Honduras Intro

Honduran Banana Farm

Honduras

Honduras

Honduras is a Spanish speaking country located in Central America.  The majority of the 8.4 million Hondurans are Roman Catholic.  90% of the population is mestizo, a mix of Spanish and native.  Honduras has 4 regions.  The northern coastal region, the mountain slopes, the central highlands, and the Pacific lowlands.  The northern coastal region is known for its sandy loam creating plentiful bananas, rice, and corn.  The mountain slopes have a scattered population running on logging the forested slopes.  The central highlands are rugged mountains interspersed with fertile valleys.  Lastly, the Pacific lowlands are used for cattle farming.  The average temperature in Honduras is about 61-67 degrees fahrenheit.  Lastly, if you are Honduran, family and religion come first.   

Venezuela Day 3

José and I with the Marlin

Fishing Of La Guaria

Day 3

I am so sad today is my last day in beautiful Caracas.  But I shall not fret because today, I am going fishing off the coast of La Guaria with the Venezuelan natives.  La Guaria is known for it’s amazing fishing.  Marlin is famously caught here.  The drive from Caracas to La Guaria is about 40 min.  Once I got there I saw tons of tours to go fishing.  I chose one of them with a man called José.  José was extremely friendly, similar to most Venezuelans.  We began our journey by going pretty far out to a place that has been in the family for generations.  The ship is pretty wide and is two decks.  We had huge fishing poles.  I cast my line out and waited.  I waited for about 30-45 min before I had a bite.  While I was waiting, José was talking to me about the history of Venezuela and his favorite places to eat.  As soon as I got the bite, José rushed over and guided me on what to do.  He told me to let the fish swim out a little bit, then draw him back in slowly.  He also constantly reminded me to watch the tension on the pole so it does not break.  After about 30 min of doing this the marlin began to tire and I was able to get it close enough to the boat for José to trap it in his net and pull it up.  It began to flop around until José and I got a good grip on him.  We took a picture and sailed back to shore.  When we got back to shore, José scaled and gutted the fish.  He made Marlin sushi and offered me some.  It tasted a bit chewy but overall, great.  He also had smoked marlin which tasted even better.  After this, I bade José farewell, I got a taxi to my hotel and then to the airport.  Venezuela was a fun and exciting country.  

Venezuela Day 2

Diablos Danzantes De Yare

Day 2

Jésus

I woke up to the sounds of honking and people speaking Spanish.  Today is a very important day for Venezuelans.  Today is Corpus Christi.  Corpus Christi is a celebration of the belief of Jesus.  It also is a representation of good vs evil.  I was so excited to be able to take part in the Diablos Danzantes, the devil dances.  This celebration is once a year and is commemorated by the city of San Francisco de Yare dressing up as devils and having a humongous feast.  After about a 1 hour drive from Caracas, I finally arrive.  The natives have been working on these costumes all year.  While I walked around and admired the preparation for the festival, I met a man named Jésus.  He spoke enough English to be able to explain to me about their festival.  He took me to his area.  He showed me his costume and lets me try it on.  It was basically a red shirt and pants with an elaborately painted devil-like mask( it looks similar to a dragon).  The procession started at the edge of the village and works it’s way through towards the church.  Once we got to the church the devils danced and we ate bread and drank wine.  This is a life-changing experience for any Catholic out there.  After today, I am once again tired and can’t wait for my next life-changing experience tomorrow.  Buenas Noches.  

Venezuela Day 1

La Estancia

Venezuela Soccer Stadium

Day 1

As I strolled out the airport on June 3, I was greeted by Spanish and taxis.  The first thing I did is convert some American dollars into Venezuelan Bolivares.  After this, I rented a taxi to go to my hotel to drop my things off.  I stayed at Mini Apartamentos El Paraiso Caracas.  It is only 1.4km from downtown Caracas.  On the way there I saw vibrant and colorful favelas, built on the sides of mountains.  As I near the city, I saw towering skyscrapers and people walking up and down the sidewalks.  Once I finally arrived, I was amazed at the view from my apartment.  I could see the lush mountains towering over the city and buildings.  I have heard that steak dominates Venezuelan cuisine so I headed over to La Estancia as they are well known for their authenticity.  It is located in a hacienda with a wood interior.  After I finished the juicy steak, I headed over to the soccer stadium to watch Honduras vs. Venezuela.  The outside of the stadium was bright and lively.  The inside was even brighter, filled with Venezuelans excited for the match.  I got to hear and participate in Venezuelan chants and soccer traditions.  I left the match disappointed for the score was Honduras 2 Venezuela 1.  Exhausted from my 7 hour flight and watching a great game of soccer, I am ready to go to sleep and recharge for tomorrow’s day of adventures, so

Hasta Mañana.  

View from my apartment

Venezuela Intro

Venezuela

Venezuela is located in South America’s Northern region.  It’s capital is Caracas.  Venezuela is about the size of France and Germany combined.  Tall mountains, including the world’s tallest waterfall, Angel Falls, extensive jungles, and rivers all create a diverse and interesting Venezuelan ecosystem.  Venezuela is made up of four regions, encompassing highlands, lowlands, plains, and the Guyana region.  The West is dominated by highlands, the East consists of lowlands, and the south is made up of plains and the Guyana region. Venezuelans are mainly Roman Catholic, a religion practiced widely throughout Southern and Central America.  Even though Venezuela has widespread poverty and a $12,200 per capita GDP, Venezuelans are friendly, cordial, and live in an amazing country full of exotic animals and sights to see.

Angel Falls