TRAVEL & TOURISM |
TRAVEL & TOURISM |
Monday, January 25, 1999 Online Edition 142 |
| Plenty of hospitable lodgings in Copan
COPAN RUINAS -- First-time visitors to the quaint village of Copan will be impressed by its hotels and resorts. One does not anticipate such charming accommodations hidden behind their unobtrusive portals.
Some 10 miles before reaching town on the left, there is a wooden entrance and a hand-painted sign proclaiming: Hacienda El Jaral. Turn in and park in the small, gravel lot. Smile at the guard as you walk past and look around. Hugging the double soccer field are several cabins in the woods, restaurants in the thickets and winding, well manicured paths leading to the club house, reception desk and pool. After meeting Hugo and Claudia Andonie, accept their invitation to tour the property and then feel the warm and accommodating spirit of the entire staff.
If you can tear yourself away from El Jaral, over the next mountain toward Copan on your right is another humble entrance, but the cobble stone driveway is a clue to what is ahead. Up the hill and past the guard house is an architectural delight. The Hotel Posada Real de Copan will make you reach for the camera. If you’re lucky, general manager Franz Sperisen will grant your his personal tour. Franz is very knowledgeable. Ask him difficult questions, he loves it. His good heart and warm handshake may entice you to check in.
Although still a few miles from town, you will be feeling something. It may be similar to the gentle purring of a kitten close to your chest or just a heightened awareness that something different is ahead. The detour, due to bridge damage, may distract you a bit, but the true adventurer won’t mind at all. As you slow down to cross the stream and decide where to turn, you will see the townspeople going about their daily chores. They will watch you intently. Are they just curious or are they partaking of their spirit through their eyes?
At the top of the hill is Copan’s common, a park fronted by a whitewashed church and surrounded by small shops, two banks and a disco that is open every other Saturday...maybe. Mayra E. Arias de Welchez’s Plaza Copan Hotel is just to the right of the park. Behind the restaurant is an atrium-style pool surrounded by two floors of guest rooms with double balconies to accommodate the most fussy of travelers. It is a beautiful hotel of local flavor, unspoiled by overly modern architecture, but fresh and clean.
Diagonally across Copan Park, and a few steps toward Wendy's house, is the Hotel Marina Copan. When you meet owner Jose Raul Welchez, you may ask, "Sir, where in the world did this place come from?" Walking through the lobby or the spacious restaurant or mahogany lounge you may hear seven musicians playing simultaneously two marimbas. Trite adjectives would be an insult here. You will just have to see Hotel Marina Copan for yourself.
One of the friendliest businessmen in Copan is Roberto Segura Villamil, owner of Hotel Los Jaguares. Not only will you be impressed with his establishment, perfect for the commercial traveler, but Sr. Roberto will gladly show you about town. Ask Don Roberto to take you to the Tunkul. It may look like your average menu at first, but once you sink your teeth into a specially spiced meal at the Tunkul Restaurant and Lounge, you will be taking notes for your friends back home. Friendly service, rustic atmosphere and good prices make Mike Valladares' Tunkul a must-stop for those who like to indulge their taste buds.
