TravelStream™ news feed for member matsamuel on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/matsamuel en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:13:43 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231527600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231527600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231527600/tpod.html Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:13:43 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

Hard to believe that my last full day in Honduras was already upon me. I can hardly believe that I've been here for 3 weeks. The last week went especially fast as I was kept busy with carting supplies over to the orphanage in addition to my usual daily routine.Keri left from Honduras today. After all that had happened to her with respect to the robbery and the events that followed I was actually surprised that she waited until today to leave. I would have thought that she couldn't wait to get out of here. But she toughed it out and stayed. Granted there were many times when she came very close to re-booking her flight so that she could in fact leave earlier. This was heavily influenced of course by her worried family back home in the U.S. and even the American embassy at one point. However, in the end, she stuck through it and left the country on her originally scheduled date of departure.Despite all that was happening around her she conveyed to me that she still was having a good time here. She continued to regularly volunteer, although now more so at other places that were not as far to travel as Casa Feliz was. She continued to enjoy the nightlife La Ceiba offered but she would only do so in a large enough group that consisted mostly of her Honduran home-stay family and their close friends. And she enjoyed the hospitality of her home-stay family here. She adored them and hung out with the a lot even before the robbery incident occurred. After the incident her home-stay family gave her incredible protection and support.I didn't see Keri much during our joint final week in La Ceiba. But when I did I would always ask her how things were going but she could only really tell me how she was feeling. There were no real facts provided about what was happening to the captured perpetrators. Facts are hard to come by in this country. The police may not state everything and so information is filtered at that level. Then her host family may filter some of the information also or even have their own version of events which are rarely based on precise facts. Yet another version was provided by the Spanish school. It all makes for a whole mess of theories. Keri suspected that the theives may have already been set free which is perhaps likely as she didn't testify. How does one testify anyways when that action may put their life in serious danger? In any case none of this is her worry any longer. She left Honduras safely and reached her next destination fine: Ecuador. There she will spend two months volunteering before heading to Chile for another two months of volunteer work. Some time in May she expects to return home to U.S.A. no doubt into the anxious arms of her family.As for me, I was bitter-sweetly anticipating my own departure from this country. My daily life and activities here were so diverse that on one hand it felt like I had been here longer than 3 weeks but on the other it seemed to have all passed in the blink of an eye.My main directive for being here was not necessarily tourism but it would have been impossible to restrain the urge to visit some of these spectacular sites. Although there really wasn't much to see in La Ceiba itself the surrounding area offered a wealth of tourist options. I had only visited a sampling of these locations. But that did give me the chance to see spectacular scenary ranging from the lush hills, rivers and forests of Parque Pico Bonito to the tropical island paradises of Utila and Cayos Cochinos. I was happy to have seen those areas given the limited time I had.The school that I was attending in the mornings was definitely worthwhile. The private lessons that I had been taking had markedly ameliorated my Spanish. During this final week especially I felt that I could understand most of what would be said in conversations or on television. My reading comprehension had also dramatically improved as did my written skills. I was also told that my accent, and the way I spoke, was actually quite adequate. My speaking ability had progressed as well however it was definitely my weakest ability in Spanish. Sometimes I would be on a role and be able to speak quite well but other times I would forget the simplest of expressions. This would leave me quite frustrated at times. Nevertheless, my overall communication had become rather good which was quite useful in all aspects of my life here in Honduras.The school itself was actually not really a school building in any sense. Actually, it was the director/owner's house. Granted, it was a big enough house and even at its busiest there was ample space for all of us.The teachers were a great bunch. I was only taught by two teachers while there: Gabby and Christian. Both were really good and thankfully very patient. The director, Manuel, was also fantastic to me. If it wasn't for him then this trip would not have unfolded as it did. He was the link to the school, the home-stay and the orphanage.I have to admit though, La Ceiba is hardly a picturesque place. Not that I was going there to spend my 3 weeks at a paradise-like resort. But still much of the city was really not that attractive. The traffic jams were legendary. The traffic accidents were devastatingly fatal. Using the horn of a vehicle seemed to be mandatory. The poor sections of town were sometimes difficult to stomach. The houses in rich neighbourhoods were surrounded by walls and fences that were often decorated with barbed wire and security cameras.The long stretch of beach that is near the center of town is truly decrepit. I had taken a bit of a strool around there way back during my first full day in town. It isn't kept up at all and as a result it's pretty filthy which is unfortunate because this beach has so much potential that has so far been untapped. Perhaps one day they will find a way to make the beach, and the city, a place where tourists really want to visit. The tourists that do seem to come here only pass through on their way to visit some of the sites nearby to the city (like the places I had visited).The one place in the city that I seemed to visit the most often was the aptly named Mega Plaza shopping mall. This place was multi-functional for me since if I needed to buy something or receive some service (Internet cafe, ATMs) odds were I could find it here. It was flanked by a huge department store at one end and a large grocery store at the other. In between one would find all kinds of stores that would sell clothes, shoes, books, electronics, travel services and there was s smattering of banks. It was truly as if a little piece of America had found its way here in the form of a mall.Actually, that wasn't the only piece of America that found its way here. The U.S has left its mark on much of the world and the city of La Ceiba has not been spared. One can eat a whopper at Burger King, a meat lovers pizza at Pizza Hut, a beef dip sandwich at Quiznos, a fiery burrito at Taco Bell, cookie dough ice cream at Baskin Robbins or even a nice family meal at Appleby's. Yes, only the best of America makes it here.Walking into any one of those food franchises, or even the mall, one truly has the inescapable feeling that they could actually be in the U.S.A. The one thing that unmistakenly brought me back to the reality that I was in Honduras was the bullet-proof vests, shotguns and automatic weaponry that was ever so proudly displayed by the seemingly inexperienced security guards. But perhaps that show of power is necessary to deter many a criminal.Violence. This was the toughest part of La Ceiba for me to deal with. I could not keep track of the number of murders that happened here even only during my three weeks. Not to mention that a fellow volunteer had been robbed and drugs were hardly hidden. But then again this is life in La Ceiba and many parts of the world. Perhaps that made it even more purposeful for me to come here.The host family that I stayed with was truly fantastic. I count myself as being quite lucky to have stayed there. From day one Maidelyn and Jeff, as well as the two boys Dante and Lestat, whole-heartedly welcomed me into their home. They included me during their intimate Christmas and New Years celebrations effortlessly. The fantastic meals that Maidelyn created made me fatter by the day. But I enjoyed ever pound. They were also instrumental in aiding me in supporting the orphanage. Maidelyn in particular did an incredible amount of work, beyond all expectation, in shopping for supplies for me to take to the orphanage. I don't know how I could have done all that without her help.On Friday night, my last night in La Ceiba and Honduras, Maidelyn made a fantastic farewell meal for me. She knew I loved seafood and so she created a meal that included oysters, shrimp and a succulent garlic lobster tail. She even created a drink with clam juice that reminded me of a Ceaser. It was truly fantastic. And when the dessert cake came out I just about popped another button in my shirt.Unfortunately Jeff was away for business during my last night there however, in addition to Maidelyn, the kids were there as well as a neighbour and a girl named Rebekka from Switzerland. Rebekka was a new student at the school who had arrived about a week before and she was staying in the same homestay since her arrival. Coming from Switzerland she already spoke German, Swiss German, French and English all fluently. But she felt her Spanish needed some work. Considering her plan was to be learning Spanish for 5 weeks here she can likely add this language to her list of fluencies quite soon. Furthermore, she's a medical doctor. It's hard not to feel inadequate when one stands next to her but she is truly down to earth and is incredibly modest. In any case it was nice to have her there as a home-stay housemate for my final week in La Ceiba.Alas, the orphanage. Even though my daily arrival time was completely sporadic during my final week, I did make it there each and every day. Actually, even if it was just for the task of bringing over all the items that were purchased for donation I would need to get here every day. It didn't matter to then what time I arrived or even what I was carrying with me, or if I was carrying anything at all, just were always happy to see me.My last week at the orphanage felt very productive or at the very least I was seeing results. The efforts of many people donating money and Maidelyn helping with the shopping resulted in a mountain of supplies being brought to the orphanage. I also felt good that I was helping further Iris's understanding of some of the software applications and I was witnessing results from that. Furthermore, Mayra's English had come along quite well and I was noticing dramatic results. She knows more than she's even aware I think as she doesn't sometimes have the lingual