THE ISLAND OF AMAPALA PART 1 - A story of survival, sun burns, fresh fish, lemonade, and being the luckiest gringas in all of Honduras.

Hello again,

I find it's been awhile since I've given any of you a good update on my life. This past weekend provided quite enough reason to catch you all up on what’s all the buzz here in Honduras.

11 AM Text from Emily Kenney:
“Wake up! We’re going to the beach, and you’re coming.”

11:05 AM Text from myself laying lifeless in bed from a long Friday night with hair that smells like disgusting old smoke (not my smoke, mind you):
“I’m a zombie... I can’t move. Have fun though!”

11:07 AM Text from Emily Kenney:
“No you’re coming! I’m going to come find you.”

Sure enough, seconds later I hear high-energy tapping on my door. Perhaps it wasn’t high energy, but at that point a sloth had more drive than I did. Emily opens the door..

E: "Get up! You're coming."

H: “No, I need a shower, and I have to do laundry so badly. Everything in my life smells. I’m on no sleep, and I have no money. Have a great time.”

E: “C’mon! The bus is like 2 dollars; a hostel is like 5 dollars. I’m only bringing a few bucks. We’re all on no sleep, and we look terrible. COME!!"

H: “Oh. My. GOSH… You jerk…. **tired moan** … Okay…I’m coming…”

Thirty minutes later 5 of us, Emily, Christina, Kate, Adriana from Panama, and myself, were out the door on our way to the bus station.

OUR JOURNEY

• Bus ticket to San Lorenzo: 65 Lempira – Approximately $3.50
• Time: 2.5 hours
• Watching Fast and the Furious 2 dubbed in Spanish (which, by the way, improves Paul Walker’s acting): PRICELESS

• Bus ticket from San Lorenzo to Corolito: 10 Lempira? – Approximately 50¢
• Time: 45 minutes
• Conditions: Shaky old bus, standing in aisles, being stared at for our excessive whiteness… Typical

• Motor boat to the Island of Amapala: 15 Lempira – Approximately 75¢
• Time: 15 minutes
• Personal take: AMAZING! Wet, yet AMAZING

Small boat to the Island

(Kate, Adriana, Emily)

PC: Christina H.

We arrived! The island didn’t have the tropical glow with white sand and crystal blue water, but it had it’s own charm - an undeniable beauty.

After talking to some locals we decided to take a taxi to a different beach, said to have hostels and better restaurants. In the morning we would return to Playa Negro for the optimum beach experience.

So, we set off! The taxi was about 10 Lempira each, I believe (about 50¢). The great thing about taxis here in Honduras is that rates are negotiable. There are no meters to make you antsy at stoplights as your fee increases by $3. You tell the driver where you want to go and negotiate from there. I really appreciate that.

The beach was all abuzz. Kids played soccer on the sand, locals chilled on their porches, and I saw some white people. Even though it’s a tourist spot this still surprised me. I joke with my roommates here that I’ve finally come to understand why people stare at us here. When I see a white person, I stare now too. It’s just weird… haha. We found one restaurant. It was overpriced, but they had the best fresh lemonade of ALL TIME for 25 Lempira (just over $1). It took the waiter about thirty minutes to bring out our glasses, so we believed he was squeezing it in the back. We ordered A LOT of the stuff. I don’t think he liked us very much..

Emily with the precious lemonade

PC: Christina H.

This restaurant was our hang out location for the evening. Our hostel was next door. We got a small room with two twin beds for 500 Lempira… Not the best price. This came to 100 Lempira each ($5). In consideration of American prices, I’m sure these all sound like steals, however, no matter how cheap Honduras is, we’re much cheaper. We slid the two beds together and slept horizontally with all 5 of us on the beds (a trick I learned in Paris). For only having to manage one night in the room, it worked perfectly. Out hostel (shown below) was convenient in that it was next door to the restaurant. We stayed on the beach all evening and played BananaGrams (similar to scrabble), ate dinner, and made plans for the next day.

Over distant water, we could see a thunderstorm march forward. It was beautiful and coming our way. There always seem to be thunderstorms here. At almost any point, one can see lightening in the distance, but lightening over the ocean is simply magnificent. Within a few hours, the rain poured around us. As most people gathered to find shelter, Adriana invited me to go running in it with her. OF COURSE! We put down our things and bolted onto the sand. Quickly and into the dark, we ran through the storm! It was beautiful. The rain in Honduras is fantastic. It is steady, strong, and warm. Within 5 seconds in this rain, there is not a single spot of clothing or chunk of hair on your head that is not completely dripping with water. It is as if a bucket of water was thrown over your body. Go big or go home, I suppose. =) We ran and played like children. At one point we ran screaming and yelling down the beach. Another moment we practiced/made up our yoga. We were about to run into the ocean, when the thunder scared us off. Lightening and water simply do not mix. As we would discover even more the next day….

