Here on the most beautiful natural Caribbean beachfront you can imagine, we are chilling, letting our souls soak up the tranquility of our shoreline and the majestic mountain reaching above the clouds behind us.  Today the peak of the mountain is hidden from view, wrapped within a storm cloud which is pounding away at the giant, drop by drop.

Not only is Capiro Calientura a national preserve, hosting all kinds of rainforest canopy and the attendant layers of varying palms, orchids, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife (With the ascent of every thousand feet or so, we notice distinct changes in the offerings.  What an ever changing smorgasbord of nature!), but the cascading rivers and falls of cool, clear water flow through Trujillo and have been a source of public works for thousands of years.

Public works?  OK, let me explain.

Christopher Colombus landed in Trujillo (before it was Trujillo) in 1504 on his last voyage to the new world, and settlement started up in earnest right after that.  Before Colombus, this area was populated with the Maya and Pecs (pronounced “pesh”) Indian tribes.  The clear, cool water running down the mountainside was a constant source of drinking water.  But it was also the local sanitation department.  For centuries, the locals (whoever they were) just dumped their trash into the mountain stream.  It obliged by carrying whatever was tossed into it to the sea, allowing the next tide to wash it away.  (This was one way to keep the municipal taxes down).

Each day, sometimes slowly and sometimes quite dramatically, the mountain sends water to the sea, carrying with it whatever is within its reach.  For millions of years, this has been different types of rock, and the polished stones worn by eons of hydraulic action are now becoming part of Marea’s wall and will continue to be a part of our architectural theme.

Beginning in the 16^th century, the process began to include human elements like dishes, pots, and glass, along with all kinds of other garbage, most of which has long since composted away.  But the glass and china are quite something else.

Glass Gems Rescued From Marea's Beach

Long ago, we started collecting beach glass.  Like collecting sea shells, but we look for different colored pieces of glass, polished and worn by years of wave and tide working with the sand.  Pieces that are smooth all around are kept, and we have become connoisseurs of the more sought after and rare colors and shapes.  Any piece not totally worn smooth is thrown by the discerning collector into the sea for more processing.

But here in Trujillo (like Bermuda’s beaches, too), we also find our share of beach china.

Remnants of China Washed Ashore

For 500 years, broken dishes were thrown in the garbage (meaning into the river), to be disposed of by the natural cycle.  As the predominant movement of coastal sand in Trujillo is from west to east, the material washed down from the mountain works its way counterclockwise to the point at Castilla.   The same action brings all kinds of other things – driftwood, plastic, etc. and this is why we clean the beach every day.

So all of the dinnerware thrown out over the past half millennium passes along Marea’s beach.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve found old china pieces on the beach in Santa Fe, too, but not like the amounts and numbers that I’ve found wandering the beach between Marea and Casa Kiwi.  This “china sink” is really fascinating for a junk collector like me.  Each morning stroll ends with a pocketful of very acceptable beach glass and very exceptional china pieces, worked and polished by the patient and sometimes violent processes of the mountain behind us and the tide and wave cycles of the ocean.  These end up in a glass jar, as jewelry, or as part of a picture frame.  Great decorations!  Come on by Marea and see the mountain’s handiwork being used to sculpt our vision for this piece of paradise.

GOLD!!!!  For those who are interested, gold has been mined in the mountains behind Trujillo for centuries, and panning for gold can still be fun.  It can be found being processed the same way that the glass, china, and rocks are constantly worked, too.

Come on down, you’ll never know what you will find!  And after a little while of wandering and collecting, sit back on the beach, nurse a cool drink, and admire the mountain behind us still working, working, working………………….

Winding Mountain Road To Woodworkers Home

Now you should know that this “road” is a rutted and rough, dirt road that winds alongside the Congregal (Crab) River.  This is a rushing river between mountains with HUGE house-size boulders and it had just retreated into its banks again after a big rainstorm.  There were areas of the road that were washed away and under repair.  We had come up this same road in the dark the night before and I was glad that I didn’t see the drop off and the condition of the road then.  Ignorance can be bliss at times.  So we were slowly tooling down the mountain looking for the woodworker’s house.

