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TRAVEL & TOURISM |
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TRAVEL & TOURISM |
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| Monday, January 30, 2006 Online Edition 4 | ||||
Historic Tegucigalpa moving out By Ruth Winkler January 31 will see yet another well-known name move out of downtown Tegucigalpa as Café La Plazuela closes its doors on the area in favor of the more up and coming Los Castaños neighborhood. A popular downtown eatery since 1999, the staff of La Plazuela have been witness to the steady decline of the old center of Tegucigalpa and with it, seen the fortunes of their business slide. Speaking with Sacssia Ramirez of Café La Plazuela it is clear that the establishment was committed to providing more than just quality food and service to the citizens of central Tegucigalpa. A major focus of the Café having been to promote Honduras' culture and art scene in the downstairs salon. The Café was committed to putting something back into the city and bringing the center of Tegucigalpa more into line with other capital cities. "It was the culture which was most important to us," she states. When it opened the Café was full to capacity all day, every day, with a mix of regular customers and passing visitors to the city center coming through its doors. There was also interest shown by the embassies in using the arts facilities, as the downtown area was more of a cultural hub. However this support never materialized, not only for Café La Plazuela, but also for the whole of the historic center of Tegucigalpa. As the safety of the downtown area deteriorated and it became perceived as a no go area, the previous Government, more specifically the Mayoral office, launched a campaign to improve security and attract people in order to revitalize the cultural centers noticing a rapid decline in patronage. Lamentably this never became a reality and much of the culture that Tegucigalpa has to offer is being forgotten. "If we don't do something to save the old center of the city then it will end up looking like any other barrio, it's a pity," says Ramirez. The situation is evident to a foreigner when asking residents of Tegucigalpa how to get to the center of the city; surely there must be a church, museum or the like. More often than not the puzzled response comes back "Here…no…here we don't have anything like that." Near by to La Plazuela, the Museo del Hombre is struggling to attract more than a handful of visitors each day. Unsurprisingly perhaps as it takes a determined visitor to the capital to unearth any information on attractions, let alone find them. The recently opened Museum of National Identity may help to reintroduce visitors to the center, however so far there has been little effort to promote its existence. Meanwhile, Ramirez and the others of Café La Plazuela have had to face the reality of their situation, as she says "if there is no security in the area then the people won't come." The only answer left was for the Café to move to the people and sacrifice its commitment to the art and culture scene of Tegucigalpa. Los Castaños
is a busy commercial and business center that has fed off the
dissipation of visitors from the old city center to the outlying
malls and it is there that Café La Plazuela will next be
found. Maintaining much of its Spanish orientated menu for the
regular customers of the past seven years, who have promised to
stay loyal, but adding some fresh dishes for the expected new
clientele, the only disappointment for Ramirez is that after January
31 the cultural aspect of the Café will be lost and they
will no longer be able to help promote the center of Tegucigalpa.
