Saturday, March 21 Copàn Ruinas to Tela, Honduras

The only thing worse than a rooster that lives in a hotel is 2 roosters that live in a hotel. There was a rooster that lived near my window in Xela, but it was never quite like this. They started taking turns cockadoodledooing at what I think was 5am, and are probably still at it as you are reading this now.

I decided to give the town of Copàn Ruinas another chance and took a walk to find breakfast. The town once again failed. Not much was open, people weren't really that nice, and the place I went to was slightly overpriced and not very good. It failed even more when I went to the ruins to find that it costs $30USD to see the pyramids and tunnels and $15 just for the pyramids. The guys directing traffic in the parking lot were nice and we talked a bit before I left.

A nice curvy (but not twisty) road made for some really nice riding in this hilly, jungley landscape that seems exactly like Honduras should look like, although I wouldn't have known that before. It was nice until the clouds came in, followed by the rain. I did what I usually do in the rain - go into meditation mode and ride all the way through.

Coming out of San Pedo Sula, a semi-modern industrial city, I came across a toll booth. On the list of vehicles and tolls, I didnt see motorcycles, so I got the car amount ready and chose a lane. As I pulled up I saw a motorcycle whizz by between cones in the far right lane - at the same instant I was getting yelled at by the toll collectors that I need to use the last lane. Definitely my first time getting in trouble for not weaving around traffic and avoiding tolls.

There were many police road blocks, but at most of them they were either not pulling people over, or busy with other cars, so I passed. At one, however, they asked me to pull onto the shoulder. The episode that followed wins the Awkwardest Moments award of this trip so far. Not only was my head still stuffy and my hearing messed up, but I also decided to play the "no espanol" card. What follows is the dialogue as I percieved it:

Me: Buenas dias.
Cop: blah blah blah
Me: si... (I assume he wants my vehicle permit, so I take it out and hand it to him. I was right, and he looks at it.
-silence-
Cop: (with a slight smirk) blah blah licensia
Me: si, por supuesto (I get out my license and give it to him. He slowly takes it and looks at it closely, wiggles it to see the hologram, and slowly puts it in his other hand with my permit, as his smirk grows ever so slightly)
Cop: blah blah blah
Me: ¿que?
Cop: blah blah blah
Me: No comprendo
Cop: blah blah blah blah blah ticket (in english)
-silence-
Me: Ticket? Porque?
Cop: blah blah blah (similar to last thing he said, smirk getting larger)
-silence-
Me: no comprendo
-more silence-
-more smirking-
Cop: blah abrir blah (pointing at my right luggage case, the one with my trumpet, first aid kit, and some rope)
Me: ok (I open it, and he looks at the first aid kit, but doesn't even take notice of the odd looking trumpet case taking up the entire space. When he's done, I close it.)
More Silence. Slowly, the cop hands me my license, then my permit, with a smile on his face. When I put them away, he reaches out to shake my hand, smiles, and wishes me a feliz viaje.
Me: uhhh, gracias....adios...

Clearly he wanted a bribe, but did not want to initate the idea - he was waiting for me to do that. It is also possible that he wanted me to offer a bribe so he could then officially get me in trouble for offering a bribe to a cop. Either way, I dummied myself out of a potentially unfortunate situation with the Honduras police. My lack of spanish came to the rescue.

Later, my lack of spanish hurt just a little bit. When I pulled over at a rest area type thing with tables, some food stands, and a convenience store to eat my peanut butter and granola, a pretty girl who works there sat at my table and wished me buon provecho. A minute later, she asked me a couple normal questions, where I'm from and if I rode that motorcycle all the way here. After that, she lost me. Most people stop there and wish me happy travels - this girl really wanted to talk though. And believe me, so did I! I was, however, able to explain that not only do I speak very little spanish, but I'm a bit sick and can't hear very well. Not the most suave words, but it was the truth and cleared some things up. I guess there will be no spanish speaking chicas for me on this trip. Practice, man, practice.

Although it was earlier than usual, I was Tela on my map - a small town on the Caribbean Sea with a beach icon and a nearby wildlife refuge. I got there to find that it's really not very touristy, and a neat little town. I found an old rundown hotel with rooms with baños, but no running water. It's across the street from the beach, has a fan, and cost 150L, so I can't complain. I see a beer and dinner in my near future. And some studying of my spanish notebooks.