CULTURAL |
CULTURAL |
Monday, January 25, 1999 Online Edition 142 |
Along the road to Santa Fe
(Second in a series) The agayuma and the duende live near the Cristales river. (Photo by Wendy Griffin.) Many visitors to Trujillo choose to go by bus to visit Garifuna villages west of Trujillo in the Municipio of Santa Fe. As they are jostled in old yellow school buses, most see the obvious: cohune palms, dying coconut trees, bad roads, and missing bridges. Sitting with old Garifuna men beside this road on a dark night, one hears about the invisible beings that lurk along this road. As the bus pulls out of Central Park and past the market, it passes by the old cemetery. From there it turns down the paved road just before the new cemetery. Only recently are there houses in this neighborhood, called El Fil (the Field) because of fear of the "ufiyu." Garifunas, like most Africans and many Afro-Americans, believe that when a body dies the spirit of the person (afuguru in Garifuna) is taken by surprise. It hangs around the body, and the community where it lived for a year, before the spirit goes to the land of its ancestors. During that year, particularly during the first 40 days, the spirit is likely to appear to people. This ghost is called ufiyu.
Don Chacho, owner of a liquor store on the road to Santa Fe, tells how one night he and his wife were coming back late, maybe around 10 p.m. As they crossed the Cristales river, they saw an old neighbor, Goya, who was dead. Chacho said to his wife, "do you see Goya?" and she replied, "Yes." "Let's wait here a minute on the bridge," he added. They saw him go into a neighbor's house and sure enough within five minutes the people in the house were screaming with fright. "Let's go home. He will follow us," said Don Chacho. So they hurried home, but sure enough in the night they heard Goya on the porch. Don Chacho went out to him and said, "Goya, I don't want to insult you. We were friends for a long time, you and I. Tell me what you want in dreams or speak to me now that we are talking face to face." All he heard was this long moan and then Goya was gone. He never appeared again, not even in dreams. The other men listening nodded and commented, "He must have left something undone, something like buried money that he did not tell his family where it was." Don Chacho gave another example of this. "There was a woman who died. She had left six centavos inside a spool of thread with a needle through it in her gadouri, a Garifuna backpack made of woven bayal. She came back as an ufiyu and appeared on the street. At that time there was a man who knew how to stop ghosts and ask what it was they left behind. So the neighbors went to get him. He stopped the woman. This was not easy. He got her to explain where the money was. After the family found it, she did not bother residents again. "Of course, six centavos was a lot of money then. You brought bread for one centavo or one centavo for salt. With six centavos of fish you could eat all day. Whether for a lot of money or six centavos, the spirit had to come back. Flores Arana pointed out the time people feel the presence of the ufiyu is usually when they wake up. The ufiyu lays down in bed on top of the person. When the person wakes up, he feels this heavy weight on his chest, and feels he can not breathe. The way to get an ufiyu off your chest is to say bad words to it. This is what Chacho did not want to do to Goya. My favorite spirits along this road also hang out near Don Chacho's store. In the Garifuna culture, it is common to drink alcohol. But if one drinks too much, there is a spirit that comes and attacks alcoholics, called uyobu. These spirits can take different forms. Don Chacho said he saw one in his house next to the Santa Fe road. After he had been drinking, he was laying in bed. Up above him was this chicken. It must have been four feet wide. It was roosting up there in the rafters. Then it would ruffle its feathers and all the dirt up on the roof as well as the feathers, would fall down on him. Not all these uyobu are frightening. Garifuna Gil Bermudez of Tela said when he was drinking, this spirit would appear and say, "Let's have a drink." Gil would ask, "Are you buying?" "Yes," said the spirit. Gil would go into the bars and say, "give me a beer and he is buying," pointing to the spirit. Of course, the bartenders would get upset when it came time to pay the bill and the spirit had disappeared. Because of the presence of different night spirits, like ufiyu and mafia, parents used to make all the children be home by 7 p.m. |
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Yuscarán treks to top of world in new novel
BOOK REVIEW Juan Felix Sanchez (Journey to the Andes)
In much of Guillermo Yuscaran's universe, parable and actuality coexist in intimate, almost incestuous proximity. Both add pigment and transcendence to the underworlds he explores. At ease among the tormented and the disenfranchised, favoring the company of faceless people whose hands are soiled but whose hearts are pure, Yuscaran is both chronicler and alter ego to the unknown and the unknowable who hide in our midst. If Juan Felix Sanchez is slightly larger-than-life, more mythic in stature, perhaps even more ethereal in his jarring earthiness than are most of Yuscaran's characters, it is because he is flesh and bones, not legend. Reassuringly, fact does not prevent this engrossing first-person account of a trek to the Andes from assuming allegorical dimensions. This journey to the roof of the world may be Yuscaran's most introspective, his most probing metaphysical expedition. Here he seems to travel deepest within himself. Breathing thin mountain air, step after breakneck step, he and his son Jeb inch their way to the stone chapel tat Juan the hermit has