Honduras - Guatemala Road Trip

Beautiful hills in Guatemala!

The December 26^th, Rosa, Eva, Selena, Peggy, and I drove Sister Pat to her Franciscan community in Gracias, Honduras.  Pat and Peggy worked together in Chili when they were young and in El Salvador during the war.  Now Pat is lives with her community in Iowa but is visiting.

We stuffed ourselves into Peggy’s car and busted out of Suchi.  We drove through the beautiful Salvadorian, Honduran, and Guatemalan mountains.  We passed tiny towns with indigenous people, vibrant fruit stands, and odd-looking animals.  We were driving in the clouds most of the trip.  The air was fresh, the sky was mysterious, and the laughter was pure.

The first night we stayed with the Franciscan sisters in Gracias, Honduras.  Pat read our palms after dinner.  Ha!  My life is unique but she can’t remember what my special line means.  My long fingers say that I’m especially intuitive.  My lines say that I direct my life emotionally but have a similarly strong intelligence.  

Sister Pat, Sister Peggy, and Rosa (My host!) at the Franciscan Home in Gracias, Honduras

We concluded the night in song.  Erica, a novice, played the guitar.  Pat played beats on the table.   The rest of us sang.  We mostly sang Salvadorian songs as that is what they know by heart but Sister Brenda lent me a songbook so I could join in the fun.

Rosa and Peggy in a mototaxi on the way to Copan

The next day we battled our way through the patchas/fallas/potholes to the Copan Ruins.  We wound through the mountains, admired waterfalls, and gazed at the lazy river guiding our path.  After exploring the ruins, we relaxed for an evening in the little town of Copan Ruinas. 

Eva, Rosa, and Selena loving Peggy in Copan Ruinas

We began celebrating Peggy’s 73^rd birthday the next morning.  We settled on an “easier” route for the way home, one with less patchas.  But somehow we got off track.  It took us the same amount of time as our trip there but we curved in and out of borders more than expected.  First Honduras/ Guatemala, next Guatemala/ Honduras, and then Honduras/ El Salvador.  We were like a stitching needle threading our way in and out of countries.  Each of the borders had their own money schemes.  At one point, Peggy and I were in holding for an hour.

Thankfully we ended up at the border entrance closest to Suchitoto and the last part of the journey was a breeze.

Lots of cows and beautiful countryside in Guatemala