The Aches and Pains of the Job!

March 14, 2008

La Ceiba, Atlántida

Today I am feeling some growing pain due to my work with Adelante! I must preface this blog by saying that my experience on motorbikes is very limited - I have been on a bike a couple times in Honduras, but only for a couple minutes each time. Back home in Canada, a human-powered bike is my main and favourite mode of transportation and exercise, but I think the last time I was on a motor-powered bike, I was six years old. Having said this, riding around on a motorbike always looked pretty fun and exciting to me, and I always enjoyed those few moments when someone gave me a ride on one.

Now, to the growing pains: from my knees to my abdomen, my muscles are screaming!

The cause: riding from one end of Atlántida (the state on the North Coast where La Ceiba is located) to the other with Adelante credit officers, on the back of a motorbike. Yesterday I accompanied one credit officer to two Asambleas just outside of La Ceiba, and a third near Jutiapa, in the eastern part of Atlántida. Today I hopped on the back of the bike of another credit officer, as he went to Asambleas in the far west part of the state.

The credit officers were wonderful and dedicated, and the Asambleas were interesting (more on those in blogs to come). So interesting, in fact, that the entire two days are all I can think about; with every step, my aching muscles remind me of the trips. So I have learned yet another lesson from yet another one of my new experiences with Adelante: clinging to the back of a motorbike, flying along the roads of the coast, is quite an anaerobic workout! But, with some stretching, and a little more practice, I’m sure I’ll become accustomed to riding on motorbikes; I sure hope so, because it was a fascinating and enjoyable experience!