I wish I had taken pictures of the inside, but I felt like I was intruding in their home. Just to the right of the entrance, we were shown a narrow area with boards as shelves to display his carvings. I love useable art! There were wooden platters shaped like fish and when we turned them over we found he had carved eyes and gills on the bottom where you

Carving Detail

would normally not see them…such detail! One of my companions spotted an interesting find and although I didn’t know exactly what it was, I wanted it.  Too late! He had claimed this unique item that looked like a combination of a butter churn and a mortar and pestle made of wood.

It was about 3 feet high and was carved out of a log of wood. Little did I know it would find its way into my home as a surprise!

Wooden Treasures

There were small wooden crosses and a carved and painted “cat face” along with wooden ladels and spoons. He had quite an interesting mixture of things…but not a lot of inventory.

I felt bad, but we almost cleaned him out.  Perhaps I shouldn’t feel bad, because we left him quite a few American dollars behind. Artists have to eat too.

We had a hard time choosing what we wanted…heck I didn’t, I bought a lot! After all, I had an empty duffel bag to fill for the flight home.  We had brought women’s clothing with us to give to women who live up in the mountains and have so little. So now I had an empty bag. Never give a shopping woman empty luggage…she WILL fill it.

Mama Dog

When my eyes adjusted to the darker interior of the house, I saw a little girl and a small skinny puppy.  The mother, a sweet black dog was lying outside. There was also a little mangy kitten.  Seems like the animals here are left to fend for themselves and they are heartbreakingly thin.

The little girl smiled at us and we smiled back…the universal sign of friendship when you don’t speak each other’s language.  I muddled through a simple conversation based on some really old high school Spanish…who knows where the words hide in your brain over the years.  She told me the name of the kitten, but I don’t remember.  I

Lily and the "Cat Head" Carving

just thought about my kitty, Lily, back home and wondered if she realized how lucky she was.  She was a rescue animal too. I bought the “cat head” carving!

We admired his work and even ordered a large dugout canoe to display in the Resort Hotel area we have planned at Marea in Trujillo.  The artist posed in front of his work area across the road from his house. I think he was telling me that he really didn’t work there

Our Mountain Artist

much now because of the rainy season, but I was in awe of the rustic setup and rough tools he was using.  He has an inexhaustible supply of logs, driftwood and trees that wash down the river and provide him with materials and inspiration.

Helping to Load Our Treasures

So we loaded our treasures into the truck and drove on down the mountain to continue our adventure to Trujillo and to spend some time near the ocean, snorkeling and enjoying the beautiful blue water there.  I love it that you can be in the mountains and then in an hour you can be standing on a sandy beach looking out at the mountains you just left. Honduras is a beautiful country with abundant natural beauty and we wanted to see all of it.

Sunset on Marea's Private Beach

So that was last night.  Serene.  Awesome.  Inspiring.  Today has turned me upside down.

“Dive Right!  Dive Right!”  The screaming words still wake me in the middle of the night weeks after our brush with white water river rafting excitement.  Hearts pounding, our hardened and sinewy muscles straining against the torrents of water pushing, dragging and hurling us toward an unknown destiny, wildly dodging the rocks and falls of the Rio Cangrejal (Crab River).

OK, OK, I’m exaggerating a little.  It was, after all, my first whitewater rafting ever, so I’m going to work this for all its worth.  I’m really an overweight middle-aged kind of guy, but today I’m masquerading as a hard-charging Brad Pitt lookalike.

And the river trip, which lasted several hours, was a total blast, had more than its share of rapids and falls, but was also expertly guided by the great crew from Omega Tours in La Ceiba.

A short 90 minutes from our pristine beaches and crystal blue water at Marea, Omega Tours operates a wonderful hotel and adventure operation up the Rio Cangrejal from La Ceiba.  This is conveniently located about halfway between Trujillo and the airport at San Pedro Sula.

Toucans in the Trees

We spent the night in a mountain cabin, surrounded by bamboo, palms, orchids, toucans, and the sounds of rushing water.

