I had a pleasant surprise today when I found that the road from La Esperanza to Gracias is paved nearly all the way, cutting an anticipated four hour trip down to three. The 25 mile stretch from La Esperanza to the halfway point San Juan was so new that the painted lane markers couldn't have been more than a week old. For the locals this must make their lives a bit easier, at least for getting around more conveniently. And it occurred to me that with this new road, the area suddenly goes from being very underdeveloped, to having one of the best roads in all of Central America--a "first world" perk!
I'm realizing now that my Lonely Planet guide definitely needs an updated edition, at least for this part of Honduras, since their stated travel times around are no longer valid. And whereas three or four years ago, when my edition of LP's Central America on a Shoestring was published, there were no hotels in San Juan, today I counted three as we passed through.
How quickly things can change, even in a very impoverished place like western Honduras.
Gracias is a lovely town but much hotter than in La Esperanza. I'm staying at an excellent place, the Hotel Guancascos, which is perched on a hill overlooking the town and features a large terrace restaurant. I will stay here for at least two nights which will take me to Sunday July Fourth. I now have just a little less than two weeks--about 12 days--to get back to Guatemala City.
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