Semana Santa in La Ceiba

Beaches, Alcohol, Drugs, Violence.
Can we call this Holy Week?
La Prensa, Honduras

Semana Borracha (Drunken Week) is over, leaving a Honduran death toll of 106. La Prensa reported that there were 29 deaths from auto accidents, 14 drowned, and 63 dead in violent acts. During the last seven days of the holiday, 27 million beers and 1 million liters of guaro (liquor) were consumed according to La Prensa.

While there were many religious processions and church services in other parts of the country during Semana Santa (Holy Week), what was most noticeable in La Ceiba were the giant signs for L.12 or L. 13 beer (U.S. 65-69 cents).

Driving through the Zona Viva (nightclub area) on Saturday night, we noticed that most of the permanent open air establishments were almost empty, while hundreds people walked the streets after consuming their L.65 buckets of beer (U.S. $3.40) in the Salva Vida area of the beach set up for the holiday. Salva Vida is a Honduran brand of beer.

The permanent establishments were complaining that they couldn't compete with their normal prices of L. 15-20 plus tax. So much for Semana "Santa" being a boon for Honduran tourism.

The country is in crisis, but we're going swimming!
La Prensa, Honduras

While most people had only a 4- or 5-day weekend, government workers were given the entire week sandwiched between two weekends. Supposedly the extra two holiday days will be made up by missing some holidays in October, but in reality that rarely happens. Workers just take the holidays anyway.

El Jefe says that a lot of people call Easter Sunday Resurrection Day because they stay drunk all week and then get resurrected on Sunday.

Compare that with Rudy's photos of the holidays in Guatemala and Billie's account from Mexico. Quite a contrast.

Sam, the very nice reader

Suitable for space shuttles and under-ocean oil rigs ;-)

A reader did an incredibly nice thing for me. Sam left a comment a month or so ago to say that he would be driving to La Ceiba and asked if there was anything I wanted him to bring for me from the U.S. I don't know Sam and he doesn't know me − except that he probably does know me from reading my blog.

Poor Sam. It was the day before he was leaving. He probably thought I would ask for a packet of tomato seeds or a book. Not me. I asked for two gallons of black satin paint. Haha! What nerve I have. Well, I thought it was worth a shot.

You see, we have iron stairway railings inside the house that I've never painted because the only oil-based paint in the entire country of Honduras must be high-gloss! It is a law, I guess. Actually, I haven't checked every paint store in Honduras, but I have checked every paint store in La Ceiba, even asking them to call San Pedro or special order it for me. No luck at all. It's high gloss or nothing.

The iron has been painted that rust colored anti-corrosivo (what is that called in English?). I then texturized the railings with spackling paste because I want to give them an antique look − somehow. I still haven't figured out the details yet. So we have been looking at this crap for two years.

It is even worse when someone comes over and says, "¡Que bonito!" (How pretty!), while they are really thinking "What weird taste this gringa has." I have to explain that it is just another of the many jobs left unfinished.

So good old Sam shelled out US $88 for the best quality paint he could find and drove it through 4 or 5 country border checkpoints for me. El Jefe was astounded that someone who has never met me would do such a nice thing. I did pay him for the paint, of course, but still, the fact that Sam trusted me and went to so much trouble is a big deal to me.

Thanks, Sam!

Bob's beach

Bob's beach

There has been too much doom and gloom on this blog lately so I stole this picture to cheer you up. Can you imagine looking at this everyday? Is this not the most beautiful photo you have seen in ages? It looks like a postcard. No, better than a postcard − it's a work of art.

This photo was taken by my good (internet) friend Bob Barbanes where he lives on the island of Guanaja, Honduras. Bob is a helicopter pilot who not only flies for his big, important boss, but also flies mercy missions, taking very sick island people to the hospital in La Ceiba since there is no direct transportation. He and his boss have saved quite a few lives by providing this free service to the people of Guanaja and they deserve a lot of thanks for that.

Actually, Bob did give me permission to use the photo, because he says, with modesty, that this is nothing compared to the photos that he has coming up. So, be sure not to miss them and check out Bob's FH1100 Pilot blog − it's one of my very favorites.