How Honduran Dance got its groove back

George Reynolds
Honduras This Week

Courtesy of Fundación Danza Libre
An international dance festival will be inaugurated on April 26th.

From its days as a fledgling independent company back in 1998, right up to the present day, Fundación Danza Libre has had one goal and one goal only: encouraging and developing the art and various skills of professional dance in Honduras. In 2001, the Escuela Danze Libre was established in downtown Tegucigalpa, and it is from this powerbase that the Danza Libre gospel is spread.

The school has been an unqualified success: there are now classes for all sectors of society: children, the elderly - even pregnant women. Shows are regularly organized, and members of the Foundation are even contracted to entertain at weddings and other celebrations. All styles of dance are taught - from modern to popular to ballet to tap - with salsa and belly dancing classes the current favourites.

The foundation is small - it comprises 14 full-time members and their occasional collaborators. But all are exceptionally devoted, driven to getting their message and love of art across to their equally eager students.

Alex Savala, one of the instructors at the school, feels passionately about her discipline: "dance for me is my way of releasing myself, of communicating with the world. I think humans in general feel a need to empathise, to communicate - dance offers us this. Plus it keeps you physically and mentally strong - it's a great help to our self-development. It unifies people."

The foundation was legally recognised as such in 2000, and has been behind a number of initiatives since then to promote the Honduran dance scene. No project has been quite so impressive in scope and scale than that coming to fruition next week, however: starting on the 26th April Honduras will celebrate the International Dance Festival, culminating on the 29th, International Dance Day.

The festival features dance groups from a range of countries including Nicaragua and El Salvador, and a range of dances from the conventional to the more experimental and contemporary varieties. After the inauguration ceremony in the Escuela Danza Libre in Colonia Alameda, the festival will move into a string of venues across the city - the National Theatre, the University, Tinto y Blanco Restaurant and the nightclub Bamboo have all provided their support.

Even the Secretary for Culture, Art and Sport has provided financial support, in a break from the normal way of things. With so many cultural groups in their infancy in the country, it is no surprise that government funding is short, and this is a common problem across Central America. In time, Alex hopes that Honduras will have a dance scene like that of Costa Rica, which already has a National Dance Group and theatre devoted entirely to dance.

"Running rivers of choice and chance, and time stops here, on the delta, while they dance… while they dance." Delta, CSN

As for myself, when it comes to sailboats, inclination soon becomes obsession and desire quickly turns into compulsion. The same holds true in the case of women. Fortunately, sailing is a licit pursuit. And, under prescribed conditions, so are women.

Both sailboats and women are vessels; both can nurture the soul, support life, and be intrinsically beautiful.

During a conversation with my brother and his daughter, the question came up as to why sailors refer to ships in the feminine - as in "she." His answer shocked my sensibilities: "Because, for men, both are objects of desire."

Although I may agree, I would never be quite able to admit it with such candor.

Other parallels come to mind, but most singularly the similarity regarding the relationship that men develop with their "objects of desire." And invariably, in both cases, a man must provide twice (or three times) the hours of maintenance for every hour of pleasurable company.

My boat is a 26-foot sloop. She was designed for the weekend sailor, not for the blue-water cruiser. Thus, she balances performance with comfort. She has smooth, beautiful lines, but is somewhat beamy for the sake of cabin space. She has provided me with nights of passion, days of rapture and hours of fun. As I mentioned, she has ample cabin space and standing room, with a quarter berth, potty room (head), kitchenette (galley), sitting space with table and forepeak berth. Her name (given to her by the original owner) is Chelsea.

She is not the finest boat I've ever known. That place is reserved for M.

M was first launched in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia) at the McKinney Yard, in 1966. When I first saw her, I was struck by her resolute strength, inner beauty and intelligence. Her lines were gorgeous, yet unremarkable. I fell in love with her classic looks and decidedly warm feel. Even though I wanted to possess her right away, I never stood a chance. A ship like that was, and remains, out of my reach.

The last time I saw her was at a dock in the Potomac River. At a place called The Waterfront, near K Street. There she was with her cinnamon deck and carbon fiber hull, pulling at the tethers that held her fast against a rushing tide. She was not a boat built to sit next to a pier; her calling was the deep, mysterious ocean, where her character could be tested and her sails filled by the wind.

