Back in 2012, I backpacked for the first time of my life in Central America. Here are 5 tips I learned along my way in Honduras. 1. Choose your goals Honduras is a wonderful, underestimated destination. It offers all a traveller can dream of: adventures, cultural sites, and beaches. However, it is a big country and even if the transportation system is functional, it is very slow and often late on the schedule. Do not rely on the time given by Google Map. The reality is quite different. If you have a limited period of time and want to do too much, you will end up loosing TONS of time in transportation. I know, ’cause that’s what I did! I was only one week in Honduras and I decided to go from San Pedro Sula to Copán, to Tela to end up on Ùtila. It’s doable. But you’ll maybe end up at a bus station in an industrial area in a middle of the night begging a taxi driver to bring you to the next town (THAT is explained in another post). 2. Don’t be afraid to ask locals Honduras has a bad reputation when it comes to security. But it is really less […]
Honduras
When I was in Honduras, I totally fell in love with the small village of Copán. It’s definitely a must-see if you go in the country! Of course, it is well-known for its mayan ruins, but it’s also a very good place to relax while travelling Central America. I give you my 4 best reasons to visit this Honduran town. 1. Visit Copán Ruinas Yes, it is the most touristic site in the region but, unlike some other touristic attraction, Copán Ruinas really worth its reputation. Plan at least half a day to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s huge! Quick tips: Don’t pay to visit the tunnels. There’s an extra fee to enter in the tunnels and it honestly doesn’t worth it. You’ll only see bricks in the darkness. Everything that is interesting is already included in the basic entrance fee. Bring a lot of water. As I said, the site is huge, and, unless they change it since I’ve been there in 2012, there’s no place to buy water except at the beginning and at the end of the visit. Honduras being Honduras, it is very hot. 2. Have a Maya culinary experience Take a tuk tuk up the hills to the Hacienda San Lucas and […]
As I was planing my trip to Honduras, I ran across an interesting description about eclectic bungalows made out of mysterious findings. Once I took a look at pictures on the net, I decided to derogate my own rules and to take more money in the bank to have the chance to sleep at Jade Seahorse during my stay in Ùtila. I just can’t resist out of the box art creations! Who wants to sleep in a bizarre hotel made of trash? At our arrival on the smallest of the Bay Island, it was hiding behind a colorful wood fence : Nightland. A small world made out of curves, details and surprises. It took the owner and artist Neil Keller 15 years to build the bungalows and sculptures that create the site. Bizarre mosaics and sculptures made of bottles, beads, balls…and plastic bananas. All this just make me want to build gigantic trashy sand castles! Combining original cabins, a restaurant and a bar in the trees (A bar in the trees!!!!) called the Treetanic, Jade Seahorse made my inner artist and lover of puns feel home. During our stay, we had the Mono Lisa cabin, a.k.a the blue one, just up the […]
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 […]
I never realized how close the Montreal Olympic Stadium was from my place. I biked West, going to a friend’s home and I kind of “randomly” encounter this mythical place. It’s like knowing you live in the same town than a friend, but still being surprised to meet him on a street. And sitting where all these athletes fought their fears, I couldn’t help but think about all the battles I won. Truth is, I slowly recover. When I was 23, I quit my job, quit university, and stayed put in my basement apartment for almost a year. At this moment, my social anxiety had reached a level so high that going out to the grocery store 300m away from home was a challenge. When you reach this point, you kind of loose the ability to evaluate distance. Sheep in wolves clothing If you don’t know what agoraphobia is, it’s a fear that makes you feel unable to leave the house. You feel like if you go out, something terrible will happen. Basically, it’s the fear of fear. Symptoms vary but mainly involve panic attacks. Panic attacks so intense that you’re sure you are dying. I had my first one driving my car home from school. I […]