9 Apr, Mon

Mon, 9 Apr ..... in the morning i figured out how i am going to get to the airport in San Pedro Sula tomorrow .... i'll take a taxi from my hotel to the Tela Express Bus, which goes from here to San Pedro Sula (1.5hr) ... i just have to tell the driver that i want to get off at the entrance to the Aeropuerto; then catch a taxi into the airport ... simple enough ... and cheap enough .... US$9 total .... i could take the 10am bus, but i'll take the 8am, to give myself ample time for 'surprises' :) so, now what do i do here for the rest of the day ? ... there are several Garifuna Villages around the shore .... supposedly i can take a local bus there and have a typical lunch .... but i walked around town and asked at several bus 'terminals' (dirt lots on corners) ... and everyone said i have to take a taxi .... which is expensive; and i've been to several Garifuna Villages and have had several MONTHS of 'typical' food .... so i'm not up for that .... there is also a Botanical Garden; but those tours require 5 people just like the trip to Punta Sal .... so i walked around town in the hot sun ... all the stores were open today ... i found one 'supermarket' .... and was surprised at the orange juice offerings ... Florida ?????? the rest of the 'markets' were unusual .... in that all the merchandise was stacked behind a counter ... you asked for whatever you wanted and they got it for you .... maybe this was to cut down on theft ? .... there were lots of little markets like this, and they all had the same set up ... or maybe it was just economy of space ? ... i don't know ... it was very quiet in town ... even the park was empty ... but still provided the much-needed shade ... there was no breeze at all ... there were still several people selling 'things' on the streets and beachside ..... i thought this was an unusual combination ..... toothpaste, cigarettes and matches ... and a type of melon that looked like a large unripe grapefruit on the outside ... but looked and tasted like a HoneyDew Melon ... came back to my room, took a nap, ... i just wasn't motivated to do much .... i think when it's time to go home, i start to think about all the things that will need to be done when i get there, and then, well, the 'adventure' has pretty much ended in my mind .... but i had to 'do' something ....so, i walked back down along the beach ... there is a river that flows into the sea here .... i was surprised to see these healthy Water Hyacinths .... that we pay $5 ea for here to put in our ponds .... and sat in the now-vacant 'thatched palapas' ... that were packed with people yesterday ... these are all along the full length of the beach ... i couldn't help but notice, .....their construction wasn't 'professional' ... but it worked ... i stopped at a restaurant and had a Pina Colad and Ceviche, ... determined in my effort to entertain myself .... then walked out on what i assume used to be the Tela Railroad pier used for loading and unloading bananas onto boats ... but in pretty bad shape now .... but serves as a place for kids to play ... and fish ... like i said ... the water reminded me of fun times with friends at Lake Michigan ... this picture could have been taken 45 years ago ... yikes! then back home for another beautiful sunset ... and dinner at my hotel again .... i generally don't like to 'eat where i sleep' ... but after asking around, several people suggested Maya Vista as one of the best restaurants here ... and that means i don't have to go anywhere (nor climb those steps again) ... i read that they are famous for their local Seafood Soup, ... so i gave it a try .... it was really good , and was a lot like the Bandu Soup that Seth fixed for us all in Utila .... minus the friends ... after dinner, i walked / climbed up to the rooftop to check out the stars, but there is too much light here .... it's much better on the islands :) ....and that's true for lots of other things too ... i guess i'm just an island girl :)