To this day I think of M, keeping track of her movements occasionally via the Internet - though classic beauties like her are tough to find, even when you use Google. First she belonged to her designer/architect, who abandoned her after moving to Holland. She passed through the hands of several young sailors, and finally was kept by an older man who really did not know what to do with her - if ever a boat was a free spirit. They parted company eventually. Now, I believe she is in the hands of another gentleman, who is not a sailor, but has kept her for her value and beauty. I did hear he sailed her down to Costa Rica with some friends recently.

A lot can be said for a man who can manage to keep a boat like M, but "fortunate" ought to top the list.

Knowing that there is a boat out there that beats my own does not diminish my fun. For every man must know his limitations. And I know that the waters in Honduras are not large enough to range her spirit, or yet equipped with a marina that would do her justice.

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste: Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow, For precious friends hid in death's dateless night, And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe, And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight: Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan, Which I new pay as if not paid before. But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, All losses are restor'd and sorrows end.
--Sonnet 30, W. Shakespeare

Honduras This Week
Ripened mangos are one of four basic ingredients of mango-pineapple chutney.

Last week's recipe for slow roasted spring lamb called for a mango chutney sauce. Making mango chutney is a time consuming task that takes the better part of one day to prepare, and therefore is typically made in very large quantities and canned. One of the things I have learned while writing this column is that our reader's are looking for quick and easy recipe suggestions. So for today's column I would like to share with you a recipe I developed for a tamarind infused pineapple-mango salsa that can easily be substituted for the mango chutney that is typically served with roasted or grilled meats and poultry. This salsa was created as a sauce for a sesame-encrusted roast tenderloin of pork, the main course in a five-course gourmet Honduran cuisine themed charity fundraising dinner to honor outgoing U.S. Ambassador James Creagan and his wife.

The recipe is for a cooked salsa that requires four basic ingredients: ripened mangos, pineapples, onions, and green peppers; and is bound with a hot pepper jelly. The recipe is given in proportions and can be easily increased for greater volume. I also include tamarind juice and raisins that are macerated or soaked in dark rum to give it a tropical flavor boost. The salsa can be served hot or cold.

Pineapple-Mango Salsa

2 cups onion, medium dice
1 cup green bell pep pers, medium dice
1 cup pineapple, peeled and cored, medium dice
1 cup mangos, peeled, medium dice
½ cup raisins
½ cup dark rum (Flor de Caña 7 years)
½ cup tamarind juice
1 stick whole butter
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons thyme
18 oz jar hot pepper jelly salt cracked black pepper to taste

Soak raisins in the dark rum until plump, about 30 minutes. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add butter and sweat-sauté onions and green peppers until translucent-cooking without color. Add sugar, pineapples, mangos and thyme. When adding the dried thyme, it is best to rub the herb through the palms of your hands, cook until the sugar dissolves, add tamarind juice, hot pepper jelly, raisins and rum and reduce temperature to a gentle simmer. Reduce liquid by ¾, remove from heat and season with salt and cracked black pepper, allow to cool and adjust seasoning. Serve hot or cold.

Comments or questions?
culinary_adventures@hotmail.com

Springtime for chefs will most likely conjure images of slow roasting spring lamb, grilled baby vegetables and a crisp-fresh from the garden salad.Twenty years ago, long before the immersion of Pricemart and Stock into the Honduran culture, excellent quality ingredients for the aforementioned menu would have had to be hand carried from the U.S or Europe.Today, provisioning for this menu can be easily obtained in a number of quality grocers and wholesale clubs.

On my first visit to Honduras in the Spring of 1985, I attempted such a fete without the benefit of "bringing in" any ingredients.It was the week before Semana Santa and I was meeting my future in-laws on their home turf for the first time.I made my first mistake of week by announcing the menu before gathering my ingredients and little did I know at the time how difficult this would be.After two days, I had exhausted all possible options from grocery stores to butcher shops to open air markets and the best I would come up with was a leg of goat (quite large by the way) some marginal vegetables, wimpy leaf lettuce and a couple handfuls of miniature potatoes from Guatemala.As a chef, you know you are in for a challenge when the highlight of your provisioning adventures in a new land is tiny potatoes.At the end of the day two, I managed to convince an entrepreneurial bellman from the Honduras Maya Hotel to go to his hometown and find the one guy he knew who raised sheep to slaughter the youngest male over 16 weeks for me.24 hours later I traded the leg of goat and fifty dollars for the rear half of a "not so spring" lamb.After working my culinary magic the dinner was a success; for I passed the in-law test when I asked for and received their blessing for my Suzy's hand in marriage (we celebrate our 21st anniversary this year).

