Independence Day and Palmetto Bay

Hola!

The day that the whole of Honduras had been waiting for finally arrived on Monday - Independence Day! Everyone at school, all the pupils and staff, had been preparing for this day more or less since we arrived here in Punta Gorda, so it was something not to be missed.

We woke up nice and early and headed down to one end of town for the start of the traditional Independence Day March, which started nice and early at about 7.30 am. Now, we'd never seen the kids in their proper uniforms (they practice in school clothes), so I was pretty amazed at how smart those kids looked! There were people aged from 5 to 17 in the March, all doing different things with different groups. There were dancers, cheerleaders, a marching band, people with signs, people dressed as 'princesses' and right at the front there were a special group of students who'd been chosen to carry the flags of Central America. These were pretty much the best students at school, and one of my favourites, Edson, got to carry the Honduras flag - he looked pretty chuffed with himself!

The flag carriers at the march

So the March went on, taking three hours to complete what normally is a ten minute walk, and Robbie and I walked with the kids, taking photos and videos and handing out water. We chatted to kids as we went, I felt like I was actually in the March at points! The weather was, however, so hot! When the kids here in Roatán say that it's hot, it really is hot! They struggled a bit, but the dancers kept dancing and the band kept playing all morning. We arrived at 'Barrio Ingles' (the other end of town) and the kids ran for shade and Robbie and I set off to come back home, after more pictures. We chatted to Profa Olga (who's sort of in charge at the moment) and she told us we have the week off school! Lucky us! So we headed back here to the house to cool off, and decide what to do for a week without the kids!

Dancers in the march

Don't they look cute?

Back at the house, we knew that Alice and Kate - two other Project Trust volunteers from the mainland - were on Roatán. They'd found an amazing all inclusive deal at a resort, but we thought we wouldn't be able to see them. Well, with the week of school, we jumped in a bus and a taxi down to Palmetto Bay and met them, and a load of their American friends, for the afternoon. There are lots of 'teachers' who come from abroad at their project, so it was great to meet a group of similar-minded people, and become good friends with them, after just one day!

In the afternoon, we swam in the sea and had a massive catch-up about life here so far, as well as getting to know our new American amigos. Then we went for dinner, they had an all inclusive offer, but Robbie and I had to pay. We had an amazing meal of chicken, veg and mashed potato, and we worked out we only paid just over $20 for the whole night - including some nice drinks too! We stayed in the restaurant for a bit before heading back to their house on the resort for the night! It was an amazing place, I don't know how they got it so cheap! We had a bit more to drink before heading to bed, it was a great night!

Tuesday morning, we got up and headed for breakfast before going down to the beach to swim and have some fun. Robbie and I had to leave quite early to get back here for lunch at 12, so we made the most of our time at the beach with our mates, before heading off. It was so nice to see Kate and Alice, it was the first time they'd met up with other volunteers, and just be able to talk to good friends again about life. We headed off in a taxi back here to Punta Gorda - Kate, Alice and some of the Americans really wanted to visit but they didn't have time. Yet, they say they're going to come back to Roatán at some point, so when they do I think we'll be going with them wherever they go, and we'll definitely bring the here to Punta Gorda!

So, a great couple of days, and tomorrow we're off to the beach with a load of teachers from our municipality to celebrate 'dia del maestro' or teachers day

Adios,

Sam