OLANCHO The rains come down from the clouds, filling the rivers and running down the walls of my house. It is all part of the season. Oh my, that clap of thunder was very close and loud and still rolling.
And the lights are flickering. Why does it need to start at 6 p.m. just when the baleada place is scheduled to open for the evening. Taking the hour ride to Juticalpa (the capital of Olancho) I was impressed by the plowed fields, only maybe done by a tractor, and in some cases the green of new plants was coming up.
It is hard to believe that so much could change in just two weeks. The scenery reminded me of the southern Santa Clara Valley which is so rich in agriculture. Granted the highway is definitely not a freeway, but how could we pick up the waiting people if we were speeding along. Does anyone remember when blood alley was the only route from San Jose south?
Your best source of real information about Honduras and Olancho will definitely be the internet or a great reference book, but let me tell you just a little about where I live.
Catacamas is a valley/plain between two low mountain ranges in east central Honduras with the city of Catacamas being at the base of the northern mountains and the other hills/mountains being 5-10 miles away.
It really does seem like my home town except that the city was established high up instead of in a flat center, and the expansion was down rather than out and around. There are a number of rivers running through this area, and they combine to flow out to the Caribbean Sea or Atlantic Ocean.
The width, height and route of each river will change with the two seasons (either wet or dry) and the weather. Vegetation is green and lush, especially at this time of year. I haven’t yet been to the far mountains nor to the end of the road going east, but you will get a general idea of Catacamas in the attached photos.