10 days in Honduras

First I want to apologize up front for the poor quality in photos. I had these pictures in a photo album for years and I scanned them today so that I could write this post.

Years ago I took a trip to Honduras. It is a sad story, but full of wonderful memories. My husband at the time was Honduran (hence part of the reason why I can speak Spanish), and I had flown down there to speak with the Consulate about getting him his residency in the States... but before I went I decided I would rather divorce him because of things I found out after he went back to Honduras and me deciding what was best for me and my children. 

Even though he knew that I did not want to be married to him anymore, he was still a gracious host. He always had a big heart. That is one thing I cannot fault him on, he was a wonderful man at heart, and a great father to the kids (when he was there). He just had a gambling problem and questionable fidelity that caused him to be gone from the house more often than he was home... not what I wanted in a husband.

When I arrived in Honduras he had my 10 days there pretty much planned out for me. First we stayed in Tegucigalpa where I landed (the scariest plane landing I have EVER experienced in my LIFE). One morning while I was outside having my morning coffee and smoke (OMG how I LOVED the coffee there) I was approached by a man selling backpacks Since he was the first person that approached me I bought a bag off of him.

This was the view of Tegucigalpa from the room.

Next we went to Choluteca where I met his little brothers. This was very sad because his mother had left to come to the States and left her children behind. There were many times that they would call crying because they had no food and asked for money. Their mother would sit on the phone with gold all over her fingers and around her neck saying she had no money to send... this bothered me because she never went hungry there in the States. How could a mother be like that with her kids? My ex told me he wanted me to see how they lived, take pictures, and show his family back in the States so that they would help more. This is what I saw...

This was the outside of their house

Their living room.

Their bedroom... mattresses thrown on the floor and a hammock hanging from the ceiling.

Their toilet, in a brick shed outside...

This is where they would wash. They would collect the rain water in barrels and wash up in their backyard. There was no indoor plumbing. No plumbing at all for that matter...

My ex told me a story when we were in the States of how the neighbors had  around 30 chickens... by the end of the month they only had two left because his brothers kept stealing the chickens so they could eat. I only saw one chicken when I got there....

I saw trash in the streets, it was a scene right out of those commercials we see for "Feed the Children" on television.

The place was so quiet, I cried after everything I saw.

Children playing outside a home.

It is no wonder I never saw his brothers smile.

There were bars on all the windows... crime is rampant. I saw armed guards everywhere in town... even in front of an auto parts store! This is a little store that sold snacks and drinks.

It is hard to be there and just ignore things like that.

And as we drove away on the bus I knew I would never forget what I saw there. I didn't want to.

After Choluteca we went to San Pedro Sula and drove up into the mountains to see Los Ruinas de Copan (Copan Ruins) in Copan, Honduras. That was the only touristy thing I did while I was there. I never saw the beach once... no matter I got burnt enough on my own I did not need to go the beach for that.

I love birds... I wanted to steal these and take them home!

I did get two little birds to sit on my finger though!

I loved the ruins, they were so peaceful and beautiful... I did break my sandals, so I was barefoot through most of the ruins. I loved it though... 

I found it interesting how at any red light men would come pouring out in the street to try and sell you mango's..

I am a fan of architecture... BEAUTIFUL church!

Ok, I REALLY wanted a picture of the police in uniform, but they would not allow it (though one told me to find him later and he would let me take a picture- mmmhmmm), so I posed ever so smoothly and got them :)

This was on my way down the mountain back into the city of San Pedro Sula.

Plantain pizza and shrimp pizza? I do not think so...

Overall Honduras was a beautiful country... from afar. If you looked up close you could see the poverty, the trash, the sadness. Leaving Honduras and leaving my ex behind was a hard thing to do, but something I knew I had to do. Through it all I am still in contact with his family, and view them as my brothers and sister still today. Honduras and that family are things I never want to forget, or leave behind completely.