Travels off the beaten path

Honduras, the streets of San Pedro Sula-Part 4

Honduras-My first attempt at the streets of San Pedro Sula Honduras. Part 4

It was late in the afternoon when I had decided it was time to tackle the street markets that I had heard so much about in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  The front desk of the Hilton Princess San Pedro Sula told me to be careful out there alone.  I asked if they could supply a driver to take me.  They suggested a hotel taxi.  Santos was my driver and agreed to drop me off in the street markets.  He spoke no English. 

When we got to the markets, there was plenty of activity. However, Santos asked me to stay on the fringes of the street markets and not venture alone into the center of the markets. He did not think it would be safe.   He agreed to pick me up at Parque Central in two hours.

 I spent about 15 minutes walking the fringe markets, very boring, plenty of booths, but not a lot of activity.  You can see for yourself…..but just wait!

 Finally, I made the decision that if I was going to have any true experiences, I would have to disregard the advice of Santos and go into the center of the markets to see what was really going on.

I made sure I had everything safely tucked away i.e. camera, money, etc.  I crossed Avenida Tercera which seems to separate the tranquil markets from the active markets.  Soon, I  was in the thick of the action. 

It was one crazzzzy market.  I was very careful.  No doubt about it……I was the ONLY tourist there!

I was first waved over by a man who introduced himself as “Wilson”.  Wilson had his arms around 2 girls and wanted to practice his virtually non-existent English on me.  He had a few body piercings and was a friendly sort.  He wanted to know what I was doing in Honduras and why I was in the markets.  We talked for a few minutes while his girlfriends stared at me.  After 5 minutes, I shook hands, said goodbye, and went on my way. 

Next, I was stopped by two (2) currency street traders named Angel and Carlos.  They were (2) two really hyperactive guys whose eyes were always darting around.  Angel had once lived in the U.S.  I asked them to tell me about a day in life of a currency trader on the streets of San Pedro Sula.  They said they made a few cents on every trade, trading both sides of the currency i.e. dollars to lempiras and lempiras to dollars.  I asked them if anyone had ever given them counterfeit money.  They emphatically said “no”.  I had a feeling if anyone ever had, it was probably the one and only time they ever did.  

I didn’t really like the feeling of standing on the streets of San Pedro Sula, Honduras with people who had large stacks of money in their hands, so I made an excuse to leave. They asked me to come back the next day and talk with them some more. 

Next stop was a store that sold new and used clothing.  The manager, Jose , was standing out front.  He was missing most of his front teeth, and spoke about 10 words in English.  I asked him where the used clothing came from.  He said the U.S., but couldn’t remember any other details.  He said he had been in jail in Texas and that was his only experience living in the U.S.  About that time, a fight broke out in the booth next to his store.  It started out about 20 feet from me and quickly headed my way.  Jose said a guy was trying to steal some stuff from the booth.  The booth owner grabbed the suspected thief by the shirt and gave him one good drop kick.  Fight over.  I quickly left the area.

Next-Stay tuned.  It gets more interesting

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

To see more of my travels click here

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Honduras, Hilton Princess, San Pedro Sula Part 3

Honduras, Part 3-A stay at the Hilton Princess, San Pedro Sula

I have always liked the Hilton Princess San Pedro Sula hotel since I first saw hit.  Seems like an oasis in the middle of a lot of the hustle-bustle of San Pedro Sula.  Here’s a pic:

As I mentioned in my first blog, I had met the General Manager,          Mr. Javier Ortega, on a previous trip to Honduras.  I had eaten breakfast at the hotel and he was gracias enough to give me a tour of the city.  I felt the least I could do was stay at his hotel the next time I came to San Pedro Sula.  I always try to pay back the hospitality when I can. 

I was going to be traveling by bus the next day,  going 3 hours to the west to Copan Ruinas, and needed a good night’s rest. I booked a room on the concierge floor, which included complimentary beverages, snacks, a delicious breakfast, computer usage, etc.  The people that work on the concierge floor are very friendly and accommodating.  Here is a look at the special dining room on the floor:

The hotel front desk was very willing to help me with money exchange, directions, lining up a driver the first afternoon, and in general, just making sure I felt secure. 

I think the best way I can show the hotel is through a series of photos.  So, here goes.

All in all, I was very pleased with the Hilton Princess.  All very polite and nice people that work there.  I highly recommend it if you are going to be in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Ok, enough of the hotel pics.  Time to start seeing the city of San Pedro Sula.  I had been warned before about walking the streets alone.  Stay tuned…………….

Next-the streets of San Pedro Sula

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

Read about all of my travels click here

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Honduras, A visit to a plantation near Progresso-Part 2

Part 2-cont’d

Honduras-visiting an orange plantation in Progresso–

I have a couple of friends that are from Honduras.  Their parents still live in the town of Progresso which is located very near San Pedro Sula.  When I told them I was planning a return trip to Honduras, they insisted their family pick me up at the airport.  I didn’t want to impose, but when they said they thought it would be safer than me just grabbing a taxi at the airport, I took them up on it.  So, their dads, Mario and Ernesto were there  when my flight arrived.  They spoke very little English, so everything was in Spanish.  It was extremely hot when I arrived in San Pedro Sula.