A New
Era in Communications January 22, at the ribbon cutting for a new French Harbor library, Mayor Dale Jackson chatted with us and formulated a plan whereby we, the press, will be kept current on all of the ins and outs of Roatan. This will bring our readers up to date and will prove interesting. About that
Library Ribbon Outgoing Mayor, Jerry Hynds paid tribute to scores of people he held responsible for making his long time dream come true. He shared the glory generously and thanked them from the bottom of his heart. He also stated the building would be headquarters for a driver education school that would help prepare our youth for the streets and open highways of Roatan. Mayor Hynds has a special interest in this program due to a tragic loss in his own family. The brief but touching service ended with the masses entering the new building. With fresh paint smells and work obviously still in progress, the participants were treated to a very fine buffet with excellent deserts. Speaking
of the New Mayor The first item that was discussed was the information network we need in order to keep the public informed of Roatan's achievements and needs. Mr. Tom, editor of the Bay Island Voice, Mr. Island Bruce of radio station 107.7 and Honduras This Week periodista asked for a heads-up when anything newsworthy happened on the island. Dale agreed it was important and that he would advise his staff to that effect. Building
Permit Fees on the Rise They suggested the municipalities look ahead to the future benefits such as property taxes after the improvements are accomplished, income taxes from workers and the huge impact that incoming residents have on the community, and not just at the short score. About the
Rehistro
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Bus transport in Honduras and Central America back in the mid eighties when I used to backpack around the isthmus, used to be a hit or miss affair. Buses were either extremely crowded, uncomfortable and sweltering hot or the driver drove like a bat straight out of hell. There wasn't much middle ground. Today however things have modernized quite a bit and this is especially noticeable in the transport sector. Nowadays, first class coaches who rival any European luxury coach cruise the highways and byways of Honduras, offering maximum comfort and downright comfortable fares. Hedman Alas even built its very own first class terminal just outside of downtown Copan ... how's that for modernizing one's infrastructure! Not too long ago the trek from San Pedro Sula to Copan Ruinas for example was a test of strength, endurance and stamina, it took hours to make the trip which in the best of times was uncomfortable and took the better part of a day. Today the SAP - Copan Ruinas route is served by a number of fine, first class coaches, which are comfy, (although a bit too cold for my taste as they love to blast that frigid a/c) efficient and get you where you want to go in style. On most major routes in Honduras, buses are comfortable enough. You'll get a padded seat on something that looks on the outside like a school bus. Standards for leg and hip room might be lower than what you would desire, but for a ride of a few hours from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula, the bus will be tolerable. Luxury first-class buses (which are much nicer than any Greyhound in the US) are now running the following routes: San Pedro Sula-Tegucigalpa (Hedman Alas, Saenz Primera, Viana Clase Oro), San Pedro Sula-La Ceiba (Hedman Alas, Viana Clase Oro), San Pedro Sula-Copan Ruinas (Hedman Alas), San Pedro Sula-San Salvador (King Quality), Tegucigalpa-Managua (Tica Bus, King Quality) San Pero Sula - Guatemala City (Hedman Alas, King Quality) San Pedro Sula - Copan Ruinas - Guatemala City - Antigua (Hedman Alas ). Service and comfort are excellent and they make a great luxury break from the usual school bus type buses. As you venture off the main routes, the level of service becomes less desirable. Minibuses and microbuses - vans - serve the less-travelled, bumpier routes, for example, from La Entrada to the ruins of Copán. Seats are small and stiff and crowded together to provide no knee room. Buses may be underpowered, and whine along in low gear at low speed, turning short trips into ordeals. Sometimes, out of greed, or sympathy for passengers who have no other way to travel, the passenger load is beyond reasonable safety limits. To increase your comfort, wherever you're going by bus, try to start your trip at the terminal point. Line up early to get a reserved seat. Generally, you'll have less bouncing at the front of the bus near the driver, but for safety reasons (and based on personal experience) it is recommended to sit as far to the back as possible. Also, sitting in the back will not afford you the opportunity to look out the front window of the bus, where the drivers´ lack of driving skills may be painfully evident. To be fair, though, most bus drivers are experienced and careful, although once in a while you do get a cowboy behind the wheel. Bus stops along roads are never marked. Ask the driver to stop where you want to get off. Acceptable tactics for indicating to the driver that you desire to get off include banging hard on the metal interior of the bus, whistling, yelling alto! (Stop!) or screaming baja! (getting off!). In all cases,
bus fares are low. For example, on the first-class Hedman Alas bus
you'll pay $14 to travel from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba, a three-hour
trip. The San Pedro Sula-Copan Ruinas trip will set you back $14
for a three hour, 198-kilometer trip. A regular, non-first class
bus on the Copan Ruinas - San Pedro Sula route costs less than $5.