If you want the works, Rene Hernandez's Go Native Tours is a must: Horseback riding, hot springs, mountain villages, tobacco plantations, Mayan cultural exhibits and, of course, the archeological park are available for your entertainment, education and philosophical musings. Don’t miss a thing. When you get back home and your world traveling friends say, "Oh! You were in Copan? Did you see the...?" If your answer isn't, "Yes!" don’t blame Rene. This is only a superficial overview of Copan. There is lots more to see and do. Copan has history, charm and spirit. You will want to come back again and again. |
For
the best possible time in the Bay Islands, try a luxury |
Monday, January 18, 1999 Online Edition 141 |
WANTED:
By Mario E. Martín
Although overwhelmingly dominated in numbers by the National University (UNAH), the supply of professional education has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 15 years. The new law of higher education proposed in 1989 and passed in 1992 opened the way for a transformation of the antiquated higher education sector in the country. So far 13 centers are officially accredited (6 privately owned and funded), led by the UNAH which enrolls more than 80,000 students or close to 75 % of the total university population. The new private centers include UNITEC, the Catholic University, the private university of San Pedro Sula, the private university José Cecilio del Valle and several other colleges specializing in agriculture, forestry, business and education. CEDAC, accredited in 1986, is the only center dedicated to the design and construction demands of the country. Their tuition costs are competitive, around US$ 3,000 per academic year, not at all comparable with the public, subsidized cost of UNAH and the other state colleges and universities. Architecture has been taught in Honduras at the university level since the late 70’s but it took several normal five-year terms to graduate the first class. The UNAH, José Cecilio del Valle and the private University in San Pedro Sula have been granting Licenciatura degrees, equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degrees in the U.S. About 60% of the 450 registered architects have graduated. That translates into an average of 10 professionals per year in all of the centers or about three a year each. Now comes a new institution with a fresh vision of what architecture, design and building should be for a developing Honduras. The hurricane disaster opens new and more demanding professional challenges in those fields. However, professionals and businessmen in the building sector acknowledge the poor architectural solutions applied so far in the country. This is particularly sensitive in the housing field; probably the most promising area of professional demand, judging by the enormous damage done by flooding and landslides during Hurricane Mitch. Architecture for the poor does not justify poor architecture", quotes a recent visiting professor at CEDAC, as he describes the extremely high costs and low value of a middle class home in and around Tegucigalpa. Land speculation, poor standards and bureaucratic red tape do not help. The Honduran government and forceful private investors have been trying to break the bottleneck since the last state enterprise decided to build and finance homes for the poor, the Honduras Housing Institute, INVA, was decommissioned in 1992. But, as in most pioneering efforts, beginnings are hard. As a new academic center, CEDAC has faced opposition by traditional schools but has been encouraged by fast growing enrollment. It still needs to grow more to fulfill its vision. Important ingredients for a healthy academic development are good students and good instructors. Honduras, with a weak system of secondary education, graduates more and more bachilleres, with a declining quality of academic preparation. Few professionals are willing to devote time to teach. CEDAC recruits most of its students from the private, bilingual high schools, resulting in good material for professional education. The students average an IQ of 110. Starting with an initial enrollment of seven in September of 1986, CEDAC had at the end of the current term, 61 students and three careers (Architecture, Graphic Design and Interior Decoration). In the approval process is its fourth career, Building engineering. One-fifth of the students get some kind of financial aid, mostly from EDUCREDITO, the state educational loan fund. Research and extension are part of CEDAC’s commitment. So far, in two years, students and instructors have participated in meaningful challenges presented by the national development process. An environmental project for a small rural municipality, a campus design for another center of higher learning and the assessment of housing needs for one of the largest multinational corporations operating in Honduras are registered into the Center’s track record. Extension includes refresher courses for practicing professionals on subjects like environmental impact assessments. Cooperation with universities abroad is also stressed by CEDAC. So far, visitors have come from Rice University in Houston and the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña in Barcelona, both well recognized centers of architecture and urban planning. CEDAC students are planning their first trip abroad this coming year, to see and experience architecture, an important element in their formation. So, if you know of ambitious students, or professionals interested in teaching, who want to participate in the reconstruction challenge facing Honduras, you know where to send them. They can get a professional degree in architecture appropriate for the national professional market and needs, without having to leave the country. CEDAC, el Centro de Diseño, Arquitectura y Construcción, is located in residencial San Ignacio, behind Banco Atlántida. The phone numbers are 232-8834, 4195, 235-9775 and 231-0729 (tel-fax). The e-mail address is cedac@sdnhon.org.hn |
For
the best possible time in the Bay Islands, try a luxury Copan Update By Howard Rosenzweig I have dedicated the last couple of articles to a discussion of strategies to reactivate Honduran Tourism. Now, let's look at some of the achievements to date. 1. Article 107 of the Honduran Constitution has been reformed by the National Congress. Foreign investors may now purchase and own property on both coasts and on border zones. According to the Minister of Tourism, the reform will generate some $500 million in investment over the next five years, mostly in hotel and resort construction. 2. The Institute of Tourism hired a Public relation firm out of Oregon, Egret Communications, to evaluate the tourism situation in Honduras, elaborate a marketing plan, and handle post-Mitch damage control. 3. Continental Airlines has been busy, offering seminars to international reservations employees in order to let them know that Honduran Tourism is "open, ready and able." Continental will also cooperate with the Institute of Tourism and Egret Communications to promote press tours to show the world the reality of Honduran tourism. 4. Copan Ruinas, in a rare example of unity, has undertaken a small promotion campaign in the Guatemalan market. A full page ad promoting Copan Ruinas will run in the "The Revue" during the months of January-April. 5. Go Native Tours out of Copan Ruinas, is promoting a "Service Tourism" program, where tourists can study Spanish, visit Copan, as well as participate in local reconstruction projects. 6. Tourists are beginning to trickle in. As the word gets out, tourists are returning. First hand reports from tourists indicate that Roatan is safe, stocked and ready; and tourists are making the drive from San Pedro Sula to Copan Ruinas without problem. All we need now in Honduras is a catchy slogan to bring in the tourists. How about that old Jed Clampet quote of the Beverly Hillbillies fame, "Ya'll come back now ya hear". |
Monday, January 11, 1999 Online Edition 140 |
Utila and Roatan after Mitch By ERLING DUUS CHRISTENSEN
I knew Utila and Roatan before they became popular tourist destinations, and must freely admit to ambivalent feelings about the entire phenomenon. In that not so distant long ago, the life on those islands reflected what they uniquely were. Now, that identity is compromised and besieged. On the other hand, tourism has very plainly brought good things as well, including a substantial economic boost and a generally more diverse and interesting ambience.
