A new book in English about Tegucigalpa

The front cover of Eric Timar’s new Tegucigalpa Guide

TEGUCIGALPA — A new book about Tegucigalpa will be available in local stores and through the mail this week.

Tegucigalpa: The Non-Comprehensive Guide is written by local writer Eric Timar and includes contributions from Melanie Wetzel and Jorge Flores McClellan.

The book relates some of the history of Tegucigalpa and describes its culture and day-to-day life. Several of its chapters have appeared in slightly altered states in the prestigious local newspaper, Honduras This Week. Other chapters cover soccer, Hurricane Mitch, Transparency International, Toncontín Airport and InterAirports, the Mennonites, the local Arab and Chinese populations, and more.

The guide also recommends some local hotels and restaurants. In the Foreword, Timar writes:

“I wrote this book because after I read what must have been the fifth tourist guide repeating the usual wrong information about the founding of the city and the meaning of its name, I felt that something had to be done; and because, having grown up in Cleveland in the 1970s and early 1980s, I sympathize with residents of any city that gets more abuse than it really deserves; and because certain restaurants and other institutions here do not get the attention they merit; and because much of the information herein is not otherwise available in English.”

Intended for short-term visitors as well as residents or anyone who reads English and wants to learn more about the city, this guide is available in local stores including MetroMedia, Guaymuras, and the Flamingo. You can also order from Honduras This Week, just send US$11.00 to HTW, P.O.1323, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.



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CULTURAL EVENTS  

MUSEUMS & GARDENS

TEGUCIGALPA 

MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA

The Museum of Republican History is located at the Villa Roy building in Tegucigalpa's Barrio Buenos Aries.  It is open 8:30 to 3:30, Tuesdays through Sundays and features portraits, paraphernalia, and other interesting items from past presidents.  Admission is Lps. 20 for non-resident foreigners and Lps. 10 for Hondurans and Central Americans.  For more information, call 222-3470 or 222-1468. 

CENTRAL BANK MUSEUM

The Central Bank of Honduras located at the Comayaguela annex building is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.  It has a permanent coin and painting exhibit.  For special presentations, call the Emision y Tesoreria department at 237-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120). [CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.] 

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

The Galeria Nacional de Arte features rock art, pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial paintings, religious art and a wide selection of 20th century Honduran painters.  The gallery is located at the Plaza de la Merced in downtown Tegucigalpa.  It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10-2 p.m.  Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for senior citizens, Lps. 3 for students and Lps. 1 for children accompanied by adults. 

IGUANA FARM

The Biosfera Ecocentro Iguana Farm in Colonia La Joya invites the public to come and learn everything about iguanas.  Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 3 for children.  The facility is open every day (except Wednesday) from 9 to 5.  For more information, call 230-6346.

COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA 

COMAYAGUA MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Located in the city of Comayagua, two hours north of Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Museum of Archaeology is in the building that served as the seat of government in the 19th century.  Exhibits include prehistoric fossils, cave art, ceramics, and objects used by indigenous cultures during the pre-Colombian era.  The museum, which also has a small library, is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

COMAYAGUA RELIGIOUS MUSEUM

Located in the Casa Cural in front of Comayagua's cathedral, this museum features religious paintings and objects dating back to the 16th century.  Hours are 8-12 and 2-4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.  For more information, contact Leonardo Letona at 772-0348.

LA PAZ, LA PAZ 

LA PAZ HOUSE OF CULTURE

The La Paz Casa de la Cultura is located in downtown La Paz.  It features an attractive exhibit of the Lenca handicrafts and culture.  It is open Mondays through Sundays.

SAN PEDRO SULA, CORTES 

SPS MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY

The Museo de Antropologia e Historia de San Pedro Sula features exhibits on the development of Sula Valley, from 1500 B.C. to the middle of this century.  The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.  Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for students and children under 12, and Lps. 2 for senior citizens.  For more information, call 557-1496/557-1798 or fax 557-1874. 

MUSEUM OF NATURE OF SAN PEDRO SULA

Sponsored and managed by the Fundacion Ecologista H.R. Pastor Fasquelle, this new museum was inaugurated last December in its current location at the Biocentro on 3 Avenida and 9 Calle Noroeste.  It has 24 exhibits on the environment, natural resources and biology of Honduras.  Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays.  Admission is Lps 5 for students from public schools and Lps. 10.00 for everyone else.

