South With KT - Central America XII

On Monday we headed into the heat again, this time so KT could get a taste and have the memories wash over her again (as well as the dust and sweat). This time we had an entourage. Elders Cox, Deccio, Adams, and Kendall joined their cars with ours to form a small convoy down to the Pacific. We hung together as far as San Lorenzo, more or less, then split up to go our various ways.

Mike Filling Up With Gas Under the Watchful
Eye of Some Men With Very Large Guns

Typical Honduran Roadside Scene

In the Newly Refurbished Town Square of
Sabanagrande - We Were Told That This Branch
of the Church is Being Moved Into the Comayaguela Mission

We drove the road to San Lorenzo and Choluteca so many times that I came to know where we were and our progress by what was being sold along the sides of the road. There was: 1) the climb out of Teguc and the "hanging meat" plateau (for all the carnecerias), 2) Cerro de Hula and the wind, 3) the drop "over the edge to Sabanagrande and the monkey, 4) the saddle store, 5) kiln row and its ceramics, 6) the weaving, winding, dropping, Mitch-damaged section, 7) the hammock stalls and Pespire, 8) the fruit-in-plastic-bags mile, where they sold that awful-tasting, little green fruit (I have no idea what it was called), 9) melon row right before the Oasis, 10) shrimp at the Oasis, and, finally, 11) garabos and armadillos tied up and hanging from a rope - then you knew you had arrived.

Interestingly enough, the ceramic selection in area #5 had changed considerably from mostly red chickens of all sizes to pots, bowls and toadstools. Ahhh, the fickle consumer and his changing tastes.

In Honduras They Just Tie Their Oxen to the Nearest Tree

For three years I fought with the powers that be to clean up the grounds at one of the oldest buildings in southern Honduras - Mongollanos, situated right off the carretera in San Lorenzo. There were two huge mango trees in front of the chapel that were always dropping fruit and making a mess, as well a depression by the front gate that was always filling with rain water and making a muddy mess for anyone coming to church during a rainstorm. The landscaping and security were non-existent and we were always having the chapel broken into and everything valuable stolen. Well, someone finally got things fixed - a new front wall, sidewalk and fence solved the water and security problems, the chapel was nicely painted, the trees removed, and there were actually gardens and nice lawn all around the building. Nice and much more inviting.

One thing that I will always remember is the utter exhaustion after a day, or days, or weekend, or week, of conferences, interviews, or visiting/training leaders in the extreme heat - just absolutely worn out and not wanting to do anything other than get cool. And there was only one place to do it. The Choluteca Tiger Market. Air conditioning, horrible pizza and hotdogs. But it was an oasis. We had to see it again. And not a thing was different. Same horrible pizza.

One of our Guatemalan missionaries (Gilberto Hernandez) married a lady from Choluteca and settled there close to her family. We met up with Cox and Kendall again and had lunch at Gilberto's little comedor he opened and runs. It was busy and seemed quite popular. There were a ton of missionaries eating there (it was P-day). Good food - check it out.

Cooling KT With Cold Water Bags - Note
Missionaries in the Background

We were making good time, so we scheduled a quick add-on to our trip and decided to go out to Amapala, an island in the Gulf of Fonseca, from where you look out to the open Pacific Ocean. I had made the short trip out there many times (we had a branch there, now closed), but it was the first time for Mike Cox, Dustin Kendall, KR and KT. It is a 10 mile or so detour from the main route back to Teguc, then a short boat ride to the island (the side road just ends at the boat launch). I negotiated a good price for all of us to ride in the same boat and we were off. They use small open boats with maybe 40 h.p. outboards. KR looked around and wondered where the life jackets were located. I just shrugged my shoulders and told her to hang on to me....I am a floater.



Land's End

In Route

Recreating the Famous Multiple-Door Picture - For
Some Reason It Didn't Turn Out the Same

We got back into Teguc this time, chasing the darkness, and made it just in time. We managed to find Liliana's house in the dark and KR enjoyed visiting with her Spanish tutor for a few minutes.