confidence to give the response to certain grammatical questions although she likely knows the answer. Regardless, I was quite elated to see such marked improvement. And finally the children's jovial attitude towards me was treat as always but felt even more special this week.In some respects however I felt that I had left some things incomplete. I wanted to help Iris more with her computer skills but it became challenging to find some common time where Iris and I were both free. In any case, she is a bright girl and is already quite computer literate. I feel confident that she wiil be able to figure things out one way or another. Actually I am confident and very positive about her future.The other task that I am leaving incomplete are the English classes that I have been giving to Mayra. Of course a task such as this has the risk of feeling incomplete until the student is speaking fluent English. But it has nothing to do with that. It is more basic than that. We did not complete the English exercise book that we were working through and that disappointed me.In the final week we were ripping through those exercises contained in that workbook but it wasn't quite enough. On my very last day at the orphanage I even promised Mayra that I wasn't leaving until we finished the book. However the sun was quickly setting and darkness was descending at which point she strongly recommended that I return to my home-stay. She was worried for my safety traveling alone in the dark. So in the end I left with the execise book unfinished. Actually, there were only a handful of pages that we hadn't got to.It's hard not to admire Mayra for her determination. After all she has been through it's fantastic to see her not only wanting to learn so much on many different topics but doing so while exuding positivity. She would truly be an inspiration for any one who meets her.She understates her own abilities including one that I find to be a remarkable talent: her drawings. These are truly fantastic works of art. She can create drawings ranging from birds (especially hummingbirds) to trees to flowers. The Christmas cards that she drew were also amazing. She has an entire album of all sorts of her drawings. Her creativity is quite outstanding. This is all exceptional even just on its own but what completely blows me away is the fact that she draws all of this free-style (without a stencil) with her mouth.On my last day there, after finishing up what we could from the exercise book, she gave me one of her cards as a gift. She had actually drawn it earlier in the week. It was a magnificent drawing of a bird in a tree. Everything about this drawing is beautiful and so meticulously precise. She told me that she can basically draw one of these in about 20 minutes. Amazing.Mayra had written a note on the back of the card thanking me for my time volunteering to teach her. Before I even began to read though I was taken aback by the handwriting. It was definitely neater than mine however that isn't saying much because my handwriting is atrocious. But it is much neater than most people could write. Actually it was beautifully scripted. Again, she had written this completely by using her mouth.I was so grateful for this card that she had created only a few days before. She also made a card for Keri which I was to mail to her as she hadn't been able to visit the orphanage during her final days before leaving Honduras. This again was another magnificent creation. This time a close-up of a blooming flower in vivid red.How have I changed having been here for the past few weeks? I'm not sure if I have. Although I remember initially planning the trip with a certain amount of apprehension as I wasn't sure exactly what to expect nor how I would be accepted. I also recall the fear instilled in me when I first heard about some of the violence that occurred here. And it's certainly hard for me to forget my initial impressions when I first walked into the orphanage. It had been difficult for me to not look any where without sympathy being reflected from my eyes. But as my time here progressed my emotions of sadness gradually changed to feelings of positivity. Especially when I continued to see the joy in their hearts day after day. All of these kids have so much potential and most of them can ultimately choose to make a good life for themselves. In fact, I feel confident that many of them will discover the path to a blessed life.I thanked Mayra for the beautiful card and told her how wonderful it was to have the opportunity to teach her English. And sadly, I said farewell to her and the other children there whom I had gotten to know. I also had the chance to say goodbye to the director as she was there on my last volunteer day. She was so grateful for everyone who had donated through me items, money, time and effort towards her orphanage.I gave the two young boys who were there at the time, Franklyn and Antonio, goodbye hugs last. I think Franklyn comprehended that I was leaving to go back to Canada the following day but it appeared that Antonio didn't quite understand that. I had almost completed the short walk on the stone path towards the gated entry of the orphanage when I heard Antonio yelling out my name. I turned around to see him coming towards me all the while calling out my name. He finally understood, or perhaps someone told him, that I wouldn't be returning. When he finally reached me he gave me a giant bear hug as I knelt down to receive it.He eventually let go and I stood back up as one of the other kids undid the latch and opened the gate door. I walked out of the compound. Darkness had already descended. I turned around and waved. Then slowly I started walking away, my last walk down the road that I had walked on ever so many times before.The last thing I heard from the orphanage was the metal door loudly clanging closed, the latch sliding through and the lock quietly clicking into place as I continued to walk on my own way. Ready to begin my own journey back to my life of safety, security and comfort back in Canada.Orphanage website: http://www.hogarcasafeliz.org/Note: The package I had mailed before I left for Honduras finally arrived in La Ceiba at the end of January. It arrived 7 weeks after I had mailed it. It was delivered to the orphanage shortly after its arrival. Better late than never I suppose.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231441260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231441260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231441260/tpod.html Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:11:24 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

It is amazing how fast it all goes by. When I arrived here I almost felt like I would have all the time in the world to volunteer, to learn Spanish, to travel. Not to mention thinking I was going to have ample time to shop. But now that I was into my last week I was almost out of time.The type of shopping that I had to do didn't involve buying souvenirs or other such rememberances for myself or others. On the contrary the items that I was looking to buy would be directed straight towards the orphanage.The total amount entrusted to me, through the donations from numerous people, totaled $580 CDN altogether. This was a larger sum than I anticipated would accumulate. And judging from the prices I was seeing here in Honduras, this amount of money would also go much further than I anticipated.I had actually purchased a few random items for the orphanage during my two previous weeks here. But it was only small items such as scissors, glue and a stapler that was needed for some crafts that Mayra wanted to make. The only other item I had bought was a soccer ball for them (which oddly enough they were more interested in storing away in good condition rather than playing with it). In any case, this all didn't even amount to $10. So I still had a long way to go.I was overwhelmed on a few different levels with regards to the purchases I wanted to make for the orphanage. Firstly, I didn't know what all to buy. Secondly, how was I going to buy all this stuff? And lastly, since much of the time I would travel to the orphanage by bus, I was not entirely sure how I would get all this stuff over there.First of all what to buy? I knew I could purchase items such as food, clothing, school supplies but these categories were far too general for me. Considering it was my final week there I needed more specific direction. Fortunately there were numerous people that I could receive advice from. One of these people was Gabby, a Spanish professor at the school where I was taking my language classes from.Gabby regularly does volunteer work and one of the places where she does spend her time is at Casa Feliz. So she provided me with numerous ideas of what I could buy ranging from toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, laundry detergent, bed linens, cleaning supplies, etc. This was a very good start.Additionally, the director of the orphanage provided me with a list items I could purchase. She noted some of the same goods that Gabby had mentioned but also included specific kinds of foods as well as clothing apparel such as shirts, socks and even full school uniforms. A more elaborate list was thus formed.However Maidelyn, the mother where I was staying for my homestay, completed the puzzle for me. Using the information provided from the current lists she created a much more pragmatic list and even included some items that she thought that everyone at the orphanage would appreciate. Moreover, she was able to estimate costs as well so that gave me a much more accurate picture of what to buy and in what quantities. She was very thorough.My next dilemma was how was I going to buy all this stuff? The amount of money that I had in my possession to purchase items was rather substantial and would go a long way here in Honduras. There would be many stores that I would need to solicit and the quantities would be significant. Furthermore, not only did I not know the city well enough to effeciently shop but I was afraid that I would get charged "foreigner" prices. To make matters even more complicated I didn't have a whole lot of time left in La Ceiba nor did I have much time during the day to shop. In the mornings I had my Spanish classes and in the afternoon I now was quite regimented about teaching English to Mayra. All of this was addressed by Maidelyn.Maidelyn was nothing short of a saviour. When she learned of my intent to purchase items for the orphanage with the donated money she immediately and enthusiastically wanted to help. I was asking her what stores she recommended I visit in order to pick up at least some of the items when she simply offered to go shopping in my place. Shopping by proxy -- I love it! I gratefully accepted her offer to assist me.This dealt with all the issues that I had been pondering about. She knew the city and knew exactly what stores to go to. She also would not be charged extra as she was a local here. Finally, the time that she saved me by donating her own time to do the shopping was an immensely valuable contribution in itself.When I returned from the orphanage that Monday afternoon, her efforts exceeded my expectations even