Top off souvenir shopping with tasty Honduran food

By WENDY GRIFFIN

Souvenir shopping is easy in Tegucigalpa.  You start at Parque Central on Miquel Cervantes Street, the street between the Cathedral and Burger King.  Then walk up Cervantes past souvenir shops and Tegucigalpa's best bookstore, Libreria Guaymuras.  When the street ends, cross the bridge over the Rio Chiquito and go up the hill toward the souvenir shops near or in the Honduras Maya Hotel.

If you are the type of person who enjoys Santa Barbara baskets, Vaca Negra Coffee Liqueur, embroidered shirts from Omoa or paintings by Maury Flores, then the Meson del Buen Sabor (The House of Good Taste) will probably appeal to you as a lunch or snack stop on your shopping tour.  To reach it, just continue one more block up the hill past the Honduras Maya.

The Meson del Buen Sabor is actually a food court for five small restaurants.  The table area is light and airy with white tile floors and walls cheerfully painted pink, blue and white.  The tables are of dark Honduran woods heavily varnished to shine and resist water damage.  Every table has a colonial-style vase made in Santa Lucia, Francisco Morazan with live flowers in it.

The restaurant called "Nachos" had soup -- a coconut milk broth with cheese floating in it.  Stuffed pipian squash accompanied the rice.  Even adding a large Coca-Cola, the meal was only Lps. 50.

If you even feel distraught over where to take your out-of-town vegetarian guests, this is one place where he or she will eat well.  D'l Tropico offers fruit salads and licuados -- the fruit, ice and milk shakes that are so popular here.  Coca-Cola can be purchased anywhere, but in-season papaya milkshakes gives you the real taste of the tropics.

Cocina Creativa offers pita bread with vegetables and tofu (carne soya).  For meat-eaters, steaks, surf and turf and breaded spicy fish cakes are available.  If you are not that hungry, ham and cheese, chicken, tuna fish and club sandwiches are also available.  As in the rest of Honduras, vegetarians can order a cheese sandwich by asking for a ham and cheese sandwich without the ham.

Other restaurants here offer chicken, spaghetti and pizza.  If you think that no visit to Honduras is complete without eating flan, the restaurant closest to the door offers flan with caramel sauce.  Arroz con leche or rice pudding, another traditional dessert, is sold at D'l Tropico.

Every table was full for lunch, a good sign that over the last two years the restaurant has gained good acceptance among the locals.  It helped that the air conditioning was working on this hot sunny day.  The staff was surprisingly friendly and attentive, something not found often in Honduran restaurants.

So if souvenir shopping or other business takes you to the area around the Hotel Honduras Maya, try El Meson del Buen Sabor located across the street form the Peace Corps office.  It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday as it caters mostly to a downtown worker crowd.

By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG 

Best of Honduras, 
Part IV

Best Place To Swim, Copan Ruinas:

Hot and tired after a day of rambling over ruins and hiking the hills in and around Copan?  Well, sweat and drip no more, cool refreshing and wet relief is close at hand.  Just a 5-minute drive from the ruins sits the hotel Posada Real, perched atop a hill with a commanding view of the Copan River Valley and best of all (after that magnificent vista) is their large, luscious pool.  The pool comes complete with lounge chairs, whirlpool, kiddie pool, plenty of umbrella-topped tables and the option to munch on some typical pool side chow, such as the venerable burger n' fries and ice cream sundaes.  A great way to splash away that hot, languid Copan afternoon and rejuvenate one's batteries for the village night life to come.  Admission to the pool is free, the only requirement is that you purchase something to munch on while lounging pool side.  More info at: <posadareal@mayanet.hn>.

Best Cafeteria/Restaurant, La Ceiba:

Cafeteria Cobel may not have the catchiest of names, but the food at this downtown La Ceiba eatery is the easiest thing to remember.  Over the years Cobel has become a virtual institution among Ceibenos out for a good quick meal, Islanders in town for a bit of shop till you drop, and tourists in town to catch some  transport to and from the Bay Islands.  Recently renovated, this place is a beehive of activity all day long, as a virtual army of wait and kitchen staff serve up some of the freshest, tastiest and downright reasonably priced food on the North Coast.  In fact, this place could just be the best darn' eatery in the whole country, bar none.

Directions: Smack in the middle of downtown, 7 Calle between Ave. Atlantida and 14 de Julio.

