TRAVEL & TOURISM |
TRAVEL & TOURISM |
Monday, July 20, 1998 Online Edition 115 |
Siguatepeque:
By ERLING DUUS I arrived in Siguatepeque expecting to like it, despite the fact that nothing very positive is ever said about this small city. My high expectation related to its location. Situated on a mountain plateau at over 1,100 meters, one anticipates a mountain freshness and vigor. I remember Baguio City in the Philippines at a similar elevation as being one of the happiest places on earth. Indeed, as I got off the bus, I noticed at once the freshness and purity of the air, and the spaciousness of the open environment. I said to myself, "this is a beautiful place." But then, after walking about for a time I observed my spirit dropping, and my initial enthusiasm began to dissipate. I attempted to find an acceptable place to have some lunch. All of the comedores I entered were dark, dirty, and cheerless. Finally, I found a somewhat more inviting place which appeared to specialize in Pizza, but which carries an extensive menu, all of whose items were very expensive. The best bet for my budget and taste was a hamburger for Lps. 30. A young waitress found her way over to me, and I ordered the hamburger. With a sense of shame she told me, "Solamente hay pizza." Out on the street again, I found another modestly acceptable looking place. Here too the prices rivaled those of quality restaurants in Tegucigalpa. A presentable looking young man came up to me wearing the same look of shame as the waitress in the pizza place. I called out to him, "hola," and he responded hopefully, "Coca?" When I inquired about the menu he told me that a muchacha would come soon, and then disappeared rapidly. The muchacha did come, also looking ashamed, and I ordered pupusas with quesillo. These were served, and tasted like paste. Now that I had eaten after a fashion, I determined to look about the city more extensively. I thought I would try to locate a bilingual school that exists in the city. I tried to be somewhat selective in choosing people to question as to the whereabouts of the school. But to no avail. The dozen or so people I questioned acted as if I were asking about a location on the planet Mars. One young man led me six blocks in the wrong direction. All of these folk wore the same expression of shame. Only some small children encountered had any energy. Two little girls were walking with their mother. At first they were shy, but when I greeted them and smiled, they responded warmly. I asked them how they were, and the oldest said enthusiastically "Bien." I walked ahead of them, and then she sang out again, "Bien, gracias." I turned, and got the most exquisite smiles from all three. But sadly, this was an exception. Virtually everyone else I encountered seemed uncomfortable, or surly, or ashamed. Maybe it was the heat, for by the standards of Siguatepeque, this was a hot day. But there was in any event no life or lilt to the people, none of the gaiety and spontaneity one associates with Hondurans. There is little evidence in the city of a middle-class, which is to say of people who invest with pride in their homes or businesses. I am sure these exist, but there is little indication of them. Instead, there is a quality of grim survival, and the sense that everyone would like to be somewhere else. And yet, this should be a garden spot, a favored place. Hondurans often tell me that the country has lost its culture. I quarrel with this, because I think Honduras has more culture than is normally identified. But the ambience of a place like Siguatepeque is telling. These are country people, close to the soil. But at least in this rural seat, they seem alien, somehow displaced. I have long wondered at the fact that so many Hondurans want so desperately to live in Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula. In a few years, half of all Hondurans will be crowded into two cities. People who have lived for a couple of years in Tegucigalpa, but whose family roots stretch back for generations in Olancho or Yoro will disclaim defiantly that they are not from Olancho or Yoro. No, they are from Tegucigalpa. It is as if only the large cities signify something which bestows pride, aspiration, and destiny. People who know much more about this country than I do will have to say why this is so, or even if it is so. But consider this: Even a city as large and vibrant as La Ceiba does not have a daily or even a weekly newspaper. Honduras seems to me to be sadly in need of vital rural county seats that can challenge the talents, and inspire the imaginations of its people. The alternative can only be immensely tragic, not the least of which will be the loss of culture. In Guillermo Yuscaran's superb biography of Velasquez, he writes of how the painter gives up at last on the beautiful little village of San Antonio de Oriente that had inspired his art and anchored his life for 30 years, and moves with his family to Tegucigalpa. During the years in