further. She had purchased Clorox, laundry soap and powder, tubes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, packages of toliet paper, pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, and notebooks. And she bought a lot of them. They were all packed tightly in two large boxes.I had given her the initial list of item ideas that Gabby had given me and she had asked me if it was fine if she also purchased stuff that may not necessarily be on the list but could be appeciated all the same. I did not say no to that and from the results that I witnessed she definitely did not disappoint.The amazing thing was that she not only bought all these items but she even received discounted prices at most of the stores that she went to because she advertised the fact that all of this was being given directly to an orphanage. Pure genius.As part of her purchases that day Maidelyn had also bought one set of bed linens and a towel. Using the money I had allocated, she was willing to buy a set of bed linens and one of those towels for each and every child at the orphanage but she wanted to make sure that I was fine with that first. I could tell she was just loving this and I was loving it too. I did not hesitate to give her the ok to make that purchase (for which she again bargained successfully for a discounted price).Sure enough, on Tuesday afternoon, when I arrived from the orphanage back home there was a stack of towels and a stack of bed linens. All ready to be brought to the orphanage. And there was still money leftover to be spent.The next category of supplies that we decided to attack was that of food. By this time the director of the orphanage had provided me with a list of necessities and Maidelyn created her own list using the directors list for reference. Maidelyn calculated, within what seemed to be a fine degree of accuracy, the food we could buy with the money that remained. The only thing left to do was to take action.We picked Thursday as the day to shop for all the food. The entire family came along for this actually. Initially only Maidelyn was going to shopping but I told her that I would come along for this as there was a ridiculous amount of food to buy. Granted she did manage fine for the other items that she had purchased on my behalf. But I figured I would help out all the same. However, when I returned home from school the entire family was in the car waiting for me and so I got in and we headed towards the town centre. Jeff had some errands to get done around town anyways so it all worked out.Maidelyn, myself and the two kids walked into one of the stores nearby to where Jeff had dropped us off. It was similar to a grocery store although the customers were only allowed in this rectangular area that was surrounded by counter space. Behind the counters were the employees and all the aisles filled with grocery items. The process seemed to be that one would tell the employees what they would want and then the staff would retrieve all the items and produce it at the counter for payment.I quite liked this process but Maidelyn had other ideas. She asked the staff if we could all go behind the counter and get the items ourselves. Maidelyn justified it by stating that her kids could then be safer in the protective area behind the counter. She seemed to be a regular here so the staff didn't have any issue with that.Once we were in the employee section of the store we looked at the list we had conglomerated a couple days before and scoured the aisles for the items we needed. Actually, Maidelyn found all the items as I basically just followed behind her and did my best to carry everything back to our collection spot at the counter. She seemed to know where everything was and she just made the entire shopping experience completely efficient.Jeff joined us as we were collecting the last of the items from this store. With the assistance of a couple of workers, he carried the purchases back to the car while Maidelyn and I went across the street into the butcher shop.It was really incredible watching Maidelyn work her magic. She was not only making the most of the money I had allocated for food but I don't think I've ever had a more efficient time shopping for anything. Here also she told them that the purchases were going towards an orphanage and that always stretched the money further.Walking out of the butcher shop, our hands were full once again. Jeff caught up to us and helped with the goods while Maidelyn made some more purchases at some of the vegetable stalls in the market place in front of us. And then we piled ourselves, and the last of the food, into the car.The car was packed. The trunk was completely full and there was random grocery items in the passenger section of the car. Bags of food were on the floor, on the seat and in our laps. Looking around in disbelief I could not believe how far all this money had went. That was one of the most amazing shopping experiences I had witnessed.Now the final question. How to get all this stuff to the orphanage? I had almost exclusively taken the bus to the orphanage. Sometimes this was a harrowing experience so I could not imagine what it would be like trying to take boxes upon boxes of items as cargo on the bus. Instead I opted for taxis.Taxis are plentiful and cheap here. Even when you don't want one they will almost harass you. But I figured this would be the best mode to transport the supplies to Casa Feliz. What was also good was that the shopping was done in stages. So when Maidelyn bought all the school supplies, hygiene products and cleaning supplies on the Monday. So on Tuesday I threw myself and all of this into a cab and headed to the orphanage.On Tuesday Maidelyn bought the remaining bed linens and towels for all the children. So the following day, Wednesday, I similarly taxied these two piles of items over there. However, Thursday I realized I was in the midst of a challenge. How was I going to get all this stuff to Casa Feliz even in a taxi? There was pasta, beans, eggs, cereal, salsa, sugar, salt, tortillas, diapers, chicken, and beef. And there was a lot of each. Additionally, we had purchased a large sack each of rice and flour that were currently weighing down the trunk of Jeff's car.As I was pondering up solutions on how to get this grocery to the orphanage I suddenly noticed that we had driven past the street that would have led back to the house. When I quickly inquired what was going on Jeff stated that we were going directly to Casa Feliz. Problem solved.I was so elated that Jeff offered to continue onwards to the orphanage as it is a bit out of the way. But he was ademant about driving all the supplies there as Maidelyn was about shopping for the supplies.Arriving at the orphanage they were estatic to see all this food. Actually, they had been excited all this week because it seemed that every day I was involved in bringing some mass of supplies over to them. They were truly grateful beyond words.What was further enriching about this experience was that Jeff, Maidelyn and the two boys had never been to Casa Feliz. They had only heard me, and other volunteers, talk about it. So it was great that I could finally show them around here and introduce them to all the people and children that I've gotten to know during my time here. Likewise, everyone at the orphanage had the chance to at last meet my host family as they had heard me talk about them quite often. On Friday I brought over the last of the toys that I had brought with me and hadn't already have the chance to distribute. And since I had some leftover donation money I purchased all the milk, both powdered and fresh, that I could with it and brought that over by taxi also on the Friday.And just like that, all the money was spent and all the supplies were donated in my last week in La Ceiba. A feat that I will have to remember as exhausting but rewarding at the same time. One just can't quantify or describe the joy that is felt when you see the surprised looks of awe and gratefulness on the faces of everyone at the orphanage when you are walking in each day with more stuff than can possibly be carried.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231441200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231441200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1231441200/tpod.html Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:07:00 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

I love the routine that I have created for myself here in La Ceiba. Every weekday morning I attend language classes which have been instrumental in bringing my previous Spanish knowledge back to the forefront of my mind. In the afternoons I head over to the orphanage where I get to play with some of the kids and of course teach English. On weekends and holidays I travel out of the city to various points of interest nearby. And, to top it all off, I have had the opportunity to stay with a local family during my entire time here. It's a good routine that I've been able to fine tune now that I am into my third week here. There really is nothing to complain about except for the fact that it's my final week here.I feel good about the time I'm spending at the orphanage. And I do get the feeling that they are enjoying having me around as well. This past week I seemed to be arriving later than usual at the orphanage. I was feeling bad about this so I was always quite apologetic. One day I arrived at the orphanage quite late and while in the midst of telling them that I was sorry for my tardiness Iris, one of the older orphans simply responded: "The important thing is that you come". It also feels good hearing the younger kids shout my name when I'm at the door waiting to be let in or when I am about to leave. And to see Mayra's face light up with eagerness when I arrive to teach her more English. These are some of the things that I am treated to now every day that I come to Casa Feliz.Fortunately most of the children do have the opportunity to attend school and some of the older ones would be pursuing more advanced studies. This is truly fantastic to see. Iris is currently learning how to use various computer application and she is quite good. The orphanage actually does have a computer there that is surprisingly new and has all the latest in pirated software. They don't have running water inside but the have a new computer. Of course it was likely donated. And although they don't have an Internet connection it does give them something to learn computer skills on which is invaluable in itself.The previous week they had asked me what I did in Canada. I went on to explain to them that I developed software for a company that has products around information security whether that be e-mail security, authentication platforms, public key infrastructure, etc. In the midst of my explanation it was hard not to notice their wide eyes and slightly open mouths. This was not the look of astonishment. Rather, these were blank stares due to the fact that they had no idea what I was talking about. My Spanish was at no level for me to properly describe this and so I immediately regretted starting with this explanation. Quickly I back-tracked and simply stated: "I work with computers". Suddenly there