Yesterday was an uneventful, but long travel day. Flights were on time, but the lines in Honduran immigration were almost 90 minutes long. Our drive from San Pedro Sula to Santa Rosa was close to 4 hours in a 15 passenger van, with 15 passengers. Not quite my new SUV, but it worked. The lush landscape and mountainous views made the drive interesting. We checked into our comfortable welcoming hotel, "Hotel San Jorge". They provided a delicious dinner of chicken, beans and rice. Today was a day to acclimate and explore the local culture. We started with an orientation to Habitat Honduras provided by our in country host, Luis. We reviewed the history of Habitat, safety concerns and learned a few 'Luisisms'. My favorite for today. . . "Remember to 'squeeze the lemon' before getting in ... read more

Yesterday, while waiting for our guide, we were met in the lobby of our hotel by an Asian looking man, named Ashok who said he was our guide. We were expecting a guide named Krishna, so this proved confusing. Turns our Ashok was our guide from the trekking company for the following two days. He was coming by to brief us and deliver what we needed for our adventure. He began explaining, what to pack, and what to leave, where we were meeting, going, etc. Then he said the words, “mud” and “leeches”. After that, I heard nothing! Actually, I didn’t remember much of what he said before ‘leeches’ as well. Although I slept well, I was now anxious about this portion of our trip. I couldn’t get leeches out of my head. We were met ... read more

Our first impression of Kathmandu, not nearly as brown or hot as India. At an altitude of 4500 ft, the air is noticeably cooler, thinner and less hazy than Delhi. Trash still litters the roads, but not nearly to the same extent as in India. Clothing styles are decidedly more western than in India as well, although there are still a considerable amount of women in the local garb. Kathmandu is a city of 4 million people, relatively small by India standards, with the vast majority recently settling here. Our guide in Kathmandu, Kasey(sp), was another master’s degree educated, anthropology trained local. He shared a wealth of knowledge about the culture, the politics and the history of Nepal. I wish I could remember more. Leo and I came here with just a bit more than a ... read more

Our vacation was interrupted by the original purpose of our trip. Leo needed to conduct some business. I used these few days to read, catch up on my blogging, shop and get some laundry done. Nothing I need to fill in the details on, but I thought I would share some observations. For your information, We were in the state of Punjab in Chandigarh and in the state of Himachal Predesh in Paonta Sahib. Grey and Brown When we arrived in New Delhi the first time, I thought how grey and brown the city looks. Our first morning, I thought the sky seemed hazy and overcast. After 2 weeks, I now feel that India is just ‘dingy’. According to our local guide, hazy and overcast are the normal weather conditions. We haven’t seen too much sun ... read more

Travel from Jaipur to Varanasi was easy. Only 2 flights connecting through Delhi. By the end of this trip, Delhi Airport will be as familiar as RDU. Describing our 24 hours in Varanasi is difficult. Our guide, Aman (a university trained anthropologist), called his city “The Real India”. It was simultaneously real and surreal. We were at turns amazed, humbled, horrified and enchanted. Varanasi cannot be seen, it can only be experienced. All our senses were engaged (willingly and unwillingly), sometimes overwhelmed. The sights and sounds we attempted to capture in video and still photographs. The taste, smell and spiritual senses will be tougher to convey. Pardon the long post, but again, this blog is as much for Leo and I as it is for our readers. I want to jot down as many details as ... read more