Best Bus/Tourist Route:

Travelin' in style was never much a part of the gringo trail experience where chicken buses have typically ruled supreme, providing plenty of local color and low-cost intercultural experiences.  Today, however, things have changed a bit and even the most hard core $15 a day backpacker can splurge a smidgen and for a couple of extra bucks ride in regal 1st class comfort with all the bells and whistles.  The Viana bus serves the San Pedro Sula ‑ La Ceiba route, coaches (note I did not call it a bus) are truly luxurious: deeply reclining and padded seats, pillows, blankets, full throttle a/c, on board stewardess, snacks and drinks (free of charge), on board flick, bathroom, it's the next best thing to flying from San Pedro Sula ‑ La Ceiba.  Then again, given the state of the small Honduran carriers, Vianas' level of comfort and service is even higher, and all for a pretty comfy price.

Where to catch your coach?  San Pedro Sula: Behind Wendy's on the Circunvalacion, departing 10:30 a.m.  La Ceiba: At the Esso service station, leaves 6:30 a.m.  More info at: 556‑9261, 441‑2330.

Best Tourism Project/Renovation, Tela:

In this neck of the woods, it is rare to find anyone with the guts, the funds and the desire to take on a major restoration of an existing historical structure for tourism purposes.  It more often than not a heck of a lot easier to simply raze the decaying structure to the ground and start all over from the ground up with a modern (usually ugly and architecturally dull as dishwater) design.

In Tela, however, a couple from Paris have recently broke the mold by purchasing and renovating a historic, banana-era hotel smack dab in the middle of Tela.  The Hotel Gran Central has received a wonderfully loving restoration at the hands of its new owners.  Attention to detail and good taste permeate the structure.  Rooms are big, bright, cheery and the hallway sports subdued lighting and multi-colored paper mache sculptures crafted by the owner.  Although the hotel is completed, plans for the future include a French cafe and dance studio on the first floor.

Just shows what can be done with a few bucks, some imagination and the desire to provide a world class tourism product.  Some said it could not be done, especially in Tela.  The Gran Central shows us all what Honduran tourism can be; we should all take heed and tourists should support such projects with their patronage.  More info at: <grancentral@hotmail.com>.

Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast.  He can be contacted at e-mail <casadecafe@mayanet.hn>.

Republican era graciousness awaits at "El Americano"

Good food and a pleasant atmosphere await restaurant 
goers at "El Americano."

By WENDY GRIFFIN  

During the Colonial period, Tegucigalpa was much smaller than it is today.  The area around Plaza Miraflores and the Loarque shopping centers were cattle ranching zones.  Suyapa, where the National Autonomous University of Honduras is now located, was described as an Indian village located some distance from Tegucigalpa.

Here and there in the neighborhoods of La Leona, El Centro, Barrio Abajo, and Comayaguela, a building, house or church remains from the Colonial era.  But it was in the 19th century, as Tegucigalpa's mining families rose to power and finally the capital was moved here from Comayagua, that Tegucigalpa's architecture truly flourished.

This was the time of the Mazurka, the waltz, the Schottische, and the Polka.  Elegantly dressed women in long full dresses and fancy coiffures arrived with men in long frock coats in carriages so they could dance to the music of live string musicians in the ballrooms of the better families, like the Midence-Sotos and the Agurcias in central Tegucigalpa.

An elegant 19th century adobe walled home of the Midence Soto family, later the U.S. Embassy, was allowed to deteriorate until it was a hazard to public safety and torn down last year.  However, a former home of the Agurcia family behind Prado Hotel and one block from Central Park has been converted into Restaurante "El Americano," owned by a German-Honduran Werner Schweinfurth.

COLONIAL DECOR

The interior decor is colonial style -- red tile floors, cream colored walls, hard wood accents.  Glass doors open out to wrought iron balconies.  Instead of soldering, an older way of clipping the wrought iron was used.  Most walls are 12-18 inches thick, being made of adobe and then covered with a thin layer of cement and stucco.

Both the first floor and second floor are available for dining.  The view from the second floor is particularly spectacular, as another Republican era style building with tall elegant columned balconies has been beautifully restored directly across the parking lot.  Red tile roofs of lower houses with whitewashed walls make up most of the view looking toward the Juana Lainez hill with its Peace Monument, much like looking at a Velasquez painting.  Birds can be heard singing away above the dull roar of taxis and traffic.  A few tables are outside if you really want to be in all this movement.