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| Monday, January 23, 2006 Online Edition 3 | ||||
Yoga Day on Roatan By Alexandra Winton If you happen to be lucky enough to be on the Island of Roatan on January 28, you can take part in yoga day, an event being hosted by Las Palmas Resort in Dixon Cove from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Yoga on Roatan, a newly formed club is holding the event and offering a variety of free yoga classes throughout the day (9:30, 11, 12:30, 2), including fun classes for kids. Vendors will be selling everything from jewellery to yoga apparel. Local masseuses will be offering their talents and there will be raffle prizes such as free lunches, dinners and massages drawn every hour. "Our goal for the day being that we really want to encourage the local community of Roatan to come along and learn about yoga and its benefits and we felt this was the perfect opportunity to make this happen," said Susan Jensen, director of Yoga on Roatan. This event is a first for Roatan, but it is being held in coordination with yoga day USA, an event that has been taking place since 1999. In addition to a variety of yoga classes, the event will include a round table discussion on yoga lifestyle and a special menu from the Casa Marta restaurant, including fresh fruit liquados, fruit salads and a variety of healthy choices. Yoga on Roatan was formed last June, when a number of the instructors met at a yoga retreat in La Ceiba. "We didn't know each other but we bonded and from there we decided well, let's continue to look for instructors," said Marcia Walker, from the US who developed the club with Jensen, who is from South Africa. Walker expects 75 to
100 people to attend the event and said she hopes to "increase
awareness and have people on the island know what yoga is about
and the benefits for them, which are strength, flexibility and
balance of mind." Now Yoga on Roatan offers weekly classes at two locations, Parrot Tree Plantation and the Island Pearl Resort, in West Bay Beach. The classes range in type from Kundalini to Bikram yoga, and in level from beginner to advanced. With five instructors, the club is also able to offer private classes upon request, seminars, retreats, and special yoga days at resorts. Walker says that about 90 per cent of their regular participants are ex-patriots, who live on Roatan, while the other 10 per cent are visitors and tourists. Their classes have proven to be quite popular, with a steady group of six to ten people attending each. For more information
on yoga day in Roatan, or Yoga on Roatan, visit www.yogaonroatan.com
or contact Marcia Walker at: 388-8680 or yogaonroatan@yahoo.com.
CSI Roatan Beginning February 6, Palmetto Resort will host members of our Police Preventiva and Detective departments in basic and advanced courses on how to use the two fingerprint kits they will be leaving with us. At the end of the course that covers many facets of the science, the professor and his team will set up a crime scene, and our people will investigate the heck out of it. Police Anniversary
Ceremony
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What's it like to drive in Honduras? Well, you have a good chance of getting lost if you're not careful, if you don't ask questions, and if you don't have a good sense of direction. Road signs hardly exist. You'll see some kilometer posts, stop signs, and arrows to indicate the flow of traffic and one-way streets. But directional signs that tell you where to turn to get to a village or town are practically unknown. Always follow your map carefully, and when you reach a junction, stop and ask for the way to your destination. It's the only way. When driving in towns and cities one must take great caution as streets are rarely marked with one-way signs. It is painfully easy to drive the wrong way down a one-way street into oncoming traffic, so caution is the watchword. The major paved highways in Honduras are the Pan American Highway crossing from El Salvador to Nicaragua in the south; the highway through Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula; the route along the north coast from San Pedro Sula - Trujillo; and the western highway that roughly parallels the border with Guatemala from San Pedro Sula - Ocotepeque. A new transoceanic highway is currently being built linking El Salvador, bypassing Tegucigalpa and onto San Pedro Sula and Puerto Cortez. There is also a brand new highway linking Puerto Cortez and the Guatemalan border at Corinto. There are other paved stretches, but travel off these main routes will often involve unpaved roads either dusty or muddy, according to the season, over winding, unbanked routes that are the descendants of the mule trails that once snaked through the mountains of Honduras. Main roads are now signed, for