Termites & trekking in Tela

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Tela is a smaller, beach town, a bit nicer than La Ceiba.
Horribly hot and muggy, so I admit to splurging on a place with actual air conditioning, and (theoretically) hot water. The hot water worked on the first night, but not the second, after the electrical built in water heater on the shower hose (yes, exactly as sketchy as it sounds) shorted out due to a frayed wire and almost electrocuted me when I tried to fix it. I'll stick with cold water, I think. Booked a tour to the Jeanette Kawas National Park for the morning after I arrived. Named after an assassinated conservation activist, it's about 45 minutes away from Tela by motorboat. Went on a walk in the reserve. Lots of birds and about a dozen howler monkeys. VERY loud, and we amused ourselves hooting at them and having them answer back. The guide was very knowledgable, talking about the different plant and animal species, a little of the history of the area, and some jungle survival tips, like what plants are good sources of food and water. Showed us a termite mound- the material of the mound acts as a natural mosquito repellant, in a pinch, and termites are a good source of food. I tried one, just for fun... Weirdly enough, they taste like carrots. Slightly dirty, weird carrots, I'd say, but that was definitely a surprise. The walk ended at a enclosed bay that was once a popular harbour for pirates, including Captain Henry Morgan (of the rum fame). Then we went snorkeling. Lots of coral and things to look at quite close to shore, easy access for snorkelling. A bit of a current, though, which made maneuvering a little difficult (no hitting the coral!!), but worth the effort. After that we got back on the boat to go to a small village for a traditional lunch of plantains, coconut rice, beans, and fresh fish. On the way there we stopped at a small island full of pelicans, frigate birds, and other seabirds. The noise of the boat startled them, and most of them all took off at once, wheeling around before settling down again. A different species of frigate bird than the ones in the Galapagos... Magnificient frigate birds, instead of just 'Great' frigate birds. Ooooh... After lunch, we sat around in the hammocks for a while relaxing, and watching the howler monkeys around the village, and the vulture that was wandering around looking for garbage. Before getting on a boat and heading back to Tela.

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