were expressions of understanding and I felt better having communicated that.Having told them the somewhat general statement that I work with computers gave them a bit of excitement. Now they were convinced that I could unravel the mysteries of software applications such as FoxPro, Visual Basic and PowerPoint. Iris in particular had been trying to learn programs such as these through courses and just by her own initiative so she started asking me rather specific questions that I didn't have the answers to. She was already quite literate with these applications and I had never used some of them before. So I think initially she was disappointed with my lack of knowledge especially after having presented myself as someone who works with computers. However eventually I saved face after figuring out, and demonstrating, some of the deeper functionality of these programs. Ultimately she was quite satisfied with the assitance I could give her. And that in itself was satisfying for me.There have been many special memories for me, such as that, since I have been here. Earlier this week there was another one that stood out. It was Monday and I had actually arrived unusually early at the orphanage. So early in fact that they hadn't eaten lunch yet and they were busily preparing the table for the meal.The majority of the children were still away at various families homes around the area but nevertheless there were about 10 people there that day for the meal. Without hesitation they asked me if I had eaten already and if I would like to join them. I responded saying that I had eaten already which of course was a blatant lie. I just found it difficult to accept an invitation to eat with them considering that I was trying to supply them with items such as food, not take food away from them.Not satisfied with my response they asked if I was hungry. I was starving actually but shockingly I heard myself say: "No not at all". It was at that precise moment that my stomach growled. I don't know just how audible the growl was but it sounded like thunder to me."Ok, perhaps I'll have a little something", I conceded after being given away by my bodily noises.Homemade hamburgers were were on the menu for today. I politely told them that one would do for me when asked how many I would like. They brought all the food and drinks out and sat down themselves. Mayra was helped to the table, in a specialized wheelchair for parapalegics, by one of the other children. As I was about to dig in I noticed that they began to hold hands around the table to form a circle. I quickly placed the burger back in the plate and joined the circle following their example. Then they all closed their eyes and bowed their heads to say grace with Daisy leading the prayer. This orphanage has no direct affiliation with a church, that I was aware of, but still I almost felt embarrased that I had been coming here for over two weeks now and I hadn't realized earlier how religious all of them were. In any case, I enjoyed the magical moment that this was.After grace was when everyone attacked their respective meals. It had been a while since I had a homemade burger and this was quite good. But not only was I enjoying the flavourful food but there was something special about being there and eating with them. I had spent done some cleaning there, taught English, helped with comupter skills, played with the kids, celebrated Christmas with them but this was my first time even being there for a meal.They were quiet at first but soon the banter began. By this time my Spanish understanding I had thought was quite good but at the speed they were speaking, and with the expressions that were being used, I didn't have a hope to fully comprehend what they were talking about. This would be quite disadvantageous for me as I was clearly the object of a joke or two at some points. But I could discern enough to know that they were just having fun with me.A few days later I was told that the children at Casa Feliz had been thrilled that I joined them for lunch there. Apparently it is quite unusual for a foreign volunteer to eat with them. They have, in the past, invited volunteers to enjoy a meal with them but it is very rare for one to take the offer. But they were so happy that I did eventually accept their invitation.I had been careful with what I would eat and drink while in Honduras. I would not be accustomed to the same bacteria that the locals here were used to. My host family was quite careful in this regards and I was careful too when I ate out. Eating at the orphanage was likely breaking that health conduct that I had followed. Proof of this was evident to me even a couple of days after this meal. Nevertheless it was worth it as that lunch was one of the most memorable moments of my time in Honduras.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230987600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230987600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230987600/tpod.html Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:07:45 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Parque Pico Bonito, Honduras

This weekend I decided to travel to Pico Bonito national park. This park boast a variety of vegetation, wildlife and habitats and is also home to a large peak of about 2400m. Although that doesn't seem overly tall, it is apparently quite challenging to climb it as the land is densely covered and a variety of equipment would be needed. Moreover, one would essentially be starting the climb from sea level. All these factors combined would make the climb take as much as 10 days.As interesting as that sounded, I wasn't really up for that but all the same I wanted to do some sort of hike. So I hooked up with a group through a local tour agency who was heading to a lodge in the park from where I could join a hiking group.We all piled into a rugged looking, but seemingly reliable, jeep. In addition to myself there were 4 Swedes who were heading to the lodge to do some white water rafting (a popular activity on one of the major rivers through the park). The jeep was a bit overcrowded as the luggage was stacked in and there were about 6 people crammed inside. In any case it was a jeep so as rough looking as it looked it could likely handle this and more.In less than 2 minutes from leaving the tour agency, the jeep's engine sputtered and stalled and eventually the vehicle rolled to a stop. The driver tried to get the engine started again but it would not turn over. So much for jeep reliability.Thankfully, we were still within the city limits of La Ceiba so the driver hailed down a couple of taxis and before we knew it we found ourselves back at the tour agency. Oddly enough, they didn't seem too surprised that we had returned. And in about an hour they had arranged for a couple of taxis to take the group of us up to our lodge in Pico Bonito.The drive to the lodge was actually quite quick as it took about 30-40 minutes. In fact it felt close enough that I may have been able to walk there. Granted, it would have been a very long walk but much of the time we were on a dirt road where we couldn't have traveled faster than 15km/hr anyways.Even though the drive was short, it was reasonably scenic as the road we were driving on was sandwiched between a steep rock face on one side and an embankment down towards the river on the other side. Past the river we could see the lush hills and mountains make their way skyward.The main part of the lodge was quite nicely done up but the overnight accomodation was basic. Basically dorm rooms with exterior bathroom facilities. Part of the deal was that the tour agency would give a free night's stay and upon looking at the facilities I could now see why they had to give it away for free. However, it was nicely located right on the main river with some nice artificial pools where we could lounge in. So perhaps it would do nicely.The Swedes left for their white water rafting excursion almost soon after their arrival to the lodge. My hiking group left less than an hour later with four of us altogether. In addition to myself there was an American and his daughter. He would have been in his mid-forties at least whereas his daughter was perhaps 20. The 3 of us were being led by a seemingly seasoned tour guide. His knowledge was quickly apparent to us as he easily identified several plants and trees in the first few minutes of our hike as we were walking up the main road. Actually, it wasn't only that he identified some plants but he had us try fruits that I had never even knew existed before and showed us different leaves that would be used for everything from detergent to perfumes to temporary tatoos.Not only was I amazed by his knowledge of the local flora and fauna but there was no doubt in my mind that he had to be a good hiker as well. The reason for my supposition is that while the 3 of us sported nice hiking shoes of some kind, he was completely barefoot.Our guide had told us that we would have to cross the river further down the road. So as we were walking down this same road that we had rode in on I tried hard to recall where the bridge might have been to cross. But for the life of me I could not remember the bridge. But it was at the point when he told us that we would decend from the road to the river that it dawned on me that we would be wading through the river.Even as little as a month before, a river crossing here would have been impossible as the rainy season was still strong in its effect. And you could see the previous evidence of a water line that was frighteningly high. But even now the flow of water hardly appeared docile. I had wanted to ask our tour guide why he had been carrying a heavy duty water-proof bag but as I put my camera and shoes inside this bag the answer was now quite painfully clear.As I started across the first thing that became obvious was that this was really hard on the feet. It was a rocky bottom and I was stepping on all manners of stones without necessarily being able to see what I was put my foot down onto. I never found sure footing and to make matters worse some times it would just be horribly unpleasant when setting foot on a particularly sharp rock.Our guide was way ahead of us showing us the rough path to take as we slowly plodded along behind him. As I approached the middle of the river it was becoming even more challenging. The depth of the water was about waist deep in places and with the water hitting me at that level it was really throwing off my center of gravity. Each step had to be small and precise and even then I was practically stumbling into the water at times.The guide actually came back to help me finish the last part of the crossing for which I was quite thankful for. Once I had made it across he went back into the river and helped the father and the daughter, who were struggling through it together, finish the crossing. We were all soaked and exhausted and we hadn't even started to hike on the actual trail yet.While putting our shoes back on the guide mentioned that perhaps we would find a different place to make the return river crossing. Either he was not impressed in our river crossing abilities or the river was stronger than he had expected. Regardless, I was happy that we