This morning, at 5:30 a.m. we were packed up from our hotel Guancauscos in Gracias, Honduras, and at George's restaurant for coffee.  We took the 6 a.m. bus to Santa Rosa de Copan so Sonny can see a dentist.  It was a 2 hour bus ride with beautiful scenery over the mountains, filled with fog and low clouds.

At Santa Rosa de Copan, we took a taxi to the dentist's office.  We waited until after 9 a.m. outside the door, but still no dentist.  So, we went to find a hotel room, about 7 blocks away.  We went back to the dentist's office, but it was still closed.  We asked the nearby stores if they know when he would be open.  One gentleman gave us his phone number and another said he would not be open today.

So, after no response on his phone, we decided to go on to Guatemala for a few days, for our immigration visas.  We returned to the hotel, got all of our bags, and got a taxi to return to the bus terminal.  We took the bus to Ocotepeque (pronounced Oh-quat-tay-pecky) and planned to get something to eat there.  But upon our arrival, the bus to Agua Caliente, the border of Honduras and Guatemala, was waiting, so we immediately went to the next bus.

When we arrived in Agua Caliente, we went to immigration to get stamped out of Honduras then found a restaurant to eat.  We asked at the restaurant how far it is to the Guatemala immigration office and was told, "Only 1 kilometer down the road".  Not seeing a taxi, we decided to go ahead and walk, with all of our bags.

It was not 1 kilometer, it was over 3....uphill and in the snow.  OK, there was no snow, but it was a long trip carrying all of our bags.

We went to immigration and got our Guatemala stamp then settled with a taxi driver for a ride to Esquipulas, Guatemala.  It is pronounced, Es-kay-pooh-las.

When we arrived, we were anxious to find a hotel and not carry our bags any further, so we looked at several.  Declined....several we would 'not' stay at. 

Finally, we found a room for 100 quetzals a night ($14 US) that was nice, clean, and even had a balcony (cockpit for us) to enjoy.  By now it was 3:30 p.m. and we were tired, so we just stayed at the hotel, sitting on our balcony watching the people below.

We woke up very early, as we went to bed by 6:30 p.m.  We started walking around town in search of a cup of coffee and breakfast.  We found both.    

Then we went on a tour of the city on this bus.

After walking around all morning, we stopped at a pizza restaurant owned by a local Guatemalan who spent 20 years in the US working in restaurants in NY.  His pizza was delicious, just what we were hungry for.  His English was very good and his story was most interesting.

Then, when we were back in our room, we heard a lot of noise outside.  We looked outside and there was a parade of cars and lots of people walking.  So, we grabbed the camera and headed out.  It was a parade of people walking to Esquipulas to see the black Christ.

Today, arrived in this city, more than 2,000 pilgrims who walked from Palencia.  Many others joined them on rural roads in the valleys and mountains during the five days of this traditional walk.   It is called the Palencia Esquipulas Pilgrimage. 

Esquipulas is similar to where we have been in Portobello, Panama in that the Catholic Church here also has a black Christ shrine that is famous with the local devout Catholics.

Our hotel is located one block from the beautiful cathedral.

History of The Pilgrimage of the Black Christ of Esquipulas

The border town of Esquipulas hosts one of the largest religious festivals in Central America. Christian rituals are mixed with Mayan ones with a week long festival. The city of Esquipulas was founded by the Spaniards between 1560 and 1570 with the name of Santiago de Esquipulas. The image of the Black Christ dates back to March 9, 1595, when the Portuguese sculptor Quirio Cataño presented it to the mayor of the city.  During restoration processes, it was determined the wood was not as dark originally but it turned that way with the smoke from the candles burnt by the pilgrims. Around the year 1740, when the small church was not big enough to fit the amount of pilgrims, the newly installed Bishop of Guatemala, Fray Pedro Pardo de Figueroa, paid a visit during which he turned ill. He ask the Cristo de Esquipulas to help him through the illness. After being cured, he promised to build a temple for the Black Christ. In January 1759, the new and actual temple was dedicated to the Cristo Negro. The cathedral at Esquipulas was proclaimed a Basilica in 1961 by Pope John XXIII, and in 1995, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the shrine, Pope John Paul II proclaimed it "the spiritual center of Central America." Every year, thousands of pilgrims from Guatemala, the United States, Mexico, Europe and other Central American countries flock to pay homage to the dark wooden image of the crucified Christ, the most revered Catholic shrine in the region.

