Trujillo, Honduras: Humidity, History, and Honestly, Just Trying to Find a Decent Pupusa
okay, so trujillo. it’s…a lot. i’m a freelance photographer, and i usually chase light, but here? it’s just thick air. like, you could cut it with a machete. i just checked and it’s basically soup outside, a constant 21.41 degrees Celsius, but feels like it’s trying to reach boiling point. the humidity is at ninety-six percent, which explains why my hair has declared independence and formed its own ecosystem.
i stumbled into this place because a friend of a friend (who runs a questionable online vintage shop - check it out if you dare: https://www.etsy.com/market/vintage_clothing) said the colonial architecture was “insane.” she wasn’t wrong. it’s like someone took a perfectly good spanish town and then just…left it to the jungle for a bit. it’s beautiful, but also kinda spooky.
i’ve been spending most of my time wandering around the *plaza central, trying to capture the light on the crumbling facades. the fortaleza de santa barbara is a must-see, obviously. it’s ridiculously imposing, and the views are…well, they’re views. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g292023-d188439-Reviews-Fortaleza_de_Santa_Barbara-Trujillo_Francisco_Morazan_Department.html i overheard someone at a cafe saying it’s haunted by the ghost of a spanish governor who lost a fortune gambling. take that with a grain of salt, though; everyone here seems to have a story.
the food situation is…interesting. pupusas are everywhere, which is good, but finding a good pupusa is a quest. i asked a guy selling coconuts (seriously, coconuts on every corner) where to find the best ones, and he just pointed vaguely towards the market* and said, “look for the lady with the gold teeth.” haven’t found her yet. Yelp isn't super helpful here: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants&find_loc=Trujillo%2C+Honduras. i did find a place that serves baleadas, which are basically giant flour tortillas filled with everything imaginable. highly recommend.
“Don’t drink the tap water. Seriously. Just…don’t.”
that’s what the owner of my guesthouse told me, with a very serious look in his eyes. he also warned me about the mosquitos. apparently, they carry everything. i’m currently covered in bug spray and regretting my decision to wear shorts.
the people here are…reserved, but friendly. it takes a bit to break the ice, but once you do, they’re incredibly welcoming. if you get bored, La Ceiba is just a short drive away, and apparently has some decent nightlife. i’m not much of a nightlife person, though. i prefer to wander around with my camera and get lost. i’ve been trying to learn some spanish, but my attempts are mostly met with polite confusion. Duolingo only gets you so far, you know? https://www.duolingo.com/
someone told me that the local buses are an adventure in themselves. apparently, they’re packed to the brim with people, chickens, and everything else imaginable. i haven’t braved them yet, but i’m considering it. for the photos, obviously.
i’m starting to think i need a new hard drive. i’ve taken approximately a million photos of crumbling walls and colorful buildings. it’s a problem. a beautiful problem, but a problem nonetheless. i also need to find that lady with the gold teeth. the quest for the perfect pupusa continues.
“The best coffee is at Doña Elena’s. But you have to get there before 7 am, or it’s all gone.”
that’s what a fellow traveler, a guy who looked like he’d been backpacking for ten years straight, told me. i’ll try to make it tomorrow. i need caffeine. desperately. i've also been reading up on the history of the area, it's fascinating. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trujillo,_Honduras
i think i’m starting to understand why this place has such a hold on people. it’s not glamorous, it’s not easy, but it’s real. and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
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