I prefer to slow roast leg of lamb with the bone in, as the bone gives the roast great flavor.However, I have noticed that a majority of the imported lamb in the market these days is the boneless leg of lamb, wrapped in a netting of semi-elastic butcher's twine.When using the boneless product, I like to stuff it with a combination of garlic, onion, rosemary, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.Carefully remove the netting and reserve, lay out the leg of lamb, pat dry with a towel, season with cracked black pepper and fill the middle with the stuffing.I roll the leg back into original form and replace the netting, holding everything together.

Here is the key to roasting meats.The outside of the roast needs to be seared first in hot oil, and then the roast is placed in a preheated heat oven and slow roasted to desired temperature (estimate about 12-15 minutes per pound at 275 degrees).For lamb, I prefer to cook it medium rare in the middle; to approximately 140 degrees F with a meat thermometer.It is important to allow the roast to rest outside the oven for at least 15 minutes before carving.One of the benefits of cooking a roast medium rare in the middle is that you have something on the roast for every taste from well done (the ends) to medium rare (the middle).

Honduras This Week
The leg of lamb should be roasted with the bone in, as the bone gives the roast great flavor.

Mediterranean Stuffing for Lamb

2 cups onion, fine dice
1 cup sun-dried toma toes, cut into thin strips
½ cup black olives pit ted sliced in half
½ cup dry red wine
½ cup garlic minced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup rosemary
4 tablespoons thyme
salt, pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and sweat-sauté onions until translucent, add sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and red wine, reduce liquid by ¾ and then add garlic, continue to reduce until almost dry, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, allow to cool.Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread stuffing mixture over the middle of inside portion of leg of lamb, roll and tie back into natural form.In a large skillet preheat just enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat until almost smoking, add leg of lamb and sear on all sides, place in roasting pan with a little cold water.Place in preheated oven, reduce temperature to 275 degrees F and cook to desired temperature. Allow to rest before carving. Serve with a mango-pineapple chutney.

Comments or questions?
culinary_adventures@hotmail.com

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

h 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.

Antique crucifix the pride of Santa Lucia

Anette Emanuelsson
Honduras This Week

Hugo Martinez
Different angles of the colonial church of Santa Lucia are common motifs on postcards and in paintings.

Much smaller and not as visited as Valle de Angeles, the village of Santa Lucia is something of a hidden gem, quieter and according to many also prettier than its better known neighbor. About halfway between Tegucigalpa and Valle de Angeles, Santa Lucia lies nestled in the mountains. Funded in 1530, the village has a colonial feel to it with steep cobble-stoned streets climbing up the hillside.

An early morning in the middle of the week, the streets leading down from the bus stop to the biggest attraction of Santa Lucia, its colonial church, are deserted. From a distance, the church looks picture perfect, sitting on a small ledge overlooking the valley below.

However, the attraction is not so much the church itself as the crucifix found inside.

"This is the oldest crucifix in all of Central America," said Hugo Martinez, director of education at the municipality but also a member of several church committees.

The crucifix was donated to the village of Santa Lucia by King Felipe II of Spain in the year 1572 as a compensation for the gold and silver extracted by the Spaniards in the mines of Santa Lucia. The donation also included several other objects but through the years they have all been stolen.

The crucifix, made in a Mexican workshop out of Spanish wood, is currently hidden behind two wooden doors and Martinez has to climb the altar and slide them open. A week ago, the church was burglarized so until a new security system is installed the crucifix will be hidden from public view. Martinez also takes the original crown of thorns out from its hiding. It used to be covered with emeralds but 25 years ago it what robbed and when found close to the Guatemalan boarder - after a long search where the priest of Santa Lucia lost his life - the precious stones were all gone.

Anette Emanuelsson/Honduras This Week
The Santa Lucia crucifix dating back to 1572 is the oldest in Central America. 

Other than the crucifix itself, the only thing left of the donation of the Spanish king is a chalice. It was also stolen at one point but recovered just before the robbers turned in into jewelry.

