Easter Break

If you want to skip reading all of this nonsense and just want to see the pictures (no offense taken) FOLLOW THIS LINK.

Last week was Easter and I got the chance to have a little vacation with Hannah (the nurse from California) and Oda (YWAMer from Norway). We flew into La Ceiba on the Wednesday before Easter and went out for an amazing sushi dinner. We ended up splitting what was literally a boatload of sushi (I’m sorry, I don’t have a picture of it) and it was absolutely delicious!

We spent the night in town but the next day we took a cab to Pico Bonito and spent a night at the Jungle River Lodge that was right off of the river. It was just gorgeous! We were in a river valley so unless we were looking at the river, we would see a wall of green going straight up. The lodge is placed so that you can walk out of your room and pretty much jump right into the river. At one spot, there is a 20 foot cliff that drops into the river and upon seeing it, Hannah and I knew we had to jump off of it! The water and weather were perfect for swimming around for a while without getting too chilly and then sunbathing without getting completely fried. That evening we went for a walk to Omega Jungle Lodge for dinner and drinks and had another great meal, this time surrounded by lush green foliage. We even got to try Gifiti which is a rum based drink that has roots and plants soaking in it and - according to locals - supposedly a cure for many ailments.

After breakfast the next morning we went for a long hike to the waterfalls. I can’t explain how beautiful the falls are, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking. When we got there, we were so hot and sweaty that we jumped in the water and got under the falls and let the water pound us. Right as we were about to climb out, we saw a snake that was sitting six feet away from us. We carefully got out and avoided it, but as we watched it from afar, we realized it was simply enjoying the falls, bobbing its head in and out of the water.

Once we got back to the lodge, we cooled off, packed up, and headed back to spend the night in town. We were catching the 5:15 am bus to Copan the next morning and not wanting to get up any earlier than we had to, we decided it would be a good idea to be close to the station. The bus ride to Copan usually takes around six hours - three hours from Ceiba to San Pedro Sula and another three hours from San Pedro to Copan. However, about and hour outside of Copan, our bus broke down! Luckily we had a great driver and he had the bus running again in a half hour.

When we arrived in Copan on Saturday, we walked to the Hotel Don Moises. It’s more of a hostel, but I highly recommend it for someone traveling on a budget and wanting to feel safe. We had three beds, A/C, TV, and a bathroom for only $8 per person per night and all the restaurants and shops are a just short walk away. The first thing we did was walk to the center square and do one of my favorite things: buy and eat mangoes from a street vendor. Soooo good! Later that night we came across a great little restaurant with a rooftop terrace. They had great two-for-one drinks, an amazing view of the town and the sunset, great food and deserts, and very nice live accordion music. Later in the evening we went out to the center square to see the festivities. We went to an Easter vigil that was in the church by the square. The vigil was going all night so we only stayed for a little while. Very hot inside the church, but we got to hear many readings and songs, some of which I knew the tune to.

The next day we walked over to the Mayan ruins. It really is amazing to see the remnants of a once powerful civilization. Hannah explained that although other countries have larger structures, Copan is the best site in terms of seeing the intricate designs in the stone, as you can see from the pictures.

After the ruins, we tried to find Los Sapos, a small town with more ruins, but after walking for 30 minutes and not finding anything, we caught a cab and headed for the pool, where we got to eat, swim, and relax. That night we went back to the terrace restaurant and enjoyed some chocolaty goodness. In the morning, we hopped back on the bus and headed home.

If anyone is interested in traveling and wants to go somewhere less known, Honduras is the place. Roatan has the ocean and the big resorts and touristy stuff; La Ceiba and Pico Bonito offers great hiking and cheap places to stay; and Copan has the fantastic ruins, good shopping, and very affordable rooms. Because it takes so long to load all of the pictures on to my blog I have linked over to my facebook page, which anyone can see, whether or not you have a facebook profile. CLICK THIS TO SEE THE PICTURES.

For my quote on this post, I refer you to a video of Comedian Jim Gaffigan explaining Easter. You're welcome.