The next morning, after a wonderful breakfast, we loaded into the jeeps and hauled our rafts and equipment to the river.  After some instructions and practice falling out of and getting back into the rafts, we were off.

The river is cascading, refreshing, cool clear mountain water rushing down from Pico Bonito.  Over the last thousands of years the river has carved through the granite of the mountain, leaving monstrous sculptures rising out of beds of polished boulders and gravel.  Looking up at the mountain face, we see magnificent waterfalls tumbling through the rainforest canopy.  So many birds (can’t remember their names) entertain us on the trip.

Our Fellow Adventurers

Comfortable stretches of river are interrupted by series of rapids, we thread our way through the rocks, canyons, and falling water.  I keep thinking “Crab River?  How can any crabs survive in this water?  How big are they?  Do they bite?  Is this just a rumor?  Are my toes safe here if I fall out?”

And while we are hurling through the falls, I can see the nose of the raft dropping into a watery abyss, Amy screams in my ear “Dive right! Dive right!!”  The thunder of the falls makes it hard to hear her.  Basically it means she wants me to fall into the bottom of the raft and grab the handholds while she does the hard paddling.  Kind of embarrassing, actually, but I obey after she slams me to the deck.  Once the danger is passed, I’m allowed to get back up out of my fetal position in time for all of us to high five each other, celebrating our expert management of the last threat.  I get to pretend that I actually had something to do with our navigating the danger.

Ready for the Rapids With Omega Tours

We are in a small group of rafts, so we periodically pull up to a beach to wait for our other friends. No point is getting separated in case there is a problem.  Halfway through the trip, we pull up to a section where the river narrows between twin peaks of granite walls.  “Let’s climb up and jump into the river!” somebody is surely kidding, right?  More full disclosure:  I am really terrified of heights.  I have trouble standing on a chair to change a light bulb.  So against my better judgment, we climb up the rock face to the top of the granite wall, looking down at the deep, rushing water below.  OK, maybe we’re about 20 or 30 feet above the water, but it might as well be 2 miles.  I’m assured (by someone who says they know what they are talking about) that the water is plenty deep and this is very safe, as long as I resurface and then swim like heck to the shore before the current sweeps me out of reach of any help and eventually out to sea, assuming I can make it past the crabs.  Piece of cake.  If I can get past the issue of throwing myself off a cliff, the crabs are not going to be a problem.

Jumping From the Cliff's Edge

So I stand at the precipice, I’m jumping, no I’m not, I’m jumping, no I’m not.  Back and forth, back and forth, after what seems like several hours, and the girls behind me suggest that maybe they will go first.  I guess they’re getting hungry and want to get this over with so we don’t miss dinner as well as lunch.  That’s what I needed.  Now my male pride takes over and I insist I’ll go first and lead the way.  I’ll create a diversion and distract the crabs.  Finally, I take my leap of faith, a long step into thin air.  I’m doing my best impersonation of Paul Newman or Robert Redford.  Maybe Thelma and Louise?  My feet hit the water a lot faster than I thought they would.  I fought my way to the surface (actually I popped back up like a cork) and paddled on over to the shore, ready to do it all over again!  I felt great!  I had faced one of my demons and I won!  What a day!

The day is gorgeous, the weather perfect.  After a few hours of this adventure, we come to the end of the ride, pull the rafts out of the river and onto the jeeps.  The great crew from Omega Tours then drives us back up to the lodge in time for lunch.

After lunch, we take our short hop back to Trujillo and Marea, arriving in plenty of time to view today’s fire in the sky.

Historic Spanish Fort in Trujillo

Actually, there is another museum, and I dare you to try to find anything like this anywhere else in the world.  We heard about it and decided to track it down and figure it out.

We drove slowly up the hill from the city center, winding our way along the pot-holed, muddy ways that pass for streets in this part of town (and, OK, Hurricane Richard was forming over our heads as we snaked our way), asking anyone we could find how to get to the “Museum”, and kept getting directions to turn back around to go to the Spanish Fort. Undaunted, and fixed like a laser beam on our goal, we kept on, street by muddy street, until finally a young boy asks us, “oh, you mean the museum and pool?”  “Museo y Piscina?”  It turns out most kids know the place more for its pool than for being a museum.