Most Hondurans will probably just walk by the restaurant's green and white awning on their way to catch a "colectivo" taxi to Colonia Kennedy behind Hotel Prado.  They will barely glance (if at all) at the restaurant's interior, figuring that with its elegant red and white tablecloths and espresso bar it must be expensive.  But they would be wrong.

The plate of the day, such as roasted sausage on a skewer (pincho de chorizo), beans, platano, sour cream, chismol (a sauce made of onion, tomato and green pepper with a touch of vinegar) and tortillas, is only Lps. 30 or US$2.  The food is served buffet style.  Salpicon (spicy mincemeat), breaded fish, chicken with white beans, and meatball soup were featured the day we were there.

The buffet includes both breakfast and lunch items.  "You'd be surprised how many people go without breakfast in the morning and then come in for a combined lunch and breakfast between 11 and 2," said the owner.

The food was good.  If you ask, they will show you the amazing huge flagstone kitchen designed in an era when cooking sausage started with the instructions, "first you slaughter the pig."  This type of cooking required space, and having it in the basement helped keep the rest of the house and the cooks cool.

TASTY TREATS

It was during the 19th century that coffee became popular in Honduras.  Before that, grain beverages like pozol, horchata and chocolate drinks like tiste and pinol predominated in Honduras.  After shopping, you might want to enjoy a traditional drink like horchata, a drink made of rice, water, sugar, and cinnamon instead of coffee.

However, the latest taste treat in Tegucigalpa -- frozen capuchino (granita de café) -- is available for only Lps. 10.  This is a wonderful pick-me-up after a day of visiting nearby ministries, embassies or stores.  Eventually, the owner would like to carry Honduran wines and liqueurs for tourists looking for traditional treats like orange or blackberry wine.

El Americano is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.  In the early evening, look left of the entrance and you will see one of the original street lights when President Tiburcio Carias first had street lights installed in Tegucigalpa in the 1930s.  From El Americano you can walk to another 19th century building, the National Theater where performances usually start at 7 p.m.

For daytime visitors, El Americano is around the corner from La Merced church and the National Gallery of Art, both located in the "Paraninfo" building which housed the Honduran university in the 19th century.  The National Foundation for the Museum of Man is now operating this museum in the former home of poet Ramon Rosa two blocks away from here, another example of 19th century architecture with an interior courtyard.

So consider coming to downtown Tegucigalpa for a taste of Honduras's elegant past, including a tasty but inexpensive meal at El Americano where 19th century graciousness meets 21st century hygiene and convenience.

Great view, fare found at Gringo's Restaurant & Bar 

 
Tropical setting: Gringo's Restaurant & Bar is located right on the beach, surrounded by lush vegetation. (Photo by Wendy Griffin.)

By CARL E. TREEN JR.

Special to Honduras This Week 

No trip to the North Coast would be complete without a trip to a beach restaurant and bar.  In Trujillo, Gringo's Restaurant & Bar fulfills one of those expectations.  Located by the airport on the beach, Gringo's offers informal outdoor dinning, plus a full service bar on a raised deck.  More formal indoor dinning is available on request.

The well-planted deck setting, with a beautiful view of the bay and neighboring Castilla, is a garden setting with a welcome breeze most of the day.  For boat owners, there is access from the bay with anchorages on a sand bar just off the beach.

Gringo's has a varied menu: standard North Coast seafood and chicken dishes, all the way down to chili dogs, barbecue sandwiches, nachos and hot buffalo wings (a favorite), with the highlight being Sunday B.B.Q., featuring Southern style barbecue pork ribs and chicken (another favorite).  And don't forget breakfast with seven different ones to choose from, including fresh fruit plate and French toast.

Owner Jack Walker, a Tennessee gentleman and your wait persons Marta, Arnold and Santos, strive to make your visit enjoyable.  They are well-versed in bar mixologe, and a good wine selection makes Gringo's a pleasant place to spend an evening sharing views with other world travelers.

Gringo's also caters to large groups and organizations with prior notice. Just call or fax Jack Walker with your request at (504) 434-42-77, or e-mail <jakw@caribe.hn>.

Gringo's is going to try 24-hour service for kitchen and bar soon, but for now Gringo's hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week for kitchen service, although you can get a good cup of coffee earlier. 

