Bodycount: 1 (almost…)
No worries, I`m still alive! The last couple days have been full of pleasant surprises; it was hard to decide where to go next after Copan, but I eventually ended up in a town called Gracias, former capital of Spanish Central America. Although a bit dusty, the town was pretty interesting and gave a nice look into daily Honduran life as well as the local Lenca culture. Also made plans to climb Honduras` highest peak but due to a lack of participants the trip could not go on, so this got back to my to-do list for the time being ;)
After Gracias I decided to go to Lago de Yojoa, though I slept in and left a bit too late. As a result I got stuck in a town called San Juan - and when no buses are available to get you out of there, only one option remains: hitchhiking! I found some Lenca people who were willing to take me to the next town, which apparently was modernized enough to have bus traffic after 2pm :) Never knew a 14-seat minivan could hold up to 35 people - but somehow it fits provided you`re prepared to take care of people`s children ;)
Anyway, Lago de Yojoa is stunningly beautiful and so are the surroundings. Met a US Peace Corps volunteer who showed me around the area and took me to places where I would otherwise never have gotten to. Also visited the Pulhapanzak waterfalls (by mountainbike!) which is quite a sight! On my way down, I slipped on one of the platforms, fell and slid down, nearly sliding under the fence (thank heaven for the steel cable!) and falling 10m down into the waterfall itself - hence the bodycount. I`m starting to become well-known for shocking my fellow travelers ;) Together with a local guy we climbed rocks, swam through pools and slid through some vegetation until we managed to get behind the waterfall, at the point where the cascade hits the pool below. My ears are still recovering…
Right now I`m about to make another bike-ride through the area, after which I`ll probably head back down to Leon, Nicaragua. I`ll definately keep you posted on any new developments!
Till next time!!
Old church (and I mean O-L-D) - Gracias
More old stuff - Gracias
Hot springs (not so old) - Gracias