Gracias, Honduras. Parque Celaque

Sooo Julia and I went to Parque Celaque to give the hiking thing another try for me. There is a beautiful cloud forest and this National park has the highest peak in Honduras. We probably should have started with something smaller, but whatever.

Thank God we talked to a couple the day before leaving who had just done and told us it was very steep. It was in fact a vertical incline to the camp we were going to try to get to. We decided based on their story to camp at the visitors center at the base of the trail.

Our driver picked us up at 7am to take us to the park. We felt all local and cool sitting in the back of a pickup cruising in the coutryside, and as soon I get around to posting more pics, you will see how gorgeous our surrounding were. ANYWAY. We dropped our pack off at the visitors center which was a 45 minute uphill walk from the gate (tiring) and started our trek the cloud forest. Now, while I did much better this time, and last much longer physically, at around the same altitude as volcan Pacaya I began to feel dizzy and light headed, and couldnt continue. I think I have a real problem with altitude. It also didnt help that my allergies decided to kick me in the face while we were up there.

Julia wants me to tell you that she did not make me walk down alone, she came with me even when I told her she could go on. Good pal.

Back at the bottom we went to Doña Alejandrinas for dinner. This woman has been living on the mountain since before it was a National park. She has been there for over 54 years and can cook better than any restaurant we have been in since starting this trip. She served up two types of tortillas, black beans, refried beans, potatoes, rice with vegetables and the best damned coffee. Mmmm!

She and her son live in a wood shack with no electricity or running water. They cook over a woodfire, and by all North American standards, are literally dirt poor. Being there and eating two meals courtesy of them we were transported to a time long since forgotten. Eating her simple and delicious dinner over candlelight we could hear Pumas meowing in the distance, fireflies dancing and the dogs waited patiently at our feet for scraps. Peace.

Doña Alejandrina was a wonderfully sweet old woman, with sparkling eyes and big smiles and she and her son lived simply and most importantly they are very happy. I have to say that I was envious and humbled by their simple existance and wished that I could speak better Spanish because I am sure that woman had so much to teach. I wished that I could go back and sit with her. I tried to go and take her picture before we left but she had left for the woods, and I was unable to. :(

Now the scary part...We spent the night in the camp that by my account was infested with spiders. Julia may disagree but she is not as observant to these things as I. There were these rather large brown ones that had sharp looking legs and glittery eyes. So whenever I scoured the room with my headlamp the light would reflect off of their eyes and I could see them all glittering back at me. I had visions of them crawling on me in my sleep and biting my sweet, tender flesh...I really wanted to vomit and did not sleep very well at all that night.

All in all, it was really unique and educational experience, and certainly one that I will not forget!