By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG

The best of Honduras, part III

Best Eco-Adventure/Hard Core:

Plan a trek out to La Mosquitia; virgin tropical forest, jungle, pine savannah, lagoons, beautiful white sand beaches, abundant animal life, serpentine rivers and great eco-adventure opportunities.  The Honduran Mosquitia, with a population of some 50,000, is approximately the size of the entire nation of El Salvador, whose population is 7 million.  So, if you're looking to really get away from it all, La Mosquitia is for you.

In addition to all that hard core nature, you will be accompanied on your trek by the native inhabitants of the zone, the Miskito Indians, who make up the vast majority of the populace.  The Miskito men have gained fame as lobster divers and boatmen.  The women, on the other hand, have a well-deserved reputation for their grace and beauty.  For information on trips, contact: La Moskitia Ecoaventuras at <http://www.honduras.com/moskitia>, email:

<moskitia@laceiba.com>.

Best Bread, Copan Ruinas:

Restaurant Vamos A Ver bakes up some of the freshest and most flavorful loaves this side of anyplace.  A humongous loaf of bread, baked fresh daily, will set you back Lps. 30.  Reserve a loaf at: <gerarddiny@hotmail.com>.

Best Boat Trip/Caribbean:

Here we've got a bit of a tie.  The Galaxy II running out of La Ceiba serves Roatan and Utila daily.  The ship is modern, air conditioned and, according to the companies publicity, U.S. Coast Guard approved.  It's a great, fun, inexpensive way to travel to the Bay Islands.  For those who are prone to sea sickness, it is advised to sit out on deck in the back of the ship.  Info at: 445‑1795, 445‑5056.

Garifuna Tours out of Tela runs a wonderful full day excursion via motor launch to Punta Sal National Park.  The ride out is spectacular as your boat glides along the entire length of spectacular Tela Bay, winding up at Punta Sal where huge rock formations, the whitest sand beaches this side of heaven and forest trails populated by troops of hooting monkeys await the lucky eco-tourist.  Info at: <http://www.garifuna‑tours.com>, email: <garifuna@hondutel.hn>.

Best Beach Getaway/Mainland:

Well, what do you know ... Punta Sal gets another mention.  Yep, I voted it the best mainland beach getaway for all the above reasons and great close in snorkeling, the finest, most yummy fried fish beachside lunch imaginable, a great bilingual guide who accompanies guests on the trip and magnificent hidden coves where one can shed all cares (and bathing suits, if one desires).  Punta Sal is one of the finest examples of Honduran ecotourism, and all this a mere one and a half hours from San Pedro Sula, Honduras' second largest city. Info at: <http://www.garifuna‑tours.com>, email: <garifuna@hondutel.hn>.

Best Beach House Rental/Roatan:

Picture this: a lovely pearly white stretch of beach, palm trees swaying overhead, a group of divers slog out in full battle gear to their waiting dive boat as the morning sun begins to inch above the horizon.  Sound good?  Now, imagine a wonderfully designed private beach home with all the amenities, decorated by a French art connoisseur and set right smack dab in the midst of that white sand beach described above.  Start to get the picture?  Island Pearl is that place, four exotic cottages front and center on West Bay Beach.  If price is no object, then this is your ticket to Caribbean heaven.  Info at: <http://www.roatanpearl.com>, email: <islandpearl@roatanpearl.com>.

Best Cafe/San Pedro Sula:

Out and about in San Pedro Sula for a day of "shop-till-you-drop" or perhaps you're cooling your heels while waiting for a bus or plane connection to you favorite Caribbean hangout?  In need of a java jolt of cappuchino, latte or espresso to get that tropical humidity-filled cranium running smoothly?  Well, look no further, Cafe Espresso Americano has a mega espresso machine, grinds its own beans fresh and affords the cafe devote the opportunity to watch San Pedro's street life cruise by through its street level glass windows, all in super frigid, air-conditioned comfort.  The cafe is located across from the municipality and Central Park on the walking street.

Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast.  He can be contacted at e-mail <casadecafe@mayanet.hn>.

A walking tour of Tegucigalpa's colonial downtown

This historical photo of the Parque Valle shows the Iglesia San Francisco before the tower was torn down.  Today the church is undergoing a renovation to restore its colonial architecture.

By MELANIE WETZEL

Downtown Tegucigalpa has a wealth of historical buildings, dating from the late 1600s.  Beautiful colonial architecture and history are waiting like jewels to be discovered by visitors.

