented the "mansion". after we waited a half an hour, and the ferry depot had completely evacuated except for a few confused crewmen, we knew we were in trouble. some cabbies approached us and promised that if we took their cab to Foster's Bay Resort, they would be compensated by the resort. we weren't so sure. thanks to my Moon Honduras guidebook, we had a few different numbers to try and call. none worked. then we used a friends "BB" to look up their phone number from the website. no luck. then a very kind ferry crewman pulled out a directory of the island and called that number instead. no answer. i must have called a half a dozen times before we realized: it was dark, we had no idea where we were (or where we were going), the ferry terminal was shutting down, and we had no other option than the cabbies patiently watching the whole situation unfold, ready to take action. so...we bartered to the best of our ability, not even understanding how long the taxi trip should take, and prayed that Foster's was waiting for us at the other end of that long, winding ride across the island. we made it, don't worry. :)

Foster's Bay Resort was a wonderful place to stay! Mr. Foster was extremely welcoming and accommodating. you would frequently hear him greeting newcomers with a kind, "welcome home". the morning after our first night in our beach front cabana, we realized that we were sharing our accommodations with dozens of bees and even more bats. i could hardly walk across the deck and down the flight of stairs without dodging several flying and swooping bats coming or going. needless to say, that was not going to work for me. Mr. Foster was wonderful. we "upgraded", free of charge, to another newer and more modern cabana, only about 20 more steps away from the beach front. This cabana had a large master bedroom with a california king sized bed, modern bathroom, decent living room and kitchen, loft second bedroom with balcony, and a wrap around porch set up with hammocks for swinging in the lazy afternoon sun. we enjoyed a couple of card nights with our roommates, sara and mike, playing "up and down the river". they couldn't get enough of it! we lounged in the hammocks, thanks to larm for our sweet wedding present, we had our own! mike made us a delicious tuna and salmon salad for sandwiches, so we could enjoy a nice home cooked lunch each day. staying at Foster's was almost story-less, but leave it to our next door neighbors to give us some late night "entertainment", better yet, the hibbie jibbies as we lived in such close proximity to them for 4 long nights. enough said on that. :)

our hotel was in the West Bay of Honduras, home to the most premiere beaches on the island, and the second largest barrier reef in the world! we had plenty of time to lay in the sun, swim in the crystal clear, turquoise, warm waters of the caribbean, snorkel amidst a literal maze of intricate coral and multi colored fish, jump off two-story docks, take leisurely walks down the beach front, and sample delicious meal after delicious meal during our four days in paradise. happy hour ran daily from 4-6 pm, and my favorite by far was the "monkey lala", recommended by our neighbor in SPS, Jackie. it's like the island's equivalent to a mudslide, but world's better! thursday night was lobster night, so jason and i both tried lobster tails for the first time. delicious! we loved the island's version of rice and beans. wish i would have asked for the recipe. soooo yummy!! each morning we savored every bite of a breakfast baleada with eggs and bacon. tocino, rather. mmm!!! man have i missed bacon! and we ended the week in style, half off shrimp night. as you may have guessed, jason looked forward to this meal all week! coconut shrimp made from fresh coconut based batter is indescribable (or so he let me know) :) gluten free was hardly an option. another night we ate yummy, but very, very rare, tuna caught by some of our friends earlier that day.

don't worry... we did far more than just eat. :) our co-workers and bus-mates, who rented "the mansion", hosted a bbq/pool party one night. they had a large infinity pool, equipped with waterfalls and overlooking another gorgeous bay on the island. i compared it in my mind to a destination from "the bachelor". :) don't judge. we also rented scooters for 24 hours, and were able to explore more of the island that way. we drove down the main highway through a couple of other towns, spending most of our time in the West End. this is likely where we'd stay if we ever returned to roatan, it's significantly cheaper, has a greater variety of restaurants and things to do. there was an international fishing tournament going on when we were there, and we were able to see the 50 lb tuna caught by the contestants. incredible! we had delicious pad thai, reviewed as the best thai in honduras, at "Tong's", and breakfast one morning at Rudy's: cheese and bacon omelet, and banana pancakes, respectfully. i'll let you guess who ate what :) both of us were well-fed! back to the scootin' though. it was crazy fun to have the wind blowing through your hair, and taking the curves of the road in stride. don't worry mom, we both wore helmets. the helmet didn't do much good though, when i took a spill in the mud. the mud provided the best cushion of all :) remember it's rainy season here? and if you've ever been to latin america, you understand the quality of the roads. well, we were scootin' through a very hilly neighborhood, on the hunt for the best monkey lala in all of honduras, at Luna Beach, when we came upon one long stretch of thick, brown, gooey mud. the bike wobbled like crazy. it's extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver. as long as you're maintaining speed, balance is okay, but enter mud in to the equation and i didn't stand a chance. fortunately, i had asked jason to get off the bike a few minutes earlier, thinking it would make it easier for me to control, not easy enough :) a local passerby, kind enough to help me up, felt it necessary to remind me to "conduce mas depacio y cuidadate!" thanks, got that. :) don't worry, no broken bones this time (i don't think).. just some crazy bruises and hurt pride. i got back on the horse later though, and battled my fears of falling again. truthfully, i was MUCH more comfortable as the driver, than as the passenger :) surprised?

okay, i think that about covers the highlights... sunday we had some final beach time, before returning to the ferry and then bussing from la ceiba to san pedro. we showered and literally fell in to bed. monday morning was rough, this morning a little easier. if only we didn't have to work so much, there are so many opportunities to play :)