Day 306: Thank You

After six long bus rides spread out over a day and a half, we finally made it to the small, serene cobblestone town of Gracias.  Early in its history, it was the capital of the Spanish colonies in Central America and today its past is on display through its classical architecture and layout.  The name of the city is said to come from Spanish explorers, who were weary and exhausted after having trekked through the mountainous terrain and were thankful to finally have arrived to flat land.  We stopped by the San Cristobal Fortress to get nice views of the beautiful forests and mountains in the surrounding area.  The stronghold is home to the tomb of Juan Lindo, who was president of both El Salvador and Honduras for short periods in the mid-1800s.  We took in the scenery and thought what it might be like to lead two different countries in today’s modern world.

Mesmo escutando horrores sobre Honduras, depois de 500km divididos em seis ônibus, cruzamos mais uma perigosa fronteira são e salvos. Claro que passamos a noite em claro num hotelzinho beira de fronteira, com medo de alguém meter o pé na porta e entrar no quarto, mas essas coisas só acontecem em filme. Chegamos em Gracias, e Gracias a Dios! Sem brincadeira, esse é o nome dessa pequenina cidade com pessoas super simpáticas e sorridentes. Os espanhois cansados de procurar por terras, subindo e descendo morros e montanhas, chegaram aqui nessa terra plana e a primeira frase de exclamação foi: Gracias a Dios encontramos uma terra plana, e daí o nome. Descubrimos a historia porque fomos visitar o Forte de São Cristovão. Lá de cima a vista é linda, com as belas montanhas ao redor e a mata verde que só.