From Autumn to Summer
October is one of my favourite months of the year.
I love the cool air, the changing red, yellow, orange and green colours of the leaves and the pixelated blend they create in the distant landscape.
This year was special. Once again, I got to celebrate my dad and sister's birthdays at the same time. While last year we were in France having rabbit, foie gras, cheese and wine, this year's sushi and pizza in Montreal was just as memorable, if not more, because this time we were at "home," not on the go in a far away country. Apple-picking and baby goat-catching are also fond memories.
I loved wearing my fall jacket, newly-crochet'd hat and llama wool gloves, especially because I knew that I could trade them off for T-shirts, a fedora and sandals within the next 48 hours.
Now that I am in my new bungalow home in La Ceiba, I am wishing I could go back to a place where I didn't have to sit half-naked in my room with no fan while peeling my limbs from my bedsheets every once in a while. You always want what you can't have, right? I am definitely looking forward to a cold shower before going to bed, unlike at the REC centre where I could see my breath while doing my weekly bathing ritual.
This morning A, M and I woke up at 2:45am to get to the airport by 3:30am. There were 3 loud and obnoxious guys in line waiting to go through security who were trying to impress us with their drunkenness from the previous hours of partying. We were more entertained by the lumberjack: green knee-high socks, shorts, red plaid shirt and beard, picking at his wedgie. At our terminal, we got a wonderful surprise from my funny and quirky baby gurl E, who herself was off to Dominican Republic an hour after our flight left!
The flight to Miami departed at 6:15am and went by pretty quickly even though I didn't sleep. We had a 2 hour layover before our next flight to San Pedro Sula and I got a Honduras tour guide book and Paolo Coelho's "Once Minutos". People-watching is one of my greatest pastimes, especially in this airport. There is such an odd and mesmerizing mix of people from all walks of life and from all over the world that I can't help but stay entranced in the constant flow of ecclectic human traffic.
As we flew over the Miami coast, we got to see the beautiful turquoise waters of the Key Islands. We arrived in San Pedro Sula after 1pm, oversized luggage and all, not too late, to be greeted by JD and our kind chauffeur. On the way to La Ceiba, we stopped to have some fried chicken (I have a feeling it won't be the last time while I'm here) accompanied by platanos maduros and yucca frita. The milky-cinammon drink horchata that I'd had from Costa Rica wasn't as good as I'd remembered it.
The landscape here is impressive. Banana, pineapple and African palm plantations are endless and the lush hills and mountains provide a beautiful backdrop. I recognize the poverty I see along the road and wonder how much more (and worse?) will I see during my time here.
I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity to gain and share as much knowledge as possible, as well as to learn about myself and the country's culture and biodiversity. Overall, I want to grow as a person throughout my time here, no matter what obstacles I face, even the treacherous heat that is taking over my room. It's time to retreat to the back yard to share the darkness and embrace the summer's warmth with the lazy fireflies. Ahh, fleeting memories of FBC!
I love the cool air, the changing red, yellow, orange and green colours of the leaves and the pixelated blend they create in the distant landscape.
This year was special. Once again, I got to celebrate my dad and sister's birthdays at the same time. While last year we were in France having rabbit, foie gras, cheese and wine, this year's sushi and pizza in Montreal was just as memorable, if not more, because this time we were at "home," not on the go in a far away country. Apple-picking and baby goat-catching are also fond memories.
I loved wearing my fall jacket, newly-crochet'd hat and llama wool gloves, especially because I knew that I could trade them off for T-shirts, a fedora and sandals within the next 48 hours.
Now that I am in my new bungalow home in La Ceiba, I am wishing I could go back to a place where I didn't have to sit half-naked in my room with no fan while peeling my limbs from my bedsheets every once in a while. You always want what you can't have, right? I am definitely looking forward to a cold shower before going to bed, unlike at the REC centre where I could see my breath while doing my weekly bathing ritual.
This morning A, M and I woke up at 2:45am to get to the airport by 3:30am. There were 3 loud and obnoxious guys in line waiting to go through security who were trying to impress us with their drunkenness from the previous hours of partying. We were more entertained by the lumberjack: green knee-high socks, shorts, red plaid shirt and beard, picking at his wedgie. At our terminal, we got a wonderful surprise from my funny and quirky baby gurl E, who herself was off to Dominican Republic an hour after our flight left!
The flight to Miami departed at 6:15am and went by pretty quickly even though I didn't sleep. We had a 2 hour layover before our next flight to San Pedro Sula and I got a Honduras tour guide book and Paolo Coelho's "Once Minutos". People-watching is one of my greatest pastimes, especially in this airport. There is such an odd and mesmerizing mix of people from all walks of life and from all over the world that I can't help but stay entranced in the constant flow of ecclectic human traffic.
As we flew over the Miami coast, we got to see the beautiful turquoise waters of the Key Islands. We arrived in San Pedro Sula after 1pm, oversized luggage and all, not too late, to be greeted by JD and our kind chauffeur. On the way to La Ceiba, we stopped to have some fried chicken (I have a feeling it won't be the last time while I'm here) accompanied by platanos maduros and yucca frita. The milky-cinammon drink horchata that I'd had from Costa Rica wasn't as good as I'd remembered it.
The landscape here is impressive. Banana, pineapple and African palm plantations are endless and the lush hills and mountains provide a beautiful backdrop. I recognize the poverty I see along the road and wonder how much more (and worse?) will I see during my time here.
I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity to gain and share as much knowledge as possible, as well as to learn about myself and the country's culture and biodiversity. Overall, I want to grow as a person throughout my time here, no matter what obstacles I face, even the treacherous heat that is taking over my room. It's time to retreat to the back yard to share the darkness and embrace the summer's warmth with the lazy fireflies. Ahh, fleeting memories of FBC!
Your words evoke great sense of adventure and honesty all with a drizzle of humour and wisdom, I love it :) Roi.
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