Next morning we drove north and holed up in Omoa, north east Honduras, close to the Guatemala border. Found lovely lodgings - Paraiso Rainforest and Beach Hotel - edgy location just through the village of Veracruz down a dirt road past some shacks, dodging the chickens as we drove - almost giving up and then lo and behold a brand new swish hotel right on the beach! A brand new swish hotel at which we were the only guests!!
Being the only guests we blagged an upgrade to an Oceanfront Junior Suite with Terrace overlooking Pool and Beach!
Relaxing afternoon on the loungers with Cerveza/Vino Blanco soaking up some rays (David explored the beachfront and filled a wheely-bin with glass bottles, cans and plastic bags off the sand!)
Dinner at the Hotel Restaurant - still the only Guests - couple of drinks at the Hotel Bar and we hit the hay.
And that's when the Tropical Storm struck. First came the heavy rain, then the Hotel was swept by 70mph winds, bringing tree branches crashing down. At 3:00am the Power Lines went down. No electricity. Pitch black outside! Couldn't leave as the Hotel Staff had fled, locking the doors behind them (OK - they had finished work and gone home, but they had locked us in!). On the beach the ocean was raging and seawater was coming up into the hotel grounds. And the RAIN - it was like bullets falling on our heads! Five inches of rain fell in just 12 hours!! In the early hours whilst the eye of the storm was overhead we climbed over the Compound Wall and got the heck out of there.
Along the coastal highway on our way to the Border torrents of muddy water raged across the tarmac. Swollen angry rivers washed over bridges and houses were being swept away! Cowboys on horseback braved the storm moving their herds to higher ground. Only our mighty Pablo 4x4 got us through to the Guatemala Frontera!
