Antigua - Stalled

A late start in Antigua combined with some terrible advice from a bus driver on a bus station that did not exist has resulted in me spending another night in Antigua. As a result, I have scrapped my plans for El Salvador. But, I need to get out of Antigua - it has enough tourist comforts to make you stay, but does not have anything worth staying more than three days for.

I decided that the best move would be to get out of the Guatemala highlands and back to the Caribbean coast as soon as possible. I booked myself on a 4AM shuttle bus to the Guat-Honduras border, with a connecting bus to the Caribbean coastal city of La Ceiba, Honduras. 14 hours and three buses later, I have arrived.

Night was falling once I arrived, and I missed my prospective hotel by a block. I stopped and asked for directions, and this is when I met William, who turned into my unsolicited guide for the next 24 hours. As I camped in my room decompressing from the long trip, William decided to stop by the lobby twice, and ask for me. At one point he asked to stay with me in my room (not in the friendly way, mind you). I had the pleasure of meeting up with him this morning while running errands, and he 'showed' me the city. I left him in the hotel lobby again, but not before contributing 40 lempira ($3CDN) to his new shoes fund.

The Honduran currency is lempira, which runs at 18.5 to the US dollar. This makes banking particularly hard - I hesitate to put 2,000 of anything in my wallet. This money will not go far in Roatán, where I am headed today. Roatán goods are double the price on the mainland. Most backpackers head to Utila because it is cheaper to get there and stay there, but I have a chance to share costs on Roatán with the Danish women I climbed San Pedro with.

The Honduras Bay Islands lie close to the second longest barrier reef on the planet. They also boast some of the best and cheapest scuba diving on the planet, with 2-dive afternoons costing just under $40CDN, and dive certifications (including 6 dives) for just over $250CDN. I am looking forward to completing my scuba diving certification there - sure beats the Okanagan Lake version. Also, I am really keen on getting some swimming in, so my timing for Roatán could not be better.