erected with his bare hands. With them, we are bound on a Quixotic ascent to a place heretofore unventured but beheld by the soul like some burning secret yearning to be free. While a certain telepathic stream runs through this remarkable almost journal-like narrative, Yuscaran seems less interested in reaching some sacred summit as in exploring the geography of the heart. Juan Felix Sanchez and his chapel in the sky, we soon realize, are less a destination than a path to the longitudes and latitudes of paternal love. In this way, Yuscarán grants himself, perhaps unwittingly, a wistful longing look at his own youth, at the twists and turns of his own existence, at morality. Regrettably, the author does not take us inside Juan's chapel. Exploring "unmeasured depths and distances within himself," he brings us to the threshold but denies us the awesome insights, the incandescent spirituality that must have set his heart ablaze. Readers may take comfort in the hope that this oversight can soon be expiated in a sequel. |
Troop 31 Triumphs in Chile A very special troop of scouts -- all former street children -- represent Honduras at world jamboree By W. E. GUTMAN TEGUCIGALPA -- A group of former street children once sheltered at Casa Alianza won first place in an international scouting competition held at the recently concluded World Jamboree in Chile. Over 40,000 from 166 countries attended the week-long event. Casa Alianza’s delegation -- 19 youngsters dubbed "Damas y Caballeros de la Alianza," took part in various scouting activities, including outings, workshops, discussion groups, and sports and games. Participants were formally greeted by Chile’s Parliamentary Chamber. The Casa Alianza contingent was the only troop consisting entirely of former street children. Among the Casa Alianza delegation were: Elsa Patricia Giron, 15; Wendy Yadira Amaya, 14; Herminia Isable Matute, 16; Maria Lizeth Hernandez; Marvin Alexis Soto, 14; Danilo Orlando Guevara, 13; Jose Abel Sierra, 13; Noel Antonio Murillo Cruz, 15; and Manuel de Jesus Marquez, 14. Speaking on behalf of his friends, Jose Abel said, "Casa Alianza opened two doors for us. One was the door of redemption and life from mere survival in the streets; the other was the door to self-esteem. The Jamboree was a demonstration of solidarity and a lesson in leadership." Casa Alianza’s Scout Troop 31 was founded in 1994 by Mauricio Machenbaum, current program director for Casa Alianza Nicaragua. |
NATIONAL ART GALLERY -- The Pro-Art and Culture Foundation and the National Gallery of Art are making space available for cultural exhibits for the benefit of the victims of Hurricane Mitch. For more information, call 237-9884, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT -- JANUARY 26, 27 -- The American School will host the work of Judith Phillips in the high school's Conference Room. Admission is free. FAMILIES ANONYMOUS -- Families Anonymous (FA) meetings are held every Tuesday evening at the Union Church at 7:30 p.m. Call Eileen for more information at 239-9779 or 239-9778. AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS -- Al-Anon helps the relatives and friends of problem drinkers. Groups met weekly in Colonia Alameda (Saturday afternoons) and Colonia Loarque (Sunday evenings). For more information, contact Amanda at 239-2698 (Spanish) or Margaret at 226-6576 (English). WEIGHT WATCHERS -- Weight Watchers, an international weight loss program with over 40 years of experience in helping people maintain a healthier lifestyle is offering classes in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. To join or for more information, contact Juan Cueva Membreno at 239-0161. ENGLISH SPEAKING WOMEN'S CLUB -- The ESWC invites all English-speaking women to attend its teas held the second Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at the Restaurante La Hacienda on Blvd. Morazan. For more information, call Sara at 211-8369. MASONIC LODGE MEETINGS -- The Masonic Lodge of Scottish Rite, Francisco Morazan #11 meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. in their lodge building in the Barrio Abajo. For more information, call Yoel Muchnik at 222-3323. PAINTING, PIANO AND INTERNET CLASSES -- JANUARY -- The Honduran Institute of Hispanic Culture will soon offer painting, piano and internet-use classes for adults. For more information, call 232-55-78. NATIONAL PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL MOVE -- JANUARY -- The National Public Library is currently being moved to the old Tipografía Building on Avenida Cervantes, two blocks from the Central Park Cathedral. The new facilities will feature a modern interior including an audio-visual department, a children's room and Internet connections with 12 other Honduran public libraries. ART, LEARNING & TUTORING FOR CHILDREN -- The Art and Education Center, BONAMPAK, at the Plaza Millennium, is currently offering hourly art courses for children ages 6 to 12 on Mondays and Wednesdays, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. Hourly reading courses for children ages 7 to 12 are being held on Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m., as well as for children ages 4 to 6. Tutoring services are also available. Call 222-5487 for more information. CHILDREN'S LIBRARY -- The Centro Cultural Infantil of San Pedro Sula currently has a program titled "The Reading Corner" offering young people a chance to read and listen to stories in a comfortable environment. The library of this center holds a "Story Hour" daily and has a study area where students may do research. For more information about CCI services, call 557-8639. MUSEUMS AND 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 COLONIAL MUSEUM Located in the city of Comayagua, 2 hours north from Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Colonial Museum is in the building that served as home to the government in the 19th century. It contains objects used by indigenous cultures and the Spanish during the pre-Colombian and Colonial eras. 