If you know me well you know that my stomach is far from iron clad, so I was expecting the worst when coming to a third world country. However, I have been pleasantly surprised but how my stomach is faring. The basic diet of a Honduran is carbs, with a side of starch, something fried, and of course tortillas. I think the most common condiment on my food is grease. yumm.
So far I have complied the top 10 Honduran food enemies (yet again please excuse spelling mistakes)-
1. Chincaron- better known to the average american as pork rinds, however these are thicker and harder than the version we have in the US.
2. Mondungo- soup made with cow intestines... enough said
3. Oasmeal aka Oatmeal- aka sugary milk soup with a few oats sunk in the bottom. Oh yeah and it is the most intense whole milk ever.
4. Espegetti- This Italian favorite has come to Honduras and turned into a ketchup and sugar concotion that is horribly unpleasant.
5. Mantiquilla- Or their version of butter, which comes in a bag and is more like lard and sour cream mixed. They consider it a dairy product and thus see it fit to top EVERYTHING with it.
6. Tropical Soda Banana flavor- Imagine an orange bubblegum, sugar flavored soda. Awful.
7. Fried Bologna- In sandwiches, on tortillas, mixed with eggs, or plain. I. CANNOT. STAND. THIS. PROCESSED. MEAT.
8. Liver- When you bite into a meat and it tastes like chalk you know something is wrong.
9. Coffee with more sugar than coffee- I still drink it but I die a little bit inside everytime I do.
10. Being duped into thinking ketchup is salsa- everytime I hear that something is covered with salsa I forget where I am and get up set when my tacos come covered in ketchup. (Note- chismole is what the Hondurans call our salsa)
Of course there are other offenders but none that manage to make it onto my plate as frequently as the ones above. I will make sure to update you once I have made new food enemies.
PS- there is also a TON of Honduran food that I love, and so far my host mom's have kept me from being sick. Fingers crossed I continue to stay in the clear.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Movin and Groovin
Ok so this was going to be my big post with pictures and razzle dazzle, but alas I am paying by the minute for the internet and do not have the patience to wait for any pictures to upload. However you can go to my friend¨s blog http://www.sarahlagringa.com/ to look some pictures of my adventures, she was a photo-journalist and is more on top of taking and uploading pictures.
So, for the past month I was living in Zarabanda with a host family I adored. But, this past Sunday I moved with the Health Project to another city... La Paz. Before leaving Zarabanda I asked Rosa, my first host mom, what I should expect in the new city. All she could tell me was "La Paz is extremely hot" and she was definately right.
La Paz is in a valley up in the moutains near Comagua (I am making assumptions that you are all masters of Honduran geography by now). It is beautiful and sunny all of the time. I also lucked out by having another amazing host family. This family is much bigger- dad Pako, mom Digna, sister Idis, Brother Pakito, Brother Luis and niece Angie (who is 4 and amazing). My room here is also an improvement because I have screens on my windows and walls that reach the celling. It was so dark and quiet my first night here I couldn"t fall asleep! There are no roosters to wake me up in the middle of the night. But now I am sleeping like a champ despite the opressive heat in my house. Also, because of the heat the water in the tank is asways warm so I have warm showers everyday... amazing.
I have enjoyed my first week here but I also miss the other trainee"s in my training class. The business project is out in Ohohona and Water-Sanitation is in El Paraiso, and we will not meet up again until the second week of May.
Ok more soon I promise!
So, for the past month I was living in Zarabanda with a host family I adored. But, this past Sunday I moved with the Health Project to another city... La Paz. Before leaving Zarabanda I asked Rosa, my first host mom, what I should expect in the new city. All she could tell me was "La Paz is extremely hot" and she was definately right.
La Paz is in a valley up in the moutains near Comagua (I am making assumptions that you are all masters of Honduran geography by now). It is beautiful and sunny all of the time. I also lucked out by having another amazing host family. This family is much bigger- dad Pako, mom Digna, sister Idis, Brother Pakito, Brother Luis and niece Angie (who is 4 and amazing). My room here is also an improvement because I have screens on my windows and walls that reach the celling. It was so dark and quiet my first night here I couldn"t fall asleep! There are no roosters to wake me up in the middle of the night. But now I am sleeping like a champ despite the opressive heat in my house. Also, because of the heat the water in the tank is asways warm so I have warm showers everyday... amazing.
I have enjoyed my first week here but I also miss the other trainee"s in my training class. The business project is out in Ohohona and Water-Sanitation is in El Paraiso, and we will not meet up again until the second week of May.
Ok more soon I promise!
Monday, March 15, 2010
La Esperanza
Just another quick update. I am on my Volunteer Visit this weekend in La Esperanza and so far having a great time... mostly because I am eating delicious food (like brownies, oatmeal raisin cookies, fluffy tortillas, banana walnut waffles, and non-sugared coffee.
Today we are going to a drug awareness charla (discussion) at the local middle school which should be great. I will make sure to update more soon.
I miss you all!
Today we are going to a drug awareness charla (discussion) at the local middle school which should be great. I will make sure to update more soon.
I miss you all!
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