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GO TO HONDURAS AND EL SALVADOR!

It seems like forever since I have left the "safe" grounds of the US' and moved towards Mexico, people had been warning me about things, telling me not to go certain places, or do certain things. And I appreciate it, because it is a form of caring, like a mom telling you to put on warm clothes on a winter day. And some days I feel like the worst daughter in the world, because my gypsy feet wander around countries and places that are considered as "not safe". (Mom, Dad, I love you to death and I promise I will come home in one piece!)

But here is the thing about places that are "not safe"... they don't exist (unless warzones maybe). Because it's not the country, or the area, or the city, that is unsafe, it's a handfull of people, that are "not safe", mostly due to given circumstances. When I told people about going to Honduras and El Salvador, they gave me that look... the look of "Are you suuuuuure?". And people who know me, know, that I hate being confronted with that "Oh no, oh no, you shouldn't do that... traveling alone... as a... girl..." sentence. But with Honduras and El Salvador it was the "Don't go there, they will rob and kill you" -look and it made me go "Well, I am going there anyways!"

I have been traveling quite a while now and of course there will always be situations that you get out of, thinking "Shit, I should have done that differently! That was dumb!" and it still mocks me, but, I always have to think of my dad's words "Put it into the account 'lessons from life/life experiences' " (the first time he said this to me was, when I called him in tears, because my wallet got stolen in Barcelona...) And the things that will get you into danger are just two things: being stupid/act without thinking or being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Being in the wrong place, at the wrong time is a thing you cant control 100%. Acting stupid, you can control.

Honduras has been the first country I've been to, where I barely ever saw tourists. Pretty much only in La Ceiba because that's where you hop on the ferry to the bay islands. I ended up talking to so many locals about the lack of tourism in this amazingly beautiful country. Of course there was a different feel to Honduras. In all the countries before, people constantly gave me stares, because of my blond hair. In Honduras it was a bit more and being constantly catcalled by honduran men made me angry at times. But everywhere I went the people were happy to see me, to talk to me and help me. I never felt unsafe. The same in El Salvador. Open, friendly people, no sketchy moments, no weird feelings, no difference to Guatemala, Belize or Mexico.

So this goes out to all the people, who are questioning going to Honduras or El Salvador - GO!!!! It is safe and you wont regret it!