which he had known it, the village had become almost a ghost town. And yet, is it not the picturesque village that haunts the consciousness of Honduras in myth and symbol. The little girls who greeted me so joyfully in Siguatepeque linger in my mind. Their ancestry is heavily Indian. Their coloring is dark, and they will grow up to be short and somewhat stout like their mother. If they are to have a future in which their sweet spirits and eager minds can blossom, it will not be in some large mestizo city, living in a barrio marginal, and tending a stall in the market. It will be because a city like Siguatepeque has the grace, energy, and vision to nurture them, because some profoundly indigenous sense of pride and place, some transcendent attachment to the green undulating mountains and the eternal people inspires their souls. |
By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG This week we look at 15 ways to make Copan Ruins more tourist friendly. l) Renovate Copan's Central Park. Plans are currently underway, architects have been contracted and plans drawn. 2) Renovate Copan's old high school building, which fronts the Central Park. 3) Renovate Copan's old fort perched above town. 4) Reforest the surrounding hills of Copan, which have been hit hard by years of neglect, deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture. 5) Initiate coffee tourism in the area. Copan is a major coffee producing zone and the opportunities to enter into this niche market are great. Tourists love coffee and would like to learn more. 6) Remodel the Agua Caliente Hot Springs, about a 45-minute drive from the village. 7) Enact and enforce comprehensive zoning ordinances in the village. Regulation of billboards, neon signs, building codes, etc, are all necessary if Copan is to maintain its quaint, colonial inspired ambiance. 8) Encourage the local population to embrace tourism and provide service with a smile. A happy, satisfied tourist will mean more business for all of Copan's establishments: from the corner pulperia to the luxury hotels, everyone in the town stands to benefit from an increase in tourism. 9) Maintain the colonial integrity of Copan by fixing all the streets in town using cobblestone. 10) Enforce noise regulation. All-night discos may be cool, but not if you're catching an early bus after a long day of touring the ruins. 11) Pick up the garbage around town and along roadsides on a regular basis. 12) Market and promote Copan as a destination in the United States, Canada, Europe, El Salvador, and Guatemala. 13) Encourage cooperation among Copan's private business sector. Nobody has more interest in maintaining a tourist friendly image. Hotels, restaurants, bars, guide-services, etc, should be working together to improve things in town. 14) Encourage Copan's small but growing expatriate community to play a more aggressive role in improving things. 15) Put aside partisan agendas and self-interest. All of Copan's businesses, individuals, government entities and tourists need to work together toward one common goal: to make Copan a better place, a more tourist-friendly place, and a cleaner, more ecological environment for generations to come. Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast. |
Monday, July 13, 1998 Online Edition 114 |
Visit
to Ojojona worth grueling By MELANIE WETZEL The first part of a Honduran travel adventure always involves finding the bus. This bright Sunday morning was no exception, and with the help of several taxi drivers and innocent bystanders I was able to locate the bus stop for Ojojona. I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression when I say "bus stop." It is a line of people on a Comayagüela street corner. As I waited in line I happened to look up an see a suspiciously familiar looking American gentleman speaking animately to the line keeper. Further inspection revealed it to be my friend and colleague, Erling Duus. Now, I don't know about Erling, but I do not frequent Comayagüela street corners. Meeting up with an entertaining travel companion improves the forecast for an interesting trip. Erling and I were now near the front of the bus line. The other travelers assured us that the next bus would be along in 10 minutes. It was more like 40 however, because we had enough time to fully discuss whether or not old gringos should marry poor young Honduran women and whether or not young gringas should marry old rich Honduran men. When we finally boarded the bus we realized that our prime spot at the front of the line meant nothing. Three people crammed into each seat, and another 40 filled the aisle. The trip lasted a dreadful hour and 45 minutes, during which we were hounded by our Honduran seat mate who knew 10 words of English and had obviously breakfasted on great quantities of cerveza. He really wanted to talk to us, but I was finally able to dissuade him by saying in my most lawyer-like voice, "We're having a very important conversation, please excuse us."
