Highlands

After Tegucigalpa I moved northwesterly to the former capital of Honduras, a small extremely hot town called Comayagua. There wasn't much to do but walk around and get sorbet (which has basically been my lifeline to sanity in all of these ridiculously hot places). I checked out the main church, walked around the historic center and visited a small gallery at the cultural center. 

I took off bright and early the next morning to visit La Esperanza, apparently the highest city in Honduras. Like the small towns I visited after, la Esperanza didn't have much. Checked out the city center, a small church cave on top of a hill and then moved on to the one time capital of Central America. Gracias is another small town, there are a few churches and a small fort at the top of the hill, but once again it was church and sorbet before heading out the next morning to another small town, called Santa Rosa de Copan. The main part of town is a 6-7 block hike up a steep hill. Locals know to take the shuttle van or a taxi, mike is not a local. Santa Rosa had the same basic things but I stayed in a nice hotel for $20 and had my first and second hot shower in about 2.5 weeks.

There was also cable TV and more sorbet. Finally on my way out of Honduras I stopped in Ocotepeque, walked around a bit, had lunch and moved to the border.

The Honduran highlands are beautiful, but the towns don't offer a whole lot. Most people don't speak english and the tourist economy isn't all that built up. 

On the way out of Gracias I met a man who had grown up in the states but now lived in Honduras. We spent a bus ride together while I asked him questions regarding Honduran culture and to confirm suspicions I had about he country.  He told me a lot, and offered a number of visions he had for the future, but also seemed to have a similar understanding of the country being sort of stuck.

One thing he said that seemed to be changing  things for the better was access to the Internet. He said that Hondurans have long been undereducated and a little too gullible. He said that as an oral culture people often share stories and exaggerate their experiences. Over time the exaggerations paired with lack of education made people rather superstitious and illogical. People wouldn't question or analyze the information their were given so it became quite easy to take advantage of the poor and the farmers. Now with Internet, people are starting to fact check, ask questions and analyze the answers they're given. He hopes that Overtime, this will lead to a society that values knowledge, and desires leaders who follow through on their word. 

After my time in he Honduran highlands I entered the el salvadorian highlands today visiting the town of la Palma. 

Pictures to come. 

I am currently in the town is Suchitoto and there is a giant spider in the shower.