example the San Pedro Sula-Ocotopeque Road (Western Highway). But look on the bright side. Only 25 years ago, there were fewer than 100 kilometers of paved road in Honduras, out of a total of 1,000 kilometers of roads. There are now more than 2,000 kilometers of pavement, almost 10,000 kilometers of all-weather unpaved road, and 7,000 kilometers of seasonably passable road. The network is expanding, with paving and construction, and chances are, you can get there from here. Today, Honduras has some fine roads, considered by many to be the best in Central America. When driving in Honduras, take the same precautions you would in any unfamiliar area. Avoid driving at night, if possibleand take it easy when traveling a road for the first time. You never know what's around the curve and just beyond your line of sight: a horse, a cow, a parked truck, a cyclist, an oncoming vehicle passing on a blind curve, or a pedestrian on the wrong side, sober or otherwise. Potholes, sometimes as big as a small wading pool, washed out, and eroded sections occur in the most unexpected places on the nicest of roads. Fill your gasoline tank before you turn off any major, paved highway. Sound your horn when approaching a curve, and be prepared to back up when you encounter an oncoming vehicle on a narrow stretch. Many streets even in major cities lack basics such as traffic lights, stop signs, large sewage and water drains without manhole covers, direction arrows, yield signs and construction or hazard warning signs, so drive with caution. Repairs can be accomplished in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula on most familiar passenger cars and pickup trucks. Outside of major centers, you'll probably have to send for parts. Sports cars, turbos, and similar unusual vehicles (for Honduras, anyway) should stay home, rather than face servicing by unfamiliar hands, or a lack of parts. Mechanics are usually available in any decent size town or village. Quality of mechanics and their shops varies. In the big cities you can find modern electronic diagnostic equipment but in most large and small towns, mechanics work in rudimentary shops with dirt floors. Many mechanics are excellent and are experienced at patching up (and sometimes actually fixing) a variety of makes and models. When driving in cities, exercise caution. Lack of right of way signs, direction signs, stop signs and traffic lights, make for lots of fender benders. Proceed cautiously at all intersections. San Pedro Sula is excellent for driving, streets are for the most part unclogged and traffic flows at an excellent pace. La Ceiba, Comayagua and Tela are rarely crowded and excellent for driving. Tegucigalpa, on the other hand, is a driving nightmare, with lots of traffic, insufficient roads, lack of signs, and a population of one million plus makes for lots of driving headaches. Howard Rosenzweig,
a U.S. expatriate living in the village of Copán Ruinas,
is the owner of a Bed & Breakfast. *************book******************** Today, Honduras has some fine roads, considered by many to be the best in Central America. |
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| Monday, January 16, 2006 Online Edition 2 | ||||
Roatan Hotel Offers Pure Life By DON PEAT Located along the shore in West End, Roatan, Pura Vida Hotel and Diving Centre offers travellers a taste of the pure life. Operated by Italian expatriates Adriana and Giacamo Cosentimo, Pura Vida has been in operation for about 10 years. "The idea was to do an investment in Central America," recalled Adriana, "my husband searched around and when he came to Roatan, he knew this was the place to make our investment." Over the years, the Cosentimos have seen West End grow from a three-restaurant town to a definite vacation destination. "For me, it has changed for the better, more and more businesses have come," said Adriana. The couple splits their management efforts with Giacamo overseeing the diving centre while Adriana operates the hotel and restaurant. Nestled in palm trees Pura Vida is a small, two-storey hotel. The rooms are all large with private bathrooms, hot water, cable TV, and air conditioning. Big, comfortable beds encourage a good night's sleep after a busy day exploring the island. A new addition has increased the number of rooms available in the hotel from 18 to 24. Located along the sandy West End road, Pura Vida is just steps from the sea, giving people the opportunity to enjoy the beach, the diving, and the nightlife, all within easy reach of their hotel room. The Pura Vida diving centre offers courses for everyone from beginner to expert divers according to diveshop manager Serena Moscati. One of the
best features of Pura Vida is its restaurant. A variety of Italian-style
food is prepared daily and fresh seafood is always on the menu.