Most tourists pass through these narrow streets without ever stumbling across these treasures, though.  This is due partly to the fact that colonial architecture hides behind non-descript outer walls that blend with more modern structures.  There is also very little done to encourage tourists to seek out the interesting history of the downtown area.

A short walk through the center of Tegucigalpa is the best way to see these historical buildings.  The following walking tour was designed to help visitors find the best examples of colonial architecture and historical sites within a small area.  All of the buildings are open to the public.  Most are either free, or have only a small entrance fee.

The central patio of the National Gallery of Art is beautifully restored.  The old well is a work of art in itself. (Photo by Melanie Wetzel.)

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

Our walking tour begins at La Galeria de Arte, next to the National Congress building, one block from Parque Central.  There is a Lps. 10 fee to enter the building.

The two-story building is set around a beautifully renovated central patio, complete with a well.  It was built in 1654 by the San Pedro Nolasco Convent.  In 1857, the first University in Honduras was founded in the building.  A major restoration began in 1985 and the building became the home of the National Art Gallery in 1994.

The building is a good introduction to the characteristic colonial style.  The walls are painted white and the dark wooden detailing in the doors and windows sets off the fact that the adobe is two feet thick in some areas.  The ceilings and some of the windows are supported by mahogany beams.

Just the architecture makes this building a work of art, but it is also a gallery.  The stark walls, warm woods and neutral tiles are a perfect setting for a representative collection of Honduran art.  The collection is presented in a chronological fashion, from pre-Colombian carvings and sculptures to modern masterpieces.  There is often a salon dedicated to art from other Latin American countries.

A magnificent skylight graces the newer section of the National Library, formerly the National Mint. (Photo by Melanie Wetzel.)

NATIONAL LIBRARY

After appreciating the art and architecture of the National Gallery, walk back toward Parque Central, then turn right on Avenida Cervantes (between the Cathedral and Burger King).  The Cathedral is worth a peak, as well as the statue of Francisco Morazan in the park.  Continuing down Ave. Cervantes for approximately two blocks will bring you to a yellow colonial building that covers the entire block.  This historic building currently houses the National Library.

The building is undergoing some renovation, and has a much more rustic appearance than the lavish National Gallery.  There is no entry fee, but remember that it is a working library and visitors should try to maintain silence.

This building has a rich and somewhat sordid history.  It was originally constructed in 1757 as the center for processing and storing gold and silver from the Royal Mines of Tegucigalpa, and was later the National Mint.  The building suffered with the ups and downs of the mining industry in Tegucigalpa (operations were often moved to Comayagua).  The building was rumored to be at the service of revolutionary soldiers during the fight for independence in the early 19th Century.

An inscription states that the building became the home to the National Printing Press in 1896.  Large pulleys and wheels that formed part of the giant presses can still be seen hanging from the ceiling in several of the rooms.

As with most colonial buildings, the flooring has been replaced over the years.  In some of the interior doorways of the National Library, however, there is a depression leaving the original stone flooring exposed.  Renovators are trying to find a way to leave these historical traces exposed to visitors, while still protecting them from deterioration.  The mahogany pillars and ceiling supports are original, although many have been painted a horrible green.

MUSEUM OF THE HONDURAN MAN

After leaving the National Library, cross the street and turn right.  About a block down Ave. Cervantes, there is grey building that occupies most of a block.  This building currently houses the Museo del Hombre Hondureno.  At this writing, the museum has not been open to the public, due to administrative problems, but it should be reopened soon.

Similar to the National Gallery of Art, this building, which housed the Supreme Court until recently, has been renovated in a rather lavish fashion.  It is often used to entertain visiting dignitaries.

Continuing past the Museo del Hombre, turn left at the next corner, then left again to the other side of the block.  Heading back towards Parque Central, you will come to the smaller Parque Valle on the right hand side.

There are two historical buildings by the Parque Valle.  The Iglesia San Francisco is currently being renovated, but is worth a visit if it is open.  Next to it is the Museum of the Armed Forces, which has several collections of historic war memorabilia, and is also an impressive colonial building.

Walking out of the museum and out of the park on the right side, continue forward toward Parque Central.  A large open area that is now used as a parking lot will be on your left.

This was, until recently, one of many historical buildings in the Center.  It served as the American Embassy in the early parts of this century, but recently fell into disrepair, and over the course of several years its adobe walls crumbled.  Large portions of the walls started falling away in 1998.  The government requires that all historical buildings in the downtown historical district be maintained in their authentic style.  The owners were resisting an expensive renovation and were finally allowed to demolish the building due to safety concerns for pedestrians.

