My parents were here to visit last week. They were supposed to arrive on Saturday, but after their flight was canceled two days in a row (due to weather in Texas) they finally landed in Teguc on Monday. We didn't waste any time and jam packed each day full of activities. It was my mom's first time to Honduras, so we wanted to make sure that she could experience as much as possible in her 7 days here. One of the highlights of their trip was an art project we made with some of the girls from the orphanage. Last year a friend donated some 5 X 7 colored foam sheets along with adhesive foam cut out letters, so we decided this would be the perfect chance to put them to use. We figured we had enough materials for about 35 girls, divided into two seperate classes. So after setting up the tables and sorting out the materials, Greg and I, along with my mom and dad and a couple of the older kids set out to help the 5 - 12 year olds make the craft! Each partcipant would get a foam sheet to put their name and picture on, and add a personal touch with stickers and funky pattern edging scissors. We tried to control things the best we could, but it sure was hilarious when we were distributing the stickers. I would cut the sheets up so each girl would get 10 - 15, and then the others would give out one to each participant to add to their project. Well, my mom thought she was going crazy for a minute after she realized she had given several sheets to the same girls. They kept insisting that they didn't receive any, so my mom would continue to give them more. She caught on to their tactics, and called me over to help. One of the girls claimed she didn't get any, but when she stood up, I saw a sheet of stickers poking out of the top of her pocket! My mom and I started cracking up! The tricky little girls were busted! We all got a good laugh out of it! Toward the end, things got a little chaotic, yet still really fun. We were all impressed with how they were all helping each other. Especially the older ones assisting the younger ones. They really are one big family! We all had a great time and enjoyed the time we got to spend together! The girls were proud of their hard work, and the crafts turned out so nice!

The Cost of Food

One thing that has been great about living in Honduras has been the prices of food - mainly fresh produce. Granted its not always the best looking fruits and vegetables we have ever seen, they still serve their purpose! Usually the best harvest is exported Honduras is left with the rest. Living in the banana republic, we figured we would have access to an abundance of fresh bananas. Sadly though, the store usually only carries the beaten and bruised ones - something we´ve grown accustomed to! It is often less expensive to buy the fresh version over the canned option (which we prefer anyway - if it is available!) For example, a fresh pineapple here costs 30 Lempira (about $1.50) as opposed to the canned chunks for 50 Lemps ($2.50). The challenge is though, you never know what you are going to get when you go grocery shopping. Some trips I am pleasantly surprised by things like mushrooms or cream cheese, and other times I am disappointed when the store doesn´t have staples like yogurt or tomatoes! We´ve learned to deal with it though, and just substitute when looking for a certain unavailable ingredient. We nearly always shop at one of the supermarkets in town (there are 3). The prices are a little higher than those at the open market, but for convenience sake, we prefer the grocery store. (We pass by it everyday on our walk to and from school!) Also, visiting the market is just plain stressful! It is crowded with people and traffic, and definitely is not the safest place to be in town (especially if you are not a local). Sure, you can get 4 avocados for 20 Lempira there (about $1) as opposed to only 2 or 3 for the same place at the store, but still we like shopping at the grocery. Most items are pretty reasonably priced, it is only the imported products that are a little more expensive (but worth it!) We do our best to balance our purchases with a combination of cheap local items and a few more expensive American products. The variety has definitely improved since we first came to Honduras! Often times friends and family have sent us packages of some of our most beloved food items to give us a little taste of home when we are missing it!

So, I was looking at one of our grocery receipts and decided to jot down some prices. Honestly, I am not entirely sure how much the equivalent good would cost in the states these days, but am pretty sure we are getting a good deal here. The exchange rate is approximately 20 Lempira (well, 18.89 to be exact) to $1 U.S. dollar.

5 Lemps for a pound of tomatoes (25 cents)
6 Lemps for a green pepper (30 cents)
6 Lemps for a green pepper (30 cents)
6.50 Lemps per pound of eggplant (33 cents)
7.50 Lemps for a pound of potatoes (43 cents)
9 Lemps for a bunch of lettuce (45 cents)
9 Lemps per avocado (45 cents)
10 Lemps for a package of hamburger buns (5o cents)
12 Lemps for a melon (60 cents)
22 Lemps per pound of Fuji apples - about 2 ($1.10)
22 Lemps for a box of (very sour) blackberries ($1.10)
24 Lemps for a monster bag of spinach ($1.20)
28 Lemps for a pound of pasta ($1.40)

30 Lemps for a can of black beans ($1.50)
30 Lemps for a pound of strawberries ($1.55)
31 Lemps for a pound of carrots ($1.60)
37 Lemps for yogurt natural ($1.85)
37 Lemps for a loaf of bread ($1.85)
40 Lemps for a honey bear ($2.00)
48 Lemps for a pound of ground beef ($2.40)
52 Lemps for a 1/2 Liter of Soy Milk ($2.60)
55 Lemps for a package of turkey bacon ($2.75)
60 Lemps for deodorant ($3.00)
86 Lemps for Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal ($4.30)
92 Lemps for a 14oz package of smoked sausage ($4.60)
93 Lemps for 8oz of cheese ($4.65)

I am sure we will have some sticker shock when we return to grocery shopping in the states...especially for the fresh fruits and vegetables!