Sunset in Comayagua's Market

When traveling long term, sometimes doing nothing can be a healthy change of pace. It’s easy to try and fit too many activities into each week, leaving you exhausted and sometimes even sick.

I traveled to the sleepy city of Comayagua in the center of Honduras with the specific goal of doing absolutely nothing. The city was once the capital of Honduras but in 1880 it was abandoned in favor of the current capital of Tegucigalpa (try saying that name 3 times fast!).

Cathedral & Central Park

Taking a Break to Relax & Recharge

For five days I wandered around the city, spent hours sitting on park benches, ate baleadas & ice cream, drank freshly squeezed sugarcane juice, shopped for fruit in the market, went jogging, and slept in late. Sometimes I’d bring my camera out with me, but most of the time I didn’t.

Shooting photos with my blog in mind is harder work than you might think, and I didn’t really feel like doing anything for a few days. It felt great!

Packin' Heat in the Streets

Friendly Taxi Drivers?

There are way too many taxis in Comayagua, it’s a bit ridiculous. At first I thought the population couldn’t possibly be big enough for all of them to have enough work. But then I learned how lazy people here are about walking anywhere… Locals were astonished when I told them how far I was walking to get back to my hotel. They made a 15 minute walk seem like a day-long trek!

But the taxi drivers here were some of the most polite I’ve seen anywhere. They would actually stop to let you cross the street. This threw me off a bit, because normally I’m used to waiting until there is a big enough opening to run through the traffic.

A Tranquil Town

Playgrounds Make Great Gyms

A few times I woke up late in the morning to go running on the outskirts of the city with my friend Richard Garcia of The Primal Playground. We found an old, rusty, unused playground and turned it into a makeshift gym. You can really get a great workout using only a swingset, some old tires, and giant rocks.

Overall the city of Comayagua is very relaxed and charming. There’s really nothing that special about it, just an ordinary town in the center of Honduras. But sometimes it’s nice to visit an un-extraordinary place. It was the perfect location for a little vacation from my year long… vacation.

Specific Details & Tips

Good Place to Sleep: Hotel Quan
Good Place to Eat: Casa Castillo
Tips: Spend an afternoon reading & people watching on a bench in the central park.