It is still an interesting stop on the tour, and as you walk past take a moment to appreciate the one remaining adobe wall, which offers a nice cross-section of adobe construction.

CHICO CLUB/EL CHALET DE DON PEPE

The Chalet Pepe restaurant is restored in the exact condition as when the building housed the Chico Club in the 1970's -- a time when downtown was still the center of social life in Tegucigalpa.  Today, downtown Tegucigalpa suffers from an identity crisis similar to that of many large cities.  A short walk through the narrow streets, however, can help visitors and residents rediscover the history and beauty of Downtown Tegucigalpa's colonial architecture. (Photo by Melanie Wetzel.)

This walking tour ends as all walking tours should: at a restaurant.  Continuing forward one block from the Parque Valle, you will come to a blue corner building with an impressive colonial facade.  The building currently houses the Chalet de Don Pepe.

Current owners were not able to pinpoint the early history of the building, but they are anxious to point out the buildings more recent, and more colorful, past.  The building housed the Chico Club in the late 1960s, a restaurant that catered to the rich and famous of Tegucigalpa.

At that time, downtown Tegucigalpa was the only place for high-class restaurants and hotels.  The presidential house was still downtown and the Hotel Honduras Maya had not been built.

The presidential house had no dining room, so visiting dignitaries were often wined and dined at the Chico Club.  Rockefeller dined here during a visit to Honduras.

Current owners have left the interior of the building exactly as it was in its 1970's heyday.  The building has some fascinating tile work and painted details, in pinks, blacks and grays that hearken those not-so-far gone days of the 60s and 70s.  Among the colonial details are mirrors and picture frames that are built into the walls.

This walking tour is only one casual observer's introduction to the downtown historical district.  The tour can easily be completed in under two hours.  It is just a starting point, however, and could be extended into a tour of several days, as one becomes more adept at spotting the signs of a colonial building.  Soon a visitor can become a veritable expert on the subject just by slapping a hand on a thick, cool adobe wall and asking the inhabitants if they know the history of their colonial dame.

By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG

The best of Honduras, part II

Best New Funky Cafe: Copan Ruinas

The Justo A Tiempo Cafe is now up and running and boy o' boy was it worth the wait!  Fresh baked muffins, cakes, cookies, croissants, breads of various types, espresso, cappuchino ... the works.   The Justo Cafe is efficiently presided over by Liz, the grand dame of the Copan Ruinas expat community.

In addition to being a purveyor of fine baked goods, she's also a great source of info (if it's shakin' in Copan, Dona Liz probably knows about it or can point you in the right direction).

The Justo Cafe is set in an unassuming location, two blocks from the Central Park and just in front of Copan Net.  The cafe shares space with the only f/t laundry service, as well as the best book exchange in town.

Taken together as a package, it's an unbeatable combination; get out of your grungy gringo trail clothes, pick up a good paperback and while away the wait sipping a cup of fresh brewed coffee and wolfing down massive quantities of home baked delectables, followed by additional infusions of still more caffeine laden cups of cafe.

By the time your hunger has been satiated and your caffeine buzz has really got you wired, you can haul off your now freshly cleaned and folded laundry back to your hotel room where you can shower and get ready for the big night on the town.  It don't get no better than this!

Best Dive Operator: West Bay Beach, Roatan

Bananarama has become somewhat of an institution on West Bay Beach (which just happens to be the finest beach on Roatan).  Owner and divemaster Fredy, who left his native Germany, has a solid reputation as one of the premier dive operators on the island.  Professional service, safety and the personal touch makes this outfit a standout.

In addition to diving, Bananarama offers up some of the best and most reasonable accommodations on West Bay, comfortable cabanas await the diver or non-diver.  A wonderful, hearty and incredibly humongous breakfast taken on the porch of Fredy's home awaits guests, providing ample sustenance for a full day of sea adventures that await.  Info contact: 992‑9679

Best Bar/Restaurant, La Ceiba

The Expatriates Bar & Grill has the well deserved reputation as "the" place to munch, drink and mingle in La Ceiba.  The local expat community, travellers from a dozen nations, as well as locals in the know, flock here for the excellent grilled fish, burgers, wings and ribs.  Cold brews, good chow, great staff and its open air rooftop location make Expats the "cool" place to while away those humid, Caribbean evenings.

