Wednesday, August 28
Today is the day I have been dreading since I left Canada. Wait no, no, no – today is the day I have been dreading since I started planning this trip. On this humid and heavy Wednesday, I will cross the 4th border of my journey. Riding over several mountain peaks, my ponies and I will enter Honduras.
Today, the beautiful country known for its white sand beaches and rich culture is the world’s deadliest place. While doing my research for this trip, the numbers I came across made me question if riding through Honduras and coming out alive was even possible.
I was a little worried after 2 years of seeing the terrible statistics of this place in articles from all over the globe. It was even more worrisome that I would be traveling at 4 kms an hour through this war zone.
Although fear pierced my heart like a jagged knife, my desire to tell the truth has always been stronger. My life is no greater than that of the Honduran people who are a victim of this system made up of corrupt politicians, “the war on drugs” and a complete lack of opportunity.
As the sun made its way up the cloudy sky, I made my way up the mountain with my 3 horses. As I climbed the first peak of many I met a teenager who asked me what the hell I was doing there. I told him how I was riding horseback from Canada to Brazil and writing a book on the journey. He stayed silent for a few seconds and then spoke.
“Listen, I don’t know if you know exactly where you are but this is a really dangerous area. If someone asks you who you are, tell them you are a singer, because if you tell them the story you told me they might think you are a spy for the DEA and kill you,” the teen said.
I looked back at him and responded, “with my horrible voice they will kill me when they ask me to sing a song.”
He wished me good luck and I continued on. What he told me is the absolute truth. The DEA has been running missions in past months in this area as they search for a well established drug lord, leaving everyone in the area on high alert. What the teen did not know, is that I have been given the green light to cross this region by those he feared could kill me (Full story will be in the book).
Hard is an understatement to describe my ride into Honduras. This was by far one of the worst days the horses and I have endured on this journey. Riding straight up the side of mountains covered in mud, the horses and I struggled tremendously. At one point I had to walk each horse up individually and let them rest every few meters. Breathing harder than I have ever seem them, they stood with their heads low. I was super scared we would get stuck in the middle of these mountains or that a horse would want to lay down due to exhaustion. But no, my super-horses did not let me down.
Slowly we keep moving deeper and deeper into Honduras as the sun starts making its way down. Along the way I made a friend by the name of Salvador who decided to help me get to La Laguna where I have a contact waiting for me. He saddled up his horse and together we continue to climb as the day turns to dusk. At around 7 pm Salvador and I arrived in La Laguna where my contact was waiting for me with other cowboys. With beers in hand they officially welcomed me into Honduras and gave me the bad news that their village is still a 2 hour ride away. The ponies and I were dead tired but this was no place to set up the tent and spend the night. I gave the ponies a nice break while I got to know my new friends over some cold Salva Vidas (Honduras National Beer). After some chatting we said goodbye to the people of La Laguna and hit the trail.
In the darkness of the night we rode over rivers, through forests and over large ditches. I couldn’t believe where I was and how safe I felt with my new friends. All the fear I had built up in me these past 2 years slowly drifted away as I felt the love from my new friends.
At 11pm we finally arrived in La Zona, Copan. The small village would be our home for the next 2 days as we regained the strength to continue. I can hardly believe I am in Honduras… Everyday I am wowed by the raw strength and resiliency of my horses and the kindness of people.
I am regaining my trust in humanity thanks to the horse.
