Were the three best friends.....Tela, Honduras

"The beach, where doing absolutely nothing is doing something"

Friday after taking a quick photo with one of my very favorite girls Jency, (lives with Alison at the Eternal Family Project) Matt, Kylie and I were beach bound for the weekend.... We hired a taxi to drop us off in the town of El Progresso. After buying a necessary chunky chocolate chip cookie (for me) at Dunkin Donuts and Ice-cream for Kylie at Baskin Robins we stood on the side of the road attempting to flag down a bus to take us further on down the highway an hour and half to Tela. Tela is a beach town that sits right on the Caribbean  We have been to this place twice last fall and could not wait to get there......

We got a bus and the next thing you know we were already on the beach, wine and beer in hand watching the sunset. The sunset did not disappoint either......Leaving school at 2 pm and seeing the sunset by 5:30 pm... not bad if you ask me. We stayed at the Caribbean Coral Inn, a Bed in Breakfast right on the water. As a guest you are staying in cabins on the beach that are apart of the families home as well. All food is cooked by the wife and she makes everything fresh ready to order. So good... 

Our weekend top moments:

• Dinner served fresh made to order..... and the very best garlicky sauce for salad with garlic bread.
• Saturday Morning the three of us did yoga by the sea, followed by being in the ocean all afternoon with nothing to do. 
• Eating Pizza in Tela at the beach Saturday Night. Stuffed crust and breadsticks... it has been far too long pizza, far too long......
• Saturday night getting in bed before 8:30 pm. All three of us. Full, sunburnt and happy. Headlamps were on and we were reading our books. 
• Sunday morning breakfast, followed by more yoga on a deck barely big enough for the three of us. Which then led to more swimming in the ocean....
• Sunday on our way home we stopped in San Pedro bus station stocking up on things we have not been able to buy in a quite some time, chips, whole wheat pasta for matt, grapes, granola bars, chocolate.....
• Should not forget when Matt saved the day by grabbing the wheel to avoid hitting a bunch of rocks that were blocking construction being done..... while our taxi driver was elsewhere.....

Here are some pictures.... Enjoy

Smiling because it is Friday

Picture taken out of the bus, no filter, bluest sky and greenest landscape.

Matt

Sunsetting...

Me.... 

Morning... Before our yoga session.

So sunny and so beautiful

Being goofy....

This is a small collection of nearly 20 or so pictures I have of us three that night on the beach... 

Kylie and I acting natural

Matts thoughts on being at the beach

As you can tell we nearly had the entire beach to ourselves the whole weekend with the exception of a few locals in the afternoon.

Acting natural again.

Now I am back at school, just six weeks to go and Honduras is finished... for this chapter at least. It was a great weekend, much needed R and R with my two favorite born and raised Ohioans (Buckeyes/irish)

When in Honduras...

Do go to the beach for the weekend..... Just Because.........

After school tomorrow we are beach bound...... I will catch up with all of you after the weekend.

Warmest to you....

***Ps. Happy Draft day everyone.... Broncos

There is no other place like this place......Utila.

We are home. We are sun kissed. Tan. We are tired. Utila was every bit of what we needed. A week of laying in the sun, reading a book, eating yummy food. Dancing late into the night on boat docks, pina and rum, yoga class and for the others scuba diving.

Our Spring Break began on Saturday the 23rd of April. Seven of us rode in a taxi and a car to the town of El Progress on the highway that runs the coast of Honduras. Our plan was to then hop on a bus from the side of the road that would be heading to Sambo Creek. (If buses are going in the direction you wish to go you simply flag them down, they will stop and you hop on). What we did not anticipate was that all the buses would be packed full of people and we would have to stand for the 3 and half hour journey ahead of us if we got on.

After a few moments debate we decided to cram seven of us into the Camry. Bobby (owner of the Hostel Brewery in our town) had his employee drive us up to El Progresso so he could then drive the car back, but now he had to ride all the way to Sambo Creek (another three and half hours) to then turn around and drive right back to our town. I sat in the middle console of the car facing backwards. Four people in the backseat. And three of us in the front. here is proof if you do not believe me here....

Cheesing it.

Backseat view. Yes it is legal to Drink in the Car. We went through a Brew Through (drive through for liquor)

Sambo Creek

Sambo Creek Sunset.

The rest of our day after arriving was spent in the sea swimming and I listening to the Louisville basketball game on the radio. Kylie's boyfriend Shep flew in to join us for the week so she and Matt went by bus to get him at the airport. They arrived later in the evening and we went to a nearby hotel called Paradise for dinner. Not even sure words will properly explain this place. A couple from the States moved down here, bought the place and operate a bar/ hotel out of their home. If the husband spent half as much time taking shots of rum as he would have making our pizza we might not have waited a few hours... We played darts and drank beer and tried to pretend like we were not ready to eat anything in sight.

Our morning started early as we hopped on the ferry to be taken to Utila. We stood in line amongst other spring breaking hopefuls and got on the ferry. Luckily the weather was in our favor and it was not too rocky. Moments after stepping off the ferry a bottle of rum was shattered and Philips shoes fell into the ocean. Depsite it all.......we made it to real Paradise (not that restaurant) and we could not have been more pleased.... I will not be able to do a daily recap because there was so much that happened but figured a long post of pictures is more fun anyway. It was a great week. As well for 7 nights in our hotel.... $35.00 TOTAL!! Goodness central america you are too great sometimes..

Matt in the water retrieving the shoes.....

                          

Matt Jumping from the boat nearby....

Sunset beers.

Watching them take scuba class...

Philip balancing a beer on his head.

Sunrise in the morning.....

Happy Birthday Matt! We celebrated on Thursday. Carrot Cake with frosting from the nearby bakery and the Skid Row Challenge.

Kylie, Shep, Matt and Thomas

Matt, Thomas and Me

Skid Row.

View from our hotel

Heading out on the boat to the Utila Cayes

Unreal

Heading back after a day at the Cayes

Final day with my book and the cheese on my towel spilled by the boys...

Sunsets on Utila never ever get old.

Morning boat ride on Sunday at 6 am back to Mainland.

Chicken Bus. Old School bus.

View from the bus....4 hours of intense heat.

Chicken Bus outside the window look at Honduras.

How Hondurans spend a Sunny Hot Easter!

 All in all in was a wonderful week. I am home now. Putting clothes away and have already taken two naps. I think the vacation was that good that we are all pretty exhausted. Not to mention leaving on a boat Sunday morning at 6 am. To then get in a taxi. to then a bus for 4 hours... no air conditioning super duper hot. To then get on another bus (chicken bus) for an hour and half... then we were home.

To be completely honest... I am ready to go home now. (yes I know I have said this countless times) but today is just one of those days that I am ready to see my family, ready to see my friends..... perhaps the Louisville win made me even more nostalgic for the Bluegrass State and my beloved hometown. So as you spend your Monday with your family and friends pretend I am there for a few moments..  I would appreciate it.

As well Happy Easter to you all....

 "So call it what you wish: An act of grace. A plan of redemption. A martyr's sacrifice. But whatever you call it, don't call it an accident. It was anything but that." (Max Lucado) 

Humbled for the sacrifice that occurred on Easter. Grateful for a savior that loves me that well...

Warmest thoughts and prayers to Kevin Ware and Go Cards! 

Love,
yours truly Kristina