you wouldn't believe it

There are things about Honduras that if I told you, you would still have a tough time imagining. Like how there seem to be no driving laws or speed limits. People fly down the streets of my neighborhood at 60 mph, just because they can. These are dirt streets. Buses pass cars going around curves. A heard of a thousand cattle is allowed to walk down a highway, taking up both lanes and stopping all traffic.

There are no public standards of cleanliness either. Some restaurants and public places keep their bathrooms clean, some do not. It's an amazing day when you stumble upon a Honduran bathroom with toilet paper or soap. You write down these places on your list of favorite spots and keep going back for this reason. It's entirely normal for a restaurant bathroom to have no lights, no toilet paper and no soap and an overflowed toilet. People will continue to use the toilet. If you are a man, however, feel free to urinate where you like. It doesn't really matter if you're standing on the side of the road waiting for a bus. Just continue your business and hold up your hand so that the bus waits for you. This happens.

Because most homes don't have electricity, people bathe outside because that is where the pila is. Oftentimes on the way to school, sitting in the high perch of the big yellow bus, we catch glimpses of old women, bathing outside, wearing only underpants. They just stand there and pour water over their heads in front of the world. And, because little kids are just little kids, they run around naked all the time. In fact, everyone thinks it's kind of cute. Maybe it is at first, but not when they're playing naked in piles of dirt or running around chasing their dog. Then, it's just sad.