21 August
In San Lorenzo, Honduras, Fr. Miguel and the rest of the team were blessed by the hospitality extended to them by Fr. Jose.
It looks like Eduardo even met his twin!
All too soon, it was time to hit the road again. Today’s itinerary called for a hike of almost 23 miles from San Lorenzo to Choluteca, Honduras.
As they walked, they were treated to some lovely views of the Gulf of Fonseca.
On the road, they found a place to have an international breakfast. Not quite IHOP, but an adventure, nonetheless. I wonder what they ate? I’ll have to remember to ask…
Their destination for the day, Choluteca, is a beautiful city with a population of roughly 100,000 about 30 miles from the border with Nicaragua.
To enter the city of Choluteca via the road from San Lorenzo, a traveler must cross the Choluteca River. There are two bridges across the river, the Puente de Choluteca (the Old Choluteca Bridge, also known as the Carias Bridge), and the Puente Sol Naciente (the Bridge of the Rising Sun, also called the New Choluteca Bridge). Both bridges have interesting stories.
The Old Choluteca Bridge is a suspension bridge built in the 1930s by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It was modeled on California’s Golden Gate Bridge. At the time of its construction, this bridge was considered one of the greatest works of architecture in the country. It was intended to facilitate travel through Central America as part of the Panamerican Highway.
Today the bridge is still used for light traffic, and is one of the emblems of Honduras, appearing on the country’s 100 lempira note.
The New Choluteca Bridge was opened for use in 1998. Knowing that the bridge would likely have to endure extreme weather conditions, the Honduran government called on some of the best architectural minds in the world to be involved in its design. At the time of its construction, it was considered to be state-of-the-art.
In 1998, the same year the bridge was opened to traffic, Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras, pounding the area for several days and causing major devastation throughout the region. Roads were washed away, and many neighborhoods were totally submerged. The bridge itself survived with only minor damage. But the Choluteca River changed its course, carving a whole new channel. Suddenly, the new bridge no longer spanned the river and became known as the Bridge to Nowhere.
In 2003, it was reconnected to the highway and is in use today.
After Nacaome, where Fr. Miguel, Ignacio, and Eduardo struggled with the heat for two days, Choluteca is known as the hottest city in Honduras.
In summer, daytime temperatures regularly soar to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Blessedly, it wasn’t that hot when our travelers went through the city. The temperatures were only in the upper 80s. ?
They were able to enjoy some of the cool, shady beauty of the Choluteca’s parks.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was built in three stages between 1785 and 1918.
Fr. Miguel, Ignacio, and Eduardo got to spend part of the afternoon visiting the Cathedral, one of Choluteca’s oldest and most beautiful landmarks.
I couldn’t decide whose selfie to use… ? At least this way you get to see both sides of the Cathedral…
So far, Fr. Miguel, Ignacio, and Eduardo have walked about 650 kilometers or almost 400 miles. Please join us for the next edition of El Diario de San José to read about the journey of our intrepid pilgrims from Choluteca to Namasigüe, Honduras. Until next time…
Wonderful. Thanks for the update.