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 SAN PEDRO SULA MUSEUM The Museo de San Pedro Sula is located between 3rd and 4th Avenues, 4th Street N.O. in San Pedro Sula. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 2 for students (must present valid ID) and Lps. 2 for children under 12 years of age. (Tel: 557-1496, Fax: 552-7091) 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 Copán Ruinas. MAYAN SEPULTURAS MUSEUM Inaugurated in 1996, this is the premier Mayan museum in the Mundo Maya, featuring the finest examples of Copán's tombs, sculptures and architecture. Located at the Copán 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. GARIFUNA MUSEUM This Garifuna-run museum in Tela, Atlantida has an almost complete collection of the different handicrafts made by the Garifunas. If you ask, they have a written guide in English available. The museum also houses the Garifuna handicraft shop and part of the Tela Artist Association's Art Gallery. The rest of the Gallery and the Garifuna restaurant have moved to the Garifuna Plaza on the beach next to the Bahia Azul Hotel. Tours of the Garifuna Museum to home/studios of Garifuna artists, medicinal plant tours, dance presentations, and tours/overnight stays in local Garifuna villages can be arranged at either the Museum or Garifuna Plaza. The museum is open 9 to 5 while Garifuna Plaza is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is Lps. 5. The museum is located next to the river, one block up from the bridge that goes to Telamar and the local churches. LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA 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 Garífuna 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 Roatán towns. The Maya Calendar is a public service for our readers. If you would like to announce an event taking place in Honduras, please send the information to: Calendar Editor, Honduras This Week, Fax 232-2300, e-mail: hontweek@hondutel.hn |
Monday, January 18, 1999 Online Edition 141 |
| Joint Task Force-Bravo "hub and spoke" missions continue
By Pfc. Chrishaun Peeler 49th Public Affairs Detachment (Airborne) MOROLICA - Nineteen ninety-nine not only brings a new year to the people of Honduras, but new hope to its citizens through Hurricane Mitch relief efforts. As missions continue, villages in the provinces of El Paraiso, Choluteca and Olancho are being blessed with supplies from the sky. The mission, dubbed Blitz de Comida II, is referred to as a "hub and spoke" system, which Joint Task Force-Bravo has implemented in various parts of Honduras. Tegucigalpa served as a "hub" for relief delivery operations throughout the provinces. Food, medicine and clothes are delivered to the hub via truck and helicopter, and are sorted out depending on what the needs of the "spoke" villages are. Once Honduran officials from the World Food Program determine which villages need what supplies, CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Companies B and C, 159th Aviation Regiment and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from Company D, 228th Aviation Regiment, fly relief missions to the villages and then return to the hub for their next mission. MOROLICA/2-2-2 In addition to the distribution of supplies, the missions also include medical support for the villages. The Honduran Ministry of Public Health sent more than 20 doctors, nurses and clinicians into each village by U.S. Army helicopters. Morolica, a community in Choluteca, was one of the 13 "spokes" during Blitz de Comida II. Morolica received more than 45,000 pounds -- out of the 216,000 pounds that were delivered throughout the mission. "We’re all working together to complete one big mission - providing relief to the victims of Hurricane Mitch," said Chief Warrant Officer David Williams, a Chinook pilot with Company C, out of Fort Bragg, N.C. "Everybody is doing their part." This is not a mission purely for active-duty service members; reservists have been instrumental in assisting with the successful delivery of the much needed supplies. Spc. Brandon Givens with the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Arkansas, said he’s glad he volunteered to help in the relief mission. "It makes me feel great that I can do something. In the States you can help, but not as directly as you can if you’re where the damage is. I have the opportunity to work hands-on here," said Givens, who helped unload the helicopters upon their arrival. Givens and his unit arrive at the villages in advance to serve as a liaison between the villagers and the military to ensure deliveries are done safely. Blitz de Comida II marked the final large package aerial distribution of relief supplies as Hurricane Mitch relief efforts transition into New Horizons 99 - a series of projects that continues U.S. reconstruction and economic support in Honduras. MORILICA/3-3-3 Because of this - and the Honduran holiday of Three Kings Day - U.S. Ambassador to Honduras James Creagan visited here bringing with him toys for all of the village children. Over 3,000-pounds of toys, donated from the Hasbro Toy company were distributed by the Ambassador including "Batman and Robin" action figures and "Magic Tea Party" sets. Helping to bring smiles to the people of Honduras is something Williams said he loves doing no matter how he does it. "It makes me feel good," said Williams. "I’ve been in the service for 22-years and this is my fourth time on a mission like this and every time it gives me a sense of fulfillment. I’m in the Army to help people and that’s self-rewarding.
