The road to paradise

Church in Guatemala City

On Sundays the government closes some main avenues for cars. That day the streets belong to the pedestrians. Locals walk their dog, do bicycling, in-line skating, play, eat and have fun in the middle of the street. I think, we Europeans definitely miss out something here in our cities. And about security in Guate I have nothing much to say but that I felt safe all the time. I did not get robbed, shot or anything else. I even went to a restaurant and a stranger took over my 25 Quetzales bill. So, I did not loose money, I rather had more than before. In the end, I was quite happy about that, as I needed exactly that amount to enter Honduras. Money I otherwise would not have had anymore. 

Yes, now I am in Honduras – one of these countries supposed to be very, very, very dangerous. So far I have not had that impression, though. Hondurans are even friendlier than Guatemalans in some way: They do not only pay for your food, but also let you sleep for free. And that for two days. Spending some time with Hondurans I had the pleasure to learn some facts about their country. Did you know that in Honduras it is prohibited that two men ride on one motorbike? If two people are on one motorbike, it has to be a man and a women (or maybe two women will work as well). That is because many crimes and gunfights were committed by two guys on motorcycles. One was driving, the other one shooting. Apparently the crime rate dropped efficiently since this law entered into effect.

But still there are a lot of gunfights in Honduras I have been told. Locals do not know if they may be shot the moment they step out of their door. That is why every Honduran enjoys every day as if it were the last one in their life. Meaning with a lot of fun, singing, dancing and eating. However, it is quite unimaginable that Honduras can be such a rough country when visiting all the beautiful and peaceful sights the country has on offer. 

The ruins in Copán Ruinas

The village of Copán Ruinas is very quiet and peaceful. Everything goes slow over there. The city seems to be made up of restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions. There is so much to do apart from visiting the famous ruins that you could easily spend a week over there. The ruins are famous for the artwork and carved sculptures.  Also the Aguas Calientes at Luna Jaguar Spa are stunning. The hot water baths are directly in the jungle. When relaxing in the many different pools you are protected by a green roof of trees and palms. The Macaw Mountain bird reservation was a bit disappointing, though. It is more of an bird zoo with a lot of parrots and macaws in cages, but it did not feel like being in the jungle.

A boat on Cayos Cochinos

Compared to that, the Cayos Cochinos Islands are a totally different thing. There is nothing much to do except swimming, snorkeling, relaxing and eating. But it is worthwhile. Not many tourist know the place, so expect to be with maybe two or three other of your sort surrounded by a lot of local Garifuna folks. The underwater-world is impressive, the white sandy beach lined by palm trees is marvelous and the clear water shines in every imaginable shade of blue. The fish on your lunch plate is caught recently, the beans and rice made with coconut milk. What more do you want?