The friendly staff ensures an excellent level of service during
your meal and they are more than willing to give you advice on
tourist spots around the island. As the sun sinks down into the ocean, the sky begins to turn various shades of pink and purple, you can tell that she's right and so is the name, this is pure life.
DODGING THE BULLET Have you ever played a video game that is fraught with dangers and pitfalls and horrible creatures that want to annihilate you? Somehow you make it through a sector and escape with your life and rush to press 'save' so that if and when you are nabbed, you won't have to repeat what you just successfully went through. Well, sometimes I wish I could press 'save' after navigating my vehicle through the sleepy little town of Las Fuertes. In that little quarter mile stretch of road you might well encounter five or six dogs meandering in and out of traffic, a water delivery truck or a truck with fardos (large sacks) of toilet paper double parked, a giant dump truck brimming with forty or more construction workers standing up in the bed, or ten taxis haggling over prices with potential passengers. Let's not forget the
buses both large and small off-loading or on-loading passengers
wherever the client wants to be dropped. I could go on and on
about just the taxis and their u-turns or stopping alongside another
taxi going in the opposite direction for a chat. ON THE ROAD After that experience you have some open road and all you need worry about from then on might be giant pot-holes, dump or cement trucks right on the center line, stopped taxis, cows, chickens, horses and even a litter of baby piglets. But somehow we always make it and there are fewer accidents than one might expect. WILL THE NEW BROOMS REALLY SWEEP CLEAN? Soon all the newly elected officers will take over the running of the country. There is excitement in the air, with many people looking forward to their next job or post. It seems like a healthy atmosphere and people do not seem to be talking vendettas, but rather improvement. We hope some of the planning that came out of the past four years will be perpetuated rather than dumped just because 'the other guy' thought of it first. In speaking with someone in the Presidential Palace in Tegucigalpa HTW was told that it is business as usual with everyone hustling to complete tasks rather than leave them mid-stream. They say they will work right up until the take-over occurs and then they will help the new people get situated. Now that is a good attitude. ROATAN'S CITIZEN CRIME COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS The Chief of Police Commissioner Carias held a meeting in the central police headquarters. In attendance were representatives of all of his different departments such as preventative, investigative, tourist and undercover. Representing the private sector were a few citizens who had no motive except to help with the new security programs. When asked if he could name one category they need immediate help with, the chief said, "communications." Right now, many of his officers are connected only by their personal cell phones. "We desperately need a radio system that will link everyone from the 911 operator, to the headquarters, to the field stations, to the individual officers on the street." The citizen's representatives took on the challenge and left the building headed for various destinations to try and put this task to rest. Further down on the
list was the completion of plans for better living conditions
for his men, light bars for the squad cars and a shooting range
for qualifying the men and women of Roatan's police force. Let's
see if this new entity can get some of these things accomplished
before the next meeting in two short weeks. They believe they
can.