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Photo Catch Up - Claire's birthday and other random occurances

I stole these photos from Amy Rogers. I would love to post more, but I don't have a camera at the moment. Sometime soon though! Until then, enjoy a peak into the randomness and craziness of the last few days. =)

Amy and I outside of a local mall, Las Cascadas

Claire jamming out to Hotel California being played by a wandering band

Emily and I outside of a local bar, watching our friend Douglas's band play

Moises and Kim

The group gathered at Manatis to celebrate Lauryn, Johanna, Nelson, and Claire's birthday

Moises and Danny being Moises and Danny

Emily and Amy!

Moises and the birthday girl

This man could dance. He could also sweat like his life depended on it...

Emily, Danny, and I before going out =)

Claire and Amy!

The ladies of the house and I (myself, Claire, Emily, and Amy)

Amy, Claire, Emily, myself, Kim, and Alex watching Douglas's band

Myself, Christina, Claire, and Amy

Amy's stomach grew a little from parasites, so our housemate, Danny, and she decided to take a faux family maternity photo. Precious, I know. She's feeling better now, and her stomach has begun to shrink. =)

Family photo (Claire, myself, Emily, and Amy)

Photo Catch Up - 4th of July/British Invasion

In a recent post I mentioned some of the Global Brigades Staff playfully harassed the British students visiting us on the morning of July 4th, marking the day we claimed our independence from their country. It was all in good fun. =) Below are some photos presenting the craftiness of my co-workers. They make me proud. I wish I had been there.

"NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION"

Home made of course =)

All documentation must be submitted in scroll form

Oh my...

Group shot!

The "WE GOT BECKHAM" sign was the only one to really get a reaction from the Brits.

BWA HAHAA!

"1812... NICE TRY"

"US:1 - GB:0"

"USA"

"Teabag the King"

Good Morning!!!

Happy Tuesday!

And the Future Looks Bright

Yesterday, we on the Travel Team had a group meeting with our amazing CEO, Shital Chauhan. We discussed the progress of our team, and the expectations laid for us.

Shital is wonderful in that she is focused, driven, and completely down to earth. She balances the arts of being a boss, team player, and friend beautifully. I truly respect her, and, on the same note, love the roles all the staff here fill. I feel very fortunate to be working with this organization.

The amazing thing about this meeting was everything I hoped for myself for this year was confirmed to be a hope of the organization as well. They want me to explore my options within the organization and get more involved. They want me to grow. They desire to know my goals, and help me plan ahead in order the achieve everything I can - without spreading myself too thin, of course.

Global Brigades has always been wonderful about the growth of its employees. Last year, I was highly considered as a Regional Coordinator, helping manage clubs for the Western United States. Because I expressed my interest in living in-country they discussed with me the option of becoming a Fellow, helping organize several group in the North West, working under the Regional Coordinator. This position had many more opportunities and projects that would allow me more opportunities to work in Honduras the following year (which it DID!).

As the meeting drew to a close, Shital mentioned how she believes it to be of great value for Emily and I to enroll with a Spanish tutor. A lot of our staff is Honduran, and knowing the language will be an invaluable resource simply because we are living in Central America. I was ecstatic to hear this news; Shital was reading my mind. It seems our goals, ideas, and expectations are very similar, and I simply could not be more thrilled. =)

Shake the Dust.

Simply because I love this video, and it was on my mind yesterday. Anis Mojgani is amazing to me. Research him. Love him.

If you feel like watching, watch all of it. Love all of it.

*Warning to the young viewers: there is some cursing*

America asks you to be patriotic: eat a burger and blow something up...

PC: Christina H.

How hard could it be to find some fireworks in Honduras? At times I believe it would be easier to acquire a bomb here; I don't think that would be hard at all.

On the day of our independence, my housemates, Emily and Christina, were able to smuggle - yes, smuggle - fireworks in downtown Tegucigalpa.

Christina wrote on her facebook page:

"Thanks to my pyrotechnic partner in crime, Emily, we managed to track down fireworks in a random old guy's living room next to an abandoned penitentiary. It only took two hours of venturing through back alleyways and polluted riverbanks, not to mention a chance encounter with our personal Honduran guide to all things semi-illegal."

We set the fireworks off on our roof around 9 PM. It was a lot of fun! Hopefully the nuns from the convent next door didn't mind.... Woops. We had a few hondurans with us. Logan, another housemate, played ALL AMERICAN music for us, such as the theme song from Top Gun. Only the best.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!
In the mean time, there was a British group of students working with Global Brigades here in Honduras over the holiday. The team working decided to wake them up at the crack of dawn, loudly reading the declaration of independence, of which they had hand written on a scroll (aka toilet paper). Wigs were made, as well as tri-corner hats. I believe there was a horse constructed from a broom present too.

I know the American team thought they were pretty funny. Afterwards the British team said "Congratulations.. Can we go back to bed now?"

We were pretty disappointed in their reaction...

(PICTURES TO COME SOON)

HAPPY BELATED FOURTH EVERYONE!

(Myself, Logan, and Emily)

Home Sweet Honduras ♥

The view of Tegucigalpa from atop our home!
PC: Christina H.

__________________________________

I have received requests for my information from friends and family. Call me naive, but I feel pretty safe putting my information on here.

