Honduras had been destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. Remarkably Roatan, one of the Bay Islands, had escaped with minor damage so a few of us opted to fly there from Guatemala. Alas Copan, one of the great Mayan sites, was totally inaccessible. The flight to and from Roatan showed clearly how the country had been devastated; swathes of mud flowed all over the country. Roatan had no brick buildings so was basic but beautiful. I started a PADI course but fell ill. Even with out this I realised I was too weak a swimmer to complete the course. From Honduras 3 of us risked a brief visit to El Salvador.