We arrived in Ojojona more frazzled than when we left Tegucigalpa. After only a few minutes, though, Tegucigalpa and buses and Sunday morning drunks melted from our minds as we absorbed the sights and sounds of Ojojona. The picturesque church, a river running nearby, and huge bougainvillea bushes provide the perfect setting for a pleasant afternoon. The town's people gathered in groups around the main square, talking and watching children play soccer. Several vendors had set up displays of the local pottery, which includes animal-shaped banks painted in garish colors, as well as some more appealing natural colored pots, jars and statues. We sat in wrought iron patio furniture at the local pulpería, to wash the road dust from our throats. A small procession came down the street, honoring the local patron saint. A nun playing a very proficient guitar led the group in song. Walking around the edge of town, we came upon a sports field, where several soccer teams were in hot competition. The fields were very well maintained and much more attractive than their Tegucigalpa counterparts. On the main street, we found a pretty little restaurant, with more of the typical pottery decorating the walls. The food was delicious; Honduran enchiladas and a beer were Lps. 25, and a huge tortilla with beans, cheese and beef was Lps. 24 with a Coke. After lunch, we passed through several of the local gift shops. I purchased a bank shaped like a cat, with one bright pink ear and one bright blue ear. We then returned to our pulpería, where the peace and quiet had been broken by a local merchant who had placed some speakers in front of his business blaring salsa music at about 150 decibels. Erling quietly got up and went to talk the merchant, and by the time Erling returned to the table, the music had stopped. "I told him we're not in Tegucigalpa," Erling said. It is true; this is not Tegucigalpa. Even though the town was alive with people, they were all talking and laughing quietly, in small groups. The lack of vehicle noise also adds to the feeling of tranquility and respectful coexistence. The peace inspired by the quiet town and the friendly people could not last long; we had to get on the bus and return to Tegucigalpa. The return trip was just as crowded and uncomfortable, but luckily only lasted 45 minutes, as it is downhill. Getting there Ojojona is located on the Carretera del Sur, going to Choluteca. It is about 30 minutes by car, and nearly two hours by bus. Bus service is extremely limited, running from early morning until about 4 p.m., and the buses are very crowded.
By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG Good news for tourists to Honduras. The newly created Ministry of Tourism has announced plans to create a tourist police. The force is scheduled to start with about 50 members and increase to 150. Agents will be located in principal tourist zones of the country, as well as airports and beaches. The announcement was made by Vice Minister of Tourism Jacqueline Foglia, who brings some measure of expertise to the area of security issues due to the fact that she was formerly an officer in the Honduran Armed Forces and a graduate of West Point. Mexico has offered to provide training to new cadets. Good news for foreigners who own land or plan to own land on the Honduran coasts or near any border zone of Honduras. Article 107 of the Honduran Constitution stipulates that lands situated on border areas and/or coastal areas of both seas, up to a distance of 40 miles inland, as well as all islands cays, and reefs, can only be owned or purchased by Hondurans. Currently, the Honduran Congress is attempting to reform Article 107, which will open the way for anybody to purchase lands anywhere within the 40 mile exclusion or border areas if the project is dedicated to tourism and is approved by the government. Another problem related to land ownership, especially in coastal areas has been the sale of beachfront properties by various coastal municipalities to Hondurans as well as foreigners. Government Prosecutor Hector Ramon Trochez is currently taking action to recuperate lands that belong to the Honduran government that were purchased by private citizens. A recent town hall meeting in Copan Ruinas was held to discuss plans to reconstruct Copan's Central Park. Estimated construction costs are Lps. 1.5 millions and will take 8 months to complete. No word yet on when construction will begin. Stay tuned. Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast. |
