How to make the most out for 12 hours of travel between Portland and Tegucigalpa...

For those of you who will be traveling to Honduras to visit me this year, I thought I would create a "How To" of sorts, so that you can enjoy your travel experience as much as I enjoyed mine last week.

1. Purchase your tickets to Honduras on Continental.com. Though their tickets are sometimes more expensive, it is almost always worth the extra $100. On Continental you can take a direct flight from Portland to Houston and then on to Honduras, where as if you travel on American you will have to fly from Portland to Dallas to Miami and then on to Honduras. Not only is the flight shorter on Continental, but they offer you peanuts and beverage service as well. American only offers beverage service and then charges $4 for a snack box... boo! Also, you will want to fly into Houston to complete the rest of my How to... see below.
2. After you have secured your tickets on Continental, be sure to check if Tegucigalpa is under a baggage embargo (this means they can limit, even more strictly, the number of bags and the weight of the bags that you want to bring. I did not do this and had to send a bag back with my mom). You can locate this info on Continental.com.
3. The flight to Houston will be a red eye. This flight is rarely full and it is important to locate a row of seats in the back that are unoccupied. After a hot cup of tea from the beverage service, grab a couple of extra pillows and blankets and make yourself comfortable for the next 3 hours.
4. You will arrive in Houston around 5:30 AM. Upon arrival in Houston buy yourself a bottle of water and hydrate yourself. Airplanes always dehydrate you and you will need to be hydrated once you land in Honduras. I suggest hydrating yourself while sitting in front of one of the many flat screen TVs and watching CNN. (For those of you who are scoffing at me for watching TV, please know that you will need this kind of mindless entertainment after 3 hrs of sleep).
5. After you are properly hydrated, seek out terminal E (the international terminal). I usually take serveral turns about the terminal as I am definitely tired of sitting by then. Once you have located your departure gate and have sufficently streched your legs, head to Pappacito's.
6. At Pappacito's order the breakfast taco (I suggest the potato, egg and cheese... though they are all good), for larger appetities order the breakfast burrito. Make sure they give you plenty of salsa, as this is the BEST part.
7. Choose a table with a good view outside (for the sunrise) and a good view of the people around you. This is prime people watching time!
8. After enjoying your breakfast taco, head over to the Starbuck's line for a coffee. And make your way back to your departure gate.
9. By this time your flight should be about 30 minutes from boarding. Enjoy your cup of joe and continue the people watching.
10. Once onboard your plane try to get yourself a seat one of the A seats (left hand window) for your optimum viewing pleasure of the landing in Honduras. Continental does serve an in-flight breakfast, the yogurt and banana are the only things worth eating... if you are still hungry. Once settled in, kick back, relax and take a nap.
11. When the flight attendant comes over the loud speaker saying that they have started to make their initial decent, WAKE UP and start looking out the window. If you are lucky enough to be on the left side of the plane enjoy the view as the plane makes a sharp left-hand turn so that the right wing can clear the mountainside before the plane comes down to land on the football field sized runway. If the locals clap after the landing, then you know it was a good one!
12. Try to be one of the first off the plane so that you can be first through immigration and consequently first to get your bags. There is always a line to get through customs.
13. Once through customs, allow the man with the dolly to wheel your luggage out. Their fee is cheap and it will save you a lot of effort maneuvering your bags through the crowd outside.
14. Once outside soak in the warmth and beauty of Honduras!... and of course greet you hostess!

Cannot wait to show you all around. I know you will love Honduras as much as I do!