7 July 2007 - I am FREE...

...of the constrictions of Guatemala.

Welcome back oh Camera.

Haha, yeah I made it across the border into Honduras... Only 10km across the border, but across it none the less.

So, Im pretty happy about being out of Guate. The town im in (Copan Ruinas) is lovely, very small, quiet, great hostel.

So, since we spoke last....

Wednesday

I filled a police report in the morning... Then had to go half way across the bloody city to go to some government department or other to get the thing stamped.

Then we went into Zone 1, and to this 3 level underground market- the first level being souvenirs, the 2nd being food and flowers, and the 3rd being...miscellanous, including random wedding equipment. The thing that sticks with me most about that market was the smell of incense that all the fruit sellers were burning, to either keep away flies or hide the smell from the meat market a few feet away, im not sure which.

Anyway, that place was probably my favourite of all Guate. Or maybe even all of Guatemala.

That night, I talked properly to Joshs dad about things, life uni. etc. He asked me about whether I would come back and I mentioned that if I did, I would have to be doing some kind of volunteer work, because the guilt I felt, seeing the levels of poverty in Guate from behind the bars of a guilded cage was too much. I dont know, but he looked a bit confused at this...

I dont ever get to a point where seeing that level of poverty doesnt shock me or make me want to take some kind of action.

Thursday

I left Guate. WOOHOO. Joshs family had been lovely, but my feet were getting itchy, i was craving a beer and meeting some travellers, plus I had had enough of not being able to take pictures, in fear of being stabbed for my camera.

So I took a bus to.... somewhere, Chiqmula or something like that. Wandered that damn town looking for a none existant bus terminal for about an hour, the heat and the weight of my pack really getting to me, by the time a 4th person gave me contradictory directions i had enough, and started going on rant that probably excluded more swearing than I have the entire trip. Luckily I dont think anyone spoke english so they didnt realise.

So then finally I caught a mini van, then another (which seemed to be backtracking for most of the jouney) Then I crossed the border at long last, 7 hours after I left Guate (they refused to stamp my passport damnit).

Then another mini van the 10 min journey down to Copan Ruinas (the village next to Copan Ruins). Which is quiet and cobbled and lovely.

I found the Green Apple, a cool hostel acouple of blocks from the village square, cooked some dinner, had A BEER (wooo), watched some TV then had an early night. It was gooooood.

Today

Went to Copan ruins. An impressive place, though with a few too many school groups (who gave me evil eyes whenever I saw them) for my liking.

Spent a few hours there, then walked back to town and spent a very chilled afternoon in a hammock, well very chilled apart from the moments i would hear a rustle in the tree above me and would have to dodge one of many, falling mangoes...

Haha.

Then I met a couple of Canadian girls and we went for dinner... And then I ended up in the internet cafe next door.

And that is me now.

Off to Gracias tomorrow, a 3 bus/4 hours journey. Hurrah. Hot springs and jungle trekking here I come.

I really like Honduras, the little ive seen, its just nice to feel secure walking down a street, even when you have a camera with you, shock horror.

Right, better be going.

Love love.

xxxxxxxxxx