Note: Expats is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan ahead.  How to get there?  Just ask any taxi driver.

Best U.S. Franchise Eatery

Well, here I'd say we have a tie: there are two new strong competitors out there vying for a chunk of the upscale crowd who are tired of chowing down on the same old McBurgers and fries.  For those expats among us who yawn at the prospect of the same old fast food and comida tipica, TGI Fridays and Applebees have burst on the scene with their requisite chachkas (for those of you who don't speak Yiddish, that's junk to you) on the walls, extroverted wait staff, a bar with all the latest technological bells and whistles and some pretty darn right good chow that will bring back memories of home in the States.  All in all, you've got a winning combination.  Fridays and 'Bees have in short order become "the" places to eat, drink and be seen in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and most recently La Ceiba.  So hop a taxi, say "Fridays, por favor" in your best Spanish accent and splurge a bit -- your tummy and your expat psyche will be glad you did.

Best Airline Serving Honduras

Continental, and it's no competition.  Professional, courteous service.  A frequent flier program that goes out of their way to really "serve" customers, a telephone reservations staff that really gets the job done.  Now, if we could only get those darn fares down a bit, then we'd really have cause to celebrate, wouldn't we?

Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast.  He can be contacted at e-mail <casadecafe@mayanet.hn>.

By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG

The Best of Honduras, part I

Best Restaurant: Roatan

Bite on the Beach is without a doubt the finest seaside seafood bistro on Honduras' largest island.  Chef Diane whips up some culinary miracles in her West Bay Beach kitchen; blackened tuna, lobster, grilled fish steaks, fish burgers and a host of other dishes that emphasize the bounty of the sea and the freshness of the ingredients.

Dianes' better half, Gene, presides over the seaside deck bar, whipping up a numbing array of tropical frozen cocktails that are guaranteed to take away any sunburn pain that one may acquire after a long day of lounging on the white sand beach of West Bay.  No e-mail....just hop a water taxi from West End and tell da' driver me hungry mon.

Best Hotel: West End, Roatan

Posada Arco Iris is blessed with a seaside spot right next to the beach near Half Moon Bay.  Arco offers spacious, clean and reasonably priced apartments, some with kitchens and all with private bath, hot water and a great porch for 'hammocking away' the sun-drenched Roatan afternoon.  And best of all, the personal attention of Andres the young, friendly proprietor.  Info: <roberto@hondutel.hn; http://www.roatannet.com/scuba/posada>

Best Small Hotel: Tela

In just a few short years, Maya Vista has become 'the place' to stay in Tela.  French Canadian hosts Pierre and Suzanna have created a hill top oasis right smack in the middle of downtown Tela.  The inn boasts six clean, comfortable rooms and a very comfortable price.

For the famished, Chef Suzanne cooks up some of the freshest and tastiest chow on the North Coast and the view from the restaurant is nothing short of spectacular.  From the comfort of your plate of steaming shrimp and pasta, one can ponder the entire length of coast from Triunfo to Punta Sal, truly magnificent.

For adrenaline junkies and aficionados of extreme experiences, hike the stairs to the towering Maya Vista lookout tower.  From here one can gaze on the entire expanse of Tela Bay, the Lancetilla Botanical gardens and the entire town of Tela sweating in its decaying post-banana republic stupor.  Info:

<mayavista@mail.com; http://www.mayavista.com>

Best Jungle Lodge: La Ceiba

The Lodge at Pico Bonito is a newly opened lodge that has received rave reviews.  Located at the edge of the buffer zone of the Pico Bonito National Park, the lodge offers up Honduras' first and only truly world class 4-star eco-lodge experience.  From the welcome cocktail upon arrival, to the gourmet meals served in the wood panelled dining room, to the tastefully furnished cabins, fluffy white towels and private porch where breakfast is delivered, no detail is too small and no request too large for the attentive and well trained staff.

The star, though, is the Pico Bonito National Park that towers over the lodge.  A three-hour soft adventure hike led by a trained bilingual naturalist guide transports the guest into a world of exotic plants, wonderful multi-colored birds (they have 283 species on their bird list thus far!), troops of playful monkeys and an infinite number of insects.

