Lost and Found…

Continued from Divisive Denominations…

“In order to accommodate the two new guests, the family – mom, dad and four kids – all had to share a single-sized bed.”

Daniela and I returned to Copan in time to catch up with the boys and meet Julio for fubolito (5-on-5 soccer)! When we arrived at la cancha (the field – a cement field by the way), I was surprised to find people I recognized: the drunk locals at Bohio bar from the Copan visit past. At that moment, I was aware that I had a decision to make… and that I had just a moment to make it. I could approach these men with a pre-determined judgment acquired from a less than desirable situation that happened months ago. I could write them off as “no good.” Or, I could give them a fresh start. I opted for the fresh start… something I can honestly say a younger, less-worldly “me” most likely wouldn’t have done.

“Remember me??” I eagerly prodded. “We met a few months ago at Bohio Bar. We had a lot of fun dancing… and then you got too drunk!” I laughed it off in good humor and watched the realization of who I was wash over Dennis’ face.

“I remember,” he responded. It was a careful response. Not too closed off, yet not too open. I could sense he was feeling me out and seeing how I would approach him with our “prior encounter” between us.

Some of the other players I recognized simply from walking through town everyday. It turned to be a great match that Jose, Alfredo and I were able to join. I was the only female out on the pitch but the Latinos accepted me without a qualm. By the end of the game, Dennis and the others had really warmed up to us. They offered us refreshments from the local stand afterward and we spent at least a good hour chilling out with all of them and relaxing after the game. We were all officially welcome to play whenever we felt so inclined. The Colombianos and Alfredo already had plans to leave the next day for La Ceiba and then on to Honduras’ Bay Islands, but I was happy to confirm that I would be back at the pitch the following evening.

That night, as was the previous night, my dreams were consumed with worry about my purse. My head was completely preoccupied about my photos and my passport. In the past, worry would mean I would envision “the-worst-case-scenario,” fearing that it would happen. But my dreams this time around depicted the exact opposite. I simply kept dreaming a re-run of my purse being returned with everything intact. Even in my sleep, my mind was focused on one mantra: I will get the purse back!

The next morning I opened the door of our dorm-style room… and there… on the floor… was my purse! Incredible! I woke the others in my excitement… not believing that my purse had just reappeared… in Honduras of all places!

It turns out the ad on the television worked. A boy from the streetside baleada stand had come to return the purse. Another traveler who was also staying at Iguana Azul was awake when the boy arrived. She collected the purse for me and put it outside our door. The story is that I left the purse at the baleada stand. Daniela and I are convinced I had it afterward though. Either way, I had posted “no questions asked” in the TV ad and… I felt no need to ask questions. I just thanked the boy, gave him small reward and reveled in the fact that I had my photos and my passport back!!

Speaking of the other traveler… she’s actually a young, college researcher who is studying the Chagas disease. I briefly wrote about Chagas and its cause, a chi chi bug bite, in my past stories about the Chorti Maya. When I met the girl, it wasn’t but five minutes into our conversation when she stopped me and asked, “Wait a minute… are you Laura? The Laura??” I responded that yes I was Laura, though I wasn’t sure about the “the” part. “The Laura that blogged about the Chorti Maya and posted the videos on Youtube?” she prodded further. “Hey, yeah! That is me!” I responded, surprised and amused. The girl elaborated further saying she had “totally stalked” my work covering the Chorti Maya that I had posted on the web. She said the content I had posted was the most useful content she could find while preparing for her research trip. I’m not going to lie… that was pretty darn cool. I wanted to do an interview with her about her research. Unfortunately, though, I was too distracted the entire time with my missing purse and trying to find shops that would display my photos for sale. The good news is… she’s around for a while and that means I’ll be able to grab that interview when I pass back through Copan.

And I did find success with my photos. After some networking I found that El Gato was willing to put my photos up for sale on consignment in his souvenir shop, Kass Sueño. The owner of Yat B’alam also obliged to the same deal. Sweet! By now, my travel buddies had taken off for La Ceiba – there was a huge Punta festival that they didn’t want to miss. But, I still had the locals we had met to kick it with, including a young 8-year-old cutie who often skipped out on school to hawk his handmade jewelry with the older boys.

Jose was quite the charmer. He’s very skilled in what he does, creating and selling his handmade jewelry. But, his intelligence is quite evident and it’s disappointing to know that he’s not going to school. Then again… there are quite a few millionaires and billionaires who skipped out on school rather early. Jose is also admirably generous. He opened his home to both Ricardo and Daniele, Jose’s family hosting both of them for several nights. The best part? Jose and his family live in a cement cylinder house that is comparable to Chorti Maya shacks in shape and size. Jose’s house is simply made a bit sturdier with the luxury of cement walls and a tin roof. In order to accommodate the two new guests, the family – mom, dad and four kids – all had to share a single-sized bed. Such degree of generosity is rare and quite humbling. What an impression that family left upon me!

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This entry was posted on Sunday, June 28th, 2009 at 10:10 am. It is filed under alive, Honduras, Inspirational, Latin America, Musings, passion, Play, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.