Tegucigalpa

Well, I made it to the capital today. I didn't get much of a view of the city from the airport, and I was whisked away to my hotel quite quickly after I passed through customs. Two eager men asked to carry my luggage, helped me make a call to the hotel, paid for the call for me as I hadn't exchanged any money yet, and found my ride for me. One of the men then asked me for "20 bucks." I thought that to be quite a generous tip, so I offered him 10. Then, after a crazy drive through the city (complete with extreme tailgating, pickup trucks full of people in the back, and lots of horn blowing) I arrived at my hotel. After checking in, I tried to find a bank to exchange money, but the closest thing was a Western Union, and they don't do currency exchanges. I stopped at Taco Loco for lunch and then came back to the hotel for a nice long nap. I have a nice room with a view of the outdoor pool, Internet access, and a TV. The air conditioner is weak, but it's better than none! There is a drawing of a cougar hanging on the wall - how apropos! For anyone who doesn't know, that's our school mascot at HF-L. 

I haven't found anyone who speaks English yet, but I have been able to get by so far with the little Spanish I know.  I was able to have a full conversation with the hotel clerk about breakfast and leaving in the morning. I didn't catch everything he said, but I know that my ride to the airport is scheduled for 8am and that breakfast starts at 5. It gets dark here a little after 6 this time of the year, so I have  spent most of the evening in my room. Had a big lunch and got a chance to recover from the jet lag, though. 

Tomorrow, it's off to La Ceiba to meet my host family and get a tour of the city. The volunteer program coordinator will be meeting me at the airport, and I'm pretty sure he speaks English. Looking forward to that! I will probably begin my work at the school on Tuesday. 

Buenas noches!

Estoy listo!

All packed and ready to go! Picked up a SteriPen, a few CDs of kids' songs, and some snacks today. My suitcase is bursting at the seams! Flight leaves at 6:30 tomorrow morning so it'll be an early rise for me. Layover in Atlanta and I should be in Tegucigalpa by around 3 EST.  

Get haircut - check
Start taking malaria medication - check
Book hotel for first night in Tegucigalpa - check
Purchase emergency medical insurance plan - check
Buy last minute supplies for trip - check
Prepare a few hundred flashcards to teach English vocabulary - check (with help from my sister)

Fit everything I need for the next 3 1/2 weeks into a suitcase and a carry-on... this one's a challenge!

I found a "History of Latinos in Rochester" book to give to my host family.  It's written in both Spanish and English!  I also picked up a great photo book of New York State to share with them.

I have had a good amount of supplies donated - so I am trying to fit as much as I can into my suitcase.  Thanks to everyone who contributed.

One day left to finalize things before my journey begins!

Shopping

Went shopping at the outlet mall in Waterloo today and found some great buys on things I need for the trip. Picked up a money belt and luggage locks at Wilson Leather. And I bought a nice Eddie Bauer day pack for daily travel when I get down there (lifetime guarantee). I also got a few more supply donations and some vacuum seal bags from my aunt so I can actually fit some clothes into my luggage! 

One week

A week from now I will be flying into Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras!  So much to do to get ready...

I was up in Rochester yesterday waiting for my brother to recover from his surgery, and I decided to head up to the High Falls visitor center with my mom as they have a gift shop there with lots of Rochester souvenirs (which, sadly, will be closing soon due to budget issues).  I have been trying to figure out what to bring my host family and the kids at the school I will be volunteering at that represents Rochester.  In addition to some postcards highlighting various scenes of the city, here is what I found:


For my host family:
* handmade soaps that represent "scents of Rochester" like lilacs, campfires, the beach, etc.
* a pottery soap dish shaped like a leaf
* I am still looking for a nice "coffee table" book about the city


For the school:
* a tote bag with a drawing of High Falls
* Niagara Falls playing cards
* a 2013 calendar with pictures of the waterfalls throughout the Finger Lakes region
* a picture book telling the story of Sam Patch - the man who died after an unsuccessful second attempt to jump over High Falls


I have also received donations of some school supplies and about $300 to purchase more when I arrive in Honduras.

The plan for this upcoming week is to gather the rest of my personal supplies for the trip, get my money and insurance all in order, and start taking my anti-malaria medication.  At least those are the big things - I am sure there will be a lot more to do!

I received some more information today about my host family and the school I will be working in.  My lessons will focus on basic English, computers, health, and HIV awareness.  The age group of kids I will be working with primarily is 10-14. 

 I decided that a great way to connect my current students with the ones I will be working with in Honduras is to give them an assignment to show how they live a healthy lifestyle.  I am going to have each of my students take a picture of themselves doing something healthy and write a few sentences about it.  I will use these in my lessons to teach the kids in Honduras.

4 weeks away!

Not much news to report except that in 4 weeks from today, I will be arriving in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  Why there and not La Ceiba, you ask?  Well, to make a long story short, I could not find a flight directly to La Ceiba (the city I will be working in).  I got tickets to the capital city instead and will take a local flight to La Ceiba.  Unfortunately, I purchased that flight for the same day, and it only leaves the capital once a day (before I will even arrive there).  Several phone calls and $50 later, I was able to change my flight to the following day, July 1.  That means I will need to stay in the capital for one night.

Also, I was provided a generous gift by the parents of my lacrosse team to help me with my expenses while down in Honduras.  I am humbled by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the people in this community.  I look forward to sharing that with the people I encounter in La Ceiba.

Halfway through my typhoid fever vaccination and picked up some Deep Woods Off spray yesterday (recommended by someone who spent time in Central America).  I also got a few pairs of lightweight pants as it is not customary to wear shorts as much as we do in the US.  Ready for those bugs! 

Within the next few days, I should have information about my host family and specifics about the school I will be working at.  Stay tuned for more updates!