After the hike, swim in a crystal clear natural river pool and finish it off with a massage at the lodge's spa and a cocktail with resident manager Mike Wendling on The Veranda.  Info: <picobonito@caribe.hn; http://www.picobonito.com>

Best Hotel/High End: Tegucigalpa

The Hotel Honduras Maya has been around for as long as any of us Hondophiles can remember and it has always been the best hotel in Teguz.  The rooms are first class with all the requisite bells and whistles: large super comfy beds, baths as big as my living room and, best of all, each room sports an oversized picture widow affording a spectacular panoramic view of downtown Teguz.

For those requiring a major dose of downright hearty breakfast, the Maya offers up a complimentary breakfast buffet for guests.  To say the buffet is big and hearty is the understatement of the year -- it's downright massive and really yummy.  As a dedicated morning person and coffee aficionado, I could easily spend hours sipping my favorite potent morning brew while shoveling down enormous quantities of early morning sustenance. Info: <guester@hondurasmaya.hn; http://www.hondurasmaya.hn>

If readers have suggestions for future Best of Honduras articles send 'em c/o my e-mail below.

Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast.  He can be contacted at e-mail <casadecafe@mayanet.hn>.

Honduran fortresses included in Caribbean tourism circuit

The fortress of San Fernando de Omoa, on the North Coast of Hondurans, has been included in the Caribbean Fortresses Tourism Circuit.

By SUYAPA CARIAS

Governmental officials and representatives of the Great Caribbean Organization for Monuments and Sites (CARIMOS) recently signed an agreement to include the Honduran fortresses of San Fernando de Omoa and Santa Barbara de Trujillo in the Caribbean Fortresses Tourist Circuit.

The purpose of the agreement is to create a cultural route along with approximately 200 structures of the region and propose that the entire circuit be declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The document was signed by Ministers of Culture and Tourism German Allan Padgett and Ana Abarca, respectively, Economy Vice Minister Dario Hernandez and CARIMOS President Carlos Flores Marin.  Other authorities signing the document were Olga Joya, director of the Honduran Institute of History and Anthropology (IHAH); Eloy Page, governor of Cortes department; Domingo Menjivar, Mayor of Omoa; Marco Antonio Pavon, Mayor of Trujillo; and Esteban Prieto and Roberto de la Vega of CARIMOS.

"Through this agreement we intend to strengthen tourism and cultural activities and management in the country," said Joya.  "This will be achieved through the preservation of these historic sites, and the implementation of programs that encourage more national and foreign tourists to visit these important structures."

She added that Honduras is the only country in the Caribbean region that is participating in the UNESCO proposal with two fortresses.  "The members of the commission will decide whether these sites qualify to be considered as world heritage sites," said Joya.

By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG

A new service provided by Planeta.com to update travelers and travel professionals on ecotourism and environmental travel in Honduras is now up and running and available to anyone with an interest in sustainable tourism in Honduras.

Visitors to the site are welcome to participate by sending short announcements or recommended resources for others interested environmental news and responsible ecotravel and ecotourism in this country.

Anyone can subscribe by sending a blank message to

<planeta_honduras-subscribe@egroups.com>

Once you are a member, you can send messages to the group at the following address: <planeta_honduras@egroups.com>

List messages are archived online at <http://www.egroups.com/group/planeta_honduras>

Updates of Honduras‑specific features are available online at Planeta.com's Eco Travels in Honduras' page <http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/
center/honduras/honduras1.html>

For further information contact Ron Mader at:

Planeta.com, http://www.planeta.com

Other useful online sustainable tourism info can be found at:

<http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/
period/master/master.html
Mastering the Web>

 http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/tour/web.html
Marketing Ecotourism on the Internet
 -Elsewhere on the Net

 -http://gomexico.about.com/mbody.htm
About.com: Mexico and Central America

 http://www.caske2000.org
Central American Sea Kayak Expedition

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/
Rainforest Alliance

Eco Travels in Central America
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/center/center.html

Honduras' Sierra de la Botija
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/planeta/00/0006honbotija.html

More travel info
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/resources/centamdex.html

For the most comprehensive Honduran travel information on the web, click on <http://www.hondurastips.honduras.com>.  The site, brought to you by the same good folks who publish the biannual Honduras Tips, is chock full of comprehensive up-to-date travel info on virtually the entire country.  I like to refer to it as the bible of Honduran tourism.  For info, contact: <hondurastips@honduras.com>

Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast.  He can be contacted at e-mail <casadecafe@mayanet.hn>.