We arrived in Honduras this afternoon at about 12PM. Our takeoff was delayed for an hour due to a mechanical check of the plane.
The takeoff from Honduras was incredible to watch, the 737-800 was climbing at such a steep angle I could see the whole top of the plane from the ground, engines roaring at full speed. I guess the plilot was in a hurry to make up for lost time; we then realised it was empty, and so much lighter, since there were no tourists to pickup on the first trip back of the season.
The local paper La Prensa published this picture a family in our group. More Canjet planes followed a few days later.
A short 40 minute bus ride through La Ceiba and we are registered in a typical resort. The agent refers to this as an old four star hotel. It is very well maintained and if you report something, it gets fixed.
419 is the last room on the ground floor at the east end of the building. It is large, but the enormous furniture fills it right up. The patio has a hammock and an ocean view; a bit gritty looking but usable. The digital safe was locked and only the manager can open it; being a holiday, we will have to wait until tomorrow.
Lunch 3:00 PM. The buffet is quite large. The food is fine but salty. The Fried cheese and most of the local food is salty. I think living by the ocean makes one insensitive to salt in the diet. Every meal is all you can eat PINEAPPLES! It seems they are replacing bananas with this crop because they survive hurricanes better. In 1994 they lost most of the banana crops due to hurricane Mitch.
Dinner at 7:00 PM. I was so eager to speak spanish I got butter, tea and apples all mixed up. The poor waiter must have thought I was demented. I went around looking for Butter (they have none, they have Margarina) asking for Manzannilla tea (which he promptly delivered). Then, when we didn't get butter, I asked for apples, which he didn't have.
The first glass of wine was "corked" so we asked for an other, he promply returned with a fresh bottle of wine, whick he opened in front of us; it was much the same. I must make a note of the brand (Vino de Balbo, Argentina). Unlike coffee, Honduras is not known for it's wine.
8:30 PM La navidad. We walk a few hundred meters along the beach to the activities building. They set up a wonderful live nativity scene in a large hut; complete with lamb, small bull, mule, cute baby in a cradle-car seat, classic nativity scene dress for Mary, Joseph and a few hangers-on. On the side a line of bouncy dancers. The are all smiling and put on a good show for an hour and a half. I can't help thinking of Catherine's comments about entertaining guests at the hotel. I hoped they felt better about they lot in life as they smiled back at me from inside their show.
9:30 PM. Dance show. They put on a little show with little means. The dance instructor rounded up a dozen people from the room and got everyone moving. The far to loud music kept me at the back of the room until we grew bored with the repetitive dance moves on stage.There was a fairly big crowd up close; I wished them a well and went to watch Running Bride on tv. It was all appropriately unchristmassy.
By midnight I'm asleep. Good night.