My Address:
Hollie Roberts
c/o Global Brigades Inc.
Colonia Miraflores 12 ave. B 49 fte.
En Frente del Convento Sagrada Familia
Casa 3715
Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.
Honduras, C.A.

NOTE: If you decide to send something other than a letter, know that it MAY be stolen, so it may be in your best interest to refrain from sending anything of remote value. Also, boxes take several weeks to get here. This is not to say that I am expecting anything. ;) I just wanted to share.

My In-Country Number:
+ (504) 9485 - 2423

NOTE: Yes, 8 digits. =) Out of country calls are more expensive. It will charge you, not me though. BWA HA HA! However, Skype is having a deal all this month (July) that if you set up a skype account you can call any country who has participated in the world cup (like Honduras!) for FREE! Which means I can call you too. So, if you get a call from a number that looks like 0001234.. It's probably me. =) Which brings me to:

My Skype Screen Name:

Hollie 543

My Skype Phone Number:

(541) 255 - 3662

My work paid for me to have this number all year! It works directly through my Skype account. It costs you nothing, so it is much more convenient than calling my Honduran cell. You can call me from any phone (your home, cell, whatever...), and if I am online, it will call me on my computer. AMAZING! With my job, I am on skype from 8:30am-6:00pm every weekday, so I am pretty darn accessible. ;)

Take care, guys! ♥ Stay in touch!

Assume \ə-ˈsüm\ -verb: A sure fire way to make an ASS of U and ME

Written June 25th, 2010
8:30 PM

(Stellar and Karina pose handcuffed with our Honduran security)

Today I sat next to a Honduran soldier. I turned to my friend Stellar and told her he had amazing bone structure and smelled nice. A few minutes later, he turned to me and spoke in English.

I've never turned so red or laughed so hard of embarrassment in my life...

A Taste of Honduras

"Listening. To. The. World."

Below is an excerpt from my dear friend Stellar Yi's blog. She was in Honduras for 2 weeks with me, working with Oregon State Global Medical Brigades and Global Water Brigades. With her permission, I have added her thoughts on our water project:


"The second week, I was there with a smaller group for water brigades, about 13 students from OSU--majority of them were on the medical brigade. Every day something always dramatic, bad/worrisome/weird/strange happened...up to the day we left for Oregon. It was like we had a bad luck charm floating around with us. Besides that, the week was full of dirt, hard labor, and appreciation for water and those who truly believe that water is something that should be prioritized in life. Here in the United States, or any other western civilization, its hard to tell if someone really appreciates water. Without water, we can't do much, as a matter of fact, we can't do ANYTHING.

Trenching, pickaxing, shoveling, gluing tubes, threading tubes and cutting tubes isn't as easy as it seems. Water is not something to take lightly. Its work to get water flowing and its work to get water to those who need it. Again, where you live should not decide whether you live or die...

We, water brigaders, weren't in the villages to dig trenches and pull in pipes etc, ok ok..well literally yes..buttt the big picture is what is important. The Hondurans were the ones who were doing this on their own and we were just down there to support them, by giving up our time and putting in our effort to show that we are here to help them, that were are their sidekicks and basically a motivational factor to them. Now, this is what I call sustainability! I really thought it was cool that it wasn't just us creating a whole water system and the local Hondurans just depending on us for everything to get done, but that were were actually there to support them. That was the most satisfying and awesome thing about water brigades----that we weren't there for the short term, but we were there for the long term.

Also, helping water brigades was like helping out at the medical brigades. Actually it was double dipping because if we can help the communities in Honduras with their water problem, then they wouldn't have problems with parasites as frequently, and or bacterial problems in their water. Its like we were helping the Hondurans solve the root of the problem.

I can go on forever about my brigades in Honduras, especially about the amount of fun I had there. Not only was it culturally fulfilling, but it opened my eyes and heart to another aspect of human life and unequal opportunities once again. I am always reminded about what I must do to keep my heart pace running for this life of mine, for you and for others--I know that was super cheesy, but I mean it--"

If you'd like to follow Stellar's adventures in Europe this summer or Africa later this year, you can find her blog, Listening To The World, HERE.

Reality Slap

Written June 25th, 2010
Sometime in the evening..


I challenge myself to look at each person as an individual. It is shockingly simple to categorize a people as one idea with one motive or interest. Just as a Honduran has more to him or herself than his or her geographical location, or perhaps struggles to overcome the tests of poverty, so does every person have immeasurable qualities that refuse to let him or herself fit into any single mold.

I used to hate how my beliefs were enough for one person to decide what I was or was not into. I am a Christian, but as you can imagine, there are a many different breed of people in any religion or lifestyle. So when a person found it shocking that I drink or, heaven forbid, curse, it rocked their wold.

The point I am trying to make is, just as I ask nothing more than to be seen as an individual rather than an idea (or a complexity over a simple mold), I ask that people look past another's belief system, geographical location, economic status, crowd of friends, clothing, or any first impression.


Because knowing one aspect of a person does not determine the content of their character. Dig so much deeper..


I say this not to plead for the over-judged stranger, rather you're doing yourself an injustice to live in a bubble so quickly criticizing the outside world.

Because this song is good, worth listening to, and, to me, inspiring.