I started looking for souvenirs a little more seriously today. Really would like to find one of those charcoal powered fondue pot things.

I read about a place south of Valle Park - that's the next park east of Parque Centeral. Couldn't find the place so I continued on toward the Honduran Maya. I know there's a lot of souvenir shops on Miguel Cervantes Ave. just before you get there.

Went into and out of a multitude of shops - mostly carved spoons, pencil holders, coconuts carved into monkeys and so on. Found the fondue thing at several places - a variety of sizes and prices, anywhere from L25 to L12. I need to start putting together a shopping list of the things I have seen, want, can afford, and can transport back.

I would like to find some unroasted coffee beans. I suspect that may be asking too much but who knows. Yesterday, I got my hands on the Honduran phone book. Think of it! One phone book for the entire country! Including yellow pages! Maybe I can find something in there.

Started over to book village - figured I would buy a copy of Honduras This Week. If the place is open. Decided to take just a little detour to see what was down a side street. Promptly got lost. I was so sure that just around each corner would be familiar territory that I never felt the need to check the compass or map that I had with me. Then I came to a bridge and a river that shouldn't be there. Oh-well, I had looped back around into downtown and was about halfway back to the hotel. Headed back toward the Honduran Maya, found a few more tourist shops. Made the same wrong turn again. Caught it this time after only about 3 blocks (clever fellow that I am)

Was going to eat lunch at a new Indian restaurant but couldn't find it - I saw it last time and now someone has stolen it.

Finally got to Book Village, it's closed. After my longer than anticipated walk I'm pretty thirsty so it's off to the place with the Fondue pot appetizers again.

I try to explain to the lady that I want the fondue thing that has the bean and cheese stuff in it. Plus a beer of course. She shows up with two fondue pots. one of them has beans (with a little cheese) and the other has cheese (with a little sausage). I'm certainly not going to try to explain what I ment but I do know how to say "That's all". Except for another beer of course.

Back to Book Village. They're open now. They have Honduras This Week. Aside from that's it's just a small bookstore with English magazines, paperbacks (new and used).

Walking back toward the hotel, I learn why you shouldn't walk behind a car that's waiting for a light on an uphill slope. I was impressed with my reflexes. As some of my so-called friends would say "He jumped!".

On a couple of occasions, I have been impressed with the charity shown by some of the people toward the kids that run around loose. Usually selling something but sometimes begging. I've seen them invite the kids to pull up a chair and eat. Sometimes an appetizer and sometimes some food that was left over from the ample portions served.

Back at the parque Centeral, I'm thirsty again. Al Naturale is right around the corner so the thought of Papaya con leche comes to mind. Looking through the menu, I see that they have pie with ice cream. That sounds pretty good so I order it. Well, it's a nice try but the pie is lemon meringue and the ice cream is kinda like a vanilla sherbert. (Try that sometime) I see that the place actually has two rabbits. They sneak into the large bird cage that's on the ground and steal some of the bird's lettuce.