Comayagua and La Tigra

A week ago Monday the temple presidency and wives and other temple missionary couples enjoyed a day trip to Comayagua, an old colonial town an hour and a half north of Tegucigalpa which was once the capital not only of Honduras but of all Central America, when it was all one country.  Our former bishop (now stake president's counselor) David Matute invited us at his expense, with his providing the transportation plus a lovely lunch at the Comayagua golf club, where he has a membership. 

Yesterday, with the temple now closed for two weeks for semi-annual maintenance, Virginia and I went for what we intended to be a two day excursion to the La Tigra National Park, also about an hour and a half away--closer to Tegucigalpa, but in the mountains, which made for slower traveling time.  We found a taxi driver who said he would take us for the equivalent of $15, but it took significantly longer to get there than he had anticipated, over slow, winding, uphill dirt roads, so I felt we really ought to ask him once we arrived what he would have charged us if he had known how long it would take to get there.  He said $30, so we gave him the $30, which was still less than the $55 another taxi driver had once told us he would charge.

The park has basic accommodations for $25 per night ($12.50 per person), and a very basic open air  cafeteria next door.  It turns out we were the only visitors that day, and the cook at the cafeteria (who seems to double as the maid for the lodging), not having anticipated any customers for Monday lunch, had nothing in stock to prepare.  We were glad we had taken along a couple of quarts of fruit juice, which served as lunch.  We enjoyed walking around several trails through a beautiful tropical cloud forest that afternoon, though it was a bit rockier and steeper than we had anticipated.  While it was beautiful, we have seen a lot of beautiful places in our short lives, and I can't say this was any more beautiful than mountain trails or jungle trails in other areas.  There were lots of orchid plants attached to the trees, but none were in bloom. We heard lots of pretty bird songs, but saw absolutely no pretty birds.  We did see two tepezcuintles back by the cafeteria, and I briefly glimpsed some large animal--I think a deer, darting uphill through the brush, but that was it.

During the night it rained for several hours.  It was also chillier than at least Virginia had anticipated.  The prospect of the trails being even muddier than they were on Monday, plus a sore knee on me and sore legs on Virginia, plus the fact that we had already explored the nearby trails, and we wouldn't have had the physical endurance on our gimpy legs to make it to the waterfall several miles away,  helped us decide to leave a day early for home.  We didn't want to call the taxi guy again for another $30 so decided to take the bus back.  To reach the bus we would need to walk nearly a mile downhill to a small "village," if it can be called that.  We were told buses left at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., among other times.  We decided to gulp down breakfast and try to make it for the 9 a.m. bus.  Once we got to the "village," we found that for the first time in recorded history something occurred ahead of schedule in Honduras.  The bus had left at 8:48!  So we got to wait a couple of hours.  Our 11 a.m. bus more typically left at 11:15, but we're glad we took it, as it got us back as quickly as the taxi had gotten us there, even though it stopped every few feet, it seemed, to pick up another school child or other passenger.  To make up for the stops, the driver drove like a maniac in between stops, speeding down hill on the wrong side of the road and honking at anyone daring to be in his way.  But we got to town safe in spite of it all and got a taxi from the "terminal" back to the temple.  We really did enjoy the bus ride, feeling that we got to see more of rural Honduras and rural Hondurans than one would in a taxi.  Also, we now know how to get there on the bus, in case Bob and Sherryl still want to go there during their visit in June.  Photos follow of both adventures.

In front of the Comayagua cathedral, dating to the 1700's sometime.  The clock is one of the two oldest in the world that still works, and the oldest in the Americas, dating to about 1100 A.D.  I believe Columbus had something to do with its getting here.

The rest of the front of the cathedral

Clock close-up

Oh, the indignity of it all!

Gold-leafed interior of the cathedral

Close up of the inner workings of the clock.  Notice halo surrounding head of husband of angelic looking creature on his right.

Bell rigged to wire which is connected to clock, such that every 15 minutes a hammer hits the bell to ring it.

Virginia ascending through narrow passageway up to the bell tower.

Virginia working on musical matters while others swim or hike at golf course.

View of Comayagua golf course

Pretty peacock perched at golf course.  (I heard it well before I saw it, looking all over the top of the tree for the bird that could be making the melody, before I suddenly saw it on a lower branch.)

Pretty posies at golf course

Large cricket inside country club building, on top of the curtain.

