Thunderstorm

We are having the first thunderstorm I've seen since getting here in January. It's pretty good with plenty of lightning and rain. As it was coming in, I took some photos of my neighborhood and caught a bolt of lightning coming down in the distance.




I'm told the rainy season starts in a month or two and it gets mighty wet here. So come June, expect photos of wet things.

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Trip to Tegucigalpa

I took the bus into Tegucigalpa to spend the weekend. The bus was packed -- not a seat was open. A good chunk of the people got off at the Marriott, which was also where I was staying. They usually have plenty of rooms, and I had reservations, so no problems.

We had lunch at Gino's -- an Italian restaurant in the old tourist triangle of town. The food there is outstanding and all the people who work there are friendly. After lunch, we went around the corner to the Casino Royale (the entire casino is smaller than a McDonalds) and gambled for about an hour. I actually came out ahead - I think the casino dog was giving me luck -- it kept licking my feet.

The best part of a relaxing weekend in Tegucigalpa, to me, is relaxing at the hotel. They have a nice little bar with friendly employees, and also a nice area by the pool. Plus I get to sleep in a big bed and have my own bathroom for the night -- luxuries we don't have at Soto Cano Air Base.

The trip back was uneventful. We drove through a little rain, so we had to close the windows. I think I'll take a trip back the beginning of May.

Here are a few photos of the trip out there and just getting into town.

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Moved into a new place

I forgot to post that I moved into a half hooch last week. It's not big, but I like it and it is a permanent location. Below are a couple photos from Casa de Juan. Dig my groovy bedspread?
 

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Sawdust carpets

I went into Comayagua with a group to see the sawdust carpets on Friday. The local people take colored sawdust and make large "carpets" with religious themes in the streets around the main square.




There is also a procession where they stop at each station of the cross. It's impressive.

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Mango Watch Update

The mangoes are getting much larger, but still are not ripe. I picked one today and cut it open -- they are still hard, green and bitter.



The tree is full of fruit and they are banging against the roof whenever the wind blows. Here's a full shot of the tree:



Now one of the banana trees has entered the competition -- it has some fruit working its way to being ripe and ready to eat.



So, it's St. Patrick's day and we have a bunch of un-ripe fruit -- that must be why we wear green.

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Miami

I spent a couple days in Miami this week for a Strategic Communications workshop. I don't know if it was just where I was staying by the airport, but Miami doesn't seem like a very pedestrian-friendly area. After catching the shuttle to the hotel, I decided to walk around and see what I could find for dinner. The hotel is on a main thoroughfare, so there was quite a bit of traffic. When I got to the first intersection, I noticed something strange -- no crosswalks or walk/don't walk lights. I eventually got across the street and found a small Mexican restaurant. There were a bunch of Miami/Dade cops there, so I could only assume they were just robbed or the food was really good. Since they were all parked neatly in parking spaces, and didn't have the lights on, I figured they had good food.

Here's a tip for the next time you are in Miami: Miami/Dade cops seem like nice guys, but they don't know jack about Mexican Food.

The next night I went out for Cuban food -- it was delicious. So the lesson for today is Miami=Good Cuban food; San Antonio=Good Mexican food. Do not confuse the two.

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Give a Kid a Backpack

We had a group from Florida, Give a Kid a Backpack, come out and we helped them distribute backpacks with school supplies to children in local schools who wouldn't normally be able to afford those items. They get the backpacks and school supplies from donations from children around the United States. I went with them one day to a school in La Paz and a couple in Humuya and shot a few photos. Here's one of a girl with her backpack:

It was great going out there and meeting the kids. I think we had as much fun as they did.

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