Daily and total statistics for the Hurricane Mitch relief effort in Honduras.
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A look ahead to the coming year in Legal Forum
A look ahead to the coming year in Legal Forum Suddenly it is the New Year. A life changing weather phenomenon kept us occupied during November and December and before you know it, here is 1999. This will be a strange year for Honduras, one without precedent, but looking ahead right now there are some important events coming up in 1999 in Honduran Law. To begin with, the next legislature should confirm the reform of Article 107 of the Constitution. This will allow foreigners to own land located on the coast of Honduras, if they plan to have a tourism-related business. But the reform follows a long tradition of confusion over this point, and leaves many questions unanswered. What if the original tourism project goes bankrupt for example? Does the dissolution of the tourism-related use of the property immediately invalidate the title of the land, or will there be a forced sale? Urban lands are exempt and are regulated under a separate law, which limits each person to about 3/4 of an acre. It is common practice to form a corporation to avoid this limitation. Will these corporations now be regulated under the new reform, which requires that the Secretary of Tourism approve them? What about the protection of small Honduran landowners? Will they be allowed to sell out at the first high bid, and join the exodus into the already overcrowded cities of Honduras? Other big news this year will include the continuation of the transfer of the Police force to civilian command. Elimination of corruption and a move toward a more just and humane implementation of the law are the positive results that all hope for. This important change in the structure of Honduran law enforcement will probably be compromised by a lack of necessary start up funds -- the government budget will be tight this year and there will be huge demands for housing and infrastructure. Hopefully the good intentions will last until there are sufficient funds to invest in training and paying a skilled civilian security force. This will also be a big year for investigation of corruption. The process is already underway to investigate and prosecute contractors who allegedly misused funds during construction of the sports complex used for the VI Central American games. Next in line will probably be contractors who were involved in the construction of the new Central Penitentiary -- the one where inmates were able to saw through the bars with a razor blade. |
Monday, January 11, 1999 Online Edition 140 |
Coffee, Tea or a Story?
