Exploring - Books by Eric Douglas

I realize I’m very fortunate to see parts of the world that most people never dream of seeing. I get the chance to see beauty in forms that I have never seen before. And I relish every moment of those experiences.

We took today off and explored a bit. Elmer wanted me to see the mountains and see how people live in the villages in the mountains ringing La Ceiba, Honduras and some of the beauty that is the jungle. After driving to the near the head waters of the Cangrejal River, we made our way back down to the Pico Bonita National Park. The office is on one side of the river, but to get to actual park we had to cross a very long, very bouncy suspension bridge. We were probably 75 feet above the rocky river running below us.

We had planned on a short hike, 30 minutes or so, just to get a feel for the land. Not expecting to be gone too long, we opted to leave the water in the car. That is one of those decisions you see in the movies and you immediately scream at the actors that they are making a mistake. The route that the people in the office told us would take about a half an hour was actually just to the point where we could go back another half an hour to see a water fall—we opted against that. But we still had another “half an hour” back to the bridge. Except it took us about an hour to get to place to make the turn and finish out the loop.

Granted, I stopped a number of times to take photographs. And it was hot and humid. Most of the time, the air barely moved. It could even get dark and oppressive. This was a single track trail, up and down over rocks and leaves and fallen trees. I slipped a couple times, and once actually made it a couple feet over a hillside. Fortunately, I was holding onto a small tree when I did it. And Elmer grabbed my arm to steady me as well. On that final leg of the hike, well into the second hour, we passed a couple plastic bottles other visitors had left behind. Elmer reached down and carried them out with us.

If you want to see more images from the day, check out the album I posted on FB. If you’re not already a “Friend” send me an invitation.

But, while we were driving around and exploring, some other things caught my eye that weren’t quite as beautiful. The road up the mountain was dirt and gravel. In a couple places, small children were standing beside the road—and I mean 5-9 years old—throwing dirt into potholes. Whenever a car would come through, they would stick out their hands for money.

The air was filled with smoke in a lot of places. I finally realized why. The farmers were lighting fires on the hillsides to clear land in preparation for planting beans. And the rainy season is coming on. I am sure they have been planting that way for many, many years, but with the steep terrain and the hillsides cleared of vegetation, you know almost all of the topsoil will end up in the river. And they will move on to the next hillside the next year.

There were other things, public health and sanitation related, that disturbed me even more. I realize there are many things in the world that need fixing and no one person can do it all. I have no interest in trying to save the world. And frankly, some of the things I saw can probably be found just as easily in the United States, too. I chose not to photograph those things. Without having a reason, it felt like it would have been exploitative.

I didn’t watch Oprah’s final show recently, but I understand she called on her viewers to find something to be passionate about; something that makes life worth living. I would repeat that. I have no (serious) issue with most of the “entertainment” on TV today, but it is simply mind-numbing entertainment. We all need to relax from time to time and that is fine. But there are other opportunities in our own back yard to get involved and make a difference in someone’s life. Helping out one person, or one situation, can often have a much greater influence than you even realize.

Appreciate the beauty around you, but find a way to make it even better. Maybe it simply starts with picking up a discarded plastic bottle or two on a trail. You never know what might happen when you do.