Architecture and thoughts on stillness (within stillness)

Since I left Guatemala it has been so quiet. I immediatley felt the stillness, and tranquilety of the people and the nature. In Mexico and Guatemala there are constant cars with speakers driving around in towns and cities announcing products and events and /or the loud roars of busses and trucks. People shouting "sickletts" in the street. There is always music blasting out from some stores, cafes and resturants. Sometimes very aggressive music and high volume. And some places seem rather caotic and very crowded. I noticed the distinct difference the first time by the lake Yojoa where it is quiet enough to not disturbe the appreciation of the nature both visualy and sonically. But I also noticed it on a more unconcsious level in Copan. I feel that my eyes have been resting on harmonious green, and my ears have been resting in tranquility. My heart and soul feel rested as well by the uninterruptedness of green hills and mountains. By less traffic and crowdedness. This is how I feel about Honduras and Nicaragua. The only real noice are the occational thunderstorms, but they also have their moments of perfect stillness between thunders that makes the very earth quiver underneath my body when I rest. Then the sky opens up, and an amazing amount of water crashes down from it and tears apart the stillness. I almost feel sorry for the thunderstorms in my part of the world. But to me it is stillness as well. It softens and quiets me. And I understand how people can be carefree and relaxed here. Never in a hurry. This is how it feels to understand what Eckart Tolle is REALLY talking about. I am good at living in the moment when I travel, that is why I love it so much. You HAVE to live in the moment, because traveling alone, as a woman, there are SO many things that are outside your control, and no-one will take responsibility for you, even laws will not protect you in the way we are led to believe that they protect us in our part of the world. If something happens to you here, it is basically your own problem. It is the law of the jungle. The duality of beauty and ugliness. Kali in action. This is how the reality of life is. Utter freedom, with the responsibility of beeing smart and healthy enough to handle life at its rawest. Theese countries have seen enough suffering and sivil war for the people to develope an inner souce of recource and self-precervation that is impressive to me. This freedom is what I can not find in Norway where too many rules saves us from ourselves and other potential maniacs. Where the safetynets are everywhere in the form of regulations. As much as a would NOT like to die in a busaccident because of lack of follwoing up regulations and the law, it provides me with the interesting concept of HAVING TO live in the moment. And accept that this is how it is done here, and so everybody has to live to the fullest every day, and see their family as often as possible, because death might be waiting around the corner. And the only thing that makes people safe and fearless here is faith. Faith comes from within. It can not be given to you, neither can safety nor fearlessness be given to you.

                                Lake Yojoa

                               

                                Los Naranjas

This is the Catedral de la Immaculada Conception, the national pride of Honduras. It is in the old colonial city Comayagua, in Comayagua department in Honduras. It was built between 1685 and 1715 in renaissance, neo-classic and baroque styles inside and outside. This kind of buildings, toghether with big pyramids and impressive ruins makes me realize how much a love and adore architecture. Especially the heavy, goth, renaissance, neo-classic, baroque and ancient architecture. When a building has Moorish domes, coloured glass in the windows, like the pics. further down, and is adorned with statues and carvings I appreciate so  much to look at it. I have come to love architecture more and more when I travel, and even though I have seen my share of churches in this part of the world, am I not really completely IN a city until I have been to the "Centro Historico" to sit in front of the cathedral to soak in the spirituality and faith that it symbolizes. Inside is the oldest clock in the world that is still working (as far as known), built in 1100 by the Moorish people, and given to Comayagua by King Philip II of Spain. Comayagua was the first capital of Honduras before the power shifted and Tegucigalpa (Tegus on the street) became capital in 1880. Comaygua is concidered the best place to go for festivals. There are, of course, national parks in the area.

                                             Arch in the park.

                                  Clock from 1100.

                                View from the tower of the churc.

                                 Moorish domes from outside, and from inside below.

To get to Comayagua: From the lake; bus to Guama and wait for a bus to Comayagua on the road. From the busstation at San Pedro Sula.