The Bus

Dear People Voluntarily Subjected To Reading My Blog Posts,

Although the temptation to continue to edit the previous post was quite strong (I really wanted to toss in something about the part where we were handed a 70 page book, asked to open to page 48, filled in half of that page, and then took pictures of ourselves in front of the previously pasted signs holding up the books), I've since decided that that is not as productive a use of my time as writing about an entirely different topic. You're welcome.

Instead, I'm going to briefly describe the experience of traveling from La Ceiba to Trujillo, and what one might experience.

Assuming that there isn't already a trip planned for the same time you'll be traveling that'll be using one of the Finca vehicles, the most likely scenario is that you'll be traveling by bus. Now depending on your luck, this trip could be either in something similar to a greyhound or a bright yellow school bus that still has "Northside Independent School District" pasted onto the side of it. Leaving the apartments in downtown La Ceiba, you're best bet is to hop into a taxi that'll take you to either the COTUC or Cotraipal station... one of which takes you directly to Trujillo. I can never remember which... and the taxi drivers always argue with you if you want to go to the further one, "Cause it's the same... they both go direct!" (Lies!)

Let's say that you've managed to make it to the station correctly. There's a decent chance that they'll have an actual building open where you can go in and by a ticket, but never fear, you can still purchase one on the bus if it isn't open! They just might not have change immediately. Their method of dealing with this is to give you a piece of paper with a number of Lempira on it that they still owe you. You should probably keep track of this paper... and nag them about it.

Okay, so you're on the bus. Sit back, relax, and three hours later, you're in Trujillo. Oh wait, I forgot the roadblock where everyone has to get out and show their identification to the military! Well okay, there's that. Otherwise you're good. In fact, if you'd like, for a really cheap price, people will come up to your seat and sell you any of a large variety of different foods and/or other goods!

You can buy an entire classic Honduran main course of fried chicken ("POLLO FRITO, POLLO FRITO, POLLO FRITO! BUEN PRECIO!") and tajadas (fried bananas that were picked while still green), and to cleanse the palate can buy snow cones, cookies, bread, a ridiculous option of fruits (the mangoes are spectacular right now), dietary vitamins that are a wonder drug you can only buy right now with this special tv offer! (oh wait, scratch the tv), or the all time favorite of both Erin Marina and Allison, some sticky popcorn balls known as alborotos:

In fact, if you don't want any of these foods, you'll still be made alert to their presence via the 50 vendors that walk past your seat at some point during the trip. "Mangos! Mangos! Mangos! Buen Precio!"

Congratulations! You've successfully survived the trip to Trujillo! If you got there early enough, maybe you'll be able to negotiate a taxi driver down to a fee of 150 limps instead of 200. Either way, you're almost home!

P.S. Look! I added a picture! If only I'd actually taken it myself... =)