Ever since the hurricane, the flow of tourists to the islands has virtually come to a halt. It has picked up some during the holidays, but after New Years the reservations drop off very sharply, and hotel owners fear the return of empty rooms as restaurant owners the return of empty tables. Everyone is, on the surface at least optimistic that the tourists will return, but the question is when. The urgency behind that question may be reflected by the fact that the economy of Utila has grown so dependent on tourism that something like 90% of its revenue is tourist based. There was hurricane damage on both islands. Some homes were destroyed on Roatan, mostly in Oak Ridge. The power of the storm did some re-arranging. There has been some damage to the reefs, and some beaches were washed away. But Mitch gave as well as he took away, and some beaches were improved, while others appeared where there was none before. In general, nothing that makes Roatan or Utila appealing to tourists has been seriously altered. This reality, however, does not alter the obvious fact that tourists are nervous about visiting a country that has suffered a natural disaster. I spoke to many people who wish that President Flores would stop speaking to the international media and depicting the nation in such dire terms. My hosts in Utila were Althea and Thomas Jackson, the owners of Sharky's Reef, a spacious, peaceful, and beautifully furnished resort located on the lagoon near the airport, within sight and sound of the open sea. Mr. Jackson is a native of Utila who worked for years in the oil industry in the United States, while his wife is a colorful and outspoken Cajun from Louisiana. When I first arrived at the resort, it turned out that she had locked herself out of the house, so I had an opportunity to observe her lock-picking techniques. This helped us to establish rapport quickly. The Jackson's are intelligent and able people whose opinions and insights about island life are interesting.
On this visit I had the particular pleasure to enjoy an excellent dinner at the Golden Rose Restaurant with two old friends and island legends, Bradford Duncan and Gunther Kordovsky. It was the first time the three of us had been given the opportunity to sit down together for about 11 years, something we once did regularly in the good old days at a once popular place called the Push-Up. Utila has always offered a grand panoply of characters, but none greater than Brad and Gunther. Duncan, at 85 years of age, has slowed down a bit, and should by rights be dead with all the stuff that has been to, or taken out of him. Utila was the site of his personal Waterloo, his climbing of the high mountain of fancy and hubris, when he proclaimed himself only half in jest the governing overlord of the unruly island race, and proceeded to lose about 7 million dollars in pursuit of a dream of a golden idyllic island with luxurious and beautiful hotels surrounded by Magnolia gardens. For Duncan this was the Sistine Chapel, but for his investors it was slow and expensive. Somewhere along the way the whole project was abandoned, and its remains now stand on a hill over-looking the community forever known as "Duncan's Folly." Later on he lost the rest of his money in a particularly rocky journey into matrimonial bliss with a "sweet Hondurena," who is herself a bit of a legend. But through it all, Duncan remained unflappable, ever cheerful, optimistic, with only a touch, understandable surely, of sardonic irony. As for Kordovsky, the mad Austrian and "ratrace escape artist," whose great delight was the unsurpassed fury of Mitch, he continues in his quest for exaltation at the limits of endurance, in the depths of the sea, in his consuming passion for life. Somehow this solitary anarchist has managed to become a father to two of the most enchanting little girls on the warmer side of space, who may have mellowed him just a little. Utila has always attracted people like these. and is that kind of a place, where even the conformists are eccentric, where the normal seems abnormal, where sand-flies too "fit-in" except when they get really obnoxious, and where some of the things which make life worth living are undying. On Roatan, my hosts were Giacomo and Adriana Cosentino, the owners of the Pura Vida Hotel and Restaurant on the now famous "West End" of the island. Giacomo, a laid-back Sicilian established the business a couple of years ago because he liked the tranquil pace of island life as well as the natural beauty. The hotel is modest, clean, somewhat Spartan, while the restaurant, managed by Hollander Rene Pluijm, has become justly famous on the island for good service and excellent food. Pura Vida, in part because of its size and substantial quality, as well as the hospitable spirit of the