Valle de Angeles, Santa Lucia and Tegucigalpa before our departure

We’ve been enjoying ourselves in the city so far, catching up on hours of dearly missed rest and relaxation. Fernando has been sick with a cold but is now in full recovery thanks to lots of honey and lime, herbal tea, our well-stocked homeopathic kit (special thanks to a dear friend), and plenty of his mama’s chicken soup. It’s actually pretty nice staying indoors these days as the weather’s been warm and rainy and the city is relatively polluted and overcrowded, most notably during the day with the heat and all the afternoon traffic.

Last Thursday everyone got together for an evening barbeque out on the patio. We sat around sharing food and mojitos, taking in the view of the city lights in the cool night air. We enjoyed steamed white fish, chorizo with homemade chimichurri, fresh guacamole (a must-have), grilled tortillas, and sweet roasted yellow peppers topped with melted cheeses. After hours of laughing, eating and drinking, we all eventually gathered around the dying embers of the grill to warm our toes while sipping on Desi’s “skinny bitches” (creamy and sweet oat milk with vodka: SO GOOD). Fernando eventually used a steak knife to chop some cedar wood that was lying randomly nearby and built us a decent fire that lasted well into the night.

On Friday night we went out with some of the family for a bite to eat at Pisco y Nazca, a new Peruvian restaurant serving juicy, flavorful ceviche and playful cocktails. We enjoyed a variety of raw fish, each drenched in its own tasty sauce, from the classic creamy yellow pepper huancaina, to a lighter ginger lime broth. We began the night with carefully crafted Pisco Sours, which were the perfect balance of frothy, bitter and sweet. After a couple rounds the night led us a few streets over to Fernando’s friend’s bar, Habia Una Vez (whose name, by the way, we ALWAYS confuse with our Miami favorite, Hoy Como Ayer!), where we met up with a few of Fernando’s longtime friends.

By Saturday we were ready to get outdoors and explore someplace more rural. We left the chaos of the bustling, smoggy city behind us, and made our way up a winding mountain road lined with strutting horses and local women selling freshly grilled ears of corn (love how it’s referred to as elote loco). Lightly colored homes speckled the horizon, whose shades of green and brown are countless and breathtaking. Arriving in Valle de Angeles, rows of outdoor restaurants and open shops displaying local crafts were the first to greet us (as well as a few stray cows and horses). People travel from all over to visit Valle, as its unique crafts are locally made and renowned across the country. Shops are filled with beautiful art: hand carved wooden chests; hammocks; pottery of all sizes and colors; paintings and sculptures by local artists; and all sorts of leather clothing and furniture. We strolled around for a bit taking in the cool mountain air, watching kids play soccer in the street while vendors looked on from their hammocks. 

Then hunger settled in and we suddenly remembered why we had come all this way. Although there is plenty to enjoy in this laidback town, most visitors familiar with the area arrive for one specific reason: PUPUSAS! Think of an arepa, but a million times more delicious. We walked over to our favorite spot (the best in town, actually), a hole-in-the-wall eatery with open windows and an outdoor grill where ladies pound out freshly ground corn masa to be used for our lunch. The pupusas were brought to the table hot and oozing crispy quesillo edges (a salty, creamy, chewy white cheese similar to mozzarella, but with way more personality), making us all feel especially blissful as we gobbled them up with chili infused onions and cabbage. But our trip to Valle wouldn’t be complete without a proper local dessert. Topped with fresh fruits and a drizzle of condensed milk, minutas are Honduran snow cones. Cool and light, they make a perfect afternoon snack. We finished our treats smiling and satisfied, ready for another brief walk before departing for Santa Lucia.

Santa Lucia sits higher up the mountain and is much quieter and local than Valle, yet just as warm and impressionable. Each of the historic town’s steep cobblestone streets holds an awesome view of the surrounding mountains, which are literally comparable to a Bob Ross painting. The peaks spread out into the horizon in various pastel tones, eventually fading hazily into the light of the sun. There really aren’t words to describe how remarkable the outlook is from the town’s center, and even photos can’t quite capture its beauty. I think Fernando and I have both come to realize that this mountainous landscape is something we were definitely missing (and longing for) while living in Miami. We sauntered around Santa Lucia for a while longer enjoying the scenery, and eventually made our way back to the urban pandemonium.

We’ll be leaving Tegucigalpa tomorrow afternoon as we make our way toward the coast, where we’ll spend two weeks island hopping, scuba diving (my first time!), and visiting close friends. Our first stop is in San Pedro Sula, where we’ll stay with family for about a week. We have unpacked and rearranged our backpacks too many times to count, and are finally ready to begin the first leg of our expedition. Bring it on!