The one-hour boat ride to Utila reminded me why I should just accept that I cannot be a scuba diver.
I’ve been on the road for one glorious month now. Before I left, I thought this would be a hard journey riddled with fright, loneliness and homesickness. To my surprise, nothing about this trip has been difficult in the slightest. Comforts I do miss though are the following:
- clean, blister-free feet and clean floors (they kind of go hand in hand)
- milk, good cheese and wine (the wine generally tastes like juice)
- clean, fresh air (Mexico and Central America are in serious need of some emission regulations)
Rain, rain, go away.
While some were worried that I may never come back, I will indeed come back home, and am very much looking forward to it so I can implement some of the aspects of travel that I love:
- a new adventure or challenge everyday (that may be ambitious, but I can try)
- being open to exploring
- the flexibility to do what I want
- meeting new people
- blogging
Utila, Honduras
To achieve this, I think I may have to rethink my relationship with my beloved Outlook calendar.
I am learning that being independent is something I have to work at, but I really do enjoy it. Yes, I am on this trip alone, but it’s actually quite hard to find time to be alone. What happens is that I make a new friend and spend a couple days with him/her because we want to do the same thing at that time, and sometimes it’s just safer. But then, he/she or I am ready to move on. It’s a little difficult to say goodbye because I don’t know if this is the last friend I will make. Will I be completely alone for the next two months? I always make a new friend and I’m always ok.
I am loving and severely appreciating every moment of this trip, even when I’m not in my favourite spot or on an 19hr shuttle ride, crossing the Honduras/Nicaragua boarder at night.
Quaint private room from the outside, rat-infested from the inside.
I am learning to cherish little things like privacy and am grateful that I am doing this trip with the luxury of being able to afford a private room every once in a while. Dorm rooms are generally ok, it’s just the 4am walk to the bathroom, crawling over people’s stuff without waking them up, that’s challenging.
My most cherished purchase so far has been the wool slippers I bought in Mexico. Nights have been cold, and for some reason, hotels this part of the world think a sheet substitutes for a blanket. They say, “but you’re from Canada, you should be used to this weather.” I explain to them, that yes, I am used to frigidly cold weather, but I also have proper winter clothes, blankets and heat. Canadians cope with the cold through material goods, and not by evolution.
Port in La Ceiba, Honduras.
I arrived in Leon, Nicaragua, this morning, after an 19hr shuttle ride. Coming from the stillness of the jungle, I didn’t enjoy the buzzing of the scooters and the dirty streets in Utila, Honduras, so I promptly plotted my route out of Honduras, AKA murder capital of Central America. Getting the information I needed was a little like the Amazing Race. With information from the Lonely Planet, the interweb, hostel staff, strangers in coffee shops and bar owners, I knew how to get to Nicaragua. I was prepared to take lots of buses and stay in not so safe cities. What could go wrong? Fortunately, when I arrived on the mainland, a wonderful shuttle service was waiting eager to transport people to Nicaragua! What a saviour.
I’m going to meet my parents in Colombia in a couple weeks. From there I may continue into South America to experience something completely new. And that freedom, is exactly why this trip is amazing.
Where Passion Leads 