Gringa on the Go!: Let's Get Wet!

El Salvador. Done. Next up: Honduras!

After successfully, albeit a bit sketchily, crossing the border into Honduras, and spending a few days in the cute colonial town of Comayagua, I heard adventure beckoning once more. This time, it led me to Lago de Yojoa, Honduras' largest lake, situated in the midst of incredibly lush mountains and abundant coffee and banana plantations. The towering mountain slopes were covered so densely with the berries you could almost smell the delicious aroma. Almost.

In addition to the mountains, red coffee cherries, bananas and the wildlife you'd expect in such a spot, the lake has another big plus going for it - just a short walk from its shore lies one of Honduras' only microbreweries! After drinking pretty bad, monotonous Central American beer for the past 8 months or so, you can imagine my delight at having half a dozen hand crafted beers at my disposal. And, right beside the brewing station was more than enough space for me to set up my little one person tent. Good beer, mountains, a gorgeous lake, hiking and camping - was I ever one happy little lady!

Surprisingly, the real highlight of the trip wasn´t the beer. I made friends with the owner of the brewery, and on my second day there he invited me to come along as he showed some visiting friends the nearby sights. First stop was Pulphanzak Falls - a 43 meter high waterfall. You can hear the falls well before you see them, and when I finally caught sight of them, I was humbled by their force. I was just minutes away from really experiencing their power.

One of the things I love about traveling outside of Canada/USA/Europe is all of the crazy and amazing things you can do that safety and security measures in the north would never permit. And Honduras definitely is no exception. For a few extra bucks, you can pay to go "under" the falls. Everyone I had met beforehand raved about it, using the most superfluous of words to describe the experience. I however, was skeptical. How can going underneath a bit of water be so great? How could it compare to cliff jumping, bungee jumping, motorbike riding? "Give me what you got cascada," I proclaimed, almost defiantly, before embarking out.

As our "guide" (aka a 14 year old kid) led us through the pools near the base of the falls, and we approached the thundering force of the water, I felt my skepticism running away. Standing no more than 3 meters from the waterfall, deafened by the noise of the water crashing powerfully towards the earth and feeling the mist spraying my body, I began to understand what all the hype was about. The feeling became stronger with each approaching step. And suddenly, there I was, standing directly underneath the cascade, feeling the force of nature pushing down on me. Stepping back into a small alcove behind the falls, I was given a reprieve from the flow of water and was able to open my eyes and take a moment to reflect on what was going on around me. Looking up, I could see the water arc and form an incredibly beautiful, yet surreal liquid curtain just inches from my face. The beauty of it all was almost blinding - standing there in this hidden spot, where many have been before, I couldn't help but feel as if it was a uniquely special experience, reserved just for me.

I came out with a burst of adrenaline that I hadn't felt in a long time - if you would have asked me to skydive, go cliff jumping, or white water rafting, I wouldn´t have even thought twice. Fortunately, the day didn't end there, as our gracious host continued to play tour guide and skirt us around the region. And while I arrived back at the brewery tired after a long and intense day, I wasn't too tired to finish off the day in real Canadian style - as the six game undefeated champion of a beer shuttlecock tournament (mostly thanks to my partner Dave).

And so the next morning, with a well deserved headache, once more I was off, on the road, seeing where it would lead me next.