Mario and Ernesto and their families live in Progresso.  They took me to visit their homes for some refreshments.  I was no longer a typical tourist.   I was quickly absorbed into the real Honduras lifestyle. 

After resting up and being shown around town, Mario wanted to take me up into the hills to see his citrus plantation where he had 1500 orange trees.  Of course, I welcomed that opportunity.  We drove up into the hills until we ran out of pavement.  We then proceeded down some pretty iffy dirt roads.  Mario told me I was the only person from the U.S. to ever step foot on his plantation.  That made me feel very special. 

We were in a very remote area.  When we got out of the truck, Mario pulled out a heavy duty pistol, tucked into his pants and said, “you never know who/what you will run into in the hills, so we need protection”.  Okay by me!!  My only question was……how many bullets do we have?

We walked through the plantation for a while.  Mario pointed out various things of interest.

The area was very rugged as you can see by the following photos:

Mario talked with me about his orange trees.  His caretaker showed up and we chatted with him for awhile. 

Soon, it was time to leave.  Mario was taking me to my hotel in San Pedro Sula.  Quite honestly, I was looking forward to the air conditioned room.  To be continued…..

Next-an overview of the San Pedro Sula Hilton Princess

Read about all of my travels click here

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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Honduras-San Pedro Sula, a visit-part 1

Honduras-San Pedro Sula arrival-Part 1

Honduras has always been a country that has had a certain appeal to me.  Not sure why, but I think it may be because it is still a country  not high on everyone’s travel list.  Now, I am NOT talking about the Bay Islands, or Roatan.  I am talking about the real Honduras……the mainland, the ”heartbeat” of Central America.

I had spent a week in Honduras a couple of years ago, but wanted to go back to spend  more time in some of the places I had only briefly been before.  So, I decided to retrace my original steps and slow down a little this time.  My first stop was going to be the city of San Pedro Sula(SAP).  SAP is a city of about 500,000 population.   It’s the jumping off point for many people going out to the Bay Islands or other parts of Honduras.  Problem is, no one wants to spend any time in the city, because it has a pretty rough reputation. 

On my previous trip, I had been advised not to walk the streets of SAP alone.  While I don’t want to play down the crime problems, with a little caution, there are some interesting places to see in San Pedro Sula. 

Now I will admit, I tend to be a little more adventurous than the average tourist.  However, by being careful, I sometimes have the opportunity to see things that most people won’t see.

During my previous trip to Honduras; while on the plane, I had met Mr. Javier Ortega, the general manager of the San Pedro Sula Hilton Princess Hotel.  During that trip, I had spent a week in western Honduras, and was back in San Pedro Sula for a couple of hours before my flight home.   I stopped by his hotel to say hello.   He offered to give me a quick drive through the city.  What that did was whet my appetite to explore it on my own and to walk the streets and get a better feel for the city when I returned.

And so with my second trip, begins my next series of blogs.  I will take you through San Pedro Sula, on to Copan Ruinas, then to Jocotan, Guatemala, and back to San Pedro Sula.   I will have lots of photos to share.  Stay tuned!

To read more of my travels click here

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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Shanghai, China-photos of the lights of the city

One of the things that has always impressed me about Asia is the way some of the cities display a stunning panorama of lights in the shopping districts. I especially like the Shanghai lights. 

I found myself taking lots of photos of the lights at night and photos of the building architecture during the daytime.  I am going to do a couple of blogs to just show the lights and then I will do a couple posts with  some of the buildings of Shanghai.  I think the photos say it better than words.  Here goes:

Stay tuned.  I will post some more photos of the lights of Shanghai on my next blog.

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

Read about my other travels click here

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Quito, Ecuador (Cont’d)-Part 9-lunch at the Hotel Calima and a visit to Museo del Banco Central

Quito, Ecuador (Cont’d)-Part 9-lunch at the Hotel Calima and a visit to Museo del Banco Central

On the second day of Spanish School at the Academia de Espanol  in Quito, Ecuador, all of the students had to help prepare a fruit salad which was intertwined with a vocabulary lesson.  It is interesting the way the school brings in different events to help in the learning process.  I really like this method.

After our morning classes, Jim and I headed to the Hotel Calima for lunch.  It was a place he had already discovered before I arrived in Quito.  He was returning home to OKC in the a.m. to his wife and family while I would remain the rest of the week.  I noticed that his Spanish had really improved in the short time that he had been there.

Our lunch at the Hotel Calima consisted of soup, lemonade, a banana, a fruit dish, rice, chicken, and a mashed up vegetable.  Total cost was $2.25.  A great value!  Everyone in the restaurant appeared to be a local.  The manager wanted to know how we liked the food then wanted to show us around the hotel lobby in case either of us ever needed a place to stay in Quito.  I highly recommend this restaurant in the hotel for a good quality, but yet inexpensive meal. 