Cosentino's, became the West End's community fortress and gathering place during the three day hurricane. To high-light the event, a baby was born to one of the young women taking shelter during the protracted hurricane party. The Pura Vida establishment appears to be the largest in its area on the West End, but it is modest in size, and like most tourist facilities there blends reasonably well with the landscape, exhibiting a sensitivity to the scope and ambience of the island. The people who have settled there wish to enjoy, and not ruin the place to which they have come. The home of the owner of Fantasy Island built near French Harbor is a study in contrast. It is rumored that this ostentatious mansion was fashioned and paid for in cahoots with then President Callejas. It certainly bears the Callejas touch and style. Its existence is especially unfortunate given that Fantasy Island is itself a beautiful, and unpretentious resort. I also experienced Roatan from a rather different perspective, and with other hospitality. I used to have a connection with the Methodist Church of Belize and the Bay Islands. Currently, the superintendent of the Bay Islands circuit is the Reverend Bernard Duncan, a St. Vincent's native, who is an old friend of mine from Belize. I called Bernard and suggested that I might like to participate in the New Year's Eve Watch-night service, which I in fact did in the town of French Harbor. The Watch-night service in the Protestant Caribbean is a unique occasion whose origins I have never been able to determine, and whose theological rationale is mysterious, to say the least. In any event, anyone who has ever had a remote connection to the church, people in some cases who never attend otherwise, show up for worship on that evening, sing rousing old hymns, and participate in a ritual of thanksgiving for the old while petitioning blessings for time to come. Normal church manners and Methodist circumspection do not necessarily apply. It is not unusual for individuals already well into a night of carousing to attend the service which normally begins at 10:30 and continues until the clock strikes for the new year. The singing in the church at French Harbor was particularly spirited. I called it "the authentic voice of Caribbean Methodism." But I also called attention to things my auditors well knew. Their's has become an endangered culture. Ten years ago 80-90% of the people on the island were English speakers. Today, that number is probably less than 50%. Spanish speaking people, for the most part impoverished or out-cast have been entering the island in huge numbers, a phenomenon precipitated in part by, and accompanying tourism. The entire social and cultural fabric of island life has been profoundly disturbed. On a smaller scale, the same thing has happened in Utila. Honduran law provides no means whereby the islands might protect their cultural heritage. One young man suggested to me that the solution was for native islanders to gain control of the island politically. I could only agree with that, while reflecting on the fact that on an island where they have long been the majority, natives have rarely, if ever, controlled their own destinies. In that respect, they share more with the mainlanders than they may know. |
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the best possible time in the Bay Islands, try a luxury The People of Honduras Need
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Time stops at Copan's main plaza.
(Photo by Stanley Marrder)
Haciendal El Jaral offers its guests
comfortable accomodations in natural surroundings. (Video capture by Stanley Marrder)
Hotel Posada Real is surrounded by
gardens and overlooks a colorful valley. Photo by (Stanley Marrder)
A
"Copaneco" stares at the park as people walk by. (Photo by Stanley Marrder)
Hotel Plaza Copan's restaurant overlooks the park. (Photo
by Stanley Marrder)
Hotel
Marina Copan has a breathtaking outdoor pool. (Photo by Stanley Marrder)
Small
shops around the main park offer tourists colorful memorabilias. (Photo by Stanley
Marrder)
The
dramatic entrance to the Copan Ruinas archeological site museum. (Photo by Stanley
Marrder)
Architecture students at work in CEDAC
On
Guanaja, the story now and for a long time to come is the hurricane. On Utila and Roatan
the story has been the lack of tourists, or, at least, that is part of the story. I went
to those islands over the vacation in quest of those, and other stories.
One of the great pleasures of Utila is its friendly small-town quality. It is
over 10 years ago since I spent a few months teaching at the Methodist school there, but I
am always greeted warmly by former students and old friends. Despite heat and occasional
plagues of sand-flies, there is always an infectious energy and good-will.
