Panamericana

30.04.09

… is the name of the City where I had a rest-day today. When I woke up I was still very tired. After Peanutbutter-Jelly-Burritos and Orange Juice for breakfast I was still sleepy – and decided to stay here today.

I spent some time on the internet, talked to some of the people who work here at the hotel, slept and had “lupper” at Wendy‘ s. There isn‘ t much to see here, but since El Progresso is located at a crossroads many travelers pass through or stop here – and can find everything they need.

When I went to the grocery store around 6:30pm it was packed there. I thought it would take forever till it would be my term, but then a guy who worked there asked me if I only had those 5 items. I said “yes” and he told me to follow him to the register. So I passed about 10 people and was suddenly the first in line. Strange feeling to pass everybody, especially being probably the only “gringa” in the store. But nobody made a comment or gave me angry looks. So I was back at the hotel faster than expected, packed my bag and was ready to watch some TV and hit the sack early.

Anja

29.04.09

Tela to El Progresso

71,5km, 3:54h, Ø 18,3 km/h, 396 hm

I‘ m staying in El Progresso at a pretty nice hotel – with wi-fi, a pool and a hot shower. It‘ s a good chance to update my blog, but, to be honest, I‘ m very tired and enjoying watching TV (Amigos). I can‘ t believe it, I just saw a commercial for a new “Knight Rider”!

If I won‘ t fall asleep watching TV I might write a bit later. At least now you know that I‘ m on the road again, after a relaxing week at Utila in the Caribbean.

ML Anja

The short version is: drinking coffee, laying in the hammock, drinking more coffee, snorkeling, eating cinnamon-rolls, sleeping, jumping off an old ship, drinking coffee again;-))) Just having a good time.

The long ´version I might write later – but more likely never… 

Saturday, 18.04.09

Tela to La Ceiba

108,7km, 5:58h, Ø18,1 km/h, 395hm

Here we go again – getting up early and I, I‘ m more and more convinced that are two different worlds! Though the temperature was ok last night I didn‘ t get that much sleep somehow, couldn‘ t get out of bed and it was already 8:30am when I left Tela. I didn‘ t see much of this city but the first impression wasn‘ t that nice.

The scenery was amazing today. Lots of deep-green grass, different kinds of trees and thousands of palm-trees along the way. Somehow it‘ s a bit like the view of Costa Rica I have on my mind. And then there were those mountains to my left – I should have taken a lot more pictures but I just didn‘ t feel like stopping all the time since it was so hot. The shoulder was pretty good most of the day, nice riding.

Again many little stores along the way but I tried not to stop too many times. Too much soda is kind of hard on my stomach;-).

When I reached La Ceiba it was only 3pm, what really surprised me. That means that I only stopped for a total of 30 minutes today!

Since I didn‘ t know how far it was to the ferry terminal and I had to go to an ATM before going to Utila (I read that the only ATM there runs frequently out of money, later it turned out that there were several ATM‘ s on the island) I decided to stay in La Ceiba instead of trying to catch the 4pm ferry.

Friday, 17.04.09

San Pedro to Tela

98,9km, 5:33h, Ø17,7 km/h, 390hm

Went to bed at 8:45pm last night, but didn‘ t fall asleep till way after midnight. It was so hot in the dorm, the fan didn‘ t really help, was only loud.

So there was no way that I could get up at 5am. I slept more or less till 7:45 am, ate some peanutbutter-jelly-burritos for breakfast and checked my e-mails at the – as I see it – overpriced internet at the hostal (20L/30min). And by 9am I still didn‘ t know what to do. Go to the Bay Islands and spend some more time at the Carribean Sea, maybe even take a dive-class there, or keep on cycling south towards Nicaragua.

When I was finally ready to leave at 9:30am (!!! pretty stupid idea when the air is already boiling !!!) I decided -for no particular reason – to go to the Bay Islands. That meant that Tela was my destination for today.

The first 30km to El Progreso were pretty easy and I got there by 11am. Time for a BK snack? Why not! Again a gunned security man at BK, so my bike was safe;-). After a small chicken sandwich, small fries and a small sprite (yes, it was all SMALL) I was on my way again. After 15 more km I was ready for a coke. That was no problem at all today because there were “pulperias” (small stores that sell drinks and snacks) all along the road. Then it became a bit more hilly, even hotter and my stops more frequently.

