Saturday we went to Cayos Cochinos. We went across the ocean in a little “Water Taxi.” When we got there we watched a short clip on the island. Then we went back in the boat to some land and got flippers, snorkels, and masks. Then we went snorkeling. Deanna and I wore life jackets so we wouldn’t get tired treading water. Well It’s a good thing I did because the breathing part on my snorkel came off! I got it back on with mom’s help. We swam back to the island and got back on the boat. Then we went for lunch. I tried a little bit of dad’s fish and sort of liked it. I had eggs and beans and rice. After lunch we got got back on the boat. It was the best day of my life!
~Stephanie
I’ll continue from my perspective (Rochelle) about our day at the islands. This being my first time out of the country, I’ve only seen the beautiful blue waters of Florida, but wow…I never saw anything so clear blue/green in my life.
Our boat ride over to the islands was around 30 minutes and it was quite enjoyable. Our guide, Melvin, was a character. First thing he said real seriously, “you have your passports, right?” Then he started laughing. (Ours were back at our host house.) He had many facts to share about the area, doing these tours for 8 yrs. Most of the islands were protected or privately owned, a few were used for the upcoming “Survivor-Honduras” season and one is owned by the Honduran president. This area is the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world, next to Australia. We were not allowed to take along any corral or other items from the sea, to protect the area for more tourists to enjoy and for the natural habitat to continue uninterrupted. After a short video at a welcome area, we took our boats to go snorkeling (which Steph shared about). The water was incredibly salty, so you didn’t want to swallow any water. It was my first time snorkeling and I got the hang of it eventually. The fish were beautiful and Carl even saw a large lobster. It was a time of amazing sites. What an awesome God to make such beauty. I was so blessed to experience a little part of his creation yesterday. After we tired of that experience, (my jaw was tired from biting down on the snorkel) we went to a small beach and went swimming in shallow water. The water had to be in the high 80’s.
Our last stop on our tour of the Cayos Cochinos was to a small island where there is a small Garifuna village. They cooked meals for probably 50 people and gave us time to wander the area. Katrina & Deanna had a big fried fish on their plates (head, tail, eyes and all), rice & beans and cooked platanos. I also ate seafood (tasted liked chicken to me). The people are from African descent and speak some English, Spanish and their native dialect. Deanna bought a necklace that the locals had made and we listened to Garifuna drummers and watched some dancing. We did some more swimming before heading back to the mainland. After returning back to our host family, we realized that the sun had done a “burnt” number to our backs and shoulders. No one suffered too much, but we used Gloria’s aloe vera plant to give us some relief. It was a special day to have this opportunity to swim, snorkel, eat and enjoy the beach.
~Rochelle
We’ve had an unusual Sunday morning. Neither our family nor our host-family went to church as there is a country-wide prohibition against group gatherings today, including even movie theaters and churches evidently. Added to that, the power went off around 7:00 a.m. so we’ve been without fans which we’ve found essential to survive in the heat here. The restrictions are due to the national unrest over recent political maneuverings by the Honduran president who has been attempting a single-handed constitutional change to allow multiple presidential terms. We’ve only been able to hear and understand bits and pieces about what’s going on, but there was evidently going to be a referendum vote across the country today on whether or not to change the constitution. There has been a lot of opposition against the president’s plan with demonstrations and marching in Tegucigalpa, the capital, the last two days. Nothing has seemed dangerous to us, only unsettled. If we’re understanding correctly this morning though, he has been taken into custody (protective or detention, I haven’t ascertained) and flown to Costa Rica. We’ll likely piece it together once we get an internet connection, hopefully later today. Chances are if it’s made the news in the US, many of you know more about it than us, but we wanted to let anyone know who may be worrying, (you know who you are) that there’s no need to. ☺
Now, shortly before lunch, the power has returned. Aah, the difference a bit of a breeze makes! Though we didn’t attend a service this morning, we attended the Saturday evening service with the Moncada family (our hosts) last evening. They attend a small house church that affiliates with the Church of God. It was a very meaningful service, Pentecostal in flavor, with the sermon given in English by an older American woman who is also a student at the language institute where we are studying. She is a retired missionary who is working at getting her Honduran residency. We’ve met a lot of interesting people with equally fascinating stories in this our first week here. We look forward to the remaining two weeks!
~Carl
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