YUSCARAN, EL PARAISO 

YUSCARAN HOUSE OF CULTURE

Yuscaran's Casa de la Cultura is located at the former Casa Fortin in downtown Yuscaran, El Paraiso department, just 45 km from Tegucigalpa on the road to Danli.  It is open Mondays through Saturdays.

OLANCHO 

PECH CULTURAL CENTER

The Pech have built a small house in El Carbon, Olancho to display their modern handicrafts.  An exhibit of archaeological finds in the area is planned.  You can ask to see the collection and/or get a tour of a Post Classic era fortified site.  The Pech Cultural Center also offers medicinal plant tours, nature hikes, Pech dinners, etc.  There is no admission fee to the cultural center.  Hours: If you ask, they will open it.

COPAN 

COPAN ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located in the village of Copan Ruinas, Copan department, the museum exhibits a splendid assortment of Mayan pieces that have been found in the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park just 1 km away.  

LA PUENTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Featuring a sizeable collection of Mayan handicrafts and photographs as well as a room with Japanese antique ceramics, this museum is located at the El Puente Archaeological Site, about an hour's drive from Copan Ruinas. 

MAYAN SEPULTURAS MUSEUM

Inaugurated in 1996, this is the premier Mayan museum in the Mundo Maya, featuring the finest examples of Copan's tombs, sculptures and architecture.  Located at the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park, the museum is open Monday through Sunday.

TELA, ATLANTIDA 

LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Located 2 kilometers from Tela on the Atlantic coast highway, the gardens feature one of the largest collections of tropical and subtropical plants, shrubs and trees in all Latin America.  It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Sundays.  There is an admission charge.

LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA 

TROPICAL BUTTERFLY FARM

The Tropical Butterfly Farm & Gardens of La Ceiba is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The farm is located at The Lodge at Pico Bonito in the village of El Pino, about 25 minutes west of La Ceiba.  Admission is Lps. 30 for adults, Lps. 15 for children and $6 for international visitors. 

BUTTERFLY AND INSECT MUSEUM

Thousands of butterflies and insects from Honduras and 18 other countries are on display in La Ceiba' private Butterfly and Insect Museum.  It is located in Colonia El Sauce, 2nd etapa, casa G-12.  Visiting hours are 8-12 and 2-5, Monday through Saturday.  The museum is closed Wednesday afternoon.  Fees are Lps. 15 for adults and Lps. 10 for students.  Tel. 442-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn

TRUJILLO 

TRUJILLO RUFINO GALAN MUSEUM

A private museum which has a memorabilia section, old chairs, anchors, silverware, beds of famous people locally.  There is an industrial archaeology section on how lights, axes, stoves, sewing machines, typewriters have changed over time.  They have a good collection of Garifuna handicrafts and the best collection of NE Honduras archaeological pieces -- all unmarked.  A written guide to the museum is available at the Trujillo Tourism Office in English and Spanish.  The museum is open 8 to 4, closing for lunch.  Adults Lps. 20, children Lps. 10.  Located on Calle 18 de Mayo, next to the Crystales River and the famous "piscina" or pool, about a 15-minute walk out of town.

ROATAN, THE BAY ISLANDS 

CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

The private Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails is located in Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands.  A wide variety of exotic plants is featured here, including "Roatan's most extensive orchid collection."  It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information, call 445-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma Brady. 

BAY ISLANDS MUSEUM

A private museum at Anthony's Key Resort, Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, it mostly includes archaeological pieces, but there is a small section on the modern Bay Islanders.  Museum admission is included in the cost of the dolphin show at Anthony Key's Institute of Marine Sciences.  Small buses or taxis will take you to Sandy Bay from most Roatan towns.

Eat safe, check seafood for freshness!

Seafoods are very delicate and susceptible to the process of microbial decomposition. Make sure you purchase only the freshest available and enjoy a safe meal.

By DANIEL E. MEYER
Special to Honduras This Week

Lent and Easter are times for traditional religious thoughts and we also turn our attention to taking vacations at the beach and a little relaxation. Part of this season is enjoying eating fish and other seafood. In this region the variety and availability of freshwater and marine species of seafood is almost limitless.

One problem in Central America is the existence of a rudimentary infrastructure for transporting perishable goods. Most fish that are consumed in Central America are caught in coastal waters and transported to major cities using inadequate vehicles without proper refrigeration.