The Santa Lucia crucifix used to be known as El Cristo Negro, the Black Christ. However, when it was restored ten years ago it was discovered that the black color was basically dirt that had been accumulated during the centuries. Now the original white color has been restored.

No one knows the exact age of the church itself but according to the legend, there was a small church in Santa Lucia before the arrival of the crucifix. Probably, the chancel dates back to the time of the crucifix, which would make it one of the oldest in Central America, while the rest of the church was constructed in the 18th century.

During the restoration of the church, 300 year old frescos have been found underneath the various layers of paint, as well as an older altar under the current one. However, the restoration has been stopped for financial reasons.

During Easter Week, there will be several religious processions in Santa Lucia, starting with the Palm procession on Palm Sunday. The largest processions are held on Good Friday, including The way of the cross at 9 a.m. and the Funeral procession at 7 p.m.

There will also be sawdust carpets laid out on Friday morning.
Although the church and the crucifix are the best known attractions of the village, Santa Lucia is well worth a visit in itself.
"The village is very photogenic and a lot of people come here to paint," said Martinez, "for example the Tegucigalpa School of Fine Arts. The most traditional motif is definitely different angles of the church."

Santa Lucia and the surrounding countryside is also known for its cultivation of flowers and many people make a living of selling flowers along the road leading up to the village or in Tegucigalpa.

Handicraft heaven

Anette Emanuelsson
Honduras This Week

Tegucigalpa's biggest tourist attraction is actually found a half-hour bus ride from the city. Valle de Angeles, a small village with a population of about 20,000, is pretty quiet during the week but on weekends people from Tegucigalpa flock here, making it difficult to even find a parking place. "We live from the national tourists," confirmed Claudia Midence from the tourist office.

While the Hondurans come to Valle to breath fresh air and enjoy typical lunches such as sopa de mondongo (tripe soup), the internationals come looking for handicraft. And they have definitely come to the right place. An estimated 60 percent of the population lives of handicraft and there are about 40 local workshops.

Right by Parque Central you find Arte Piel, where owner Ruben Gonzalez sells handmade leather products such as wallets and handbags. At the back of the store is the workshop where you can watch Gonzalez and his assistant at work. On the same street, you can see Marco Julio Martinez making traditional wooden chests of all sizes, from small jewel boxes to large trunks. The wooden chests are the trademark of Valle de Angeles and can be found in every corner. The lids are adorned with carved sceneries from different Honduran villages. Cedarwood is the most commonly used material, stained to acquire a darker shade, but there are also some mahogany pieces.

Workshops and stores like these can be easily found throughout the village and in many of them you can order custom-made products. However, if you are looking for some easy shopping the handicraft pavilions, where you find everything from earrings to furniture under one roof, is the place to go.

Those wanting a guided tour should stop by the Tourism Office, a yellow and green building half a block from Parque Central. They have a handful of guides who can either take you around the village or give you a tour of the surroundings. The tour operation is just starting up and so far it is all free of charge, although tips are appreciated. Many of the tours lead up into the surrounding pine-covered hills with fine views of the village. One of the tours soon to be offered will take tourists out to the countryside where the locals serve a typical lunch. The idea is also for local farmers, in desperate need of a market for their crops, to sell vegetables to the visitors.

If you are hungry after sightseeing, Valle de Angeles has several good options for eating. The Spanish dishes at Manolo or the tasty pizzas at El Anafre are popular among visitors, but if you ask the locals they will recommend La Ceibeña, an unpretentious eatery taking its name from likeable owner Nidia, originally from La Ceiba. For only 20 lempiras she serves you the only real balleadas in town - wheat tortillas filled with beans, sour cream, egg, avocado and chorizo. On the menu you also find a few typical fish dishes from Nidia's native La Ceiba.

During Easter week, visitors to Valle de Angeles will get the chance to see traditional Good Friday religious processions, complete with sawdust carpets. The man in charge of making the carpets, Wigberto Velasquez, is an experienced woodcrafter. He is happy to see that the interest for handicraft is growing among the young people of Valle. Most of them learn their skills at INFOP, an institute for vocational training where 300 artisans graduate every year. That gives Velasquez a reason to be optimistic about the future of the trade. "Right now we are about 2,000 artisans in town but with all the people graduating from INFOP I think that number could soon triple."

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

h 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.