Journal 4

Beautiful Honduras 

Photo credit to Cazual Finca. 

When I was a young child I would love to hear my parents tell me that we were going on a trip. I would be full of excitement, because I knew that we would be going to a place that I had never seen before. My parents, my sister, and I would pack our luggage and venture out and head to an unknown destination. One of my most cherished memories was when we visited our grandparents in Goascoran, Valle, Honduras back in 1995.

Honduras is full of all different kinds of land types including; wetlands, mountains and tropical rain forests. My grandparents lived in the mountains in this beautiful Spanish style home. They raised cattle and goats and cultivated their own crops such as: corn, beans, and plantains. They depended a lot on the rainy season in order to keep cultivating. As far as the appearance of the region, there were no cement roads or electricity running through the area. One had to walk for miles in order to get to the closets market or even next door neighbor. There were only two forms of water available; the well that was built years ago and a fresh river that rain through the area known as "Rio Dulce de Goascoran". It was a crystal clear water and people would drink out of. I was hesitate at first when they offered me to take a drink, but once i gained the courage to do so, I realized I had never tasted such sweet mouthwatering water in my life.

Photo Credit to WiseGeek.

Honduras had not changed much from when my grandparents were growing up. When I visited it was probably at its highest peak of lush and greener. Food was not a problem. We would always have tons of leftovers. For example, when my grandfather would milk the cows, my grandmother would boil some of the milk for us and the rest was made into delicious cheese. When the working men would come from the corn field, they would bring buckets of corn for us to peel. We would all sit together as a family and peel the corn peels away. It was an enjoyable family time we all cherished.

Photo Credit to  Brette Warshaw.

Today, Honduras has changed a great deal. They have not had as much rainfall in the past few years as they would have hoped. The fields are extremely dry and at times they have wildfires because of this. Now they have running cement roads coming in from the city. This has been a good and bad thing. It is easier to get around the area, but the downfall is that it has polluted the fresh river that the locals have depended on for so many years. They no longer drink from it, but drive to the closets market and buy water that come in plastic baggies.

Honduras has evolved throughout the years. Some of the changes undergone have had a positive and negative impact on the country and its’ regions. Honduras will continue to be beautiful in my eyes. It will always have a special place in my heart. I have made so many fond memories that I will cherish throughout my life.