Fish and other seafood are nutritious foods that provide protein and other elements that our bodies require for growth and good health. Seafood is generally low in calories and high in protein. Seafood contains important amounts of several vitamins and minerals important in metabolism.

Fresh fish and seafood generally have appetizing appearance and flavor. Due to their high nutritive value, these foods are very delicate and susceptible to the process of microbial decomposition. Unless properly stored and handled, seafood quality can deteriorate rapidly.

Most seafood is consumed in restaurants, not at home! Many patrons of supermarkets do not have the knowledge and experience at selecting fresh seafood for purchase and preparation at home. Fish and other seafood items are expensive in comparison with other meats such as chicken, pork and beef.

It is important to carefully select fresh seafood to protect the health and well being of your family, and to wisely purchase delicious and nutritious foods. The following suggestions will help you in evaluating the freshness of fish and other seafood items prior to making a purchase. Around the world chefs pay a premium price to obtain fresh fish for their restaurants on a daily basis. Once a fish is caught and dies, certain changes begin to occur that can be used to evaluate its freshness. Always examine the fish before making the purchase. This examination will include observing several parts of the fish and manipulating the fish in your hands. It is not recommended that you examine the fish through the glass display case. Always ask to have the fish in your hands before the plastic bag is closed or sealed!

Fresh fish have clear natural eyes and bright red gills. The eyes of a fish become cloudy and opaque, and the gills begin to lose their bright red color, following death. These changes are progressive with time. Cloudy eyes and gills with a pale red color indicate that the fish has been dead for several days. For these reasons many fish mongers will cut off the head of a fish, or prepare the fish as a fillet, in an attempt to disguise an older product.

Don't hesitate to ask to smell a fish prior to purchase. Use your nose to evaluate the freshness of what you are purchasing. The microbial processes of decomposition in seafood results in the production of ammonia. Our nose can detect very low concentrations of ammonia, and this will help us to identify fish that are not fresh. Fresh fish should not have any detectable smell of ammonia!

Fresh fish have flesh that is flexible and resilient. Before purchasing, make a depression in the flesh of the fish with your finger. The depression in the flesh should disappear quickly once you have taken your finger away. If the depression persists, this indicates that the fish is not fresh.

Similarly, shrimp and other seafood should have a natural coloration and no smell of ammonia. When you observe red shrimp in the display case, this means that the shrimp have already been cooked at the supermarket to prolong their shelf life. You might consider another type of seafood if all the displayed shrimp are bright pink in color!

Often fish and shellfish are physically mishandled during shipment and storage. I often observe crushed and physically deformed fish and shrimp for sale in local supermarkets. You should avoid purchasing fish and other seafood items that have been obviously mishandled and displayed for sale physically deformed from their natural shape. It is advisable to find a reputable fishmonger and purchase from him regularly. Try to get to know him, and build confidence in his opinion and the products that he sells. Looking for bargains in seafood may not be the best strategy.

I would like to conclude this article with some comments about seafood preparation at home. A common error is to overcook fish. Most fish fillets are only a few millimeters thick and they require only two or three minutes cooking time on each side. Overcooked fish tends to be dry and not very tasty.

Shrimp also require only a few minutes cooking time. Most chefs recommend that all shellfish be cooked "in the shell" to conserve all of it's natural flavor. Raw oysters are probably the most dangerous food that we consume. These mollusks can harbor pathogens in their digestive tract that can infect humans. These microorganisms, transmitted to humans from oysters, have been responsible for several epidemics in recent years. Chefs recommend that all seafood should be cooked prior to preparing "ceviche". You should learn to use these criteria for selecting seafood that is fresh, tasty and safe to consume. Seafood should form an important part of our diet all year long. The knowledge to properly select fresh products can contribute to your overall health and that of your family.

Historical and curious facts from Honduras

British establishments in Honduras were numerous in 1776. English populations could be found along the entire north coast of the country, predominately in the Tinto River Area. The Zambos and the Misquitos were residents of the towns of Bracman and Sandeve. This population of 3000-armed men formed the troops of the English colonists. The colonists, in their attempts to pit the Zambos and the Misquitos against the Spanish, would get the natives drunk and then hand out munitions.

