Honduras with the Fam

I have family in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and El Progreso

Last year when I came to Honduras with Jessie, we spent the majority of the time in San Pedro Sula. In all honestly it is a much prettier part of the country than the capital Tegucigalpa (pronounced Te-goo-see-galpa). However this time around Laura and I spent most of our time in Tegucigalpa and really got to explore all it had to offer. It’s a pretty big city situated in a valley surrounded by mountains (which makes the Tegucigalpa airport one of the most dangerous in the world to land in due to its short runway). Knowing how freaked out Jess was last year, I decided to keep this lil tidbit a secret from Laura.

The reason most people (including my entire family even Suyapa who lives there!) find the city so ugly is that there is very little greenery to the city whatsoever. It is all buildings, traffic and pollution. However travel 30 minutes up a beautiful mountain covered in lush vegetation and you arrive to a cute little artisan village called Valle de Angeles. The town depends 100% on tourism and is filled with cute little marketplaces - you know how much I LOVE artisan markets!

The following day, Suyapa a took us to explore downtown Tegucigalpa. She really wanted us to get to know the old centro so we could feel the true Tegus (the city's nickname). While there were a few pretty churches, plazas and more artisan shops, the downtown area did not have much to offer. It was still a nice activity to get us out of the house (by the end of the week we had memorized the TV schedule - American programming was quite a treat for us!) .

On another outing (Suyapa's attempt to entertain us) we went up to visit a giant statue of Christ. While Tegucigalpa's Cristo is no competition to that in Rio it was still really cool to go up to see it. The statue is situated on a hill overlooking the city. From here you can really get a grasp of just how big (and congested) the city is.

After spending 10 days in Tegus we finally headed to visit more family. We first stopped in El Progreso to have lunch with my tia Eda. Next we went to San Pedro Sula to eat dinner with my Tio Roberto's family. There is always a theme in visiting with my Honduran family and that is eating. I swear to you we have done nothing but eat amazing home cooked meals since we got here. My cousin Karol just had a baby girl, Camila, a month ago so it was quite exciting to visit with her! After dinner Laura and I went out with my cousin Roberto and a bunch of his friends.

my cousin Karol, new-born Camila and me

my cousin Roberto and me

out celebrating San Pedro Sula nightlife

All and all it was really great spending time with my family. I am really happy I am getting to know this side of the family. They of course asked when I would be returning next. As I will soon be employed and still have SO many places I want to travel to, I am not sure when that will be. But with Facebook and Skype we are all easily connected!

Juan Carlos´s Graduation/Prom

Juan Carlos´s graduation. The event that started it all. Last March when I came to Honduras to visit my family, my Tia Suyapa insisted that I had to come back the following year for my cousin Juan Carlos´s high school graduation. Not knowing what I would be doing in June of the following year, I told her I would try my hardest to do so. Once I started to look into it, I decided that Honduras is quite a far way to travel from Buenos Aires just for one event. It was then I decided that if I was going to come to the graduation, I should turn it into a longer trip. Laura had recently decided to quit her job and come to Argentina for the month of April before then going to Spain with her family in May. She had planned to then travel to Africa, but I convinced her to join me and thus our Central America trip was born!

Juan Carlos and me

So as mentioned the whole reason we came was for Juan Carlos´s high-school graduation. Or so I thought, but as it turned out he graduated the week before. We were coming in town for the party. Well when I think high school graduation party, I think casual. Not here! It turned out not to be a private party, rather a huge event at a local hotel with all of his classmates (read: a very fancy affair). This was a problem as neither Laura nor I prepared for such an event. I brought a few nice sun dresses but as soon as my aunt showed me her gown I knew our clothes were not going to cut it. No worries! Suyapa would find us outfits to wear. She asked our sizes and called everyone she knew to find us the proper attire. After going through the closets of my Tia Maritza, cousin Marissa, and Suyapa´s friend´s niece we found dresses, shoes and jewelery. Now, our outfits were not necessarily something we would normally wear, but we all decided that it was far better than having to buy something new.

my cousin Marissa and me

The outfits Laura and I came up with (4 closets later)

Laura, me, Tia Suyapa and Tia Maritza

The actual event was quite the spectacle! They call the grad night “prom” here, but it was basically the equivalent of a debutante ball. Laura commented on how it was just like Gossip Girl. Marissa and I both agreed! It was super elegant and each of the students (all 65 of them) were introduced with their name, age, future plans, role models, favorite movie, song, book, etc... Needless to say that part took awhile…especially since we knew only ONE person – Juan Carlos. After that, the fun began as the champagne bottles were popped, the music started bumping, and the dancing began! My Tia Suyapa sure likes to dance! Laura and I spent the majority of the night on the dance floor with her. At midnight there was a mini-Carnival complete with a drum circle, dancers and all the grads clad in masks and hats! The night was a really fun and certainly a very unique experience! The next morning Suyapa told me that it really meant a lot to Juan Carlos (and her) that I came. :) I am really glad I came too!