they dined on mince

I had loyally carried around a box of mince pies given to me by some good friends from my running club (whose backpacking days I suspect might be behind them). These mince pies had been through a lot to make it to a dinner table in the El Salvador highlands. Flown across the Atlantic, stored with boxer shorts, ferried across to the Caribbean, thrown onto the top of a chicken bus in my backpack which then promptly fell off (my first thought was for the mince pies NOT my digital camera...work that one out), they weren't in the most pristine condition when they were unveiled late on Christmas day ('how long did you say you had been on the road?' one peace corps volunteer asked). But they were a welcome hint of Christmas anyway.

On Boxing Day I was back to Honduras, over the border into the highlands. The bus journey was a stunner through the mountains, although my mind was taken off the view when a Honduran soldier sat beside me at the back of the bus, his rifle casually slung over his lap pointing at my ankles as we jolted and bumped over the unpaved road. Thankfully his colleague suggested that he point the barrel toward the roof and keep the gun secure between his lap... which saved me a a pretty nervous journey.

Anyway, here's a quick glimpse of how stunning this country can look, taken in one of the main national parks, where we saw precisely no other walkers all day. The only down side was the person supposed to be my guide had drunk my $10 deposit the previous evening and failed to show up the next day.

It's the final leg now and I am about to celebrate new year with some new friends in Copan Ruinas, where some famous old mayan ruins are. Feliz Ano Nuevo and see you soon!