Raisens and Peanuts

Bear with me, this story is relevant to my travels today.

The year was 2005 and  I was living in Guatemala, had a great job as the Embassy nurse and befriended my daughter’s American teacher who was teaching at the American school where my children went.

 We invited her and her son to travel to Utila, our special island, during Easter week for a vacation. Easter week in Central America starts the week before Easter Sunday, so we promptly left the Friday before Good Friday, driving through Guatemala and into Honduras to the coast. Almost everything closes down for Easter week and people head to their favorite vacation spot to party hardy.

I don’t recall the exact reason, but after 5-6 days on the island the three girls- myself, my friend and my daughter decided to head back to Guatemala a few days before Easter Sunday. It ended up being a Big, Big mistake.

After arriving on the mainland and picking up the car, we started our long journey home. When it started to get dark we began to look for a place to stop and sleep.  But as I mentioned everyone headed out to vacation and the few hotels we passed were booked full. Out of desperation we even stopped at houses along the way stating we would pay them to let us sleep there, but they declined stating they were all full with relatives.

As the night wore on, we found ourselves growing increasingly anxious. The road stretched ahead, illuminated only by our headlights, and the promise of a restful night felt tantalizingly out of reach. With every passing town, our hopes dwindled. We could have camped out in the car, but the thought of a cramped night in our seats amid the heat of summer wasn’t appealing.

As we continued our drive at night, with no road lights, we hit a huge hole and it blew out one of the tires.  Fortunately, it blew out close to a factory and there was a security guard on duty who came to our rescue and helped change the flat. He also informed us of a hotel up the road and we were beyond grateful. Tired, hungry and thirsty I did not feel like we could go another mile.

We arrived at a run down hotel to find out they were completely booked. I was beyond desperate and tired and told the night clerk we would sleep on the couches in the waiting area. At that point when they realized how tired we were they offered us a room that was closed off to guest as they stored cleaning equipment in it since it was not really suitable for guest.

We entered a small room with one double bed, a shower that barely functioned and no blankets. In addition we had no food and after searching our bags we found a small bag of peanuts and a small box of raisins between us. We carefully counted out the peanuts and raisins each getting their share and fell asleep three to the bed in an exhausted state.

In the morning I ventured out and found a very hung over car mechanic who had been up partying the night before . I am not even sure he had slept .  I offered him a substantial amount of money, to the tune of $10.00, which was a lot of money in Honduras in 2005 and he gladly fixed the tire, then left to buy more cervazas – beer- for him and his friends. Tire was fixed and we had eaten and were on our way. But the story does not end there.  As we proceeded down the great pan American highway to Guatemala two young soldiers came out of nowhere with rifles and halted us with hands and guns to stop. When the young soldier reached my driver side window and I rolled the window down a bit to talk to him and see what he wanted. He quickly thrust his hand in the window and unlocked the back door, jumped in, reached across my daughter and  unlocked the passenger side at which point his friend jumped in, sandwiching my daughter between them.

As we moved forward, the soldiers began asking questions about our trip, their voices a mix of authority and curiosity. “Where are you from? What are you doing here?” I could sense that they were young, perhaps barely older than my daughter, and their bravado masked a certain nervousness about their roles in a country troubled by violence and crime.

Was I worried or afraid, not really, and as it turned out these two young soldiers were just trying to get home to the families for Easter and because busses did not run on that weekend they wanted a ride and they were not taking no for an answer.  We took then for a few hours and dropped them off at a near by village.

So why the story, it happens that this same friend jumped at the chance to go on a Viking river cruise with me down the Danube and promised to bring the raisins and peanuts. How could I say no?

Not one for any type of organized tours, I found the river cruise provided a unique blend of relaxation and exploration, allowing you to soak in the scenery while enjoying onboard amenities. The boat was efficient and clean, and the food and entertainment exceeded my expectations.

Having a full-time musician on board enhanced the atmosphere, making the journey even more enjoyable. History presentations each evening and a few cooking demonstrations along the was. I learned to bake an authentic apple strudel.

The movie “The Sound of Music” was offered along with a live performance on board as we approached Salzburg which brought the magic of the film to life in a special way. It’s these unique touches that make river cruising memorable, blending education, culture, and enjoyment seamlessly.

Spoiler alert- Maria did not actually teach the children to sing, the Von Trapp family were already singers and performers before she joined them AND they did not cross the alps by foot, carrying their luggage, They got on a train to Switzerland, then made there was to the UK and finally Vermont USA

The cruise was 10 days long and we visited 7 cities along the way. You meet a lot of other Americans, 185 of them to be exact, not many locals. There were 50 crew members to take care of all of us and they did an excellent job. Tours are organized and on a time frame. And I gained a few pounds because the food was plentiful and exceptional. The cruise was a bit more than I normally spend on my travels but worth it.

Oh and yes and we had raisins and peanuts each night as a snack!

We went during off season so it was a bit cold but doable! I do have on two jackets!!

For the life of me I can not remember what city this was- but it is beautiful!

Dining room where I spent most of my time!!

Making Apple Strudel

Mozarts Home

Route on Danube River, starting in Budapest ending in Passau, Germany

My friend and I eating Raisens and Peanuts