Party Honduras Style

Well, we've been in Honduras for only a week, but already we've been to a couple of Honduran parties.  Well, ok, in all fairness one was a festival and one was more like a get-to-gether, but they are both party-like.  Besides, Festival Honduras Style is not a very good title.

Party #1 - Kickin' it in the mountains

The first party we went to was like your typical college house party except that the house was in the mountains of Honduras, everyone was wearing cowboy gear (cowboy hat, boots, big belt buckle), lamb was being cooked on the ground, and there was a Honduran music band.  Now that I think about it, it was nothing like your typical college house party.  In fact, I don't really know what to compare it to.

The party was being held by the owner of some coffee fields and we were celebrating his harvest year with him, his workers, and probably most of the people in the surrounding towns.  To get there all we had to do was drive an hour off of the highway through bumpy roads, past the gold mine, and stop when you smell the waste from the coffee processing (if you think coffee waste smells like coffee, think "pile full of dirty diapers" instead). 

When we got there, we were offered "cervesitas" by the host, a rather large mustached man who could probably crush my head between his pinky and thumb.  Soon, we were served a heaping plate of lamb meat with all the fixins (rice and pickled veggies).  When he wasn't offering people food or drink, he was usually telling the band where they were playing so that more people could hear.



While we didn't get wild at this party, I did find out that kids apparently trust me to walk them up and down hills.  So, ya, there's a skill that I've picked up on this trip to put on my resume.

Party #2 - San Marcos Festival (aka Play Kids Games Festival)

The next day we went to a festival in the nearby town of San Marcos.  I'm not sure why there was a festival there on this particular date, but it was a pretty big deal and it was even on the local TV station.  What made this particular festival interesting for us was that it was basically like a large school outing for team-building exercises.  What do you do for team-building exercises?  Play games.  For those of you who think that dumb games are just for kids, think again!

Game 1: Kid tossing

In this game the object is to form a line of people two accross then link everyone's arms tight.  Are your arms tight?  Good, I hope so, because now we are going to throw a young child apon them and you have to bounce that child down to the end of the line.  Wheee!!

Game 2: Get that person off the pole!

In this game, one participant holds on to a pole while the other participants form a line behind him/her and try to pull him/her off.  Hilarity ensues.

First up, the guys.  For a macho society, this does not look very manly to me.  Nope, not at all:

Next up the ladies.  My favorite part was when the host asked the crowd for someone heavier to help out.  It's kind of like asking "We need a fatter lady for this one.  Who volunteers?"

Game 3: Human wad

In this game the participants link arms in a line, kind of like Hands Across America.  Then, they go around in a circle with a person on the far end not moving.  So, enevitably what happens is that everyone gets wrapped into eachother, much like the line of a fishing rod.  I don't know how one wins or loses this game.

Game 5: Don't jump on other kids

In this one, kids sit in 2 rows, each facing the kid in front.  Then one by one, the kids are touched by the host and they weave in and out of the other children to the end.  As far as I can tell, the only object is not to step on or hit another child.  Well, that and amuse your child so that he stops pestering you to buy ice cream.

Before I go, some props go out to Mundo the resident dentist at the clinic for winning the sack race.  Wear that winner's shirt proudly!