Spiritual Awakening Journey: Pt. XIV - The Delights of Daily Rhythm

After spending some time in the west end of Roatan, I decided to move to the more remote end of the island at camp bay. Further from the tourist areas, I’m able to enjoy the beach and nature a bit more and relax. I spend my days at camp bay lodge in a hammock and go swimming in the warm waters. I went for a hike with my friendly local guide to port royal wildlife refuge. We summit to the top of the island and admire the stunning views from high above. We spot islands and cayes off the tip of the island. The sun is shining brightly and we are enveloped in open expanses of green forest. It’s beautiful up here and it easily becomes my favorite spot on the island. The next day I hop on a ferry to the mainland of Honduras. After a long and bumpy ride, I’m thankful when we reach the shore. We begin the chaotic process of retrieving luggage. Afterwards I hop into a taxi waiting for me and begin another long and bumpy ride to the Omega camp in Pico Bonito National Park. The road leading to the jungle is riddled with giant rocks and boulders and I wonder how our beat-up car manages but it does. The road turns into a winding path along the rio cangrejal. I catch my first glimpse of the majestic cascada el bejuco. The gorgeous rapids flowing through the river, carving out the side of the jungly mountains. I feel a rush of excitement. We arrive at the omega lodge, a charming, rustic lodge built lovingly into the jungle environment. Over the next few days I raft class III-V rapids. Our group is the only raft on the river and we have it all to ourselves. We are blessed with clear weather, sunny skies, perfect river conditions, and stunning scenery. As we make our way down the river I feel enlivened through all senses. And the rush down the rapids fills me with pure joy and laughter. I cannot imagine a more perfect day. The next day I go for a hike with a local guide. We cross the long entry suspension bridge over to the trailhead and he takes me through the dense jungle up the steep mountain. We are journeying to visit cascada bejuco. I already feel tired and under the weather in the morning and I wonder if I should be hiking. But I push myself to do it anyways. It’s an experience I don’t want to miss. We make it to a small waterfall and sit to snack. I feel restored after and we keep pushing on. But after two hours of hiking I feel my body shutting down and I decide it is best to turn back. I feel my body fighting off another quick cold. The next day I leave for a four-hour drive to the airport in san pedro sula. We drive past enormous expanses of Chiquita banana farms. It feels as if we are in Chiquita land and they own everything. Banana plantations are everywhere. Chiquita trucks are everywhere. We finally make it to the airport and I say goodbye to my driver. I board a plane to El Salvador.

I arrive in the evening and as I wait for my driver, I breathe in the warm, humid air. It feels denser but yet cleaner. We make our way to a small surf town on the edge of the pacific ocean, El Zonte. My 5-day stay turns into a little over two weeks. I would call a tiny room at la canasta my home. There’s absolutely nothing to do in El Zonte other than surf and hang out. But it’s amazing and I love it here. I realize that need to rest and tend to myself after being on the go for so long. I allow myself to do nothing and move through the natural flow of the day. I wake up, do yoga and meditation, make myself my daily smoothie and breakfast, lay in a hammock, read, hangout at palo verde or puro surf, chat with neighbors, play with kittens, enjoy the stunning sunsets and go for sunset swims. There’s a truck that drives by in the mornings listing vegetables in spanish on a loud speaker. It’s how I buy my fruit, veg and eggs. I don’t know why but it makes me so happy. There should always be a fruit and veg truck that drives around the neighborhood, blasting vegetable names en espanol. Somehow being in this place feels nourishing to my soul and I feel myself plugging back into the daily rhythms of life. And yet, I find myself worrying that if I stay here too long I’ll never leave. I meditate on purpose while I enjoy this brief time in nowhere.

Being here makes me realize my longing for some daily rhythm in my busy life of travel. Having a home, neighbors, the usual spots, the space and time to do nothing…I miss these aspects of life. When I live out of a suitcase, on the road, my days are filled with everything that is ‘new’, and the busyiness of activities and exploration. I forget the simplicities of everyday life that can also bring joy and comfort. Even if it’s a neighbor’s kitten, or the loud vegetable truck in the mornings. In this brief time in El Zonte, I am reminded of this.