Allison Baugham
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
After a group reflection we were allowed to explore on our own. Nothing too exciting--souvenirs, baleadas, machetes. However afterward we were given several options of things to do that afternoon. I opted to go to the Marcala Plant & then hike to the water source. Being the eager students we are, we raced ahead and left behind those that actually knew the way...We traveled through a coffee plantation and spoke to people along the way, trying to ask for directions. More or less we were headed in the right direction.
Soon we stumbled on an old mud house and met a man. He had missing teeth, a dirt floor, and the biggest smile you could imagine (Eladio, i need your photos!). It was amazing to see someone live so comfortably in a place so remote and separated from the rest of the world; or so we thought.
We thanked him for speaking with us & hiked further to find the water source. We eventually came to the river and decided to head back since it was getting dark. When we passed the man again he invited us into his home & shared fresh plantains with us. We offered to give him money and he refused, but we did it anyway (good deeds are lost on Americans, it seems). He then told us about an accident in the U.S. involving a plane. Little did we know that he knew more about world affairs than we did!
I really wish we could have had more time to speak with him, but being the apprehensive person I am, I couldn't keep people waiting. To think if we had waited and took the correct path we would have missed this opportunity. It was such a wonderful experience and has really summed up my trip to Honduras: people can surprise you, there is a beauty in simplicity, and what makes people happy can redefine the way you will live the rest of your life.