Week 1 - Travelling during COVID

On the 26th of December 2021 - with one 20kg suitcase, what felt like a 10kg backpack, one negative covid test, 100s of documents, masks, hand sanitiser, and two passports - I said the very hard goodbye to my family in Sydney and began my journey to Honduras. I was on my way to begin 4 weeks of Spanish Language School prior to beginning my volunteer position as an occupational therapist at NPH Honduras - a home for orphaned and abandoned children, elderly and people with disabilities.

The 13-hour flight to San Francisco was very empty – every person had a full row of seats to themselves so we were able to attempt to sleep horizontally in between all the turbulence. I was very blessed to get through US customs with no problems and make my connecting flight to LA with time to spare – my flight had been changed due to all the issues with staff shortages with Covid in the US - shortening my layover to 2 hours which was much shorter than my expected 8 hours.

Once arriving in LA, I had a 12-hour layover which I spent walking from the airport to the closest beach and back (I am probably the only tourist stupid enough to walk to the beach and back from the airport with their heavy backpack). However, it was lovely being outside and not having to wear a mask after 24hrs. I was very grateful to be able to finally board my flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras while so many flights around me were being delayed and cancelled. It was only during my final flight that it finally dawned on me that I was leaving the world of speaking English behind me and I had to put my months of Spanish to work – most flight announcements were in Spanish and I must have been one of very few tourists on the flight. We arrived in San Pedro Sula at 6:30am on the 27th of December (Yes over 33 hours later it was finally the next day!). I spent 2 hours in the border security line – which was surprisingly very organised but very slow. I had finally arrived and made my way via taxi to the bus stop for the final leg of my travels.

My first impression of San Pedro Sula and overall Honduras was how green and mountainous it was! It is absolutely stunning! However, the city itself is very old and poorly-maintained- not surprising given how poor the country is (Fun fact: 64% of people in Honduras live in poverty). I don’t have any pictures of San Pedro Sula unfortunately. I had a lovely conversation with my taxi driver in broken Spanish as he pointed out things along the way. I arrived at the bus stop only to be told my bus had been delayed 4 hours so they took my suitcase and told me to go get food – they were not very patient with my Spanish and resorted to google translate very quickly. I took this opportunity of a few more hours to get a SIM card and some food as well as observe and learn about Honduras.

An interesting thing I learnt was that I kept walking on the wrong side of the pathways – in South Africa and Sydney we drive on the left side of the road, therefore we walk on the left side of the path everywhere. This was not something I had considered would be different when cars drive on the right side of the road such as in the US and Central America – turns out it makes a huge difference and I kept getting in peoples’ way. Going to the toilet was also an interesting experience – I had to pay 3 Lempiras (US$1= 28 Lempiras) for toilet paper and wait in line. In Honduras because of the bad sewage system, you do not put the toilet paper in the toilet but rather in a bin next to the toilet after using it.

I finally got onto the bus to Copan, where I slept for most of the journey as I had now spent over 48 hours travelling and could not keep my eyes open. I finally arrived in Copan Ruinas at 6pm in the dark and was greeted by my lovely new Spanish Teacher. She took me to my host family via car, up the huge hills the town is on. Walking into my host families house, however, I managed to find the uneven edge of the step and fall, rolling my ankle and bruising my knee – if there was any time to get injured it was then. But safely in a home, I was able to shower, change clothes and eat before finally going to bed and resting my ankle. I have been able to rest a lot over the last few days and my ankle is almost fully healed now.

My host mother is a lovely older woman who has six children and numerous grandchildren. Her husband owns a farm in the mountains. She cooks amazing food with so many fruit and vegetables and natural ingredients that is very tasty. One thing I usually have difficulty adjusting to is different types of food, however most of the food has been really delicious. The only thing I have really struggled with is the refried bean paste that is a staple here. I am sure in time I will get used to it though. My host mother has a lovely young woman around my age who helps her with her cleaning and cooking. This woman has been really kind and patient with me, talking with me and making me feel welcome. My host mother is so caring and I really enjoy listening to all her stories – at the beginning I was only understanding a word here and there but everyday I am picking up a bit more and understanding more - even if it takes me a while to process. Also, I forgot to mention – no one speaks any English at all. I am very grateful I invested my time in learning as much Spanish as I did before coming. It has helped so much.

Every weekday, I have 3 and a half hours of Spanish lessons with at least 2 hours’ worth of homework in the afternoon. My classes are one-on-one with my lovely teacher who speaks so clearly and slowly. She teaches really well and has helped me solidify my basis of the language this week. While my writing and reading of beginner Spanish is okay, it is not fully showing in my speaking or listening – I am like a 2-year-old using two- or three-word phrases with terrible grammar. I really value being able to listen effectively, finding out people’s stories, being able to empathize and being able to communicate my thoughts. It has been challenging to not be able to do so as well as I am used to but it is a good opportunity to be patient with myself and build empathy for those who cannot communicate their needs.

Copan Ruinas is a beautiful little town with lots of character, quirks and lots of colour. The mountains surrounding it are unbelievable. It is a very small town with a main square where they currently have a Christmas Lights display. The Catholic Church is on the square as well. I think pictures capture the essence of Copan a bit better than words so have a look at the bottom of the blog for more the pictures. Copan starts at the river at the bottom of the valley where the Mayan Ruins are and goes up the mountains so the roads are very steep, narrow and cobblestoned.

While overall my New Year's was pretty low key, New Years in Honduras is filled with lots of firecrackers, loud noises and some amazing fireworks. The kids spend the whole night lighting crackers and watching them explode – when I say all night, I mean from 5pm till 2am in the morning we had the explosive noises echoing through the town. It was quite something to witness crackers being lit up between all the electricity/ phone lines and narrow streets. I watched it all from the safety of the balcony.

Because of my ankle I have not had as many opportunities to get out and do the tourist things as I would have liked to have done by now. However, I have plenty of time over the next 3 weeks to do so. Stay tuned for more of Copan Ruinas and Honduras as I learn about the culture, improve my Spanish and explore the area. Please keep me in your prayers during this time of preparation and reach out if there is anything you want me to pray for.

Finally I would like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout this move - I have been overwhelmed by the love and care as well as humbled that so many people want to know about what I am doing. It is such a privilege to share this journey with you and I pray I am able to do it justice.

Happy New Year and God bless!