Gringos in Paradise: Our Honduras Odyssey

Malana Ashlie
BookSurge Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9781419657528
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (10/07)


The author Malana Ashlie has written a wonderful book about her adventures with her husband Ordin, or O, as she calls him.   The book is so well written that I often felt like I was with the author on her travels.
  
The author spent her life looking for roots before finally realizing that moving to new places is part of her make-up and a positive.  Malana and Ordin begin their adventure by leaving Florida and first moving to Hawaii for several years and then to Honduras. As a person who moved to the islands of Hawaii in the 1990s, I completely related to adjusting to a new culture and being so far from home.  However, when the islands got too expensive and commercial, Ordin and Malana made the tough decision to move to a foreign country where they did not speak the language or really know the culture.  The decision was made after O visited Honduras and found that it had what they were looking for. He sold their home in Hawaii, packed up their things and made the move with their cat Pueo in a matter of months.
 
Life in Honduras proved to be more difficult than either of them expected.  They had problems with communication, water and so many other things that we in the United States take for granted everyday.  Not speaking the language fluently and adjusting to a completely different culture made getting everyday things accomplished so much harder. Her overwhelming feelings of isolation sometimes led her to stay in her house for weeks and even to close up in their air-conditioned bedroom watching English DVDs.  
 
On the positive side, they were able to purchase a beautiful home and hire a gardener and housekeeper. As Malana becomes more comfortable with the culture she emerges from her home more and explores the area.  Her descriptions of Honduras are beautiful and really make is sound like an undiscovered paradise.  
 
I would highly recommend this anyone who is thinking about living in a foreign country.  Malana Ashlie’s very candid accounts of her experiences and feelings give incredible insight into the experience.  “Gringos in Paradise: Our Honduras Odyssey” would also be very enjoyable for anyone who enjoys traveling to foreign countries.

Listen to interview with Malana Ashlie on Inside Scoop Live

Make comment on weblog