Visitors' center at La Tigra National Park (where we were the only visitors that day)

Accommodations at La Tigra National Park, where we were the only guests.  We had the room on top, with a nice view from the porch.  The cafeteria is on the right, where we were the only customers.

Trailhead of the "Bosque Neblado Trail"--("Cloud Forest Trail")

Typical trail in national park

Typical foilage--ferns, etc.

The only animal we were able to photograph--a tepezcuintle

Sunbeams coming through the early morning fog

Orchid plants clinging to tree trunk

Beautiful scenery on trail

More beautiful scenery

Bad guys on trail locked up Don in abandoned mine--but borrowing a technique from Samson, he managed to break free.

Lily on trail

Another trail shot

Closest thing to a waterfall we were able to hike to

Virginia risks life and limb on rickety bridge.  (You should have seen it when we both crossed at the same time!)

"Town" of Jutiapa to where we hiked to catch bus home.

Rest of the "town" where we waited two hours for bus on comfortable bench (aka old rusty pipe)

Virginia seeks snooze while waiting for bus.

Virginia seeks more comfortable position

Better than nothing!

Our bus!  On lower left windshield (from viewer's perspective) it says "In God I trust."

Inside bus:  "I left with God.  If I don't return, I went with Him."

On TV monitor in bus--"Only God is great"

Afternoon excursion to local cathedrals

After two straight Mondays of speaking to sister missionaries in the Tegucigalpa Mission, we had a more leisurely day today and in the afternoon were able to participate with other members of the temple presidency and other senior temple missionaries in an excursion to see some of the more prominent local Catholic churches.  Photos follow:

Don and Virginia with President and Sister Amado and mission president Carlos Hernandez and wife with a group of sister missionaries to whom we spoke on February 10.

Don and Virginia in front of the main downtown cathedral, the Cathedral of San Miguel.  Note recent paint job.

Another shot of the same

Inside the Cathedral of San Miguel

The Basilica de Suyapa, situated prominently on a hillside on the other side of town from the temple.   It is mammoth, but much newer and less ornate than the downtown cathedrals.

Inside the Basilica de Suyapa.

Inside the Basilica de Suyapa.  It doesn't look as big in the photo as it actually is, unless you notice how little the people in front are (including Virginia).

One of the many lovely stained glass windows in the basilica.

Woman who crawled on her knees from the far end of the basilica to the front, presumably as part of a petition for divine favors of some sort.

Elder and Sister Bassett in front of the Iglesia de los Dolores downtown--the most ornate and one of the oldest of Tegucigalpa's churches.  It was closed so we didn't get to see the inside.

Don and Virginia in front of the Iglesia de los Dolores

The LDS Institute of Religion (just below the Burger King sign), as seen from the Basilica de Suyapa.  The Church had originally proposed building the temple on the grassy spot just left of the institute, but our Catholic friends felt it would detract from the Basilica's prominence, and the Church withdrew its plans.  The temple is much better where it is.

Recitement

That's a new word meaning "recital excitement."  Look for Webster to acknowledge it in the next edition. The highlight of the last week or two has to be the musical recital that Virginia organized and which was presented in our chapel on Sunday, December 15.  The lowlight of the highlight was probably the rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" by her husband, but at least no one dared throw tomatoes in the chapel. (Just remember, that the root of "rendition" is "rend," which has the connotation of tearing it apart!)  Otherwise, it was a lovely event, and we're glad to have it behind us.  Following are a few photos and videos of the event, including Don's playing his number the following morning at the chapel, as the press arrived too late to film him the day before.

Saturday evening we had a very nice dinner and program for about 200+ temple workers and spouses.  We'll attach a photo or two of that, too.  Tonight we are going out with the other senior couples to see downtown Christmas lights and decorations.  If we get any good photos, they may end up on this site later.

Some of the recital participants, including Primary children

Playing bells, with congregational singing, at end of recital

Temple worker dinner

Christmas card photo in front of temple, with poinsettias in background

Close-up of captivating couple

Manger scene, with Caziers and temple

Bell playing at end of recital

Don demonstrates piano prowess

Virginia demonstrates markedly greater prowess.

As it turned out, the bus that was supposed to take us to see Christmas lights and decorations downtown never showed up, so we all went to the City Mall a couple of miles away to see the Christmas tree there and get some fast food.  Here we are in front of the tree.

And here is our group of senior missionaries enjoying fast food in the large food court at the mall.