Omega Tours - White Water Rafting I

So, back at the lodge a well deserved celebration was in store. After all, we were all intact and proud of our triumphant achievement. A get together around the pool with plenty of drinks, and nacho and bean dip was an appropriate ending to day one of our jungle adventure. However, as much as we wanted to extend the party we only mustered enough strength to sip a couple of beers, grab dinner and call it a night. We were dead tired and knew we had to save energy for extreme sports day number two. The following morning we were up and ready for early breakfast at 7 am and prepped and geared for another ultimate activity by 8:30... this time, it was WHITE WATER RAFTING time!

Prior to our departure, Omega Tours provided everyone with the corresponding safety gear, this included a helmet and life jacket. After making sure everything fit properly we were ready to head out, but first, we proceeded to strike the pose for the "hey... look at me, I went white water rafting" group shot. After forever storing that collective Kodak moment, we were almost ready for our half day trip. There was still one last, but very important instruction to follow and that was to put on sun protection, (no need to remind you that the sun shines pretty bright during April and almost year round in Honduras - no shade in the river either). Looking like rock climbers/coast guards/and buttered up surfers, we pitched in by carrying some light gear as we proceeded Indian file down to the river. We were all set and ready to set sail... now, let's not forget it was everyone's first time white water rafting, so no one in our crew knew what to expect considering hiking turned out to be a very exhilarating experience. I remembered Udo's explanation that we would be doing a lot of jumping and swimming, swimming and walking, and jumping and rafting but who knew. They did their best in trying to explain the activity in words and I will try my best here as well, but again, this is something you need to experience firsthand as the written word just does not live up to the real deal. I can confidently include white water rafting as one of the most memorable experiences of my life, together with diving; in fact, it was so much fun, after it ended we all wished we had gone for the full day trip, instead. I simply can't wait to do it again!!

Omega Tours / Trail Hiking II

Prior to embarking on our little trek up the mountain they loaded us onto several very suitable yellow rides, similar to those jeeps and trucks that go on safari on the Discovery Channel. After a very short drive down the river (about five minutes) we made it to the entrance of the park only to realize that the fence was locked. We ended up having to jump over it because as it turns out the park caretaker was busy taking a dip in the river! That was a little crazy but definitely no surprise for us Central Americans as those types of odd situations tend to happen here every once in a while. No one else in our crew seemed to mind either, as that was our first taste of adventure in this here trip; and there would be plenty more to come on the other side of those chained wooden planks.

Once all 16 of us plus the two guides from Omega Tours made it over the barbed wire fence we walked for a few minutes until we reached the slippery and rock filled river bed all the way to the water's edge. There I knew the aqua socks would have come in handy, nevertheless we kept going, crossing the river in knee deep water with no apparent problems. Now, although the current felt calm, the uneven rocks below it made it difficult to maintain your balance so you had to be careful and avoid leaning low enough to have the current lift you and take you away. That meant, watch your step, do not crouch, and absolutely no falling!

After safely crossing the river we started up the mountain. It was a winding trail that would take us to the highest point of the tour. The walk was a long one, about 4 hours and the terrain was unfriendly to say the least. You seriously need to be in shape to do this. At some points the trail ends and you have to make your way up steep rocks to continue. 3 point stance is the rule, that means always moving while having three of your extremities touching any surface at all times. Fortunately for us trekkers, the hot sun did not affect our performance too much as we were covered most of the time by the luscious foliage of the forest above. Humidity however, did become a determining factor as one of our friends suffered the consequences of dehydration. Be prepared to drink plenty of fluids prior, while on the trail, and afterwards. On a curious note, one of the local guides turned out to be 70 years old. I am not sure if he was telling the truth but you could tell on his face he had been around for a while, yet he was probably in far better shape than all of us combined! Proof of this was that he was carrying more than a dozen bottles of cold water on his back which we gladly welcomed as we made it to our first stop. This was a natural swimming pool halfway up the trail with a small waterfall for a backdrop. After a short dip in the freezing cold water and some photo opportunities we kept going up, across logs, over large boulders, and sometimes right on the edge of some pretty high cliffs.

Although I have described this as a painstakingly difficult hike it was all worth while once we made it to that beautiful place mentioned in the previous entry. I am talking about the Bejuco Waterfall, that 60 meter high waterfall seen from the road below. At 450 meters above sea level the view was simply amazing and the waterfall up close was just breathtaking. Big time photo ops here, NatGeo style; also a great spot for a picnic. The guides brought with them the option of chicken, bacon, or veggie sandwiches and delicious pineapple for dessert. After replenishing lost fluids and vitamins we made our way back downhill to the finish line represented by a suspension bridge hanging over the Cangrejal River.

I forgot to mention, this was all at cost of 39.00 well spent US Dollars!

Omega Tours / Trail Hiking I

After leaving the airport we made our way through the busy streets of La Ceiba onto a less traveled dirt road and we started up the mountain with the river bank to our right. As we moved upstream, we started to see the initial stages of the tropical rain forest which is part of a mountain range called Nombre de Dios. Pico Bonito is the name of this destination and highest peak at over 2,430 meters above sea level, brand new territory for us as we had never visited this famous national park located in the north coast. It is widely known for its rafting in the Cangrejal River and hiking through its winding mountain trails.

As the bus took us closer to the lodge the scene was that of a calm Cangrejal River, (it was April during the dry season) with a sloping green backdrop hiding the trails where we would be hiking in a couple of hours. We could barely see a waterfall in the distance, which we were told becomes very visible and impressive once the rainy season arrives and there is a heavier down pour. We got to see it up close soon enough and it was indeed a beautiful sight!

Once at the lodge we were greeted by the owner Udo and the staff of the Eco Lodge. As soon as we were all settled in, drank some water and got into "proper gear" we were ready for a small pep talk of what to expect on our first activity. You see, Omega Tours is the tour operating part of the company offering all kinds of tours, from white water rafting and kayaking, jungle hiking, bicycling, and horse back riding to other types of excursions in more remote locations of Honduras such as the biosphere of the Platano river... but that's another entry! They have a great team of professional guides who have trained and worked in other parts of Central America. They were very friendly and they seemed very professional, providing adequate instructions on what to do and focusing on safety at all times. I must say we all felt very comfortable and safe considering the extreme activities we ended up doing.

I would like to provide some sound advice here. It is highly recommend you bring proper shoes, otherwise you'll end up barefoot, trying not to break your neck. There are plenty of steep and slippery climbs on some rough terrain. It was quite a challenge, not your basic "lets go jogging" trails some might expect. Some on our crew had to learn this the hard way and got a few scrapes in the process, including myself. I only brought with me some Crocs for shoes which actually did not fair that bad in the end, specially compared to my sandals and flip flop wearing friends! Water shoes or aqua socks will do the trick but if you don't have any ask the people at the Eco Lodge and they might lend you a pair in your size at no extra charge. Do not forget your bathing suit and camera, nature shots and getting wet are both imminent along the entire way. The guides take impermeable bags to protect the electronic hardware so no worries there!

So after receiving our initial introduction we were all set to go on our little hike, all 16 honeymooners ready for some mountain adventure in Pico Bonito!