She's a Teenager

		A cave with candles along the entrance And, a monkey with a bottle of water.
		But, the walk back down was so scenic, we stopped along the way for some pictures

On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at the local cemetery.   I am not one who hangs out in cemeteries, but this was very impressive, I have to say.

The drive is spectacular driving over the huge mountains, with clouds and fog lower than the mountains.  Pictures on the camera do not show all of the different shades of green on the hillsides with trees lining the different property boundaries, and the mountains.

We stopped by the dentist office, just by chance to see if we could find the dentist again.   He was in the office on a Sunday.  We talked to him and he told us to come in the morning at 8 a.m.  So, we have an appointment.  Mission accomplished.

We found a hotel room and I went in to take a hot shower, and no....hot water.  So, they are working on it.  Not our best hotel stay.....no hot water and the room was freezing.  But, it was OK for one night, in the morning we should have hot water.

We ate breakfast then went to our 8 a.m. dentist appointment.  He was a very gentle dentist who we really liked.  He said he could take care of Sonny, but, instead of refilling one molar, he said we should go ahead and do two.  He also  did some repair work on Sonny's front teeth.  When we asked how much it was....the total for everything was 800 lps.  We had to go to the bank to have enough money to pay him.   It was around $40 US.  Sonny was very happy with his work and will probably return for more in the near future.

By 10:30 a.m. we had checked out of our hotel and boarded the bus for Gracias.  It is such a beautiful ride.

We arrived at Gracias and met with George and Sandra.  It is so good to see them again.  They are such gracias people.   They invited us to return to Gracias to stay with them in their home.

Elevation in Gracias ranges from roughly 800 meters at the town square to 2,870 meters at the peak of Montaña Celaque (Celaque Mountain, also known as Cerro Las Minas). Climate is greatly influenced by elevation, with the low-lying portions having a wet-dry (monsoonal) pattern. Montaña Celaque is the highest mountain and largest cloud forest in Honduras, and is protected through Celaque Mountain National Park.

Sonny spent most of the afternoon playing with Georgito while I worked on the website.

Sandra made some hot egg nog for us on this cold night

Sonny played the guitar as we sang along

 .

After going to the various stores and markets to get what we needed, we headed back to their home to begin the preparation.  We had nine people for dinner tonight and took plates to Sandra's parents and sister.  It was fun preparing the meal for their family.  They are such good people.  You wouldn't think you could get so close to someone in such a short time. 

A fun evening

Tonight, George and Sandra took us to some of their friends' home in Villeverde for some chicken and soup dinner.  The road was very rough in his truck but we arrived at their home, only to be greeted by the neighborhood children when they say my camera.  I love taking pictures of the people.

We sure enjoyed the experience of being able to travel around Honduras and Guatemala the past few weeks.  The people have been wonderful and the scenery was beautiful.  But, we have been gone long enough, we are ready to return to La Ceiba to Paul and Linda's house and Valentina.

Paul and Linda picked us up at the bus terminal and after lunch, we headed back to La Ceiba, a couple of hours away.

It was so good to see them.  We have spent so much time together, we have missed them.

People always ask, "How long are you going to do that?" 

Our reply has always been, "As long as it is safe, fun, and our health allows".

We went with Paul and Linda into La Ceiba to run some errands then Paul, Linda, and I went to Hoss and Lori's for dinner.  It was very nice.  Lori prepared a spiral ham, green beans, sweet potato casserole, and squash.  Sounds like a Christmas dinner to me.  Her house is decorated for Christmas, and it was very nice.

