Unexpected Adventure

After school, Caitlin and I went down to Hotel Maya (Alambra Travel Agency) to buy our tickets for Guatemala for over Semana Santa. We thought maybe we'd swing by the mall to grab dinner afterward, but little did we know how our plans would radically change.

The lady at the traveling agency (Sandra) was very cordial and inviting, telling us about 'very cheap' weekend trips, and doing us the favor of explaining things in fluent English. I had seen her yesterday as well, because I went with Tim and Hannah to buy tickets at a different time. Caitlin and I made small talk, practiced our Spanish a little bit, and as we were finishing up, the agency was about to close for the day. Sandra asked us where we lived, and when we said Loarque, she told us that she lived close by. If we waited a little while, she could take us home, and even shopping at the market. Amazing!!

Her and her co-worker Maria drove us through the busy downtown streets to Friday Night market. It was a busy night, with stands piled high with the freshest fruit, baskets of colorful vegetables, and people milling about carrying reusable bags (for 5 lempiras = 25 cents) or being followed around by boys with wooden wheelbarrows who'll carry your groceries for you, meanwhile navigating the narrow walking spaces. Maria jumped out with us, while Sandra went to park the car. Maria was a pro. She spoke to us in English and Spanish as we admired the bountiful heaps of produce, and she very wisely selected which stands to shop from. It was an incredible opportunity to shop with a Honduran who knew the market inside and out. We even walked through to the meat/fish alleys, which reminded me a lot of the Arab markets in Jerusalem. Maria bought fish there, commenting fish from the market was much fresher than buying it in a supermarket...well, I bet.

The prices at the market were astounding--an even better value than what our corner Fruit Guy offers, and soon we had a bag brimming with pineapple, cucumbers, broccoli, bananas, tangerines, and even more pineapple. About half an hour later, Maria reunited us with Sandra again, and we had quite a different shopping experience with her. Sandra also had a boy with a cart to wheel around our groceries, but she made it a point to stop at only specific stands, where she picked out the "best fruit". I had to laugh when I heard her tell one of the stand owners, "solo las frutas bonitas" (only the beautiful fruit). It seemed she knew everyone in the market, and she was a very savvy barterer.

For instance, most people stand for lengths of time at the cheese counter contemplating what type of cheese they need. They linger and crowd around the large wheels of different colored cheeses inside a glass case, plastic tubs of crumbly cheese, vats of liquid cheese, essentially quesillo in many forms. But Sandra strode over to the counter, clapped her hands twice and pointed directly at a cheese wheel to get a sample. She sampled two, bought one for the price she told, and got a bag full of liquid (mayonnaise-looking) quesillo which they scraped into a plastic bag with a spatula. Then before about-facing to head to the next stand, she touched the woman's arm, as if they were old friends, and thanked her.

In fact, we saw a lot of Sandra's generous spirit as the night went on, tipping the boy who wheeled our cart around (enough money to eat for a day), giving a Lempira to a man who started washing our windows when the traffic was at a standstill, and giving Caitlin and me a ride all the way back to our neighborhood. It was also really encouraging talking with her, and she patiently taught us some Spanish while we exchanged travel stories. It was also a blessing and inspiration to see a Honduran care so much for the poor in her own city.

Caitlin and I returned to Casa Verde, and just shook our heads in amazement. I kept saying, "I can't believe it.." Imagine, simply going to buy bus tickets, and ending up with a full trip to the Friday night market, a ride home, and new Honduran friends! Completely unexpected.


Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.