San Pedro Sula to Danli

As we move further south from SPS, the roads are starting to deteriorate and it is obvious that not much money is spent on upgrading civil infrastructure. Whereas the highways out of SPS were in great condition and a new four lane freeway was under construction, down in the south the following photo is more illustrative:


Remember that you drive on the right side of the road over here, so coming around that sweeping bend in the photo at 120kph to be faced with a flag, three rocks, then no road at all is a little disconcerting.

This is the manageable stuff, less manageable are the manic truck drivers who think nothing of overtaking and driving two abreast on this road around blind corners and over hill crests. It's not particularly dangerous, as we are traveling very cautiously - but not so the rice rocket 125cc that passed us at about 150km/hr on a gravel bend. Fortunately, he was fully kitted out in Honduran safety gear of thongs, jeans and t-shirt with his helmet perched on the top of his head backwards. I am not sure about the helmet backwards thing. Either he is a physicist and knows it makes the rig more aerodynamically efficient, or he is already so intellectually compromised that one more hard bump won't make any difference.

Police checks have stepped up as we approach Nicaragua. It is usually a quick process involving showing them passport and bike rego, then opening our jackets to prove that we are not carrying any concealed weapons.

Bikes come in for special attention over here as a disproportionate amount of crime is committed by riders (usually with a pillion). The rider comes alongside a vehicle while the pillion threatens the occupants with a handgun. Once valuables are handed over, the rider speeds off and cannot be caught by the police. This is so prevalent that they have passed a law in some Honduran provinces preventing riders from carrying pillion passengers, but the law is routinely ignored as many people use bikes as the sole form of transport for the whole family.

Sounds scary, but we have seen no evidence of this or any other crime in Honduras. In fact, the people seem overwhelmingly friendly and hospitable. They are quick with a smile and a handshake, and very patient with our schoolboy Spanish.

We have lobbed in to Danli for the evening, about a half day of travel from the Nicaraguan border point. The town is a bustling collection of ramshackle shops and market squares, with about 40,000 people living in or near the town. Once we had parked the bikes in a hotel carpark, there was time to sit in the main square and simply watch the world go by. Kids in immaculate school uniforms, old folks holding hands, and business people wearing 'central-american-casual' blend together to make people watching a very pleasant spectator sport.

Arriving in the early afternoon has allowed us to catch up on the 'domestic duties' and make sure we are ready for Nicaragua. The bikes will look like mobile washing lines tomorrow morning, with undies and socks from every hook and strap.

No dinner plans made just yet as it is only 5pm. Matthias has recommended a restaurant nearby. It looks a little forbidding (photo below), but he assures us there is good food inside. Based on the broken glass on top of the wall and the razor wire, clearly this is a chef who takes 'guarding his secret recipes' very seriously.