Cattle on the highway, the only traffic congestion here. Oxen

We will be staying in their home while they are visiting their family in the States.  We are so excited and thankful.  Just think, a real house with:

• A square bed rather than a somewhat triangle one on Valentina
• Hot showers...
• A refrigerator that stands up
• An icemaker, no more zip lock bags in our little freezer
• A washing machine rather than a five gallon bucket
• Television....wow, we can watch football
• Fresh flowers from the yard
• MagicJack...we can talk to our kids and friends - anytime

• 

I think we will enjoy our time here as we do some work on Valentina.

Some things are a necessity.... Chain is at the top of our list.

We think we have had our previous chain, for 8 years.  It was definitely time for new chain.  It was very rusty and hard to keep barnacles off.  We would clean for hours with a brush and screwdriver every week....so it is a Merry Christmas for Valentina (and us).

12/25

Christmas Day was truly a time of peace, love, and joy for us.

Being able to see our kids and grandkids on Skype and talk to them on the telephone is just awesome.  That is true joy for us at Christmas.  We are so thankful for our health and the health of our family.  We are truly blessed and so proud of our kids.

We also found out what our newest grandchild will be.  Garrett and Madonna are expecting their 2nd child, and were tested on Thursday to find out the sex of the baby.  They took the sealed information to Hallmark and bought a boy and girl Christmas ornament.  They asked the clerk to open the sealed envelope, and place the appropriate ornament in a wrapped gift box, which they opened this morning, as a family.  And, it was a BOY snowman.  So, we will have a new grandson in May.  A true Christmas gift.  Momma and the new snowman are doing well.

We had spent the two previous days baking cookies.  We placed two cookies and a red balloon in a bag to give to some nearby children on Christmas.  We made a total of 100 gift bags.

The Story of Two Cookies and a Balloon 

This morning, we loaded up and walked to the village, about a mile from the resort.  The people living there are called squatters, or in Honduras, they call them invaders.  They just move to an area and build their house out of mud, sticks, homemade block, or palm frons on someone else's property.  Whatever they can obtain, they use.  They are truly people in poverty, but their hearts are full of happiness and joy.

For us, our hearts were full, being able to share with them and experience the true meaning of Christmas.  It was a time of love, joy, and peace. 

We also took goodies to the local church.

As we walked through the dirt paths, on Christmas morning, there were children everywhere.  We felt like the pied piper.  You could hear the children whistling to call their friends and see the children come running down the path.  They were so excited to get two cookies and a balloon.  We were probably their only Christmas.  We saw no toys at all, new or old as we walked through their village.  Just people living life and peaceful.  The mothers were cooking beans, rice, and corn on their outdoor stoves for Christmas Day.

It was a true experience we are thankful to be able to share.

As we walked down the road, we found a small restaurant, so we stopped to eat.  We were at the only table. But, for a Christmas dinner, it was excellent.  We are thankful.

We sincerely wish you a very blessed Christmas Day today.    May it be everything you had hoped for and dreamed of.

Our bodies said, 'that is enough' and we headed to the house.  It was a good day.

Happy Birthday to Carmen Our sweet friend in Cholon, Colombia

It was a wonderful break and we found about 50 pieces of very small sea glass.  It  was fun though.  We went to the local restaurant, if you want to call if that, for lunch.  Irma had prepared chicken tamales for 15 lps (less than $1) each.   We had been walking the beach for 2 hours and were hungry, so that sounded good.  We will try it.   They were very tasty, similar to an American tamale, but much larger. 

We returned to walk the beach for a couple of more hours, then returned to Irma's house and talked to them until our train returned for us.  Irma gave me a 'huge' papaya for my birthday.

After we returned to the house, fireworks were already starting to light up the sky.  The houses in the resort are full and people are ready for the New Year's celebration.

We talked to our kids on Skype, as they were at Stacie's for a New Year's party.   That is the perfect way to bring in the new year.

We went down to the resort after midnight (yeah....I can't believe we stayed up so late).  There were fireworks, dancing, and party hats everywhere.  I am not sure if it is a Honduran custom, but everyone was dressed in solid white.  We did not get the email....we were dressed in red and black.

We finally tried to go to bed around 2 a.m.  but the rockets red glare continued to light the sky and the noise was so loud.  No sleeping tonight.....

We wish you a very Happy New Year and may you have:

May 2012 be the year all of your dreams come true.