The guards all recognize me now and acknowledge "Buenos dÃas doctora"as I walk past the gate making my way down to the road. I respond in like, and then having exchanged greetings, proceed to put my second earbud in my ear. The crowds are already gathering in a line outside the gate at that hour of the morning, but I turn away from the hospital and put dusty running shoe to dusty road.
I ran for the last time this morning. It's the first "last" of this trip. Makes me excited for things ahead, on down the road. I wonder if I'll get to return to Loma de Luz one day and run on the road over through Lucinda and into Rio Esteban once again. A few musings from my runs that will make me smile to get to experience again, and until then in memory.
My shoes are so full of dust that any Honduran would disown me if I wore them out in a non-sport setting, maybe even in a sport setting too. (Honestly, way dustier than they got in Togo running across that laterite.) The desire to be efficient wouldn't allow me to bother with washing them sooner as they would just get covered in dust the next time I ran. The best mornings to run were after it had rained all night. It was slightly cooler those mornings, and the rain kept the dust clouds kicked up by vehicles and motos to a minimum.
I found Hondurans to be friendly, but more often than not needed to be prompted. For example, they would smile and express a greeting but in response to my greeting and/or wave as I passed. It was older men who seemed to voluntarily offer their own smile/greeting unprompted, waving with one hand as their other clutched their machete. Whether on moto, bicycle or foot, I noticed a commonality in how the machete was held. Always pointing down and held out from the body. Sometimes multiple machetes were clutched in like manner. It was amazing that we didn't have more machete accidents in my two months here.
There are many dogs in Honduras. Questionable if these dogs actually have an owner, but I did start to see the same dogs wandering the road in the same vicinity. So maybe not an owner, but at least someone who feeds them so they stick around. Only a few of these dogs actually barked as I ran past, and even fewer attempted an attack. If one so did, they would inevitably get caught in my legs and I quickly learned to just kick my heels higher and harder. Chickens I'm told were actually owned by someone, but could have fooled me as they pecked the road and then got about scurrying in circles as I approached and then passed. So many dogs and chickens speckling the road, and cows too! I got pretty comfortable navigating through herds of cows as they manage to take up the whole road en route to their next pasture.
Speaking of cows, I've decided they have it nice in Honduras. Some of the best pasture around, with a view!
Jake and I pausing in the same cow pasture to enjoy the sunset. There are more than just a few musings from my runs that will make me smile as I remember Hospital Loma de Luz and the work for the majesty of Jesus that is being done here in Balfate, Honduras. It was made clear to both Jake and I that we would be welcome to return in any capacity, including long-term.
Much Love.