The Zambos have a tragic origin. When the Portuguese pirate Lorenzo Gramaco shipwrecked of the Cabo Gracias a Díos in September 1650, 200 black slaves from Jamaica and Santo Domingo survived. These lived a nomadic life in the eastern part of the region for the rest of the year. In 1651, they established themselves south of the Brus and Caratasca Lagoons, together with the local Misquito Indians. The mixture of these two races was called the Zambo tribe.

The entire English population on the north coast in 1778 was only 450, but they possessed 4500 African slaves and also 100 Indian prisoners, slaves as well. The famous English colonist, Mister Pitt titled his land in the Mosquitia, on the banks of the Tinto River, the "Establishment of the British Monarchy."






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Carlos Finlay, eminent scientist

A bust of Charles Finlay dominates 
the small Parque Finlay in downtown Tegucigalpa.

By ERIC TIMAR

Special Contribution to HTW

One small but pleasant spot in Tegucigalpa is the Parque Finlay, located on the northeast side of the Centro, a short block downhill from the front door of the Hotel Granada #3. A statue of Carlos J. Finlay dominates the park. Finlay, a medical doctor, discovered how yellow fever is transmitted. He was born in 1833 in Cuba, this explains why the statue was donated by Cuba, as you can read on a tile on the back of its pedestal. He was the son of a Scottish father, also a doctor, and a French mother. He was sent to Europe for schooling, and later studied medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. (Upon enrolling there he Anglicized his first name to Charles.) Finlay worked as an ophthalmologist and also studied tropical diseases including cholera and yellow fever. Yellow fever had appeared sporadically in the Caribbean and areas to the north, sometimes as far as Boston, since the coming of the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. Often it reached epidemic proportions and killed thousands.

Doctors were tragically clueless about the cause of yellow fever until Finlay arrived; most ascribed it to combinations of weather conditions such as intense heat and humidity. One prominent doctor propagated this idea in a pamphlet in 1847, and another published a similar explanation in 1878. Finlay had already been studying the disease for some years, by the time of the second pamphlet, and in 1881 he began waving his arms about it in earnest. He proposed that yellow fever was transmitted by a certain type of mosquito (Aedes aegypti), and by the late 1880s he had published articles to this end in The Lancet and elsewhere. In order to eliminate yellow fever, he preached, public health workers needed to eliminate mosquitoes; they also had to prevent people who were already sick from getting more bites and thereby spreading the disease. The U.S. doctor Walter Reed, for whom the military hospital in Washington D.C. is named, is given credit for proving beyond doubt that the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry the disease, but he only researched the ideas of Finlay.

As part of his research Finlay allowed himself to be bitten by mosquitoes that he knew carried yellow fever. This was true imperilment in the name of science and philanthropy, in 1898 a doctor from Baltimore named Jesse Lazear who did the same thing, contracted the disease and died. Finlay died in 1915. He served as director of Cuba's national department of health, was named an officer in the French Legion of Honor, and was otherwise recognized for his work. (This biographical information is from the 1974 book El Mundo Iberoamericano by Edilberto Marban.)

By SUYAPA CARIAS

TEGUCIGALPA -- Once again, they came from all over the country, two hundred and fifty patients searching for the opportunity to change their lives. After carrying out a meticulous screening process, the team members from Operation Smile were able to successfully transform the faces of 125 poor Hondurans, mostly cleft lips and/or palates at the San Felipe Hospital in Tegucigalpa. This year, many of the little ones came from Choluteca, Santa Barbara and El Paraiso, one of the regions where the incidence of this deformation has been consistently high. By Friday, the international team, lead by plastic surgeons Brad Herman and Omar Mejia, was as exhausted as pleased to see their goal achieved: 125 new shining smiles. The mission also caught the attention of special visitors that included mission sponsors; the U.S. Ambassador Frank Almaguer and his wife; the Minister of Health, Elias Lizardo; the media; and even President Ricardo Maduro, who spent one afternoon along with his daughter, Carolina, getting familiar with the entire process.

Maduro talked to many of the families, put on sterilized clothes and entered into the operating room to witness first hand the surgical procedures that Operation Smile has been practicing for six years in Honduras. So far, the organization has provided free reconstructive surgery to 1,125 people, mostly from the rural area. The 2002 mission was a success, the spirit of volunteerism made it possible, again. Thanks to you all.