There is still one good bargain in Copan Ruinas By WENDY GRIFFIN Sometimes it feels like there are no bargains any more in Copan. Hotel rooms that were Lps. 40, now cost Lps. 200. Beers that elsewhere cost Lps. 8-10, cost Lps. 14 here. It is now Lps. 200 each for foreigners to visit the Sculpture Museum and the ruins, plus another US$2 to see the museum in town. At least lunch and dinner do not have to be expensive, especially if you try Honduran food at Tipicos El Rancho. This restaurant is done in the style of Honduran outdoor restaurants with a thatch roof, wooden floors, and half walls on the outside, so you can see the street scene. Owned and operated by Hondurans, it lives up to its name, serving "comida tipica" (typical local food). Since Copan is the first step in Honduras for many tourists coming from Guatemala, they may not be sure what typical Honduran food is. "Cena" or dinner is usually fried beans, rice, cooked beef, and a pile of cut up cabbage known all over Honduras as "ensalada." Accompanied by tortillas, this is filling while only costing Lps. 35, the most expensive dish on the menu. Many tourists find the heat of Copan Ruins oppressive in the afternoon and find they have little appetite. Perhaps tortillas con quesillo are the answer for a light lunch. Quesillo is a soft cheese less salty than "queso." It also stretches like Mozzarella. Two tortillas are heated up with the quesillo in between to make the Honduran equivalent of a grilled cheese sandwich. It is topped with ensalada. In El Salvador, they do not melt quesillo between two tortillas, but rather they are cooked inside the tortillas. This is called "pupusas," a name that comes from the Nahuatl Indian word for inflated. If you watch the girls make the tortillas, you will observe that just before they are ready to take them off the grill, they inflate. Salvadoran girls whose tortillas don't inflate get as much teasing as American brides whose biscuits do not rise. Here is a place you can try Ladino style fried plantains, quite different from the "tajadas" on the coast. Frying them makes them sweet and they are topped with refried beans and "mantequilla crema," Honduras's not very sour, sour cream. This is extremely filling for Lps. 6. Vegetarian dishes like these are easy to get in Honduran restaurants, as many Hondurans cannot afford to eat meat. At El Rancho you can get bottled soft drinks and "licuados," fruits put in a blender with ice and water or ice and milk. Beers would go down really nice with the various Honduran specialties, but they do not sell any. If they did all the local drunks would hang out there, which is not the crowd the owners are looking for. If you are just looking for a light snack, a cold drink, a taste of authentic Honduran style food, or a bargain, Tipicos El Rancho is a good place to try in Copan Ruinas. Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., it is located one block from the Cathedral on the hill and is on the road to the Ruins.
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Monday, July 6 1998 Online Edition 113 |
By HOWARD ROSENZWEIG Bored in Honduras? Here are eight ways to beat the blues. 1-- Head out to the Bay Islands for a little tropical R&R. Sip fresh coconut milk, munch on fresh fried fish, snorkel till you drop. 2-- Head to your local movie theater to catch the latest Hollywood flick, then truck over to your favorite restaurant for some eats, then to your favorite watering hole for a few frosty brewskies, then to your preferred disco to "Saturday Night Fever" the night away. 3-- Hook up the pop-corn popper, blender up a batch of your favorite tropical fruit and rum punch, whip out the remote and spend the evening channel surfing on cable. 4-- Hop the direct bus from San Pedro Sula to Copan's Ruins. Check into any one of many fine hotels, stroll through the ruins, head over to a restaurant for a hearty Honduran meal, then over to happy hour. By this time your internal clock should be automatically set on Honduran time as you prepare for those post happy hours festivities: a couple of Cuba libres, an anafre or two, then back to your hotel for a bit of cable surfing and a nightcap or two. Top it off with a hearty brunch the next morning. 5-- Buy a cheap plane ticket to someplace cheap. For example, Maya World Airways has excellent prices from San Pedro Sula to Guatemala City. Skip the city and head directly to Antigua (the Paris of Central America) where you can engage in some serious Bohemian partying. 6-- Rent a Suzuki sidekick for $55.00. Avis will rent you a spanking new 4x4. Load up the wife, kids, uncle, aunt, or whoever. Don't forget the lawn chairs and cooler of beers and other picnic supplies. Drive off into the sunset. 7-- Pamper yourself with a night in a 4-star luxury hotel. You may ask yourself, are there any 4-star luxury hotels in Honduras? Well, the answer is a resounding "maybe." It all depends on your definition of what constitutes a 4-star hotel. The newly opened Inter-Continental in San Pedro Sula may qualify, but be prepared for the hefty price tag that will accompany your stay. 8-- Hit one of the new shopping malls that have sprung up like mushrooms after a spring rain (especially in San Pedro Sula). Spend the afternoon and shop till you drop. Swiss chocolates, Cappuchino, Levis jeans, gummy bears, frozen yogurt; it's all there. Just pack the plastic. Howard Rosenzweig, a U.S. expatriate living in the Village of Copan Ruinas, is the owner of the Casa de Cafe Bed and Breakfast. |
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