But the bigger problem was the 3:30 am alarm that woke us from a deep sleep (Ugh)
Honestly though, there is so much excitement about this trip that we both perked up pretty well. We arrived the the airport on time and everything with luggage and security went smoothly. We boarded the plane a few minutes before 6:00 am and settled into our seats with a blanket. I have to say, its the first time ever that I've slept through the take-off! It was bumpy getting out of GR as a rain storm had covered the area but soon enough we leveled out and enjoyed a smooth flight to Atlanta, mostly asleep.
We had a fairly short layover in Atlanta so by the time we used a bathroom, took the train and walked to our new gate, they were already boarding. We both picked out a movie and got plugged in for the 3 hr leg of our trip. Around 10:00 am they served us ravioli that was amazing. I filled out our customs form and we soon prepared for landing. We took lots of photos as we flew over Honduras. The approach into Tegucigalpa brings you low to the buildings and then you kind of drop down into a hole. Its actually rated one of the 3 most dangerous landings in the world... so you know, Scott was glued to the window!
We got off the plan and through customs in no time... seriously we waited maybe 6 minutes in line. Our bags were the first off the carousel so we walked right out of the airport in record time (thanks God)
A man in the airport helped us with the bags so we led him out to find our Compassion host. As we walked through the crowd we didn't see her before finding ourselves on the outside curb. So Scott stayed with our bags while I did another pass through the airport lobby. A woman approached and greeted me with a hug. Ah, you must be Scarleth. She introduced her two companions, Ravvy and Noemi. All three would serve as our hosts and translators for the extent of our trip.
We went out to find Scott, our helper and the bags and walked to the car.After we loaded up, we stopped at a gas station for something to drink. Keep in mind its only 12 noon here but we've already been up for 9 hours.
Tegucigalpa is the capitol of Honduras and sits in a hole, so to speak, with tall mountains all around. We drove up on city streets that otherwise reminded me of crowded switch-backs from the western states back home. In the hour drive we saw a number of different terrains... amazing views, farm land, US army base, forests with tall pines, mountains with rocky cliffs, etc. The country is beautiful.
We arrived at our hotel a little after 2:00 pm. We tried to check in but had some difficulty. Hotel Santa Maria had a reservation for us but not for our three translators. Apparently they had accidentally reserved a room at another hotel several blocks away. So they left us to get settled and headed for the other hotel.
This hotel is considered a four-star lodging but not necessarily using the US scale. The biggest difficulty is that there are no English-speaking hotel staff and our translators are blocks away. No matter, its a place to sleep and we are fine!
Scott and I did a quick walk around the hotel and rested by the pool while we waited for our friends to return for lunch. We took them to a nicer restaurant just down the street who claims to have the "best steaks in Honduras".
We shared a great meal and had a chance to get to know one another better.
- Scarleth has several adult children, one still at home. Her husband passed away 17 years ago.
- Noemi has a beautiful daughter (early 20s)
- Ravvy is in his 20s and single. He lives at home with his parents and is always smiling. (The other two are constantly looking for a wife for him... LOL)
After our meal, Scott and I sat by the pool to enjoy the breeze and the quiet of the afternoon. The temps are in the mid-70s and very comfortable. I totally fell asleep in the pool lounge chair, listening to my book so when I scared myself awake, I suggested we head back to the room as it was now 4:00 pm. (Hey don't tease, that's 6:00 pm back home). As there are no chairs in our room, Scott and I both settled in on a bed. Within moments Scott was asleep... good thing to because he had been dealing with bad sinus pressure and a headache most of the afternoon.
I flipped through channels most of the evening. There are 90+ available but only 2-3 will have an English-speaking movie at any given time. And the next time through, those same channels will be in Spanish. It was frustrating and I never did find something to watch.
I fell asleep somewhere around 7 pm. Scott struggled with his migraine until around midnight when we got his meds and we both slept the rest of the night.