"Missions to Honduras" is a schedule of upcoming volunteer missions to Honduras. It is maintained by projecthonduras.com (www.projecthonduras.com). If you know of an individual(s) or organization abroad that is planning a humanitarian visit to Honduras within the next 12 months, please e-mailhondo@post.com. Otherwise, please pass along the information contained in this section to anyone you feel may benefit from the services that will be offered. projecthonduras.com is sponsored by Special Missions Foundation, Inc. (www.specialmissions.org) of Georgetown, Texas.

February 2002-Peter J. Climo of Buckfield, Maine will be traveling to Honduras to work at the Clinica Solidaridad y Vida in Tegucigalpa (Francisco Morazan) during the month of February 2002. He is looking for anyone who is interested in joining him, either to work or to observe. Solidaridad y Vida is run by Dr. Enoc Padilla-Oliva. The clinic treats patients who have HIV/AIDS. Its phone number is (504) 223-8972 and fax is (504) 239-1204. Contact: Peter J. Climo, peter.climo@webmail.une.edu

February 6-20, 2002-Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org) of Norfolk, Virginia will send a volunteer team of physicians to the San Felipe hospital in Tegucigalpa (Francisco Morazan) during February 6-20, 2002 to perform facial reconstructive surgeries. Contact: Mona Rowghani, mrowghani@operationsmile.org

February 8-15, 2002-Schools for the Children of the World (www.schoolsforchildren.org) has been working on building new schools in rural Honduras. They have just completed three schools: Canchias (Cortes), Caliche (Cortes), and Azacualpa (Santa Barbara). These are demonstration schools built by volunteer architects, planners and educators from North America in partnership with local communities and government agencies. Schools for the Children of the World will have an education team in Honduras during February 8-15, 2002. The organization is starting 2-3 more schools. If you are interested in getting involved in these activities. Contact: William S. DeJong, wdejong@djainc.com

February 9-18, 2002-The Friends of Barnabas Foundation (www.fobf.org) of Chesterfield, Virginia will send a team of about 10 individuals to the MAMA Project (www.mrn.org/mama) in San Francisco de Yojoa (Cortes) during February 9-18, 2002. The team will visit various schools in the area to provide basic medical care and distribute vitamins, medicines, and medical supplies, as needed. Contact: Dave Mills, chubbydave@msn.com, or Karen Mills, Mills_Karen@msn.com

February 15-March 3, 2002-International Health Service (www.ihsofmn.org) of Minnesota will sponsor a medical mission to Honduras during February 15-March 3, 2002. There will be a total of 115 individuals on this trip, including 21 Hondurans. IHS will send 53-55 people to La Mosquitia (Gracias a Dios) to the villages of Uhi, Wampusirpi, Puerto Lempira, Tipimona, Pranza and a couple of villages along the Rio Kruta. Uhi, Tipimona, Pranza and the Rio Kruta will have medical and dental teams. In Wampusirpi, IHS will have a dentist and an optical team, and in Puerto Lempira a surgery team. IHS will also be sending medical/dental teams to Yocon (Olancho) and El Guante. On Roatan (Islas de la Bahia), IHS will have a surgery team in Coxens Hole, as well as a dentist in Oak Ridge. The organization will have an administration team working out of La Ceiba (Atlantida) and a logistics team in Puerto Lempira. Contact: Cheryl Schraeder, cschraeder@mn.rr.com





Beautiful Apart-Hotel in Tegucigalpa's finest neighborhood. All-Suites with broadband  internet access, desk, safe, direct-dial phones, and kitchenette. 

CULTURAL EVENTS  

MUSEUMS & GARDENS

TEGUCIGALPA 

MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA

The Museum of Republican History is located at the Villa Roy building in Tegucigalpa's Barrio Buenos Aries.  It is open 8:30 to 3:30, Tuesdays through Sundays and features portraits, paraphernalia, and other interesting items from past presidents.  Admission is Lps. 20 for non-resident foreigners and Lps. 10 for Hondurans and Central Americans.  For more information, call 222-3470 or 222-1468. 

CENTRAL BANK MUSEUM

The Central Bank of Honduras located at the Comayaguela annex building is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.  It has a permanent coin and painting exhibit.  For special presentations, call the Emision y Tesoreria department at 237-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120). [CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.] 