By JORGE FLORES McCLELLAN. Virtual Reality by Stanley Marrder There is a motif inside every restaurant, cafe or bar in the world. The theme can vary from nationalistic adornments like indigenous arts and crafts to elegant or trendy decor, to antiseptic but colorful mass produced furniture designed for practicality. Every place where one goes to eat or drink has something other than eat or drink. There are always things to see and talk about. So, what is the deal with Cafe Don Harry? Basically, you enter a house, Harry's house of fifty years. The place has been remodeled for the business but still one can sense that this is a residence: an ample garage, a nice garden and a cozy, welcoming foyer. Then you are inside and start to see airplanes and all of these airplanes have stars. "Pride", Harry says to Honduras This Week. "What you see is the homage I pay to the airline I flew for more than two decades. Flying for TAN-SAHSA (Transportes Aereos Nacionales-Servicios Aereos de Honduras,S.A.) is something you keep forever deep inside you." He is talking about the airline that crisscrossed the skies of Honduras, Central America and many other parts of the continent until its grounding in 1994. The reasons for its demise, according to Harry were cumulative, administrative factors and an accident. Toncontin, the capital's airport was only open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and if you wanted to make a night landing, you had to ask the Civil Aeronautics and the military. This would strangle any airline. Also, Roatan's airport, where the tourists come, opened too late for the big planes. He says that the theory that the open skies policy killed the airline is a "myth". Harry went to the American School in Tegucigalpa, graduated in 1970, and then went on to get his Bachelors Degree in Aeronautical Science and his Pilot's License in Fort Worth, Texas. He started flying in 1974. He grew up in planes, became a master in the air and learned to love flying. But this was not just any airline. The planes were sometimes the only communication between towns and cities. The pilots brought in passengers, such goods as medicines and even cattle and everything in between. All over the country, Hondurans yearned to hear those engines, to see those DC-2's, DC-3's, Electras and the "stars". TAN-SAHSA had the Honduran flag painted on the tail fuselage of all planes. "Name any other airline in the world that has a huge flag on every airplane", Harry demands. And then came the jets. According to Boeing Headquarters in Seattle, Washington, SAHSA's paint scheme for their new 737's was the "most beautiful" in 1974. A Boeing brochure that Harry keeps among the couple of hundred of photos and mementos on his walls, shows SAHSA's first 737 on the cover of it, flying straight at you with the unmistakable artwork. "Legend says that the artist, Saul Baas, a brazilian, covered the flag on one of his models, splashed some paint on and then directed a fan to it. That's where the mesmerizing, aerodynamic design came from." DuPont, the paint factory named the color "SAHSA Blue" Listening to Harry one can almost see his heart swell with pride and his eyes glitter when he tells his stories. "Landing those planes anywhere at anytime was an honor. Ground crews from every airport, passengers and even pilots came up and complimented the beauty of our planes and asked what those stars meant. They were truly unique. And I just loved to see the look on their faces when I told them it was the Honduran flag". One of his favorite stories, among hundreds to be sure, is the day he landed the plane in Peru after a chartered flight. One of the ground crew came up to him exhilarated, laughing and yelling, telling him that the plane was the most beautiful one he had ever seen. The man was Honduran and had not seen a SAHSA jet yet. Harry's Cafe, named after his father, a Danish machinist for the United Fruit Company boats for 31 years, has its walls covered in what he calls "a small tribute to a Honduran company. The most Honduran, if you will". The walls tell the whole story of the airline. Harry, a modest man with a friendly demeanor and always a smile, will answer every question from aeronautical to personal with all the relevant details. "TAN-SAHSA was safe. It was one of two airlines in the world that demanded that their flight engineers had at least 15 years of experience on the ground. Only then could they fly in the cockpit. The only other airline that had such strict vigilance was Lufthansa, so figure it out for yourself", he jests. This captain that for decades transported tens of thousands of passengers, including the Pope, jokes about his beginnings. "In high school, before flying, I was guiding tours all over Honduras, so I had to charter planes. So when I became a pilot, the older guys joked,"look who's flying, the tour guide!" TAN-SAHSA fed 1,500 families directly and indirectly. Harry was the last Honduran pilot to fly any of their planes when it still had a Honduran registration. He then flew for TACA for a couple of years and then, reluctantly had to stop flying due to medical reasons. But only his body is grounded. If it can be said, his mind and spirit are still in the clouds. The cherished photos, mementos and models in his cafe say so. These are photos that only he and us Hondurans over thirty can relate to in a patriotic and nostalgic way. A plaque given to him by the Organizacion Iberoamericana de Pilotos says it all: "To Harry Jakobsen, who had the courage to leave what he most loves: flying." In his amicable way, Harry says he was the unseen pilot. He kept a low profile and didn't stand at the door to greet his passengers. But he loved to speak on the PA system and tell them how everything was, what they could expect and where they were. And from the way he treats his patrons at his place, one can hear the calm, confident, friendly tone of the trustworthy captain. Yes Harry, we miss the stars in the sky too. Don Harry's Cafe, Lounge and Internet Place is located 50 paces from the Hotel Maya, ironically, across the road from Continental Airlines. |