would not be crossing back at this point in the river.The trail started heading up almost immediately. It was not particularly well-marked but there was some semblance of a previous trail. Of course our guide seemed to know exactly where he was going. He did also warn us to watch where we stepped, This was not because the trail involved going over large rocks and trees at times. It was due to the presence of snakes, scorpions and spiders.Now that I was looking at the ground, fully expecting to see a scorpion dart out from a rock, I was not fully enjoying the lush foilage that I was surrounded by. Our leader did try to comfort us but saying that he had never been bitten or stung and he always walks barefoot but some how that didn't completely ease my mind.It was actually a fairly advanced hiking trail that was continually heading upwards at a fast rate of ascent. There were parts when we had to do a bit of rock climbing as part of the path. I was having some difficulty with this but when the 20 year-old American girl got past some of these challenges with relative ease, I had no other recourse then to pretend that I was finding it easy.We stopped for a break at a picturesque location. A waterfall about 2 stories high was powering down, over some rocks, and into a small pool of water. There was a stream that ran off from this pool that made its way down likely to the main river eventually. We had some time to swim in this pool and that in itself was rejuvenating. But all too soon we had to proceed onwards.The heat and humidity were making it all the more difficult. And the trail was only getting more challenging. I was constantly keeping my eyes on the path to ensure proper footing and of course to avoid stepping on some random venomous creature that may appear out of no where. Much of the time I was also grabbing onto small trees and branches to stabalize myself. That was until the American girl stopped in her tracks and pointed to a branch within arm's reach. The branch had a series of long, thin, black thorns protruding from it. This looked particularly nasty. When she asked our guide about them he stated that these spikes would not only cut you but they would irritate your skin for days afterwards. Great.So, from that moment, not only was I watching the path but I was now very vigilant about what I was grabbing onto as we hiked our way through this undergrowth. This was making things exceedingly difficult but was keeping me quite alert.Finally we began to hear the sounds of a powerful waterfall. And within a few minutes we could see it. It had to be almost 100m in vertical drop as the water cascaded over the top and crashed into rocks, smoothed by erosion, at the bottom. The water did form a bit of a pool there as well but it would have been a bit dangerous to swim in it with the water falling at that velocity. From this vantage point we also had a spectacular view of the park and the valley below us. And in the distance, in the ocean, it was easy to make out the larger islands that made up Cayos Cochinos, where I had traveled to only a couple of days before. It all made for a fantastic backdrop. We had made it to the pinnacle of our hike.Once again we had time for a break before beginning the descent. On the way up there were several places where we had climbed up and I had wondered how on earth were we going to climb down. But thankfully our guide elected a completely different, and easier, route for the hike back.The trail was well-marked and quite easy to hike compared to the path we had taken for the ascent. I was still watchful for arachnids, snakes and thorns but fortunately there did not seem to be any. We were all quite tired at this point so we were all grateful for the easier path down.It took less than an hour to descend and we suddenly found ourselves back at the river again. But what surprised us was that we were now right across from our lodge. And instead of having to traverse a wide section of the river we were only faced with a narrow crossing. Although the water was deeper so it couldn't be waded; one would have to swim across it. This was slightly disconcerting as the water was still flowing. But thankfully the current was not strong and the crossing was only a few metres. All the same it is a bit worrying when you are swimming and you feel that current just grab you. But we all made it across fine in the end.Now back at the lodge there wasn't a whole lot to do other then eat, drink and relax. All of which I was up to doing after completing an exhausting hike such as that. The Swedes had returned from their rafting trip so we had some time to exchange stories from our separate adventures that day.I stayed the night there since I had a free night accomodation anyways and generally it was a nice enough place to hang out in anyways. I was so exhausted I would have fallen asleep anywhere.The following day I returned back to La Ceiba to begin my last week in Honduras.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230922800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230922800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230922800/tpod.html Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:33:44 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

It is impossible not to notice the signs of violence in La Ceiba. This was apparent in subtle ways even when I walked around town on my first day here. The first observation was the prevelance of guns. It seemed like there were guns everywhere.It was not that there were regular people walking around with guns visible. It was more that stores would have someone stationed outside with a gun in their hands. Most of the time it wasn't just a simple pistol that they were brandishing. It would be something that seemed more like a shotgun. Perhaps they had a pistol holstered as well but it was hard to see past the shotgun. Most of these guards sported uniforms of some kind but it was hardly uncommon to see some one outside a store in seemingly regular clothing carrying a menancing looking gun.This kind of security was not present only at nice stores but even stores that couldn't possibly make that much money in a given day would have one of these watchmen at their door. And it wasn't soley at stores where one could notice guards as they were commonly seen at gas stations, fast food restaurants (whoever thought Burger King could be that valuable), and even places where there was seemingly nothing but obviously there had to be something of value as there was a guard present.Banks were a whole different level of security. Multiple guards could be present and at times the weapons they carried would even make Rambo feel inadequately equiped. And the police on the street that I have seen so far would be holding nothing less than an assualt rifle.I suppose the NRA perspective on this could be that the presence of this many guns makes the city safer. And I don't doubt that it is a necessity here to display that kind of hardware. But even early on it hardly provided me with a level of comfort. I question how many of these people are actually trained to use the guns that they hold so dearly.Apart from these subtle signs of violence are the more obvious indications in the local news. I've lost count of how many killings there have been in this city of a quarter million since my arrival here. The worst day I have heard was when there were 5 murders in a single day here. Although those murders occurred in two or three different places the authorities were still investigating if they were connected. One of the victims was decapitated.Keri has obviously taken more notice of the local news ever since she had been robbed at knife point. Especially since a couple of the murders happened not far from where the homes of our host families are located.With the exception of one armed robbery of a store of some kind, the shootings seem to be mostly related to gang or drug violence. So far it does seem rare to hear of news regarding violent personal robbery. Nevertheless, one can't help to have a heightened security awareness when fear from violence permeates through a city.The strongest reminder, for me, with respect to the threat of violence are the kids at the orphanage. There are many reasons why children would be at an orphanage: parents can't care for them, parents are no longer alive, unplanned pregnancy, and many other reasons. Another predominant reason why they would be at an orphanage is because the state has taken them away from an abusive situation.Although I don't know the history with respect to each child here at Casa Feliz, it isn't difficult to observe which children may have been victims of physical abuse. One boy about 7 years old in age is much younger in his maturity. He also has problems walking. This was all likely due to physical abuse before arriving at the orphanage. His leg, in particular, may have been broken multiple times and of course was not properly cared for.Another young girl, about the same age, also has trouble walking because of a combination of hip and leg injuries. Again the subject of physical abuse before being brought to the orphanage. She also has an edge to her that I can only describe as being quite abrasive.The majority of the children here though do not show visible physical signs of abuse from the pre-orphanage life. However a few do have this abrasive edge to them similar to the aforementioned girl.Given the hard lives that these children have had, especially before arriving at this orphanage, it's nice to see that most of them are quite good. Not only are they well-behaved but also they are truly joyous to be around. They are so willing to be loved that even the smallest amount of attention will make them smile. It's really great to see how well many of these kids are turning out despite past turmoil. I find it intriguing that, even at a young age, two kids can go through similar horrible experiences but one can come away from it still joyous and positive whereas the other can carry an abrasive edge for life.The history of many of these chilren involve violence but the story of the girl whom I was teaching English to, Mayra, was the most difficult for me to hear. Hers was a case of drug-related violence.Drugs are certainly not uncommon in parts of this country. This is a definite catalyst for at least some of the violence. It's not the worst country for drugs, and it may not even be one of the worst, but it's more than I'm used to for sure. In my first week in Honduras alone I had not only been offered drugs for purchase by strangers but also witnessed an individual snorting cocaine as I was using the urinal beside him in the bathroom of a pool hall. The incident when Keri was robbed has also been attributed to the fact that those boys were trying to obtain money for drugs. But the atrocity of the effects of the influence of drugs can be even more disgusting.One night, when Mayra was 10 years old, she ran away from the orphanage where she had been living at the time. Since she didn't have parents, the closest family member she had at the time was an older sister and that's where she wanted to be. Mayra knew where her sister lived and reached there. Unfortunately, her sister's boyfriend was involved in drug