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

The Galeria Nacional de Arte features rock art, pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial paintings, religious art and a wide selection of 20th century Honduran painters.  The gallery is located at the Plaza de la Merced in downtown Tegucigalpa.  It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10-2 p.m.  Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for senior citizens, Lps. 3 for students and Lps. 1 for children accompanied by adults. 

IGUANA FARM

The Biosfera Ecocentro Iguana Farm in Colonia La Joya invites the public to come and learn everything about iguanas.  Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 3 for children.  The facility is open every day (except Wednesday) from 9 to 5.  For more information, call 230-6346.

COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA 

COMAYAGUA MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Located in the city of Comayagua, two hours north of Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Museum of Archaeology is in the building that served as the seat of government in the 19th century.  Exhibits include prehistoric fossils, cave art, ceramics, and objects used by indigenous cultures during the pre-Colombian era.  The museum, which also has a small library, is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

COMAYAGUA RELIGIOUS MUSEUM

Located in the Casa Cural in front of Comayagua's cathedral, this museum features religious paintings and objects dating back to the 16th century.  Hours are 8-12 and 2-4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.  For more information, contact Leonardo Letona at 772-0348.

LA PAZ, LA PAZ 

LA PAZ HOUSE OF CULTURE

The La Paz Casa de la Cultura is located in downtown La Paz.  It features an attractive exhibit of the Lenca handicrafts and culture.  It is open Mondays through Sundays.

SAN PEDRO SULA, CORTES 

SPS MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY

The Museo de Antropologia e Historia de San Pedro Sula features exhibits on the development of Sula Valley, from 1500 B.C. to the middle of this century.  The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.  Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for students and children under 12, and Lps. 2 for senior citizens.  For more information, call 557-1496/557-1798 or fax 557-1874. 

MUSEUM OF NATURE OF SAN PEDRO SULA

Sponsored and managed by the Fundacion Ecologista H.R. Pastor Fasquelle, this new museum was inaugurated last December in its current location at the Biocentro on 3 Avenida and 9 Calle Noroeste.  It has 24 exhibits on the environment, natural resources and biology of Honduras.  Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays.  Admission is Lps 5 for students from public schools and Lps. 10.00 for everyone else.

YUSCARAN, EL PARAISO 

YUSCARAN HOUSE OF CULTURE

Yuscaran's Casa de la Cultura is located at the former Casa Fortin in downtown Yuscaran, El Paraiso department, just 45 km from Tegucigalpa on the road to Danli.  It is open Mondays through Saturdays.

OLANCHO 

PECH CULTURAL CENTER

The Pech have built a small house in El Carbon, Olancho to display their modern handicrafts.  An exhibit of archaeological finds in the area is planned.  You can ask to see the collection and/or get a tour of a Post Classic era fortified site.  The Pech Cultural Center also offers medicinal plant tours, nature hikes, Pech dinners, etc.  There is no admission fee to the cultural center.  Hours: If you ask, they will open it.

COPAN 

COPAN ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located in the village of Copan Ruinas, Copan department, the museum exhibits a splendid assortment of Mayan pieces that have been found in the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park just 1 km away.  

LA PUENTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Featuring a sizeable collection of Mayan handicrafts and photographs as well as a room with Japanese antique ceramics, this museum is located at the El Puente Archaeological Site, about an hour's drive from Copan Ruinas. 

MAYAN SEPULTURAS MUSEUM

Inaugurated in 1996, this is the premier Mayan museum in the Mundo Maya, featuring the finest examples of Copan's tombs, sculptures and architecture.  Located at the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park, the museum is open Monday through Sunday.

TELA, ATLANTIDA 

LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Located 2 kilometers from Tela on the Atlantic coast highway, the gardens feature one of the largest collections of tropical and subtropical plants, shrubs and trees in all Latin America.  It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Sundays.  There is an admission charge.

LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA 

TROPICAL BUTTERFLY FARM

The Tropical Butterfly Farm & Gardens of La Ceiba is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The farm is located at The Lodge at Pico Bonito in the village of El Pino, about 25 minutes west of La Ceiba.  Admission is Lps. 30 for adults, Lps. 15 for children and $6 for international visitors. 

