Honduras here I come

Last night I made a list of what I packed and put it in my carry-on. I packed my laptop. I found my bag of underwear on the bed and quickly threw it in the carry-on since the suitcase was closed and strapped. I went to bed with a pen and paper so I could write down things I did not want to forget in the morning. I had a hard time getting to sleep. Because of all the water I drank during the day, I kept getting up. And all the excitement of going to Honduras. I tapped for the discomfort of getting up at 3am. I needn't have worried. Chris called me at 2:50. By 3 I was sitting by my HappyLight and had to get up to shut off my alarm. I turned on the CD player in the livingroom. I swished and then took my vitamin C. I checked e-mail and ate breakfast. I couldn't quite finish it. When Beverly called to say she was in the driveway, I threw the underwear in the suitcase, shut down the desktop and wifi, and moved my stuff outside. I locked the door and she helped me put my luggage in her trunk. I gave her some money. We talked as she drove and she took the wrong turn off of Memorial. So we had to turn around. We lost some time but got to the airport by 4:35. We made arrangements for my flight back. I waited in line to check my suitcase. Then I went through security. They showed me a picture of my laptop case with 5 dark cylinders and asked me what they were. I did not know, but they turned out to be rolled coins. I could not explain how they got there. But the guy did not care so I went on through. I stopped at the bathroom and the plane was boarding when I got out. It was an uneventful flight from there. When I got to Atlanta, I got on the train for Concourse F. I guess it wasn't the best train because it went to the opposite end (T) and then reversed itself. I went from sitting in the last car to sitting in the first car and it looked like no one was driving! Concourse F is ironically first in line. And short. I was planning to buy organic lip balm on the way down the concourse, but it was the first gate on the left. The only shops there were duty-free. I sat at my gate for awhile, and called William and Kurt to asked if they'd given me coins. Neither had. Then I called Chris, but he did not answer so I left him a message. Then I walked down the other concourse to look at shops. No lip balm, but the proprietor was nice to talk to. I sat back down at my gate to play Revolver on my tablet. A man near me was examined by EMS personnel and taken away. He was sitting in a seat and awake so I am not sure what the problem was. Finally my flight arrived. It was a big plane so it took time to board and get everyone situated. I was sitting beside a Honduran grandmother and her grandson. He was helping her to do everything so I tried to ask if this was her first flight. But she shook her head like she didn't understand. I put in my earplugs and waited for the plane take off and reach cruising altitude. I put the plugs away. I played the movie Frozen on the seat-back screen. The steward left three snacks on each tray table. I gave mine to the grandson. They seemed very grateful. I got out my seeds and berries to eat. After the movie, I put my earplugs back in. I remembered enough Spanish to ask her “your house, Tegus?” She said “Si”, so I said “me esposo Tegus, airport”. When she used the word Vivay, I mentioned Soto Cano. I think we had an actual conversation. The plane landed on time even though we took off a little late. I had to wait to get to my carryon and wasn't sure it was mine. When I got to the tarmac, I opened the side zipper and there were my gloves. I thought I was following the crowd, but a lady indicated another direction with a word I did not understand. When I said “immigration?” she nodded and I went the other way. We all had to stop in an hallway to let passengers get searched and board another plane. Then we went down stairs and I got in the diplomatic line. I was given a blue sheet of paper. I had already filled out the white one that we got on the plane. I tried to fill out the blue one while the man checked my passport. He also spoke to me in Spanish and only reverted to English when I could not understand him. A lady was waiting to get the blue sheet, but I wasn't finished filling it out. I had trouble reading it, so she took it and asked me two questions, wrote on the sheet and waved me through. I waited by the baggage carousel for my case. The lady who Chris asked to meet me greeted me. When I got my suitcase, she helped me roll it through the x-ray machine with my other bags. At her direction I handed over the white form. Then we arrived in the terminal proper and Chris was waiting for me. We rolled my luggage to the small bus down the street. But I had to go back to use the bathroom. Chris bought me a bottle of water and we walked around some since the bus wasn't ready to leave yet. I went back to the bathroom I was getting a headache. Chris lent me his camera to take a few pics. Finally we sat on the bus and he gave me some cranberries and nuts and a banana from his breakfast. I ate some and we chatted until the bus left for Soto Cano. I snapped pics through the window but they did not come out well. I could see that there was no safety inspection for cars to be driven. Many houses were small, with brick or corrugated metal sides. Very run down. It took us an hour to get to Soto Cano air force base. It was a cute place. Most barracks were like cabins, some without running water. A new dormitory had been built, but won't be ready until the week after I leave. The bus dropped us off and Chris put my luggage in a golf cart which he drove to his quarters. We took it inside and I had to lay down. One thing led to another, and … the afternoon was gone. Chris got me some Aleve and water. Then I got dressed and he drove me to the chapel to introduce me to the Wednesday night group. They were having subs from Subway. We walked from there to Trapiche, a hole in the wall restaurant. I ordered the curry chicken. It was very good but I could not finish it. Chris had no trouble. From there we walked to the MWR facility to check it out. There was a library there and we got a movie. Then we walked up to the swimming pool (which was closed for the evening). And what an evening it was: slightly cool, breezy, but oh so very welcome after freezing temps in Huntsville. Chris introduced me to more people as we went along. He showed me the hammock place with more than a dozen hammocks in progress. And the woodshop. And his office. When we got back to his quarters, we sat on the porch sofa and chatted. At least 4 people walked by and were a little startled as Chris intercepted them to introduce me. Then we went inside to read e-mail, and post to my blog.

*  This pic was taken right outside the airport.  The signs made me wonder if I had left the U. S, after all.  *