Traveling to Guanaja Honduras, that tiny island located off the coast of Honduras, is sometimes an adventure and sometimes a challenge. My husband and I just made the trip from Miami to San Pedro Sula and found TACA airlines to be quite pleasant. We had a one hour and fifty five minute flight that included a television show, a warm meal and, believe it or not, FREE liquor! This was in the back of the bus so I was quite impressed. The connecting flight to La Ceiba in Honduras lacked air conditioning, which I found out later had not worked in that airplane for over twenty years and they misplaced our fishing poles! Oh well, they did turn up the next day. The puddle jumper flight to Guanaja, the following day on Islena, had such spectacular Caribbean and island views that I did not notice anything wrong. I could have been riding on the wing!

When traveling to another country like Honduras, sometimes you bring unusual items in your bag for friends that live in the country. In other words, items that are difficult to get down there. We brought an external hard drive and a bag of skinny salted pretzel sticks in our suitcase for a friend. No problem, we had plenty of room and we were glad to do it.

Our friend, who flew down to Honduras three days later, ran into some difficulties, though. First, let me say, that I admire the dedicated work that all the TSA folks do. They work long, hard hours trying to keep our country safe from terrorists. Homeland security has a heck of a job to do with all the crazy people in this world. Well, our poor friend Ron got strip searched twice on his way down to Guanaja, once in Jacksonville and once in Miami. Let me explain.

Ron had some special items that he wanted to keep in his carry-on luggage, you know, the stuff that sometimes disappears from a bag once you get in to a third world country. He was carrying a Bose docking station for an IPOD, a handheld VHF radio for his boat and two large packets of powdered Gatorade. The xray machine, of course, picked up this odd assortment of electronics and powder. The officer told him to “step away from the bag” and Ron was escorted him into a small room to investigate further. This included the removal of his clothes. OK, he understood, but what to do? Everything was quite innocent. Arrival in Miami and of course he still has the same carry-on, oops! Ron certainly did not want to say, I know it looks like a have a bomb in my bag, but I really do not! Everyone knows that you NEVER say the B….b word in an airport, that could get you arrested! Well, of course, Miami had the same scenario with the officer telling him to “step away from the bag” escorting him to the small strip search room.

By the time that he arrived safely in Guanaja, had a couple of beers and was able to relax and perhaps embellish the story, it was funny indeed. At least, as he explained later, he was wearing clean underwear. OK, he understood, After all, how many people get strip searched twice because they are packing a radio, powdered Gatorade and an IPOD station to Honduras?

Denise Clarke a retired Paramedic, is now a blogger, writer, photographer and internet researcher. Follow her latest adventures by visiting her blogs:
http://www.Guanaja-Honduras.blogspot.com
http://www.WineFoodPairing.blogspot.com
or visit her latest website at:
http://www.Honduras-Guanaja.com