What drew Left Eye to Honduras? Thoughts on the TLC Biopic

I just watched 'CrazySexyCool', the TLC biopic on VH1.  While the movie was just ok, the songs brought back lots of middle and high school memories.  I loved their music and the highlight of a family trip to Disney World was seeing them on Space Mountain.  Somewhere at my mom's house there is a dog eared picture of a very geeky looking me thrilled they were nice enough to pose for a picture.

Anybody talking about experiential travel piques my curiosity so I wanted to know what drew  Left Eye to Honduras so often.  Honduras is not a super popular destination for most travelers, but a great place for diving, Mayan history and an interesting cultural mix of Afro-Caribbean culture and Spanish colonial influence.

Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes bought a condo and her foundation was in the process of establishing an orphanage there at the time of her tragic death in a car accident near La Ceiba, on the northern coast of Honduras.  She had spent time at a healing village in the area they allude to in the movie when they're talking about being somewhere without a phone. Lately I've spent lots of time learning about all of the wellness, yoga, spiritual and meditation retreats in Mexico so I was curious about  this one in Honduras.  The Usha Healing Village is still there with Dr. Sebi who was mentioned in the film.  (Interestingly while researching Dr. Sebi, I found a claim from back in 2005 that he treated Micheal Jackson for addiction, which no one believed at the time.)  It's funny that people can find something that inexplicably draws them to a certain place and keeps them coming back.  Sometimes that can be the people, the cuisine or just a nebulous 'energy'.  Travel is not just a way to escape, but a way to find yourself sometimes.  

Did you ever wonder if the Mayan calendar influenced sexual positions?

Me either, but I did learn there is a Maya sutra of sorts last week.   I had the opportunity to attend the Mundo Maya Feria in Merida last week to meet companies that specialize in tourism to the Mayan world. Interest in the region peaked last year and now that 2012 has passed more people are interested in learning more about this culture since clearly they weren't predicting the end of the world. The Mayans are famous for craftsmanship of many items from indigenous materials like sisal.  The artisans can make hats, clothing, accessories, beauty products and much more from natural materials found in the Yucatan peninsula.
Go to just about any marketplace and you will see all sorts of hammocks. ( I made some great contacts that I'll blog about later, but I was just dying to get this one out!)
In the square of Merida we talked to a man who still lives in a small Mayan village and comes into town to sell hammocks.  The craft has been passed down through several generations in his family.  My colleague had just bought one the day before and wanted to compare the quality, but we ended up getting a real education in Mayan hammocks.  I'm sure he missed several sales talking to us for so long, but we really enjoyed learning and he wanted to practice his English.  His learned his near perfect English and French from just talking to visitors on the street.  His assistant, he proudly pointed out, learned in school and only spoke in broken sentences.  (Sorta like my Spanish)  I learned so much about the Mayan culture from Yucatan to Chiapas during this trip, but the thing that sticks out in my mind most is when he pulled out his little dogeared manual of all the different things you could do in a hammock.  Too bad my camera was dead at this point in the day because it was comical to watch this old man's eyes light up as he flipped through the book.  He must have remembered some really great times in his hammock.
So now from just taking a few minutes to engage a stranger we have an invitation to the village to learn how to make hammocks; and if we stay a week, one to take home.  Oh the people you meet when you travel!

P.S.
This booklet is actually sold by some company in Australia on ebay but I'd much rather buy from the locals.   Next trip to the Yucatan bring one back!  Matter of fact, where ever you go, try to buy a unique souvenir from indigenous people.  It's more unique than another Senor Frogs shot glass and supports the people of the region.