I flew into Honduras from a connecting flight out of Houston. Our approach came in via the Caribbean coastline and as we descended I was able to see the outline of Puerto Cortes, a small peninsula that I had only seen on Google maps up until this point. Although the recognizable shape of this port city was obvious, it was the ridge line of the mountains inland that caught my attention the most. 
After a few months of reading about Honduras, attempting to learn the history and culture of the Central American country, somehow a lot of the websites I had been looking at neglected to mention the beautiful landscape of lush green mountains that surround the supposed deadly compound of San Pedro Sula. However, if you haven't caught onto my tone yet, I can assure you that this country, at least in my experience, is far from what the online warnings would have you believe. Which isn't to say there aren't examples of travelers experiencing crime, or that you should do anything outside of safe foreign travel practices, just that you shouldn't be so quick to judge.
I met up with Beris and she introduced me to some of the local flare and cuisine. Although I had purchased the Babbel app to learn some more Spanish before the trip, it was clear that having a local friend with whom I could experience this new place was invaluable. Not all of Honduras necessarily requires a traveler to be fluent in Spanish, nonetheless it would be a great asset to possess before booking a trip. Although we did not spend much time in San Pedro Sula, we did spend time in the neighboring town of Choloma where Beris' mother runs a tortilla business out of her home.
A few days into my stay Beris asked if I would like to attend her aunt's birthday party of which I happily agreed. However, it's here I will let you know that even though I knew a little Spanish and Beris knew a little English, there was still quite the language barrier between us. That barrier was alleviated on our Facebook messenger chats by using translator apps, however, it can be a bit tedious to constantly use a translator for every conversation. So when Beris asked if I wanted to go to her aunt's birthday party (which I understood), the full question actually was "would you like to spend two full days in a small village in a sugar cane field for my aunt's birthday?"
Armed guards stood at the entrance to the sugar cane field as we drove our two car caravan through the gate. We passed some of the fields that had been harvested and then proceeded down a small road that was lined with huts and homes along both sides. We had reached the village of Masicales. The village was nestled in a valley with mountain ridges visible on both ends of the road that divided the town, and there was a small body of water over which we had to cross to enter the village. It wasn't clear exactly where the water was coming from when we pumped it from the well, however, considering I was using that water to brush my teeth and make coffee, I thought it was best I didn't investigate that matter further.
I mingled with Beris' family members, including her adorable grandparents, and practiced some of my Spanish with them as they prepared various dishes for the party that evening. All the while some form of up beat Latin music was blasting from a stereo in one of the many surrounding homes near where the party was to be held. A staple of tortillas, beans, sour cream, and fried plantains was abundant in the food prepared for the weekend. We also had eggs, chicken soup, and of course birthday cake, which was quickly devoured by every child at the party - which appeared to be every child in the village (Birthday Parties apparently have no property boundaries in Masicales). The most fun part of the evening, besides a tandem motorcycle ride through the village, was the dancing. The aforementioned music did not stop until early in the morning, much past my bedtime, but before that time I enjoyed an evening of dancing with Beris, her aunt, and her grandmother, all of whom could out dance me, however I think I held my own. 
The trip back to the coast was complete with road side stops to purchase small bags of popcorn and water, and we even passed a semi-trailer carrying a full load of brand new Pampers baby diapers that had tipped over along the side of the road. We returned to the motel at which we were staying just outside of Puerto Cortes. We stayed here for the next few evenings as I looked into what I would do with the rest of my 90 day visa for Central America.
Admittedly, I hadn't made any concrete plans past spending a few weeks with Beris. We had known each other for only a few months prior to my arrival. Although this may seem like a quick friendship with which to trust my safety in another country, however, I have more regretted the opportunities of which I didn't take in my life than the ones I did. So who cares how long I had known her? We had enjoyed video chatting and learning about each other's country's and a one way ticket to San Pedro Sula at the time, undoubtedly because of the travel warnings, was only $150. I had made the mistake of not purchasing a plane ticket once before to further pursue a relationship, and I suppose you could say this was my way of redeeming myself. I was excited at the prospect of possibly starting a relationship with Beris, however, I was very aware of the many obstacles that path would present. I didn't speak her language and she didn't speak mine. Obviously the distance would prove difficult, but I didn't see any reason why I shouldn't take advantage of some inexpensive foreign travel and see if there was something more to this. Unfortunately, it was not the correct timing for this to last.
This isn't to say that Beris and I are not still friends, or that coming to Honduras was a mistake. Far from it. We just had different expectations of this relationship that had spawned over the past few months. I do not regret for one second my decision to travel here and talk with Beris in person about all of this. The romantic side of this relationship didn't end in turmoil, it ended because two people communicated their intentions with each other - which I find to be a very fulfilling endeavor. Even if it was done with a translator app. To paraphrase Barney Stinson from How I met Your Mother, this was not a failed relationship, it was a very successful three month relationship.
I had not intended to be down here much longer than a month, but when I realized I had nothing to do until my friends bachelor party in June in New Orleans, I figured why not stick around Central America a bit longer? I chose the island of Utila off the eastern Honduran coastline. Beris accompanied me to the bus station where I purchased a ticket with Hedman Alas Buses for 350 lempiras, or approximately $12 USD, and then proceeded on a four hour bus ride in an air conditioned charter bus through the mountains. The ride ended in the small town of La Ceiba where I would take a ferry to the island for the next part of this journey.
Although this may not sound like a typical travel experience to Honduras, it was very much mine - and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. It provided me with cultural experiences beyond what I could expect from any travel guide, and it all started with a friend request on Facebook. Thank you, Beris.
I'm currently in Leon, Nicaragua where a rain storm just blasted the main square. Needless to say all the street vendors went running! I'll hopefully get caught up on my blogs with some insight from my time in Utila and Nicaragua shortly. Thanks for reading!
-Dustin
Travel Tip: When your Sprint representative says you will have reliable data connectivity with your international phone plan in Honduras, they are lying.
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