dreaming honduras

Most of what I know of Honduras has been witnessed from a bus seat. I press my forehead to the glass and watch the landscape slip by me. It is an enjoyable place to see by bus. I have passed through the same route four times and still there are things to be discovered. Roadside pet selling near the Nicaraguan border, rice paddies, cows doing their thing, clouds doing their thing (which I must remark is often quite impressive here). Additionally Honduras has the best bus station comedor stops; Costa Rica could even learn something from these guys.
Really it is a suprising country. More so than Nicaragua I never imagined spending much time here. I don't think I had any intentions of spending any time here at all. But then Kyle introduced me to the Hondu ways back in October and, well, I just haven't been able to stay away. Maybe it is the dry pine forests that surround the high hills around tegus, or the rumpled coastline that I first caught sight of from a boat bound for the shores of guatemala. There is something terribly romantic about the scenery here, the sunsets linger, the light lengthens until it seems impossibly soft and sexy. It all screams to be photographed, especially the clouds. I haven't seen clouds like this since I was in big sky country.
As for the people I can't say I have gotten to know the Honduranios like the Ticos or Nicas. They do have funny quirks, pointing to places with their lips, preferring flour tortillas to those of maiz. But I like it. I like the way you roll in and out of this place, they have my favorite fronterras, and generally it feels the most laid back of all the central american countries, I think the islas de bahia help with this.
Utila has been my mainstay during my time in Hondu. My job keeps me there for three whole nights (which is a LOT for me). But you never hear me complaining. Utila is a mess of histories, pirates from Scotland, ex-slaves from other carribean island, mixed in with a couple of the native people. It results in that lilting island accent, and communication that happens in english, spanish, and creole, usually a mixture of at least two at a time. Plus there is the stuff happening under the water too.
Oh man, this last couple dives I got in were super tranquilo. I mean there is no other way to describe it. I´ve gotten to the point where I can float with perfect buoyancy and just let the currents cradle me. It is as close to heaven as I am getting in this lifetime. Then there are all the crabs, algaes, corals, this whole thriving world that keeps going on whether we pay it any attention or not. And man is it beautiful. One of my newest discoveries it column coral with all of its little waving fingers that look like wind blowing across hills of dry grass. I might start worshiping in the church of coral and crustaceans. Maybe I already am. And maybe I need to start writing copy for the Honduras tourism board. I will have to look in to that.