BUTTERFLY AND INSECT MUSEUM

Thousands of butterflies and insects from Honduras and 18 other countries are on display in La Ceiba' private Butterfly and Insect Museum.  It is located in Colonia El Sauce, 2nd etapa, casa G-12.  Visiting hours are 8-12 and 2-5, Monday through Saturday.  The museum is closed Wednesday afternoon.  Fees are Lps. 15 for adults and Lps. 10 for students.  Tel. 442-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn

TRUJILLO 

TRUJILLO RUFINO GALAN MUSEUM

A private museum which has a memorabilia section, old chairs, anchors, silverware, beds of famous people locally.  There is an industrial archaeology section on how lights, axes, stoves, sewing machines, typewriters have changed over time.  They have a good collection of Garifuna handicrafts and the best collection of NE Honduras archaeological pieces -- all unmarked.  A written guide to the museum is available at the Trujillo Tourism Office in English and Spanish.  The museum is open 8 to 4, closing for lunch.  Adults Lps. 20, children Lps. 10.  Located on Calle 18 de Mayo, next to the Crystales River and the famous "piscina" or pool, about a 15-minute walk out of town.

ROATAN, THE BAY ISLANDS 

CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

The private Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails is located in Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands.  A wide variety of exotic plants is featured here, including "Roatan's most extensive orchid collection."  It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information, call 445-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma Brady. 

BAY ISLANDS MUSEUM

A private museum at Anthony's Key Resort, Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, it mostly includes archaeological pieces, but there is a small section on the modern Bay Islanders.  Museum admission is included in the cost of the dolphin show at Anthony Key's Institute of Marine Sciences.  Small buses or taxis will take you to Sandy Bay from most Roatan towns.

Book Review: Land rights in Honduras

By WENDY GRIFFIN

(Last of three parts)

Although in his Reinterpreting the Banana Republic:  Region and State in Honduras 1870-1972, author Euraque claims the Honduras elite did not benefit from the banana boom, by examining the facts we can come to another conclusion.  Concessions given to the fruit producers only permitted their company’s to own alternating lots of land; other lots along the railroad belonged to Hondurans by law.  Often these Hondurans simply rented their lots to the banana company.

Local people also mention many other benefits including transportation to the United States and a better mail service along the Coast as well as internationally.

Euraque documents the changes of government through Presidents Juan Manuel Galvez, Julio Lozano Diaz and Dr. Ramon Villeda Morales (pres. 1957-1963).

He is interested in how Agrarian Reform came about, which he dates to beginning in 1962.

The first Agrarian Reform Law I know of is from the 1890’s.  It states that no foreigners can own land within 40 miles of the coast, as a way to protect Honduras’ sovereignty.  Carias, known as populist in his early years of government, also gave land to peasants, such as those in the Department of Lempira.

Carias supported labor peace on the North Coast, and helped stifle strikes as Euraque points out.  Carias also established a Labor section within the National Party.

In the 1950’s, President Juan Manuel Galvez started  agricultural colonies”.  The best known one, called “la Colonia” is located north of Catacamas, Olancho.  Land held by Nahual Indians “en mayordomia” is divided up into lots and some is returned to the Indians and some is given to people from the South and the West.  The National School of Agriculture (ENA) was founded at this time as the Demonstrative Farm to teach beneficiaries of the Agrarian Reform “Colonias” how to be better farmers.

During 1950s the lands of the former Truxillo Railroad were also set aside as lands for future colonialization.  In the 1970’s, these lands became the heart of the Agrarian Reform in the lower Aguan Valley.

One interesting aspect about Honduras is the existence of peasant unions such as ANACH (National Association of the Honduran Campesinos or Peasants).  Euraque explains that after the 1954 strike against the banana companies,  Standard Fruit and Tela laid off thousands of workers, as much as two thirds, within a short time.  These former banana union members now became land-less peasants who demanded that the government give them land. 

This situation contributes to the birth of the peasant unions; and also to the surge of the Agrarian Reform in the 1970’s.  By moving militant peasants from the interior of Honduras to rural Yoro and Colon, the government was able to take pressure off of the Central government.  Sometimes these Agrarian Reform cooperatives were founded on land of the Pech, Garifuna or other ethnic groups.

Those who know modern Honduran History will find the book very interesting. In general, the book is meticulously  researched with an extensive bibliography.  As the author does not always provide sufficient background information, those less familiar with Honduran history may struggle a bit.  Unfortunately, Honduran history is not well known. It can also be confusing with its frequent changes of government. This book will definitely shed more light on historic events.

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