Hello, this is Frank.

Once known as the murder capital of the world, San Pedro Sula in Honduras is infamous for its danger. During my days as a trading company employee, I had the chance to visit this perilous city on a business trip.

As of 2022, Honduras now ranks seventh in the world for homicide rates.

From Toncontín Airport near the capital Tegucigalpa, it took about 45 minutes by domestic flight to reach San Pedro Sula.

After a “thorough” baggage inspection at immigration, I took a taxi downtown. The streets were eerily quiet, but the locals’ sharp gazes made me uneasy.

After checking into my hotel, that’s when the incident happened.

A young porter who carried my luggage to the room accepted my tip and left. To be safe, I checked the door lock and chain, peeked into the shower and toilet to make sure no one was hiding, and checked the street-facing window’s latch. Everything seemed to work-well, almost.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I lit up a cigarette. For some reason, I became curious about the cable connecting the air conditioner and the outlet. With the cigarette in my mouth, I reached out and touched the unit.

――Zap! Zap! Zap!

In an instant, my right arm went numb and electricity shot through my body. I smelled something burning-I’d been electrocuted.

My mind went blank, and the next thing I knew, I was lying on the bed beside me.

If the current had passed through my heart, I might have died on the spot. I was so shocked I couldn’t even cry out.

I’d heard about the dangers here, but I never imagined I’d get electrocuted before encountering any crime. Unlike the time I was attacked and faced death in Guyana, this was a different lesson in self-preservation.

I narrowly escaped death――not from “emotion,” but from “electrocution.” Central and South America are full of surprises.

You only live once. Why not challenge yourself with an exciting journey, too?

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If you’re interested in my published books, feel free to check them out here.

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