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By ALEXANDRA WINTON When Linda Kay decided to develop a natural insect repellent, her husband, naturally, became her number one test subject. `Linda Kay´s Bodyguard´ started with a basic recipe of essential oils and while Kay experimented with ingredients, her husband was continuously sent out to test the effectiveness of the newest formula. "We would spray one side, not spray the other and see how it worked on the beach," said Kay. While her husband did not mind lying on the beach, having only one half of his body protected against Roatan´s voracious sand flies and mosquitos must have been difficult. After frequent visits to Roatan, during which she was plagued by sand fly bites, Kay began developing her all-natural product four years ago. "It was out of self-defence that I started investigating alternative bug repellents," said Kay. "The first two times we visited Roatan I received lots of sand fly bites and I reacted very poorly. It can end up ruining a person's vacation." Kay had used repellents containing DEET before, but did not like the idea that her skin could absorb 56 per cent of this chemical. Kay had a natural inclination towards herbal and alternative remedies and when by chance, someone introduced her to essential oils, she began reading all she could about the subject. Soon Kay settled on a formula that combines essential oils from citronella, lemon grass and neem (a large tree, whose seeds yield an aromatic oil) as repellents. She added lavender for scent and to soothe skin irritation, and peppermint to cool the skin and stop itch. The formula also contains lots of vitamin E, making it good for the skin, said Kay. With her product complete Kay began offering samples to local resorts, stores and beach vendors. ´Linda Kay´s Bodyguard´ is now available all over Roatan. It comes in an oil-based formula that should be used for the beach and hiking in the woods. It should be re-applied every two hours. There is also a water-based formula, which Kay recommends for dinners at open-air restaurants, when wearing good clothes. This formula should be applied hourly. She is confident that her product can work as well as other insect repellents. "I think that if people are more active about spraying, it can be just as effective as products with a high percentage of DEET." Kay, who moved to Roatan from Colorado Springs, Colorado, three years ago, said her next step is to devote more time to marketing her product and possibly developing a massage oil. In the future, she dreams of doing her own distillation of the lemongrass that grows naturally on Roatan. She hopes this would contribute to the local economy and help create some employment. Kay said she is also interested in "the discovery of what other essential oils are hidden away in the abundance of wild plants that grow here on Roatan."
Been to Tela
lately? Well Tela, the once sleepy and utterly laid-back ex-banana
port town by the sea is slowly getting better and better. For most Hondurans, Tela is a weekend pit stop for sun and surf hungry weekenders primarily from San Pedro Sula, the nation's second largest city and only 1.5 hours as the crow flies by car. The seaside town is perhaps best known during the annual Easter week holidays, when it seems all of Central America takes off for a week-long vacation and heads to the beach. Any other time of the year, Tela is a laid back, funky ex-banana port town with pretensions to one day become a tourism destination of some regional renown. Getting to Tela is now a snap with a number of direct and semi-direct buses to San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba. The road is paved and in good shape. For travellers seeking a bit of luxury and comfort, the Hedman Alas bus line www.hedmanalas.com runs first class, luxury class coaches to La Ceiba and San Pedro Sula. Accommodations in Tela are varied. The Telemar Resort has just completed a major addition with new swimming pools and brand new luxury beachfront rooms. The Canadian expat owned Hotel Maya Vista www.mayavista.com boasts a spectacular panoramic view of Tela Bay and boasts one of the best dining establishments in town as well. Also highly recommended is the Hotel Gran Central www.grancentral.com, owned by an expat French couple. The hotel, which was originally built in the 1940s, has been lovingly, carefully and tastefully renovated and in my opinion it is one of the most beautiful small hotels in all of Honduras. The hotel has 8 wonderfully appointed guest rooms, each room a virtual work of understated art. Downstairs is a lovely bar and reading room and a dance studio (the owner was once a ballet dancer in Paris). Full breakfasts, by reservation are served as well. Service throughout the hotel is very personalized; from the polite night watchman to the personal attention of the owners, Gran Central is a small hotel with big goals and a fine example for other future Honduran hotel projects to follow in order to provide a quality hotel experience: 1) Bigger is
not always better. In terms of dining options, Hotel Maya Vista has great food and a not to be missed view. Also recommended is El Pescador, a beachside thatched roof restaurant located in San Juan, a 15-minute drive from Tela on the road to Tornabe. For tour options, Garifuna Tours www.garifunatours.com is the one stop place to shop for quality tours with full day trips to Punta Sal, Punto Izopo, Los Micos Lagoon, Lanceltilla Botanical Gardens, Cuero Salado, Cangrejal River rafting and Pico Bonito hiking treks. Future plans
for Tela include a new master planned mega tourism project in the
area comprised of the Tornabe - Miami corridor. The project will
have hotels, a marina, a cruise ship pier, commercial areas, condos
and villas as well as all the other bells and whistles of a Caribbean
resort. All that's lacking now is the blessing of the new, soon
to be sworn in President. Hopefully President-Elect Zelaya will
take the tourism bull by the horns and make the sector a high priority
for his administration, the future of Tela and the rest of Honduras'
tourism sector hangs in the balance.