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Monday, January 4, 1999 Online Edition 139 |
LAS
POSADAS:
By ROSIBEL PACHECO DE GUTIERREZ By decree of Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome, all Jews must register in a census in their place of birth. Mary, a humble Jew, and her husband Joseph, leave Nazareth in Galilee and travel to Bethlehem in Judea to comply with this mandate. Mary is pregnant and is soon to give birth. There are no lodgings available in tiny Bethlehem and no inn will receive them. Finally, they find a manger in a stable and it is there that Mary brings to the world baby Jesus. This story, narrated in the Scriptures, is remembered in a traditional way in Tegucigalpa and other cities, with the celebration of Las Posadas or Lodgings. They are held each night from December 16 through Christmas Eve. Recently a group of Christians of the Renovacion Carismatica gathered to re-enact this beautiful tradition. At the home of Blanquita Jerez de Duron, we were divided into two groups: one inside the house and one outside. The group outside held candles and through song and verse asked for lodging for Joseph and the Virgin Mary. Those inside answered, also in song accompanied by guitar and tambourine, granting shelter to the couple. Once the door was opened and shelter was given, the celebration began with a greeting of peace and reading of the scriptures. One of the ladies, Maria Teresa de Jerez, explained that "the Posadas, based on the word of God, are really an evangelical activity. We are a people that walk, a pilgrim church, a community of faith, of hope and love. The purpose of the Posadas is to make us meditate about the hardships Mary and Joseph went through; they move us to open our hearts to God and to our brothers and to live intensely the grace of the birth of Jesus..." Following the celebration, the Book of Luke (3:3-5) was read. "...Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways shall be made smooth..." John the Baptist's preparations for the coming of the Son of God made us meditate on the changes in our own lives, and about giving more of ourselves. After the Bible scriptures and meditations, everyone present hugged each other in peace and joined in a delicious meal of nacatamales, torrejas and fruit punch. In the warm, cozy atmosphere of Doña Blanquita's house, this group of Christians celebrated with tenderness and humbleness a beautiful tradition. |
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| George Hasemann: The hero of Honduran archaeology
In 1987, two scientists, George Hasemann and Gloria Lara, looked down at the floor of a grotto in Marcala, a small town on the Department of La Paz. They saw small corncobs, a lot of hay and remnants of cloth. They used a ladder to climb three meters above the cave floor to a chamber commonly named the Cueva del Gigante or the Giant's Cave. Pensively, Hasemann said to Lara: "Who knows, this looks like an exceptional archaeological site. There is no ceramic and practically no obsidian". It was a very ancient site, unlike any they had ever seen before. They decided to dedicate more time and thought to the place. Time passed and George returned in 1996 exhilarated; the evidence was irrefutable: it was a settlement like few had ever seen. The Cueva del Gigante is up to now, the oldest settlement discovered in North and Central America: 12,000 years old, according to Carbon 14 dating. Parallel studies were made to corroborate the results that indicated it to be the first pre-ceramic site in this part of the continent. Hasemann was ecstatic but knew he had to work with caution. This was an immense discovery and had to be studied carefully. He personally took charge of the excavations and brought in a geologist and a botanist to make an integral study. In the back of his mind was the oldest settlement known in America, discovered in Chile and dated at 13,000 years. This passionate adventure was one of many that George Hasemann, Doctor of Archaeology, lived throughout his professional life in his pilgrimages across Honduras. There were no routes to be covered, no compasses, no zones or preferred cultures. George gave every Honduran parcel its value and consecrated Honduras as a paradise for archaeological work. Hasemann was born in New York. His grandfather came from a small town in Germany and passed on the determined spirit and streak of stubbornness that had brought him to America. George studied English Literature at Brown University in 1968 and dedicated himself to teaching English and French literature for five years in North Carolina. He enjoyed teaching and being among young people. It was here that he met his mentor who recognized his talent and offered him a scholarship to continue studying at the university. He entered Florida State University to study archaeology. By then, he was already married and had a daughter. HOW HE CAME TO HONDURAS In 1974 George’s studies required him to do field work and he was sent to the Bay Islands of Honduras. Hasemann explored Utila, instantly falling in love with the island's beauty. In 1976 he came back determined to continue his archaeological studies and to live in Honduras. This decision brought about the rupture of his first marriage because his wife, expecting their second child, did not want to accompany him. After settling down, he began to work with the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH) on small tasks. George was always an adventurer and his free spirit led him also to SCUBA diving and to be the captain of a shrimping boat. In 1977 he sailed back and forth between the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay Islands but also found time to do some work for the IHAH. George did an archaeological study of the Spanish fort of San Fernando de Omoa near Puerto Cortes and the documentation of the salt works in the Pacific Coast, among other projects. WHY HE STAYED Why did George stay here? What did he find in Honduras? According to Gloria Lara "he realized that by dedicating himself to archaeology here in Honduras, he could make a difference; he could fill a void that up to that date nobody had filled. He thought that this was a country that would in itself, due to its conditions, provide him with a niche completely different from any in the U.S. And George had an attraction for the Latin American culture that began in a trip he made to Mexico with his students in 1972; he promised himself he would return." In the beginning, George was fascinated by the Bay Islands, and did not know mainland Honduras. When he started to work here he realized the contrast and was instantly attracted to it. As a foreigner, it is not easy to work in Honduras due to slow bureaucratic procedures for immigration and residency. "We as Hondurans feel a great respect for foreigners that come here to work with international missions, but there is a certain distrust for foreigners that come on their own. We feel that they are taking something away or nullifying somebody's place". In 1977, George was ready to return to the U.S. with his second wife who came from Utila, and his little daughter, when the IHAH offered him work as an initial prospector in the El Cajon Dam basin before the area was flooded with water. This hydroelectric project was financed by the World Bank and in those days, the Honduran government was just beginning to make timid attempts at complying with the banks' required environmental impact studies. This project, El Cajon, had two components in this area: environment and cultural resources. This project of Archaeological Salvage in El Cajon, as it was later named, lasted for 4 to 5 years. Today, the results of these studies are being published. The first book is now on the stands, authored by George Hasemann, Gloria Lara and Doctor Kenneth Hurth, Director of the project. George was hired to do several other jobs for the IHAH and later hired for good. His wife from Utila did not like life on the mainland; the culture shock was too much for her. By that time, George was working on a small archaeological site in a remote part of Comayagua, which she disliked. She decided to return to Utila with her daughter and left George with a major decision. He was at a crossroads between his private life, his future and his mission. He decided in favor of his mission and divorced his second wife. Gloria Lara met George in November 1980. She had just graduated in Germany and was offered the job as sub-director of the El Cajon project. She had studied Cultural Anthropology, taking two courses focusing on the Americas --Pre-columbian Cultures in Central America and Ethnology and Pre-History. George was in charge of all the archaeological aspects in the field: all 94 square kilometers of it. "He was a professional with all the experience. The project was not an easy one in logistical terms because the area was remote; you worked for three weeks and then had one week off. We traveled by mule, lived in tents without water or electricity and navigated the Sulaco and Humuya rivers on small boats," Gloria told Honduras This Week. "Between 1980 and 1984 the flooding began so we had to work frantically to take out what we could, but a good sampling was done. I still consider this as a model rescue work of archaeology. We did the job and we complied with the terms of reference. George had devoted himself totally to this. For me it was a great school as a professional in archaeological and ethnological terms. Coming to Honduras and working in the field, I learned what rural Honduras is all about. People taught me what the soul of Honduras is, what it means to be Honduran." She committed herself to publish the results of their work. Volume II is ready and the third volume will probably be George's thesis: "Settlement Patterns in the Sulaco River". All of it is a tremendous amount of information. "When I met George, he was very attractive, brilliant, a great conversationalist with an excellent sense of humor. He was preparing himself to be the academic, the scientist. He had matured, he was a very interesting man in every aspect". They fell in love and married November 27, 1982. They had two children: Ana Eugenia and Jose Enrique. But George wanted to complete his doctoral studies, which he did at Kentucky University, so the Hasemann-Lara family traveled to the U.S. George came back to his country as an established archaeologist. El Cajon had given him the exposure he needed. Fortunately, Gloria won a Fulbright Scholarship to the same University. This time she would study new topics: language transmission, Native American legislation and Native American languages as mother tongues in the management of bilingual education programs. "For George it was a wonderful experience because he had returned an educated adult with much experience. I had never seen him so complete, so full, so satisfied." George gave all he had in every course. They came back to Honduras in the middle of 1989. Hundreds of projects were waiting for them. The IHAH needed archaeologists. In Copan there have always been many of them, but not in the rest of the country. COVERAGE OF GEORGE'S WORK George had to go back to the U.S. in 1992 because the University of Kentucky requires that all doctoral graduates teach for a year. When he returned to Honduras, George consolidated and updated his work and was completely sure of what he was doing. He then started to get interested in the legislative aspect of his work, the principles of conservation including that of submerged patrimony (sunken boats), and the need to make a national inventory. He started to design this inventory and brought in an expert that had worked in the Caribbean in submarine archaeology. At this time he started to lay out the long-term plan he had conceived long before. What would happen in Honduras in the next millennium? What could be done to protect the cultural patrimony of Honduras? Where were the problems and what could be done in a better way? Between 1990 and 1992 he dedicated most of his time to this and left a