I was just fighting with the longest climb of the day when a bus passed me and I saw Michael leaning out of the window yelling “Aaaaaaaaanjaaaaaaa”. So I knew that they were on their way to the Bay Islands, too. But since it‘ s a “dead-end-ride” to La Ceiba they left their bikes in San Pedro Sula – what actually seems to be a smart idea. Most of the day there was no shoulder or a gravel-dirt-shoulder which didn‘ t make cycling too much of a pleasure.

For about 7km I had some company along the way from a honduran guy who lived in California for a while, so we talked a bit in a mix of spanish and english.

Then, at my last coke-stop at a gas-station I ran unfortunately into a bus-load of american tourists. They stared at me and asked my tons of questions what usually doesn‘ t bother me so much, but most of those questions were just too stupid, like “So, what do you carry in that bag?”. Hellooooouuuu!?! What could a cyclist possible carry? A parachute maybe? Aaaaarghhhh!

More by accident I ended up in front of the hotel I picked out of my guide-book. I asked for a room and decided to spend some more money as usual to get AC and a TV. I really need to get some good sleep, without sweating all night long. The room is ok, but I definitely wouldn‘ t eat of the floor here, what my guide-book said you could do here because it‘ s supposedly so clean (and, yes, the book is the Lonely Planet).

For dinner I had tuna-salsa-burritos, now I‘ m watching some TV and will go to bed soon.

Good night

Anja

Do, 16.04.09

Hanging out all day, waiting for the rim to be ready to be picked up in the afternoon. Read a lot and was kind of bored.

Had a late lunch at BK. The security-guy smiled and greeted me as if we knew each other forever (but I promise, I‘ ve only been there once before, wearing dirty and smelly cycling-cloths) and a kid inside asked me where my bike was!

The young guy at the bike-shop was just finishing my bike. I even got some new spare tubes with presta-valves there. Moreover I bought a new bike-pump. Mine really sucks, it‘ s just so hard to pump enough air with it. Cycling back those 20 blocks was a lot better than walking and I was happy that I didn‘ t get lost this time. I‘ m just so disoriented in this city! But it should be pretty easy to find my way around because the roads all have numbers, the “avenidas” go from north to south and the “calles” from west to east. And I even had a city-map!!! Guess now you know why I don‘ t like cities!!!

Reading some more back at the hostal and going to bed early.

Mi. 16.04.09

San Pedro

Discovered a (actually 3) crack(s) in my rear rim today! Shit!

Looked for a bikeshop, meet Michael, Ciska and Nancy there by accident.

Hanging around and being lazy.

 Di. 15.04.09

Omoa to San Pedro Sula

We left at 6am, 3 tandems and 3 singles, quite a sight. It was fun riding together. When we reached San Pedro around noon we couldn‘ t find a Mc Do and said goodbye on the road. The 2 families got 2 free nights at a 4 star hotel and I was on my way to the hostal. I got lost a few times. Reading my map in front of a hotel a guy who worked there explained me which way to go and insisted on filling up my water-bottle before I left. Thanks!

Finally I found the hostal and paid 200 Limps for a bed in a (very clean) 4-bed-dorm. The hostal is nice and secure. You even have to ask for the door to be unlocked if you want to go inside – what‘ s good in one way, but pretty annoying, too. I felt a bit like being in a cage…

Then I walked around town to get some cash. I had to try 3 different ATMs before it worked! But this way I met another helpful and friendly honduran guy who walked me to the next ATM (and, no, he didn‘ t wait behind the next bush to rob me after I got money!!!). The problem with those ATMs here in Honduras (and in Mexico, Guatemala, …) is that you get usually big bills. Big meaning here 500 L which equals 20 €. It‘ s hard to find a place where you can pay with it. Even at the hostal, where I had to pay 200 L, they didn‘ t have change for 500 L!!! It‘ s just so annoying. It can even happen that you pay a soda (maybe 9 L) with 50 L and you have to wait a while for your change because the owner of the store sent his child to another store to get change!!!

That‘ s it for today, have to decide if I wanna go south or to the Bay Islands where I would possibly meet the Vogels and Verhages again. Hanging out for a week or so at an island in the Carribean – sounds pretty good, doesn‘ t it?

13.04.09

Day – off

Decided to stay another day and leave tomorrow together with the Verhagens and Vogels. When will I ever get the chance again to cycle with 2 families?!?

In the morning the four boys, Mike and me took a ride on the banana-boat. That was a lot of fun and very refreshing.

Hanging out for the rest of the day and trying to get organized and packed for an EARLY start tomorrow. The plan is to leave at 5:30am!!! Just changed to 6am ;-).

Guess I have to go to bed at 7pm;-).

CU Anja

11.04.09

Day – off

Waiting for Semana Santa to be over.