Yesterday I made the border crossing into Honduras and arrived by night to the capital city of Tegucigalpa (also known as "Tegus"). Coming in by night, it reminded me a great deal of Mexico City, as what one could see was a great number of house lights spread out like a sea among dark spots where sharp hills shot up from the valley. A lot like Mexico City. Getting off my bus in a random bus station on the bad side of town, I got a little bit ripped off by the taxi driver, but I didn't care that much, as I just wanted to know I had a driver. Capital cities in Central America + Micah arriving at night is not my favorite equation. Anyway, the taxi driver took me first to an ATM and then to a hotel.

Where I was dropped off, there were two hotels. The first one I walked into, the men who were waiting at reception gawked at me until I asked, "do you have a room?" The man at the desk replied, "you mean to stay... the night?" I was slightly confused...

Until he went to show me the room. We turned the corner to where the rooms where, facing a courtyard filled with women. "Ah," I thought, "I understand now." I proceeded to ask directions to a hotel for staying the entire night, and the puzzled Honduran was happy to oblige.

The second hotel wasn't much better, but I thought it was at least "decent." It was five dollars a night, more than I wanted to pay, but I was tired. Unfortunately, my room was right up front, where the reception desk was. The reception desk was manned by a few teenage-adultish males who were watching a blaring soap opera just feet from my room. I could hear everything and finally went out and watched television with them for an hour or so until they got the message and turned the box off.

Today has been a journey from the capital to the North of the country. I'm now in a major beach town called Tela. I was hoping to catch a train from here to another town, Omoa, tommorrow morning. According to the Lonely Planet, there is a twice weekly train service between the two towns. Note to travellers: Don't trust the LP on faith. The train hasn't been running for months.

I arrived here in Tela, a beach hot-spot, conscious of the fact that Holy Week, a huge holiday and travel season for Latin Americans, was coming up, not this week, but the next. I knew that there would be no way to get a room on the Honduran coast, and that prices would double, for that week, so the time to travel the coast was now. However, arriving this evening in Tela, I realized the the tourists (Hondurans) have begun their costal assault early. I had a very difficult time finding a hotel room, and I'm paying about double of what I was hoping to pay. I'm trying to run on a budget of $10-$15 (and hopefully more like $10) per day, but I'm really failing miserably, between getting robbed and this Holy Honduran Costal Adventure.

The room where I'm staying right now has its upsides and its downsides. The downside is quite clear: It costs almost $9 per night! However, I will not ignore the immense upsides to this room. First of all: It's a room. I mean, this town is filling up fast, and at least I wasn't caught without a chair when the music stopped. Secondly: It is luxurious. This room is enormous, with a double bed as well as a single bed, a large mirror and dresser, a table, two fans, a closet, a full bathroom and, just outside my door, a balcony overlooking the street. I have never stayed at a place this nice on my own in Latin America and, as I don't have much of a choice in the matter, I've decided to enjoy it.

You see, I was going to Omoa, and I may still go, but I don't think the situation will be any better financially there than it is here in Tela. Apparently the locals have caught on and are heading to the beaches earlier than in the past... Smart of them; but it screws me. I'm probably going to spend a few days here in Tela and then, if I'm tired of it, I'll probably head to Omoa, as originally planned. Apparently there is an early morning bus that heads there more or less directly. I'm definitely going to check on hotels by phone before I go, however.