Rio Dulce a La Ceiba
We got the boat ride from Rio Dulce to Livingston. Our expectations were high because the journey is reputed to be a highlight of Guatemala. We went through some pretty scenery, through waters inhabited by manatees (although we couldn't see them), but we'd seen much prettier sights in Guatemala. No matter, at least we did it!
We arrived in Livingston and were a bit shocked. The other Caribbean towns we've been in were much nicer...much friendlier people, a friendlier atmosphere in general. We were relieved to book a shuttle to La Ceiba, Honduras for the next day. No need to dawdle there!
So the next morning we got a 6:30am ferry to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. From there, a shuttle picked up us and two other travellers from Holland. We left Guatemala with no hitches, entered Honduras for a set USD3 fee, and made our way to La Ceiba. The drive was through lovely scenery, although we all found it difficult to stay awake. We arrived in La Ceiba at about 1pm, and the driver very kindly found our chosen hostel for us (which unfortunately turned out to be full).
We then encountered lots of places either closed or missing entirely. Things on our guide book map were gone or had moved. We walked around in intense heat for quite some time before finding a hostel that was where it should be, was open, and didn't cost a crazy amount. A few people were helpful in giving us directions (many streets here are unmarked, and even the locals don't know what every street is called), but on the whole we're disappointed in how unfriendly the people here are. In Guatemala, everyone we made eye contact with would smile and exchange pleasantries with us. Here, about 1% of people we say buenas to actually respond, as opposed to 99% in Guatemala. It's quite a culture shock. I sincerely hope things are different in other Honduran places...after all, this is only our first stop here.
The other problem was that we had in mind to take some tours of local wildlife areas. Of the recommended tour agencies here, only one was where it should be and open, and they had no other tourists signed up for tours. So we've given up on getting tours up here, which is disappointing, but on the other hand it's crazy hot and humid here, and we've already been eaten up by bugs.
So we're exploring options and trying to figure out where to go next. We don't want to stay here in La Ceiba for another night, but we need to sort out where to be instead! Watch this space...
We arrived in Livingston and were a bit shocked. The other Caribbean towns we've been in were much nicer...much friendlier people, a friendlier atmosphere in general. We were relieved to book a shuttle to La Ceiba, Honduras for the next day. No need to dawdle there!
So the next morning we got a 6:30am ferry to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. From there, a shuttle picked up us and two other travellers from Holland. We left Guatemala with no hitches, entered Honduras for a set USD3 fee, and made our way to La Ceiba. The drive was through lovely scenery, although we all found it difficult to stay awake. We arrived in La Ceiba at about 1pm, and the driver very kindly found our chosen hostel for us (which unfortunately turned out to be full).
We then encountered lots of places either closed or missing entirely. Things on our guide book map were gone or had moved. We walked around in intense heat for quite some time before finding a hostel that was where it should be, was open, and didn't cost a crazy amount. A few people were helpful in giving us directions (many streets here are unmarked, and even the locals don't know what every street is called), but on the whole we're disappointed in how unfriendly the people here are. In Guatemala, everyone we made eye contact with would smile and exchange pleasantries with us. Here, about 1% of people we say buenas to actually respond, as opposed to 99% in Guatemala. It's quite a culture shock. I sincerely hope things are different in other Honduran places...after all, this is only our first stop here.
The other problem was that we had in mind to take some tours of local wildlife areas. Of the recommended tour agencies here, only one was where it should be and open, and they had no other tourists signed up for tours. So we've given up on getting tours up here, which is disappointing, but on the other hand it's crazy hot and humid here, and we've already been eaten up by bugs.
So we're exploring options and trying to figure out where to go next. We don't want to stay here in La Ceiba for another night, but we need to sort out where to be instead! Watch this space...
posted by Trace at
10:08 am
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