Let’s see…where did I last leave off on my adventures in Honduras??? I had just spent my first week in La Paz when I last wrote. Things were a bit crazy at the time…endless hours of work at the municipality and just so much uncertainty with being in a new place, new people, new work, new family and home, all the while continuing with my new language.
I’m much more settled since that first week, and have had a chance to get out and explore a bit around the country. Two weeks ago, I took a trip to visit another Municipal Development volunteer, Mike Landis, in his site of Camasca, Intibuca. Mike is working on raising support and funds to construct a new market/cancha (concrete pad for playing soccer and basketball) in his town, and needed some help with the design of the project. It’s an interesting project and much needed in Camasca, where there is currently no proper place for children to play – though they do play in the existing market structure (only used by vendors on Sundays) kicking the ball amidst the concrete columns, which are also badly deteriorated from the rainy seasons. The part of the project that is most interesting to me is its use as a public space for town hall meetings, performances, etc, so we are working with the many different functions to come up with some unique ideas.
Camasca is located in the Southwest of Honduras, roughly 15km from the border of El Salvador, but when I took off early one Wednesday morning to visit Mike in his site it didn’t occur to me that I might be passing through El Salvador en route (Which might suggest I would need my passport). I made the journey with the engineer on the project who was also traveling to Camasca for the project meeting. We left early, stopping in Marcala, 1.5 hrs south of La Paz, for some breakfast. Then we hit the unpaved roads that connect the southern edge of Honduras to El Salvador. Due to the countries’ relations since the civil war that lasted into the nineties, the roads were never paved for easy travel – a symbol of the continued sentiment. Due to its location, many refugees actually came to Camasca to get supplies and food as they made their way across the border. So although the mountainous drive was quite beautiful, when we got the border crossing and I didn’t have my passport, it wasn’t so pretty. When asked for my passport, which I didn’t have, I told the officer that I was a Peace Corps Volunteer (you know, Please sir, I really am a good person, forgive me this one time, it won’t happen again!) to which he replied that he didn’t care that I was a Peace Corps Volunteer, took me into his office, read me the laws, but eventually let me through with my Honduran residency card. Whew, that was close! I think he was just all too happy to have something other than the normal to do that morning. And I was glad, because El Salvador was beautiful! For a moment I was slightly jealous of their volunteers - the mountains and volcanoes in view seemed to extend forever. We passed through one small and very colorful town of Perquin, before making our way back up into Honduras.
My 3 days in Camasca were great! We did some site reconnaissance work, sketched up some options, and met with the Patronatos to discuss the design and funding. We worked out of the municipality while listening to “Billy Jean,” I guess Michael Jackson is still popular in some parts of the world. It was nice to have the experience of a small pueblo to compare with my own site. Camasca is a little mountain town with about 3,000 inhabitants, one restaurant - Las Cuevas, and a few pulperias – yeah, that’s about it. No, but really, it was beautiful – and more importantly, there are some hard working people who want to see positive change happen in their community. Mike has raised a lot of good support through his work with the food security organization called PESA, and so I have no doubt this project is also going to be a success.I will be working on the design from La Paz and will hopefully make another trip or two at the end of the design and the end of construction.
Camasca’s best features can be seen from taking a hike up into the mountains. It’s at a pretty high elevation, but still below the evergreen line, so it was all tropical flora – palms and many other flowering plants that I couldn’t name. We went on a good hike my last day in Camasca, after a failed attempt the day before. We had set out late afternoon just when there was a light drizzle, but then it started to pour and so some kind people who must have thought we were crazy invited us in for juice and a place to wait out the storm.
The road out of Camasca was even bumpier than the road into Camasca. I was on my way to visit some other volunteers at Lago de Yojoa for a birthday party, so Mike and I caught a jalón up to La Esperanza in the back of a camión (typical truck for transporting goods) carrying sacks of corn. We stood most of the way to catch a pretty amazing view of the country as the sun was setting late afternoon. Its not the most comfortable way to travel, but it sure is cheap. Of course, I paid with bruises on most parts of my body, not unlike the first time I rode a dirt bike in California. We celebrated a successful work meeting with some beers and a grilled cheese, tomato, and avocado sandwich on Friday night. Saturday morning I took off to the Lake for Rain’s birthday party at D&D’s Brewery. The owner of D&D’s is an ex-pat who serves up some fairly normal American dishes, including grilled fish, corn dogs, and blueberry pancakes for breakfast. He also brews his own beer and root beer. About 10 volunteers met up for Rain’s birthday party complete with a chocolate cake and margaritas! And then we stayed the night there in cabins at the brewery. It was great to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen since training in Santa Lucia.
Sunday afternoon as I was headed back to La Paz, a few of us stopped through Siguatapeque to visit other volunteers for lunch. My stomach hadn’t been feeling so great for the last week, but this day was significantly worse. I know what your thinking - Stomach problems? Again? Imagine that…so I checked myself into the hospital for some blood work and other fun tests! Only to find out that I have Gastritis – an inflammation of the stomach lining. Yes, more fun! So, per doctor’s orders, I am on some meds and a pretty restricted diet per Honduran standards – no sugar, grease, fried food, coffee, acidic fruits, alcohol, etc. Which sounds like a great diet…if it weren’t that these are the only foods available here in Honduras. So, I am making it work, looking for alternatives, and still hoping that I haven’t seen the last of my “plato tipico” days here in Honduras. It could make for a difficult two years with the food options…
That’s all for now from Honduras. Still learning and enjoying every day becoming more a part of what I am doing here and hope to accomplish. I am working on my Plan de Trabajo and hope to have a better sense of my overall goals for the next two years. But for now, Adios! Stephanie
I was in Camasca to help Mike, a Hondu 7 Muni-D volunteer with a project to design a new market. This is the two of us on a sweaty hike up the mountain above Camasca...to catch a view of the border into El Salvador.
A glimpse of Camasca - the center of town at the Municipality, with the Church and plazita just up above.
My first real jalon ride in Honduras...in the back of a camion with sacks of corn. Besides the bumps and bruises, it was pretty fun bouncing around the mountains in the south of Honduras. We saw some wild Loros and damaged trees from an apparent storm that went through.
The is little one room house where I