traffiking.The following day their place was forcibly entered into by thugs. These armed killers opened fire on every one who was there. Mayra's sister, who was pregnant, and the boyfriend were among those killed. Mayra had multiple bullet wounds. But miracurously she survived. Barely.There doesn't seem to be much reliable information with regards to the specific reason for the attack that would have occurred 12 years ago now. However, the underlying cause was evident: the drug trade. And because of that Mayra lost both her sister and the use of her arms and legs that day.There seems to be little doubt that the killers assumed that Mayra had been killed as well. Otherwise they would have ensured that there were no witnesses. In fact, during the initial weeks/months after the incident, there had to be a security detail close to Mayra at all times to protect her against the threat of someone coming to kill her. This included some time when she was able to return to the orphanage from the hospital.I couldn't possibly imagine what it would feel like to endure an experience like that. But every day since I've been coming to Casa Feliz, especially since I've been teaching Mayra English, I've seen nothing but positivity exude from her. She is also so eager to learn on all subjects that people come to teach her and English is certainly no exception. When I am there she hardly wants to take a break and she doesn't like it when the day's lesson ends. The truth of it is I try to leave so that there is enough daylight for me to get home for my own personal security.Mayra has great people around her here too which no doubt has given her tremendous support and encouragement. Every one here not only helps her out and cares for her but also I have yet to witness a moment when she is alone. There is always someone with her. All the younger kids also pay keen attention to her and listen to her much as they would listen to an elder sister. It's a blessing to see first-hand that kind of love and attentiveness.At this point, two weeks into being in Honduras and one week into teaching English, I can honestly say I feel better about my volunteering time here. Teaching English has been much more rewarding than anything I had done here the previous week and moreover I still have time to play with some of the kids that have continued to remain here at the orphanage. Every day I see Mayra improving her English skills and I hear the kids calling out to me to play when I arrive there. And I am rewarded with all of their welcoming smiles.Keri has also started teaching a couple of the younger boys English as well (for as long as their attention span holds out at least). She had similarly been feeling non-useful last week. But now she feels better as well with her role here. This is good because firstly it takes her mind off of the developing issues surrounding the incident when she was robbed and secondly she just feels good and useful about being here at the orphanage. Not that it has to be all about feeling like making a difference. But you know, in the end, we do feel like we are making some sort of difference...finally.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230829200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230829200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230829200/tpod.html Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:38:48 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

Today would be the day I would get the chance to travel to Cayos Cochinos. Cayos Cochinos is a small archipelago off the Honduran coast quite close to La Ceiba. These islands are made up of two hilly main islands and about 12 small coral cays. The reef system close to these islands are said to offer spectacular snorkelling. Moreover, from the pictures I had seen, the place looked just beautiful even above the water. Many people I had met spoke of how fantastic it was, with tiny islands dotting the sea in a tiny area. The majority of the islands were no bigger than a football field and they were all surrounded by soft white sand and turquiose blue waters. I couldn't wait to see this paradise but I almost didn't as my single greatest challenge that day would be making it to the meeting point at the pre-arranged time of 7:00am.Normally I could easily make a 7:00am rendez-vous to see beautiful scenary of any kind. However the night before was New Years Eve, a factor I hadn't taken into consideration before making my booking to tour these islands. Although I wasn't planning on celebrating big on New Years Eve, the family I was staying with appeared to have ideas to the contrary.Maidelyn and Jeff, along with the two kids Dante and Lestat, have been fantastic to live with during my stay here. They have treated me so well and literally made me feel welcome from day 1. Maidelyn used to be part owner of a restaurant here and so she is an incredible cook. Not only is the food delicious but the portions are huge. I've eaten so much good food that my belt is on it's last hole. In fact, my belt is currently now gently digging into my skin as it can't be expanded any more. Note to self: buy new belt. Pound for pound this is killing me and I'm loving it! Anyways, I digress.New Years Eve was no different. I noticed that Maidelyn had cooked enough food for 20 people for the late dinner they would be serving on this Eve. I wondered how we could possibly eat all this. Granted, Edward (from England) had made his way back here today from the island of Utila. But that still only made 6 of us in total to attack this small banquet.I didn't have to ponder this enigma for long since soon a steady stream of people starting entering through the front door. Soon after, pleasantaries were being exchanged, food was being devoured, and all varieties of alcohol were being drunk. This all made for a memorable night although trying to concentrate to understand quick banter in Spanish was beginning to make my head spin. Actually, my focus on understanding Spanish conversation quickly deteriorated as rapidly as I was taking down drinks.Fireworks had been going off in the streets for the past few hours but at around midnight that rate quickly accelerated. In fact, one of the families put on a fireworks show that rivaled what I have seen in Canada. Apparently that family has a lot of money and they do this every year.Finally, in the end I went to sleep later than I probably should have, especially considering the time I was supposed to be up for. Falling asleep proved to be difficult given the cacaphony of fireworks that were still going off in the neighbourhood but soon my tiredness got the better of me.As fun as the previous evening had been, this made for a challenging start to my day at Cayos Cochinos. In any case I made my way to the meeting point during the early hours of New Years Day. As I'm sure is quite similar in cities across the world on this day, the streets were dead quiet.It was obvious that I had made it to the meeting point in time as there were 4 others there waiting when I arrived. Hardly a couple of minutes later a minivan pulled up and we all piled in. After less than 20 minutes of driving we arrived at our boat launch point. From here we could actually already see some of the larger islands that make up Cayos Cochinos.The boat we were in could seat about 15 so it was a much smaller boat than I had been on for the trip to Utila. We skirted along the coast for the initial part of the trip until we stopped at an expensive looking resort. From here more boats joined our fleet and in the end 4 boats started traveling to Cayos Cochinos together.It was a rather uneventful boat journey, thankfully. I was in no mood to experience anything similar to the boat trip to Utila. As we got nearer to the cluster of islands we had a chance to have a closer look at the scenary. The water was noticeably shallow in some places and there would be a spots where sand would collect and a small island would just be there. On some of the smaller ones there would literally be only a mound of sand with dimensions that would perhaps equate to a tennis court.A few would perhaps support a single tree whereas some of the others, that were slightly larger, could perhaps have enough room for a single house. It was really quite interesting to see.The boat was traveling slow enough at this point so that we could enjoy the scenary at its fullest. Eventually we made our way towards the largest island and this is where our boat landed but only for a brief welcome speech and giving only enough time to visit the research centre that was of marginal interest.We then hopped back into our boats and headed for our snorkelling drop-off. Some people had brought their own equipment but most of us, including myself, had to make use of the general equipment they had available.It had been about 8 years since I had been snorkelling but thankfully it's not exactly a skill that can necessarily be forgotten. And the warm waters were very welcoming. Even though the sea was clear I was not really seeing much in the way of interesting fish. Sure there was little fish swimming about but nothing that truly captured my short attention span. But that was fine as I was just as happy floating along in the water thinking that if I was back in Canada at this time I would be wrapped in 10 layers of clothing.Then something caught my eye. It was slithering along in the sand maybe only 12 feet away. It was a snake. Probably about 4 feet in length and mostly white with brown stripes along its length. I found it quite fascinating watching it move smoothly on the sea floor as I quitely floated nearby. Up until now I had only seen snakes on land but it moved just as easily as if it was on land. Suddenly, I recalled something from my biology class from decades ago. Likely the only thing I remembered from that class. I was certain that my teacher had mentioned that water snakes typically have the most lethal venom. Upon recalling this bit of trivia I quickly started to feel much less comfortable. Fortunately my venomous friend was not taking much interest in me and was simply happy slithering along. I was even more happy that I was floating away from it.After snorkelling, and catching a few rays on the dock, we were whisked away to yet another island. This island was truly a sight in itelf. It could not be much bigger than a soccer field and it was completely made up of white sand that receded into the turquiose sea water. More interesting still, there was what appeared to be a land bridge that led off to another smaller island about 50 metres away. The first portion of the land bridge was above the water line but then it dipped lower. I wondered whether it was possible to walk to the other island without swimming at all. My question was soon answered as I watched as someone was in mid-crossing. He was about waist deep in water but still managing to walk.The larger of these two islands had some huts that seemed all to cater to tourists. There was likely even one where you could stay over night. But the hut that we went to was solely for lunch stop. They had told us, earlier in the day, that we would have the choice of lobster or fish. However, as we sat down they told us that they didn't catch any lobsters that morning. So suddenly our menu choice was narrowed down to one option. Fortunately it was quite good and I'm guessing fresh. I'm also guessing it was snapper.After a few more minutes of relaxing in this paradise, we were beckoned back to our boats all too soon. Within an hour we were back at the mainland coast where we piled back into the minivan. In another 30 minutes we were back in the dusty, noisy city of La Ceiba.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1262070000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1262070000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1262070000/tpod.html Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:22:58 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