So we finally found it, an old concrete block warehouse structure, about 50 feet by 150 feet, built around 1952 at the edge of town halfway up the hill, along the Rio Cristales, and surrounded by various artifacts rescued from recent history.

Trujillo Honduras Museum

Leaning up against the white washed walls are parts of the wreckage of a US military plane which crashed in Trujillo in the 1980’s, killing all on board.  To get to the front door, you pass through the old iron gates which once served the British Consulate when Trujillo was the capital of Honduras.

Old British Consulate Gates - Trujillo Museum Entrance

Large iron gearshafts from some major machinery lay end to end along the side of the building.  And the howling of the monkeys at the back of the building goes on continuously.

Eclectic Museum Collection in Trujillo

50 lps (about $2.50) to get in, and we’re in another world.  Never saw anything like it.  Arranged basically by category and era, starting with the most recent (I think), we survey rows and rows of ship’s bells, sewing machines, typewriters, muskets, bullets, street lights, bombs, mirrors, desks, canes, iron gates, well, you get the idea.

Eclectic Museum Collection - Trujillo

The building seems much bigger once we are inside, and the collection just keeps going.  Think of a huge garage sale, where things were brought in continuously for 70 years, but nothing ever got sold.

By the way, the building has no air conditioning or climate control, so it’s hot and humid in here on most days, and much of the collection is showing signs of advanced rusting.

The building sort of slopes along with the hillside, so gravity naturally directs us down to the past.  The lower we go, the older the stuff.   Finally our expedition arrives at the lowest level of the giant warehouse.  We have been fairly speechless until now, but at this point our jaws just drop to the floor.

Spread out before us are rows and rows of mayan and other artifacts, dating back thousands of years.  Statues, grinding stones, axe heads, more statues held up on steel posts by electric wire, pottery, stone tables, it just keeps going.  Trying to describe this is not possible.  There is nothing I can say, or even show you (but look at the pictures!!!!!!!!!!) which can adequately prepare you for this experience.  Here we are, sitting and kneeling in the midst of thousands of mayan and other ancient artifacts, arranged kind of by type, size, and whatever else may make sense.

Myriad Myan Artifacts at the Trujillo Museum

Tables Piled With Artifacts and History

A Vast Collection with Unique Cataloging and Display!

This museum is a result of the passion of Rufino Galan, who started it in 1952, and has single-handedly kept it up ever since.  We got to spend some quality time with him, and it quickly became evident that the information in his head is a unique treasure trove in and of itself.

Bursting with local knowledge....Rufino Galan

For instance, he was here in Trujillo when the “gringos” bombed Cayo Blanco to below sea level, and some of the ordinance used in the bombardment is sitting on level 2 in the warehouse.  We asked him if he would appreciate any help in organizing and preserving the collection, and he told us that some decades ago the World Bank gave Honduras about $300,000 to do just this, but the money never left the capital.  This would be a great project for someone.  We left after a few hours, but felt like we had just emerged from a time warp, not really sure how long we had been there.

I’m still not sure exactly how we got there, or if I could find it again, but if you want to find one of the most intriguing “museums” you may ever see, just start working your way up the streets and alleys of Trujillo and ask the kids where to find the pool.

Some of us decided to check around the local stands in the town, and we spent a few hours just strolling and checking out what’s in season.

Fresh fruit and new friends at the local market

The fresh fruits here are SO MUCH BETTER than the store bought stuff we get at home.  Chances are better than good that if you’re slurping up papaya or mango tonight, it was still in the tree this morning.  Chase it with some coconut water, and you begin to believe that Robinson Crusoe didn’t have it so bad, after all.  (by the way, did you know that, during the Second World War in the Pacific theater, coconut water (it’s sterile when it comes out of the nut) was used as an intravenous fluid to replace blood loss in soldiers? )  I love history!

