Ceiba!

International School had a 5 day weekend in celebration of Honduras' Independence Day (9/15) and I joined 23 other teachers/staff in venturing to Ceiba, located in the north, along the coast (a gateway city to Roatan). It's about a 7 hour drive north of Tegucigalpa, and the ride was worth every minute.

Here are some highlights:
*Driving out at 4am, watching the sun rise over the Honduras countryside.
*Passing through towns celebrating Independence Day. Our bus ended up in the middle of a parade of local school children. They all started shouting, "Gringos!" and pointing at our bus. We waved back and shortly became a feature of the street parade.



*Arriving at Hotel Helens and sprinting down to the beach, ecstatic. We stayed in beautiful cabins tucked into the lush canopy of Ceiba's shoreline jungle.
*Enjoying ceviche at the hotel restaurant, overlooking the ocean.
*Laying in the outdoor hammocks and finally finding time to read.



**Taking a boat out to Cayos Cachinos and snorkeling for the first time ever!
We could see brain coral, colorful fish, conch shells, and even starfish!
*Learning about the Garifuna culture (a different side of Honduras)
*Getting to know the other teachers more : )













**Then taking a safari truck up the mountain and going ziplining for my first time! The views were breathtaking, and the trip across the rainforest canopy was beyond thrilling.

**After ziplining, heading back up the hill and relaxing in the hot springs and cold springs underneath scenic waterfalls. Being served a plate of fresh pineapple and given a mud bath, before sinking again into the warm water.

*The last day, some of us got up early and watched the sunrise from the beach. A perfect finale to our time away.

*Good time had by all!