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Each time I plan a trip I tell myself ”This time, I won’t plan too much so I won’t put myself in stressful situation. I don’t need to see EVERYTHING, I just need to enjoy and seize the day”. But reading about the destination and all the amazing places to see, I always reach the point of ”Who needs to eat and sleep anyway?!” Yep.
In 5 Tips for a Trip to Honduras, I promised to tell you the story of why I had to beg a taxi driver in the middle of the night. Well, I ended this story in a kayak…
I was with my travel buddy and we had planned to go from Copán to Tela. That was simple: one bus from Copán to San Pedro Sula, and another to go to Tela, a child could do that (I don’t have child).
We woke up early in our 10$ hotel room to be sure to get the first bus and we said goodbye to the colourful Copán village.
The first bus we had to take was coming from Guatemala, which is very close to Copán, but the thing is that it was very late (much more than the usual lateness of bus in Honduras).
After playing dozens of Skip-Bo games in the bus station, we started to think that we would have to take a tuk-tuk to get to our destination… We were clearly the only stressed people in the terminal. Everybody seemed to find that a 4 hours late bus was perfectly normal.
Finally, the bus arrived, but we were already too late for our next bus in San Pedro Sula. In fact, we arrived in town at darkness.
For people who knows San Pedro Sula, it’s known to be “the most violent city in the world with an average of 3 murders per day”: Not a great place to arrive at night. Also, the bus station was completely desert because it’s off the main streets and beside a shopping center that is, of course, closed at night. The last bus was gone.
Now I’ll take to minute to salute Claude, who will read this post.
Hi Claude! Yeah, I know, I didn’t tell you about San Pedro Sula when we planned the trip to Honduras. But don’t you think sometimes it’s better not to know? Do you regret to have gone to Honduras with me? Do you still like me anyway? Please?! :)
I also think that sometimes media shows things way more negatively then they are and that you can generally manage to stay safe when you use common sense. At that time, common sense told us to not to go downtown to find a room. So we found the closest taxi and we negotiate begged the driver to bring us to Tela, a 45 minutes drives.
We paid MUCH more that what it’s worth, but sometimes, you gotta let it go.
Plus, we had to be in Tela the next morning for a kayak tour in Punta Izopo National Park, and we really didn’t want to miss it!
I am very proud we didn’t abandon the project, because it was great!
You might like these other posts about Honduras:
- 4 Reasons to Visit Copan in Honduras
- 5 Tips For a Trip to Honduras
- Jade Seahorse – The Weirdest Hotel in Honduras
Kayaking with Garifuna Tours
We booked the tour to Punta Izopo with Garifuna Tours, specialist of eco-adventure tours in a variety of National Park in Honduras. Claude and me were very excited to discover the wildlife and ecosystem of the mangrove.
*In case you’re wondering, it’s not a sponsored post, we paid the tour with our own money and paddled with our own arms. ;)
They came pick us up directly at our hotel in Tela, and then drove us through Garifuna’s villages to reach Punta Izopo National Park. We were a small group, so it was perfect to ask questions and connect with the guide.
We learned that the Garifunas are probably the only Blacks of America to never have known slavery. The history tells that they are the survivors of the shipwreck of a slave ship.
Arrived at Punta Izopo National Park, we put our life jacket to get ready to kayak. The guide told us:
“Please check carefully in the pockets before putting the vest. Sometimes, tarantulas hide there”.
Great. That is really great.
Claude and me looked at each other and carefully looked in the pocket, totally terrified.
They were no tarantulas.
So, we began the tour in the mangrove.
After 90 minutes, the tour ends at a beach were you can eat a Garifuna meal, and enjoy the beautiful Honduran sun.
At that moment, we thought that’s what life should be made of: nature, adventure, beach, and no tarantula.
Practical Infos
Cost
The tour cost 32US$ and include the lunch and the equipment.
Where to Sleep
We slept in Hotel Marsol in Tela. It was okay for our need, but if you liked to spend time at the hotel, you might find it too small and boring. Wifi was terrible… but it was everywhere in Honduras anyway, ahah!
What to Bring
- A drybag to put your camera
- Sunscreen
- Swimwear and clothes you don’t mind getting wet
- Inspect repellent (you’ll be in a mangrove aka mosquitoes paradise)
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