Below is a photo of lunch.

also a photo of the inside of the restaurant

Next-shopping the produce market of Quito

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

To read about my other travels click here

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Ecuador(cont’d)-Part 6-Cotacachi

Ecuador(cont’d)-Part 6-Cotacachi

The taxi ride from Otavalo to Cotacachi was only about 30 minutes.  It was hard to believe we were still only about 3 hours outside of Quito.  Our taxi driver wanted to drop us off in the center of town and be our driver back to Otavalo.  We agreed for  him to return to pick us up  in 1.5 hours. 

Cotacachi is known for its leather goods.  Lots of leather stores in the small town.  The main street is fairly upscale.  After you have seen one leather store you have seen them all unless you are looking for something very specific. 

After the 1.5 hours we had all the fun we could stand.  Our taxi driver met us at the agreed upon location and took us back to Otavalo where we caught the bus back to Quito.

Next-Part 7-Spanish Classes begin in Quito, Ecuador

To read about my other travels click here

Steve Barrymore   ssb11@prodigy.net

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Ecuador (cont’d) Part 5-The market of Otavalo

Ecuador(cont’d) Part 5- The market of Otavalo

We arrived at the main bus station in Otavalo, Ecuador, asked for directions, and soon were headed for the central market. 

We easily found the market . The merchandise was good quality with reasonable prices.  I bought a hat for $10. In general, I think the quality of crafts in Ecuador is very high compared to other countries.

 One of the crafts that I really like in Ecuador is the very unusual chess sets that they make.  Many of the vendors sell them.  I bought one for a friend. 

 The market was crowded for a Sunday.  Glad we did not come on a Saturday….they say it is really crazy then!  The vendors love to bargain.  All  were very friendly.  Several of them wanted to hear the story of why we were in Ecuador.  It was a great opportunity to practice our Spanish. 

We walked around for 1.5 hours, then found a little restaurant for lunch. No English spoken here!  I had a large piece of grilled chicken with carrots and broccoli and club soda.  Jim had a big plate of trout with veggies and a beer.  Total cost was around $12. 

While eating lunch, we asked the owner about going to the town of Cotacachi which was about 20-30 minutes away.  He thought it would be a good idea.  We could go by bus for $1 or taxi for $5.  We opted for the taxi which the owner called for us. 

Next-We move on to the town of Cotacachi

To read about my other travels click here

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Quito, Ecuador-Part 4-the trip to Otavalo

Quito, Ecuador-Part 4-the trip to Otavalo

After a great night’s sleep from the previous day’s hard travel, I was up at 6:30 a.m..  Jim and I had agreed to meet at the bottom of the hill and travel to the town of Otavalo. 

Otavalo is supposed to have one of the best markets in Ecuador.  Even though the big market is on Saturdays, I had read there is still plenty of shopping in the town square on Sunday.    

We met at the appointed time and hoofed it the next ten (10) blocks to the school so Jim could show me the route for when I walked it myself on Monday. 

Near the school was a bakery with fresh baked Ecuadorian pastries.  We chowed down on pure sugar for about a buck each and then caught a city bus(25cents) to the main bus terminal, Terrestre.

Terrestre was a known entity to me because I had caught a bus from there three years ago to Tena, Ecuador where I did a  jungle language immersion program. 

Terrestere can be very overwhelming at first.   It is very noisy,lots of commotion.   Every  bus vendor in Ecuador is shouting out their destinations.  It is intimidating to try to figure out from which bus line to buy your ticket. It is also well known as a place that has its share of pickpockets and plenty of opportunities to lose your backpack.    I went with my experience and picked a familiar looking ticket window.  15 minutes and a couple of dollars later we were on the bus to Otavalo.

The ride to Otavalo took about 2 hours.  All during the trip there were vendors that contanstantly got off and on.  It was like a revolving door.   They were selling water, potato chips, peanuts, newspapers, etc.  I bought 3 CD’s for $1 each and a newspaper for $1 simply because they did a great sales presentation for the bus crowd.  When we left Terrestere there were only about 10 people on the bus.  The farther we went, the more people got on from little roadside stops.  Finally, we were full. 

We traveled up into the mountains through some of the most beautiful countryside passing through Imbabura and then Mira Lago. 

We arrived in Otavalo at 10:30 a.m

To read about my other travels click here

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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Quito, Ecuador-Part 3 More photos of my new family.

Quito, Ecuador-Part 3 More photos of my new family.

(Cont’d)

My new family was very nice to me and included me instantly in all of their activities.  Below is a photo of some of other houses in my neighborhood.  It is  followed by pics of the father, Manolo, and some of his art that was hanging in the home .  Also some other photos of my new family. 

My schedule for the week was to eat breakfast and dinner with the family every day and lunch in the city with other students from the Academia de Espanol, Quito.

After settling in with my new family, I was anxious to explore other parts of Ecuador.

 Next-the trip to Otavalo

To read about my other travels click here

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

 

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