solid structure for its follow up. He kept a very tight communication with his colleagues and when the 500th Anniversary of the Discovery of America was celebrated many objectives were accomplished. "The display of activity was such, that it seemed that George was going to leave his thesis incomplete. He needed the time to work on it but he was all over the place. He was constantly going to the Valley of Sula, the Valley of Naco, Santa Barbara and the Bay Islands. I would have accompanied him but the children were very small." By now, Hasemann was not satisfied just by his fieldwork. He believed that more young people should dedicate themselves to it and made great efforts to get them an education outside Honduras and then come back to work. Archaeology appears to be a hard field. Until now there is only an inkling of a new generation of archaeologists and anthropologists. TALGUA CAVES Four miles west of Catacamas, near the Catacamas river, a group of skulls were found, probably a burial site or a ritual cemetery for important people since they were buried with pottery. Over the centuries, salt was carried by water seeping through the rocks and covering the craniums making them glow. "It all started in a very simple way. We received a phone call, George went and realized this was a unique discovery and started to work right away. But he also tried to answer some questions: Why was the burial there? What were the surroundings? Aside from all that, Talgua put him near another one of his passions: to do archaeological work in La Mosquitia". The IHAH was interested in promoting Talgua effectively. George ended up doing a presentation of a documentary about the caves to the Interamerican Bank in Washington. "It was one of his life's greatest satisfactions. He did the presentation in front of an audience that was really interested. They had never realized that Honduras had such archaeological richness. They took the artifacts to Washington. He deserved that." THE FIGHT While in the U.S., George discovered he had colon cancer. He returned to Honduras in July, 1993. He had completed his required year of teaching in the States, his thesis was well advanced and he wanted to be treated in Honduras. They operated on him here and started his cycle of chemotherapy. He never stayed in the hospital for long. He got his treatment in the morning and went to work in the afternoon. George used to say to Gloria: "The only thing that helps me is work. It doesn't take the anguish away but it helps me forget it. My mind is full with what I'm doing, I'm going to beat this cancer, I'm going to win". George had decided to overcome the overwhelming weakness that stalked him. His prognosis was 1 to 2 years, but he lived for 5 years with an acceptable quality of life. THERE IS NO MORE TIME George said that Talgua had become too commercialized. "One fine day he told me, I'm going to retire from the Talgua project, I'm losing my objectivity, it takes away time." Then the Los Naranjos project began. "Los Naranjos, located in the Lake Yojoa basin, was developed as an integral project. It offered George everything he looked for. It was an archaeological park, integrating the conservation of an ecological niche occupied for 5000 or more years. It concerns the preservation of a landscape being lost--the sites around the shores. Lake Yojoa's water level has been fluctuating throughout the centuries. "Some sites have been buried. It interested George because he was going to create a visitor's center and a museum where people could learn how our ancestors had used this ecological niche and how it is today in all it's beauty. George was in love with the place."George did a study of existing local flora and fauna and worked with the community--preservation of the sites is not possible without the cooperation of the owners. They had to know, take an interest, and find material and spiritual benefits from its conservation. He talked with the local leaders. The ecotourism park would not be done in the same style as Copan Ruins. Because the structures were built of river stones and earth, small excavations are preferred; leaving the mounds intact and allowing grass to grow on them so that the esthetics are not broken. HIS LEGACY When at last he was named Director of the Copan Conservation Project, it was an immense satisfaction, the high point of his career. He thought that Copan Park should be more integrated into its environment. The stones had suffered, and still suffer chemical and physical processes. He started work on the conservation of Copan, his last project George was interested in everything, even that which was not Maya. This is very clear in his last book: The Indians of Central America, co-authored by Gloria. "He gave merit to the rest of the archaeology in Honduras, brought the rest of the country to a higher level in archaeology, the rest of Honduras that was never Maya, that was never Mesoamerican. When talking about George's qualities, Gloria comments that George was very humble. "He was content with himself; he envied nothing and every reward came from his work. "He always avoided confrontation, controversy; he believed in dialogue." George Ernest Hasemann made excellence his way of life. He overcame pain and loss. He made his decisions and faced the consequences of every one of them. "He had several IHAH projects pending. I have offered to collaborate. He left a lot of work to be done." He died on October 8, 1998. The Honduran earth opened up to receive him and become his resting-place. They will be together--eternity erases borders and limits. Many secrets shall be revealed to you Hasemann, because even in the stones you looked for truth. |
There were no routes to be covered, no compasses, no zones or preferred cultures. George gave every Honduran parcel its value and consecrated Honduras as a paradise for archaeological work. |
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By WENDY GRIFFIN
Times are so hard that not even the dead are safe from thieves. (Photo by
Wendy Griffin.)
By W.E. GUTMAN