At Marea, we have Nanci trees all over our property, and they are now bearing fruit.  The Nanci fruit is a bright yellow berry, about the size of my thumbnail, and it is covering the ground all around us as we walk under the tree canopy, approaching the white, sandy beach.  It’s great gathering up all this fruit.

Nanci Fruit on Marea Property

We are competing with myriads of birds who are also feasting on these sweet, tasty morsels.  The smell of ripe Nanci leaves a sweet, musty aroma that lingers throughout.  I’ve never smelled anything like it.  A really pleasant fragrance.

The Noni trees at Marea are also bearing fruit.  Unlike the Nanci, the Noni fruit isn’t cute or pleasant to look at (it kind of resembles a deformed cucumber with a major breakout of warts).  To add insult to injury, the rotting Noni fruit emits a perfume reminiscent of a skunk.  But all is not lost.  The Noni doesn’t start to stink until after it starts to rot, and also is generally believed to contain embarrassingly huge amounts of anti-oxidants and when juiced, is said to be way healthy.  Maybe one day I’ll give it a shot.

Noni Fruit at Marea

We have made wonderful friends here in Trujillo.  Canadians from Toronto, Lucia and Florian have also bought property in Trujillo, just west of town, and they absolutely love it here.  Now we’ve all gone on a major fruit buying binge, we’ve probably spent 5 dollars between us, and we’re getting ready to finish the day with a sumptuous feast plucked right from Mother Nature’s arms.

A relaxing dinner with friends, enjoying local produce and great company!

On the menu tonight:  Papaya, Pineapple, Mangoes, Bananas (the baby kind which are soooooooo sweet), and lots of great libation.

Not a bad way to end another day in paradise (if you really can’t eat another lobster……)

Aha! This is where things get interesting. Apparently Cayo Blanco was a very nice tropical island once upon a time. During the Second World War, the US Navy had a base at what is now Puerta Castilla, at the point of Castilla, and German U-Boats used to hide behind Cayo Blanco and wreak havoc on the US ships at night. In an effort to take away their hiding place, the Navy bombed the island to oblivion, reducing it to a pile of stone rubble reaching as high as about 3 feet below the waterline of the Bay of Trujillo. Apparently this plan worked, as the harassment stopped after the island was leveled.  So what was once an island is now one of the most beautiful coral reefs filled with lobster, tropical fish, snapper, a few barracuda, and clean, clear water.

So this morning we chartered a panga to go snorkeling at Cayo Blanco.

Hiring a boat for Cayo Blanco

The whole trip cost us 2,000 lps (about $100) for 5 of us, a real bargain! We planed along the glassy sea for about 30 minutes, hugging the coast until we got to the garifuna community of Santa Fe, and then made a sharp right turn. All along the way, the sea is clear as glass, the beaches are white and clean, palm trees draped over the water’s edge. As we head away from the shoreline, we can spot a handful of handmade dugout canoes in the distance. This is where we are going.

Each of the canoes is painstakingly hand carved out of a single tree trunk into a seaworthy little craft. We gently pull alongside and the man proudly shows us his catch of lobster and fish which will be served for dinner at Caballero’s restaurant that night. He is also happy to sell us all his lobster for a few dollars right here on the spot.  Now we look over the side of the panga and, where before there had just been deep blue water, now we are staring at coral heads, sea fans, staghorn coral, and fish that we can see from the boat. As fast as we can, we are over the side and in the water. UNBELIEVABLE! The water is so clear, you feel like you can see forever.

The colors of the fish and coral, with a bright blue backdrop of the water, paints a vision which will be stamped into my memory for a very long time. We spend the next few hours floating, paddling, diving, and exploring over the reefs.

Snorkeling in the pristeen waters off Cayo Blanco

There are so few people out here the fish don’t even pretend to acknowledge us. We float and play around them, in no danger of getting bored. There are lobsters hiding in their holes, the occasional barracuda poking around to see what we’re up to, and tropical and other fish too numerous to count dancing all around and giving us quite the show.

We’ve had such a great time learning some more about the history of Trujillo, and the best part was combining the lesson with some world-class snorkeling and sightseeing.