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| Monday, January 9, 2006 Online Edition 1 | ||||
Non-traditional exports have taken over key spots in the Honduran economy in recent years. What was once the realm of two primary exports; coffee and bananas is now shared by such products as farmed shrimp, tilapia, melon, plantain, mango, cucumbers, Chinese vegetables, cacao and processed foods. Non-traditional exports are estimated to have brought in $400 million last year, a 10% increase over 2004. Shrimp, melon, tilapia and cucumbers occupied the top positions in export income. Farmed shrimp came in at the number one spot with $140 million in exports. Melons are in the number two position at $50 million, 70% of which went to the US and 20% to Europe. In terms of tilapia, Honduras is now the number two exporters in Latin America of fresh tilapia fillet to the US- Ecuador holds the number one spot. The export of tilapia brought the Honduran economy $45 million. Aqua Finca Saint Peter, the nations largest tilapia producer, is planning to increase production this year by 1.4 million lbs, for a total production of 16.8 million lbs of tilapia exported. Currently the majority of tilapia produced goes to the US, but plans are in the works to expand exports to Europe as well. The fish are farmed in cages at Lake Yojoa and the El Cajon Hydroelectric Reservoir, both in central Honduras. Tilapia, fresh from the pond, is now available at most tourist oriented restaurants around the country which provides added value to the tourists experience as well as providing an additional niche market to small family run tilapia producers around the country. Honduras in recent years has seen the largest percent increase in non-traditional exports than any other nation in Central America in export volume. Money sent back by family members abroad, light industrial assembly and tourism are the three top money earners for the nation, but as mentioned above, non-traditional agricultural exports are beginning to take on a more and more important role in the ever diversified and globalized Honduran economy. Another traditional export that is now morphing into a non-traditional export is the specialty coffee export niche. Historically, Honduran coffee has been considered of low quality and has been penalized with lower international prices especially when compared with neighbors such as El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, all of which have a much more developed coffee culture and track record of producing high quality, high altitude, estate grown coffees. As of late though, Honduras has finally gotten into the specialty coffee game and quality has improved, farmers are producing more organic, high altitude coffee and the beginning of a coffee culture is taking its first tentative steps. The Honduran version of Starbucks, Espresso Americano, which started with a mere handful of cafes, has spread to many parts of Honduras. High altitude, organic coffees from the Marcala region have earned record prices and acclaim in international internet auctions of specialty coffees as coffee buyers perhaps for the first time realize that many Honduran coffee farms can compete with the best of neighboring producers in other countries. Copan Ruinas as well is beginning to earn a reputation as a major center of coffee tourism with operations such as Cafe Welchez, Cafe Miramundo, Cafe San Rafael and Finca El Cisne, as well as a host of small family run fincas.
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HAPPY
NEW YEAR If you smoke, stop, if you don't floss, do, if you depend on alcohol or drugs too much, quit, if you eat too much, slow down, if you don't tell your family friends and pets you love them, start. A NEW ATTRACTION Couple this to the Marriott and Windom rumors (other rumors say Windom has issued a disclaimer and their participation is in question at this time.) and to the steady trail of cement, sand and gravel trucks moving everyday and it could be the East End is on the rise. YOU KNOW WHO
YOU ARE EXACTLY HOW
WILL THE NEW TRADE AGREEMENTS AFFECT OUR ISLAND? WHERE SHOULD
WE EAT We do have a
health department and health inspectors and licensing is required
for the food service industry however their inspecting team is overworked.
The street vendors can sometimes slip in under the radar but the
established eating-places are usually complying with the rules and
regulations. Most of them serve bottled water and make their ice
with it as well. You could do well to simply ask the waiter how
they handle it.
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Yoga
teacher Rachel van Sloun from Marble Hill Farms, Roatan, strikes
a pose.
The
sign for the Pura Vida Hotel in West End, Roatan.
