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Published: June 22nd 2008
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Uncle Mo had so much fun meeting us in China that he decided to meet us in yet another country. This time, in Honduras. Though the people, the food, and the surroundings were entirely different, the ease of passing time together remained the same. We could be in the Arctic Circle in bikinis and still enjoy the company of our uncle.
For Mogens, we decided to squeeze 2 months of our experiences in Honduras into 2.5 days. He traveled like a youngster here, jumping from rocks into spring fed pools, refusing to take unnecessary showers (or any showers at all come to think of it), eating with his hands only, and riding on the highway in the pickup bed, American traffic laws be damned!
Since Ely has family in a bunch of different places, it enabled us to see a lot of different scenery and try lots of different foods. Starbucks, hot water showers, CNN world, and at times even reliable electricity were no where to be found.
For me, and for Mogens too I think, we felt pretty lucky here, because in a short time we learned a lot about the real Honduras. Most foreign tourists simply
skip by the mainland on route to the bigger, more extravagent, and more gringo friendly Bay Islands. Oh no, not us.
I doubt that other succesfully touted tourist countries like Belize or Jamaica have wildly different geographic features than Honduras. It seems to me that they decided long ago that investing in tourism would be worth any potential downside risks. But...for better or worse, mainland Hondruas was not one of those countries, and is seriously lacking in the development of tourism. It is at times dirty and most other times dangerous. But, it is the real country, lacking tourist Euros (notice my use of Euros now to signify strength in currency!), and that was what we wanted to show him.
I have repeatedly talked about my inability to stay concentrated on the present. Some people call it 'The Now.' I am either dwelling in the past or dreaming about the future. This sort of mentality really sucks when traveling, because I don't seem to be fully appreciating the uniqueness of my current setting. So...I am working on this. It was nice to have another foreign perspective in Mogens, someone who can make me realize that I need to
just enjoy where I am and be at peace. He was really happy to see what he saw here, and it helped me to realize that I need to be a little bit happier too.
Ely brought along new age, old age, or some age books that are supposed to help you discover your conscious self, appreciate the now, and other sorts of things like that. They make sense to her, but for me, I struggle to get past 100 pages. So, trying to get at it in my own way I guess.
Mogens met a lot of family here. Just about as many as I myself have met. He also met Ely´s famous grandpa and was impressed by the energy of a 78, 76, or 80 year old man. When we finished a meal, grandpa made Mogens touch his belly. Apparently it is a sign of strength for him. Then, he gave Mogens a Honduran football jersey, on the stipulation that he must tell every Honduran in Lexington exactly where he got it from.
When we first arrived, Mogens was anxious to get to the ATM to take some Honduran Lempiras out. We told him that
this wasn't necessary, because where we were taking him, whether you are carrying cow chips or Benjamins, her family wouldn't accept.
The last night here Mogens treated the family and us to a dinner at Pizza Hut. We think it was probably their first time there, judging by their reactions to the different foods and flavors. Don't remember the last time I had so much fun at a fast food restaurant. Everyone was really anxious to try the new flavors of pizza and American deserts, and they obviously felt like it was a real treat to dine there. We had to explain the difference between an American pizza and an Italian pizza. Also, Pecan pie. 'What is a pie,' they asked. 'Well, it is sort of like a cake, but its a pie.' Not a real easy thing to explain, especially when they don't have that word in Spanish.
Mogens left the country feeling really blessed, and right now, so do I. We take so many things for grant it. I know for me, Ely, and I think Mogens too, this Honduras experience will serve a higher purpose. How we can live with less and appreciate more of
what we have. Stuff doesn't matter, and it doesn't make us any happier than we already are. In the US, there are so many things that cloud our vision. When those sort of things are unavailable or not necesary to you, like when you leave for a third world country for two and a half months, what remains in your mind are the things that really matter, like meaningful friendships and family.
I was just reading a story about a recent study published, which showed that once a nation has a per capita income above $12,000, there is little correlation between wealth and happiness. Now... Ely and I are no Mother Teresas, we (me more than Ely) certainly have our moments of hypocrisy, but together I think we are moving in a good direction. Maybe that is what spending a week without electricity in the hills will do to you, but who knows.
Only a few more weeks to go!
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