Ed. note: Although post topics have been accumulating, and are waiting in the queue for human attention, this post concerns today, right now. We’ll get back to the others presently.
Elizabeth’s folks have a place in the Upper Peninsula. Cross the bridge, turn left, go four miles, stop. The living room has floor-to-ceiling windows facing the straits, from which the bridge can easily be seen. One can—as we have—spend many hours sitting there, doing very little more than watching the freighters cruise by. It’s the most relaxing place I know.
Or it was. For the past several days, we’ve been holed up outside of Sambo Creek, Honduras (yeah, I know), a Garifuna village on the Caribbean. We’re staying at Paradise Found, a small hotel/B&B run by an ex-pat couple from Ohio. We’d originally planned to spend a night or two. Tonight will be four, I think, and we’re making a Herculean effort to get back on the road tomorrow, but it’s not easy.
It’s just really comfortable here. The bar/dining room is a round, open-air, second-story room with a palapa roof. It has railings facing north, overlooking the bay, and many Adirondack chairs for observing the waves. The proprietors and guests alike are low-key and laid back, words that have taken on new meaning here in Honduras. The food is excellent, the company enjoyable, the weather wonderful, the atmosphere mellow. Coffee seems to have little effect.
Yesterday, we managed to work up enough energy to stand outside the gates and get picked up by a truck that took us all of two miles to a combination zip-line park and hot springs. Both aspects were amazing. The zip-line had eighteen separate components, one of which was over a kilometer in length. Because our group was small, with only four people, we made it through the whole course in only 45 minutes of flying through the jungle canopy. Although Joe is a hardened zip-line veteran, it was my first foray into the activity, and I have to give it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. On the long segment, one of the two very cute young men who were our guides through the course went just ahead of Joe, staying about ten feet in front of him, taking a movie of him all the way.
Once grounded, Joe and I rejoined Elizabeth, who had been soaking in the hot springs and enjoying a massage. We all soaked a while longer, relaxed, nibbled some fruit, then strolled back to the entrance and relaxed and waited for the truck to take us back to Paradise Found. That was enough work for one day.
We’ve been batting around the idea of taking a boat out to Cayos Cochinos, an island visible from the dining room. It’s reputed to be a wonderful place and, had the wind and water been not quite so rambunctious, we’d have gone the second or third day here. Now the surf has less energy, but so do we. Mañana.
No. Tomorrow morning we have to get out of here, or we never will.
But wait! Our host just walked in as I was typing these words, and told us he’ll be going to Útila, another of the bay islands here, in the morning, and asked if we were interested. Nothing for us to do but nod and pack. Seems like we’ll be rescued from our lethargy after all.
Elizabeth
Henry
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Oh, my, what a great way to usher in 2013. Ironically, Con and Dave will be joining your and Joe’s ranks on Weds. morning – first time ziplining in this kind of setting. I know Con’s done just local things before – not sure if Dave’s done it. I’d be with Elizabeth with the hot springs and massage. In fact, I’ll be snorkeling that day instead. Anyway, this all sounds absolutely amazing.
Zip-lining through the jungle, hot springs, and lollygagging all in one day?! Perfection!
How dreadful to be trapped– trapped!– in Paradise. What a wonderful find that place is. You’ll have to publish a list of your favorite accommodations and sites when this is all finished– with contact info, etc.