Today was the first day I would be teaching English here at the orphanage. Not really knowing much about teaching English, or teaching in general, I didn´t feel that I walked in there well prepared.I supposed I was prepared in some ways. The Spanish school where I had been learning Spanish loaned me a white board for my use at the orphanage. Additionally, Maidelyn loaned me some books which were for learning English. Moreover, I had planned a rudimentary lesson plan at least for the first day that would hopefully be sufficient. But still some how I wasn´t sure how I would go about teaching.Thankfully Mayra, the student that I would be teaching, was way ahead of me. She already had a book filled with exercises catering to students trying to self-learn English. Personally I didn´t think it appeared like it was going to be great book but perhaps it would be adequate. In any case, my opinion about this exercise book hardly mattered as Mayra was quite ademant about completing it. And at least it would impose some sort of structure to my teaching time as opposed to my pathetic lesson plan which I would some how have to think up each day. It also showed me that she was very eager to learn.Fortunately many of the kids here are physically able to attend school. Unfortunately that is not an option for Mayra as she is paralized from the neck down. Thankfully, she does have multiple people volunteering to teach her on a variety of subjects but English is not usually one of them. The exact moment when that occurred to me is when I realized that that would be much better use of my time. And once I started going through the exercises of the book I knew I made the right decision.She did have some base knowledge of English but it was very basic. Still her determination to learn was quite strong. We didn´t take a break for the entire time I was there. The first thing that I noticed, as did Keri the other volunteer, was that Mayra´s pronunciation was actually quite good already. She just needed more practise, additional vocabulary, and further understanding of how the language worked.Even after my first day of teaching her English I felt better than I did any day in the previous week. Finally I was doing something that was more structured and constructive. Moreover, I still got a chance to play with some of the other kids before or after teaching.One thing that disappointed me was that many of the young orphans that I had met and started developing relationships with were no longer there. This was obviously quite noticeable when I walked in the door today and saw that about 20 kids were missing. Turns out that during this time of year many of them have the opportunity to spend about a month with a family in the area. Don't get me wrong as I think that is fantastic that there are families here who do take in the children, into their homes, for any time at all. I was just disappointed, although some how not entirely surprised, that no one informed me that this was going to happen nor that it would happen now. Just a bit selfish I suppose, just that since the children would only be coming back at the beginning of February I would not see them again. So I would never have the chance to say bye to them. Heck I hardly had the chance to say hello to all of them during my first week.The children who were physically disabled would not be able to have this opportunity sadly. Also the older orphans still remained here to but it was unclear to me if that was by their choice or not.The situation regarding Keri and the 4 boys that robbed her had gotten worse over the weekend. The system here seems to require that she would have to testify against the 2 that were caught, even if only so that she could identify them, in order for the justice process to begin. However the family that she has been living with, as well as others, have advised her not to go through with that identification process because essentially that is how people can wind up dead around here. She obviously wants justice to be served but when ones own life hangs in the balance what to you do?This case has received some local media attention as well because not only was it 4 people who robbed a girl but 4 boys, all of whom come from "good" families, have robbed a foreigner.I don't know if the media attention has made matters better or worse. What I do know is that Keri does not leave the house alone any more. And even when she does she just doesn't have that level of comfort, quite understandably, that she used to.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230145200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230145200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230145200/tpod.html Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:49:35 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

Most people don't own a car but transport comes easy as taxis are a dime a dozen. There are also random buses that seem quite plentiful and although it looks a bit chaotic at first glance there does seem to be some kind of order to bus transport.We get to Casa Feliz using the bus transportation system and the buses that run through the route we need seem to be made up of school buses (as in the classic yellow school buses one would see in North America). I'm quite sure that the buses that we ride daily have already exceeded their life expectancy but some how they just keep them running.There have been some warnings that I have heard about taking the bus including the presence of pickpockets or worse. And there have been some frightening individuals that truly made me think twice about catching the bus. But thankfully the rides have been uneventful so far. At the equivalent of $0.33 a ride it is hard to go wrong.I was a bit more nervous than usual on Dec 24th while travelling by bus enroute to Casa Feliz because I had my back pack with me and it was full of toys (donated by friends) that I wanted to pass out to the kids there. So I was quite relieved once our stop arrived.The past couple of previous days we had done a fair bit of cleaning. So everything was orderly and ready for Christmas. The day before I had brought over some books and arts and crafts (all of which were donated by friends) over but I made the mistake of giving them to the person in charge of the orphanage. Perhaps "mistake" is too strong a word as I know she (the director) will let the orphans there make use of them but I didn't have that feeling of satisfaction that one presumably would get when personally giving something to a child. Today, on Christmas Eve, I would do things differently. Even though the box of toys that I mailed here from Canada still hadn't arrived I felt I had brought enough with me to hand out today. My backpack was full of these donated toys and I was eagerly going to give them directly to the children as kids here open their gifts on Christmas Eve. However when the door to the yard of the orphanage opened I realized that once again my plans had been thwarted and I wouldn't be able to hand out the gifts that I had with me.All the kids were running around or playing with one toy or another as each of them already had multiple toys. I discovered, a few minutes after my arrival, that there were donations of gifts from some of the local Hondurans. And all the kids were busily playing with these toys so it would have been very difficult for me to hand out what I had as they were all fully occupied.Although I was slightly dismayed when it did hit me (and it hit me quickly) that I wouldn't be giving out the gifts today that I had brought with me those feelings quickly evaporated. It was incredible to see the happiness and energy of all the kids just running around having a fantastic time. Just to complete the picture there were even some small fights due to toys (or rather fights over toy ownership) but what would Christmas be without a bit of fighting like that?The children also had a good sized bag of candy each which perhaps explained the energy level that I was witness too. Moreover, sugar-filled baked goods were being passed around just in case the kids weren't bouncing off the walls enough. There was also a feast planned for the evening which I'm sure they could hardly wait for.Thankfully today we would not have to do any cleaning. It was a day that we could simply enjoy being with and playing with the kids (and sometimes break up the occasional fight).I did end up giving them one thing that I had carried with me that day. It was a puzzle that was a map of Canada. I brought it out when I saw one of the kids there trying to put together a puzzle that was clearly too advanced for him. Actually it was too advanced for any of us or perhaps none of us had the patience to assemble this 500 piece puzzle. Actually this child was showing an incredible amount of patience for his age trying to put this together. In any case, I pulled out the map of Canada puzzle that I had and they just loved it. Granted, it only consisted of about maybe 50 or so large pieces but regardless they worked as a team (well, most of them) and easily assembled it. With this I was able to show them where I came from and where my friend live. They seemed to take that in but more than likely they were just being polite.Volunteering in itself can be rewarding but seeing the kids on a day like this, in their Utopia of happiness, just took that feeling of reward to a whole new level. Before I arrived here in Honduras I never thought that I would see this sort of happiness from the kids. I'm so glad that I was wrong.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230159120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230159120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230159120/tpod.html Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:48:52 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

La Ceiba, Honduras

