Two Adventures in One Day

While in the states, we made a promise to a friend that we would visit someone that lives in La Paz. La Paz is about two hours from here. Early in the week, we decided we would drive to La Paz today, go to church and do what we needed to do. We left here around 7:15 this morning.

The drive to La Paz was uneventful, always a good thing. We got to La Paz and could not find the church. The person we needed to see was suppose to be at church as well. La Paz is not that big and we thought this would not be difficult. We asked someone where the iglesai de Cristo was. The man gave us directions to a church, just not the one for which we were looking. We asked someone else and they gave us directions to a church, again not the right one. This happened several times to the point, not only was I laughing every time someone gave us directions to another church, that I am sure we found every church in town except the one we wanted to find.

At 10:00, I am thinking it is still acceptable to walk in church that starts at 9:30. At 10:45, I am not so sure and at 11:00 I know it won't be ok. But we were still determined to find that church and hopefully, that person. We drove up and down every bumpy road in La Paz and never did find that church. I donned a dress and heels to bounce up and down dusty, rutted roads. As we were going up one paved road, we both noticed we were going the wrong way on a one way street and Marc quickly turned. I said that taxi was going the same way we were. We made a block and got back on the street going the right way this time. We met several cars going the other direction. Maybe they don't know what one way means in La Paz.

Finally, we gave up and drove on into Comayagua and grabbed a pizza. While eating, we decided to take a different route home, just to see the sights. Marc pulled out his Honduran road map. Why do I keep thinking things will be different when he pulls out this trusty friend of his.

We headed north out of Comayagua. As we wound high into the mountains and back down into the valleys, with my window down and the wind blowing through my hair, I found myself relaxing. Totally relaxing. And forgetting everything that was currently on my mind. If there is one thing Honduras is not lacking, it is natural beauty. A rugged natural beauty. I enjoyed every inch we travelled today.

There were several people walking. There always is in Honduras and most have a long ways to walk. Marc let any and everyone that desired, get in the bed of the truck. They knock on the window when they want us to stop.

The first town we came to was El Rosario. I am sure it was straight from any old western you care to name. Horses tethered on the main street. Aged, weather-beaten men in their big hats.

We climbed high, high into the mountains, most of the time creeping along on the mountain ridge. The views were breath taking. Sometimes the thought of being on that ridge was more than breath taking.

El Rosario and the next town on the map, San Jeronimo were easy to find. The third one not so. We had to find this third one to get back to a highway. I am quite thankful for the riders. There were so many forks in the road. There were no signs or anything to show us which way to go. We would ask the riders which fork to take and they would tell us. I was sure one of the riders told us the way he needed to go. But he didn't. He really did tell us the right way.

We did get to a point we did not have a clue which way to go. And we really wanted to be back to the highway before dark. When we left Comayagua, we had no idea we would not be back to a highway before dark. A truck driver comes driving down this little narrow dusty road. Marc asked him which way to the highway and he said follow me. I am so thankful for that truck driver.

When he got us safely on the right road, he told us to go on because he would be going so slow. We got to what we thought was the Olanchoe-Tegucigalpa highway right at dark. Thank you, Lord. We were at km 39. We drove the 39 kilometers and found out whatever highway we were on connected with the Tegucigalpa highway. We were still 56 kilometers from Tegucigalpa.

Marc and I enjoy getting off the beaten path and seeing God's creation. I had a great, great day today, but I was really glad to see Tegucigalpa and even more so to see my house.

Terri