Two nights in Tela : Howler Monkeys and a Caribbean vibe on the Honduran Coast

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Arriving in the dark after a much longer than expected drive from Cusuco National Park back to San Pedro Sula and then on to Tela, we have no sense of what the place will look like in daylight. But we are getting a little feel of the Caribbean flavour. There are elaborate Christmas lights near what seems to be the beachfront and we pass an enormous fenced compound which we learn is the Telamar resort - a massive all inclusive resort where the planeloads from North America, Canada and beyond descend upon. Any locals we spot are distinctly darker than their city cousins, being descendents of the Caribes, who escaped the slave ships in the late 1700's.

Juan Carlos is a little unsure of where our hotel, the Maya Vista is located, so after a couple of dead ends, we ask for directions at a service station and find it's location at the edge of the town, up high on a hill. The views are outstanding and there is a very nice indoor/outdoor bar and restaurant just off reception. Unfortunately for us with our heavy, heavy suitcases there are many flights of stairs and no lifts. So we lug our bags up to our room with quite a bit of difficulty.

After a few days of either Pizza Hut, Subway and then local typicale tortilla based meals, our bodies are craving variety and the Maya Vista's spaghetti with garlic and shrimps fits the bill perfectly! We all stink of garlic, but we don't care.

Our room is good. We have Montanas - a family room with a double bed and lounge area, then 2 single beds and the bathroom up a couple of steps. Good value for Honduras at $70 per nt including tax (about 14.5%!)(MISSING). After a good nights sleep we head downstairs for an early, cooked breakfast and meet Mark, from Garifuna Tours, who is picking us up for our day trip to Punta Sal, one of the main reasons for our stopover in Tela. Our van then collects a couple of Americans and a few Hondurans before we get dropped to the launch which will take us to Punta Sal and the Jeanette Kawas National Park, named after a woman who fought major development plans for this unique place and was murdered in the process.

The first surprise comes after about a minute in the boat as we discover we have to cross the bar between the river and the ocean. Like many bar crossings this one is not simple. The waves are fairly large and irregular and the water is pretty shallow. The boat engine falters due to the lack of depth and suddenly Mark is over the side trying to steer the boat into the best position to make it acros the breaking waves. Not for the last time today we get absolutely drenched and give our young Skipper a cheer when we make it across. Turns out it is his birthday today - so we are hoping that brings us all good luck in what is starting to feel like a risky venture.

Michael and Piper are in the front row of seats so take the worst of the bashing, as the boat repeatedly crashes on the swell. It is not ideal conditions for boating and Piper glares at me saying, "Mum, what have you gotten us into this time?" I just smile bravely (all pretence) in return and try to assure him we will be fine.

After about 45 minutes of fairly unrelentless crashing into waves we arrive at a small bay where a couple of Garifuna people live in simple wooden shacks. This is where we are going to commence a short hike through the jungle to a beach on the other side, where the boat will pick us up. I don't think anyone on board realised before setting off that each time we get in and out of the boat, we are at the whim of the waves, so choosing to dress in any thing other than swimmers was not a good option.

The jungle walk is fascinating. Mark is a very good guide and he alerts us to the myriad birds, plants and wildlife contained within. Of most interest to us is watching and listening to the howler monkeys in their natural habitat. If you were alone here and did not know what they were, their screams would terrify you. Think Jurassic Park dinosaur sound effects and you have some idea! Mark also passes on some survival tips for if we get stranded - including eating live termites. The boys were brave enough to give it a go - with the verdict being like "crunchy carrots". I think you'd have to eat quite a few to feel sated though. We also learn of some of the 26 varieties of bananas in this area, including one that is known as "butt plug" as it instantly makes you constipated! No need for medicines here, the jungle is a living, breathing dispensary.

Because the seas are rough today, our attempt at snorkelling is literally a washout, so we give up and chill out on the beach (trying to avoid the ants that bite your feet) and enjoy some freshly picked coconut water and pulp before we brave getting back in the boat for the trip to Cocalito, the beach where we will enjoy a locally prepared Garifuna meal of freshly caught fish, cooked banana, rice and beans. Don't know what it is about the rice in Guatemala and Honduras, but we love it. So different to what we eat at home. The skipper takes us at speed through some tight rock formations - a place made famous as the location where the Army did some practise bombing in preparation for the very short "Soccer Wars" with El Salvador. He insists we don't need to wear our life jackets for this high speed thrill - we insist we really do!

The ride home seems less bumpy and we are almost feeling comfortable when we reach the bar and once again the engine stalls due to the shallow water. Suddenly our boat is sideways to a crashing wave and we are all on high alert to act. But Mark beats us to it and again is over the side, valiantly struggling to turn the boat around. This gets very difficult as he gets into water too deep to stand in and has to hang on to the side, so as not to get washed away. There is no way you would be allowed to run a business like this in Australia - the safety risks would be deemed way too high - but he soon has it sorted and we can breathe a collective sigh of relief as he gets pulled back onboard and the skipper restarts the engine.

What a day! The boys are very pleased to hear that this is the end of our week of day trips and our travels should get much cruisier and less stressful from here on in.

Fortunately we are back at the Maya Vista about 3pm and so this gives us time to do some strolling around the town and checking out Tela. The boys beg off - enough adventure for them today, so we promise to find them some Ranchitas corn chips and head out, with camera over shoulder to capture the feel of this interesting seaside town.

Within minutes I sense a big difference -whereas in other places, especially in Guatemala, I have been known by my family as the "secret snapper" for my quick pics out of car windows etc, so as not to be observed, here I take photos quickly but quite openly and have locals coming up asking me to photograph them. And not for payment either. They are just really friendly people. The streets are pretty grubby and the buildings tired and run down, but there is wonderful market vibe as we walk down the main street - lots of things happening and most of it on the street.

One thing we have learnt during our trip so far is about the presence of the garment making industry in Guatemala and Honduras, and many jeans makers in particular, get their gear sewn here. The problem so far has been how do you try on jeans in an outdoor market with no change areas? How can you buy jeans without trying them on? Fortunately in Tela there is a couple of large clothing/department style stores, so I end up with a very snug fitting pair of stretch Pepe Vintage jeans and he with a pretty cool brand called Joe Boxer for about $25 each. Probably more expensive than on the street, but at least you know you can wear them.

The next day Taylor joins us for a wander and some more picture snapping and we also replace his suitcase after the wheel broke off at our arrival to the Maya Vista. Not very impressed with the quality of the two brand new suitcases we bought in Australia prior to leaving. Something to take up with Strandbags when we get home.

Before we know it, it is time for a quickly assembled peanut butter sandwich before we get picked up by Roger, for the 1 1/2 hr trip to La Ceiba, some grocery shopping and then our ferry trip to Roatan. We can't wait to get to the Bay Islands.

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