This city of La Ceiba doesn't seem to be the safest place. This is especially so during Christmas holidays around here apparently as theives know that people are more likely to be carrying with them large sums of money or other items of value such as gifts. Worse still, I've been told by many people that theives actually come to La Ceiba from other places in Honduras, during the holiday season, to rob people. And unfortunately, it didn't take long for an example of this sort of crime to appear.It was the first day of my volunteering work and myself and another volunteer named Keri (from the U.S.A.) arranged to meet as we would be heading to the same orphanage. We would be accompanied by a Honduran lady who does regular volunteer work there. They were already at the meeting point from where we would all take the bus. And soon after we exchanged your usual opening banter Keri proceeded to tell me that she had just been robbed at knifepoint not even two hours before.She had been walking home from the language school when a car with 4 young guys stopped in front of her. One of them jumped out of the car holding a knife and proceeded to rob her of her money and whatever she was carrying. He then thankfully he jumped back into the car and they sped off. She was only about 100m away from the family's home where she was staying when that happened.Although I was told how dangerous this city was especially during this time it shocked me that this had happened to her. But what I found the most remarkable was that even after that incident Keri decided to get herself together and still make it to the orphanage that day. She assured me that this was the first time that she had been robbed. I certainly didn't recover as quickly when something similar happened to me years ago.As we caught the bus on the way to the orphanage I realized that my thoughts were no longer focused on my anxiety with regards to walking into an orphanage. Instead, I was now thinking about personal safety more than anything else. It didn't help matters much that the bus we were now on was half-filled with sketchy looking people. To make matters even worse, the bus soon turned off the main road and started driving through a truly sketchy looking neighbourhood.Eventually our guide mentioned to the driver that our stop was coming up and shortly afterwards we were off the bus. I'm not sure how to describe the area as there are some very poor looking houses but what stood out, sadly enough, were the dismal sheds that many people here call home. We would have to walk from here.The bus ride was about 15-20 minutes and the walk was under 10 minutes. The walk seemed longer as one couldn't help but observe the absolute poverty that was apparent. As we got imminently closer to the orphanage my thoughts quickly shifted again back from personal security to that of anxiety of seeing the orphans.From the outside I could observe that their compound was surrounded by a wall that had to be about 8 feet tall. I couldn't help but think that these walls were likely necessary so that some of the younger kids wouldn't wander off but also to keep casual intruders out. The two doors that would lead into the compound were locked shut and fairly solid.Our guide, Gabby, banged on the door and made it known to whoever was inside that we were here. Soon we heard the sound of a padlock being unlocked and the door opened and we walked in.After having walked through the neighbourhood that we just had I was actually expecting much worse. The plot of land was quite large and there were two structures within its boundaries. The one closest to the main gate had the common areas and the kitchen and also housed the girls dormitories. The other building, was smaller and about 50-60 metres away, was where the boys slept.The buildings themselves seemed in reasonable shape, given the neighbourhood, but the grounds themselves were in really rough shape. Apparently they used to have a grounds keeper that came around once in a while but then they couldn't not afford him any longer. Fortunately the buildings do have electricity but they do not have running water. Inside the buildings the facilities are basic and would be adequate if there were less than 15 kids but there are more than 30 children living there.The orphanage is named Casa Feliz (literally translated this means Happy House)and for the most part the kids seem happy here. Of course many of them have never known another life. Or worse still the life that they knew before arriving at the orphanage was horrible.The younger ones perhaps seem more happy than the older ones in their 20s who are basically working there as they live there. Many of them are surprisingly well behaved however some of them do have an edge that is easily apparent.Although most of them are completely healthy a few of them do have physical disabilities mostly visible in their hips and legs. One boy in particular who is aged 7 seems to have the mental capicity of a child much younger. All of these ailments were due to abuse and violence in the child's life prior to their arrival at the orphanage.The saddest case that I saw there, with regards to physical abuse/violence, was a girl now aged 21 who is paralysed from the neck down.For the most part many of the children, young and old, were quite open and accepting of us right from the start. But I still couldn't help but feel rather uncomfortable.They almost seemed surprised to see us in a way. They actually didn't know what sort of work the wanted us to do. Eventually some one mentioned that the windows needed cleaning so before we knew it that was how we spent our first day there. And there were a lot of windows. Not quite what I was expecting with regards to what I would be doing but I would be as helpful as I could where ever they needed me. But I think part of the problem was that they didn't know where they really needed help I suppose.We weren't able to finish cleaning all the windows by the time our time there ran out as we had to get back before night fall (my thoughts shifted once again to personal security).I felt I only really connected with maybe two children that day. Two girls, sisters actually, named Lilian and Miriam aged 9 and 7 respectively. Well, at least those were they only two names I was able to remember after day 1 of what was an overwhelming initial experience at the orphanage. But many of them smiled and waved bye as we left and the doors closed behind us. As we walked away we heard the padlock click securely into place.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230408000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230408000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matsamuel/5/1230408000/tpod.html Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:47:46 -0500 Honduras Orphanage

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras

There are a quite a few islands scattered near the Honduran coast and for the weekend I figured perhaps I should check one out. Roatan is likely one of the most popular, and likely the largest, but instead I opted to go to an island that was closer and hopefully less touristy. Edward came along as well since his plans to head deep into the untouched jungle forest of the Mesquite seemed to be in eternal jeopardy.It was an adventure just getting to the island. To begin with, Edward forgot his wallet back at the house, a fact that he only confirmed in the middle of our taxi journey to the port where the boat would launch. But we figured it would not be a good idea to turn back at this point as we may run the risk of missing the 8am boat to Utila. In any case I felt I should have enough money for both of us for the 2 days that we would be on the island and he could just reimburse me once we get back to La Ceiba.Once we arrived at the port we immediately took our place in the line to buy our passage to the island. After a few minutes of waiting I started thinking about how much money may be necessary for our stay and how much I had on me. Suddenly it occurred to me that perhaps we don´t have enough money after all. I brought this up with Edward and we quickly started doing some rudimentary calculations. I had enough money for the boat journey to Utila and back again. But then we would have a choice to make: either we stay in a hotel and eat next to nothing and not even enjoy so much as a single beer or we sleep on the beach and eat and drink and basically have a good time.I may have been able to choose between these alternatives when I was younger. But now the negative side of either option was overwhelming unattractive. Before we knew it, we were in a taxi on our way back to the house. And Maidelyn and Jeff seemed remarkably unsurprised to see us back so soon.Edward found his wallet quickly but it was too late to head back as we would miss the boat. The next boat was at 3pm which unfortunately meant that we would be missing the better part of the day that would have been better spent being on the island but at least we would get there. And this time we made quite sure that we had more money than we needed to have a good time there.The boat was much smaller than I expected but the thing that really got me was how rocky the hour ride to the island was. The seas had looked calm enough but that was far from the case once we picked up speed and travelled further away from the cost. The passengers on the boat, ourselves included, went from being quite chatty initially to now being silent as every one tried to deal with this ordeal in their own way.Even though we were cowering in the sheltered section of the boat we were still getting wet from the surf slamming into the hull of the boat. And looking out the side the view would oscilate from seeing nothing but water and then seeing only sky. Even though the journey was only an hour it felt like it was much longer.Surprisingly, it didn´t appear that any one got sick although it did seem that some had been close to the edge. There were moments when I was flirting with that line myself. But now, as we were only minutes from the island, the waters were shallower and smooth. This was not only readily noticeable by the fact that the boat was no longer violently rocking back and forth but also because the mood of the passengers had changed to jubilation and conversations were once again taking place. I was not looking forward to the boat ride back.The island was obviously a scuba diving mecca as one could hardly walk a few meters without coming across a dive shop. Snorkelling was seemingly the second most popular activity. Oddly enough, we actually planned to do neither. Instead we rented a couple of pathetic looking mountain bikes and attacked some of the routes. Actually it wasn´t particularly difficult mountain biking terrain in terms of hilliness but the roads were a mess and many sections were still covered with water even though the brunt of the rainy season would have been weeks ago. But in any case that made it all the more interesting navigating this island.Even though droves of tourists flock to Utila it still made for a pleasant stop and it was a good break from the noise and pollution of La Ceiba. There is lots in the way of tourist infrastructure making it very easy to get around and basically have a good time. Also gave me a chance to sample some seafood and the shrimp and snappers did not disappoint. It was a welcome break on multiple levels.I was only there for the weekend but Edward decided to stay on in Utila. His time in La Ceiba was essentially done anyways as he was scheduled to return to Guatemala to continue with his volunteering efforts.One thing that I was sure of was that I truly was not looking forward to the boat ride back to La Ceiba. If it was going to be nearly as rocky as the passage to the island then that was going to be trouble. But oddly enough, as I sat there in my seat on the boat for the return journey, I fell asleep.
]]>