There have been serious changes in the Honduran banking system. The debt paid by industrialist Miguel Facusse has caused an overflow of liquidity in the country or, in other words, a flood of cash.

Also, adjustments made to the "financieras" have produced a contraction or depression on that system while the Central Bank purges it.

Meanwhile, the adjustments within the government seem to be heading toward more petroleum taxes and the "alegron de tonto" or fool's joy, for having some big institutions privatized. All these taxes and monies, it seems, are going to be diverted to pay the external debt.

With money in the banks and a 30 percent unemployment rate, there is only one thing to do: think and do big works, take on huge challenges and enterprises and build a greater Honduras. These works should be done only with Honduran labor and maybe some international supervisors.

We could extend our railroad system, build better airports, enlarge our maritime ports, build new hydroelectric power installations, improve the use of our watersheds, make a census and compile more statistics, improve housing, build more and better schools, and decorate our cities with our art.

We must have monumental works that stand high and teach this and future generations the working capacity of Honduran men and women, while at the same time make this excess cash work for our society.

Thinking big and taking big decisions show that all is well in Honduras. Hiding our possibilities just makes us poorer.

Anyhow, the social weight on our cities is already too heavy. The back-to-agriculture programs are vital for our farmers and there must be more support for them. The key for all of this is held by the government.

I just read Don Pearly's article on "Why Visit Honduras?" I guess I couldn't agree more. However, I might follow that up with a query, "How do you get to and from the Bay Islands?" after my most recent experiences with Islena Airlines and, just yesterday, with the airport flight controllers at La Ceiba.

I have recently been updating the Honduras chapter in Lonely Planet's Central America on a Shoestring guide. My wife and I were recently in Roatan and tried to get to Guanaja -- by air with Islena -- to update the island of Guanaja. We bought 'tickets' to fly via La Ceiba. We checked in at Roatan for our flights, but shortly before boarding were told by Islena ground staff that there were no seats for us from La Ceiba to Guanaja.

Because Islena does not maintain computerized reservations, there was no way they could guarantee that we would get from one island to the other on the same day -- or at all without unacceptable delays. This simply is not good enough if Honduras wants tourists to visit the country and more specifically the Bay Islands. We reluctantly passed over Guanaja because my already tight travel schedule did not allow for it -- all because of Islena's basic inability to cater for travellers in a manner that most travellers have today come to expect.

This is, of course, without mentioning that when we flew from Tegus to Roatan previously, we were bumped off our 'connecting' La Ceiba to Roatan flight because Islena "didn't know we were coming." When I tried to fly from Utila to Tegus yesterday (with Sosa Airlines), airport controllers at La Ceiba decided to have a strike. I eventually came down to the capital by the very good Galaxy II ferry and the excellent bus service provided by Viana -- but it could have been a lot simpler.

I am not impressed with flight services to and from the Bay Islands and I shall be telling Lonely Planet readers so. I hope someone at Islena and other air service providers is listening, because your game had better be lifted if you want to put Honduras and the Bay Islands back on the international travel map.

Paul Hellander
author, Lonely Planet Publications
via Internet

The three part series "The Leeward Course" explains how different Hondurans are from us in some of their qualities. It implies that those qualities are problems that need a remedy. Well, whatever remedy is applied, if any, I sure hope they don't turn out like us.

We've strip-mined huge sectors of land, over-farmed and over-grazed land to the extent of irreparable erosion in many areas, clear-cut millions of acres of virgin forest, dumped nuclear waste (in environmentally safe containers, of course) in various parts of the landscape, killed different species of whales and other marine (and land) life almost to extinction all in the name of the dollar.

The fish from the Potomac River which swim along side Washington, D. C. are not safe to eat unless, of course, you have a taste for carcinogens and like being inflicted with cancer. I just saw on the news last night that overfertilization of farm land in that area has caused massive fish kills in the Chesapeake Bay.

It's true that Hondurans also over-farm land, causing massive erosion. Most of them do it not as a ritual to worship the almighty dollar but to feed their families for another year, or month or week.

What else do we do: over 150 years ago. Long before the Good Neighbor Policy, we instigated what has been called the "most unjust war in history" with Mexico for the purpose of appropriating some prime real estate. With our military occupying Mexico City in February 1848, Mexico signed an agreement ceding over half its territory to us. This included the current states of New Mexico, Arizona, California and parts of Nevada, Utah and Colorado.

We orchestrated the creation of a new country with a government more agreeable to our desire for dollars. Part of Panama was once used by us as a practice field for hurling bombs (just like we now use the island of Vieques). Unfortunately, not all the munitions detonated, and despite an agreement signed by Jimmy Carter to clean up after ourselves, we left a large section of jungle peppered with unexploded artillery.

Well known is our backing of the Nicaraguan "Luchadores de Libertad" (English Translation: State Sponsored Terrorists?) and the abusive governments of Guatemala and El Salvador during the 1980s. Those guns are still there. My uncle has a collection of antique guns. They are still functional. For how many years will those U.S.-provided guns be killing people in Central America? We left some unexploded bombs in Honduras and Nicaragua, too.

A couple of years ago there was a huge brujaja over the fact that China may have contributed to a political campaign in the United States. China's involvement and possible influence in the U.S. political arena was perceived as undermining the democratic process. Yet we ourselves, on a regular basis, attempt to influence the politics of other countries. In 1913, our ambassador to Mexico was involved in planning a military coup which overthrew what may have been an outstanding Mexican president. Our ambassador boasted of having planned the coup himself. Our involvement in Nicaragua over the past nine decades is well known, as well as how that involvement has contributed to the suffering of its people.

In Chile, the we provided financial support to political opponents of Salvador Allende during the 1960s and 1970s. These are just examples of what we've done in this hemisphere.

We know what our corporations do to other countries. United Brands and Kathie Lee have been in the headlines during the past five years for unforgivable abuse and exploitation of Hondurans.

It is my belief that we (the United States) are the biggest problem that Honduras and the Third World have. Last week I spoke on the phone to a Honduran friend. I asked him how his father was doing. He responded, "He is well. Gracias a Dios." Well, gracias a Dios that Hondurans aren't more like us.

Ralph Nelson
via Internet

By JORGE AGURCIA FASQUELLE

In the previous articles of this series, I have attempted to bring some light into "the why" of some of our attitudes here, in Honduras, and in most of Latin America. The opinions I have expressed have been gleaned from several years of informal research, and through careful observation, as contrasted to my experiences elsewhere in the world.

How many of us haven't already come across the el vivo y el papo system of beliefs at some point here in Honduras? I am speaking of that short-sighted and conformist hierarchy of values which, if successful, will have honest people doing their darnest to refrain from any virtuous act. The result of said anti-values is that one ends up asking oneself, "why should I be honest, if so many others consider honesty a competitive handicap, worthy of the worst sort of disdain?"

As such, it permeates the country. It is a misguided sort of pragmatism, based on ancient mercantilistic customs brought into the country 500 years ago. It soon results in the belief that waiting your turn -- or following the rules -- is a less than optimum arrangement and in your detriment, period. Of course it's less than optimum; that is, for the individual, but not for society as a whole. Of course it's to your detriment, but not in the long run.

Ever heard of compromise? Not hereabouts, no. By the way, there is no adequate translation in Spanish for compromise, and the closest hybrid translation has strong negative connotations more evocative of painful emasculation, or thereabouts.

Well, I suppose the roots are indeed Iberian, after all, during the "good old days" of the Spanish Empire, it wasn't well enough for someone to reach heaven; it was better that everyone else go to hell, thus ensuring some sort of favorable dramatic contrast. How someone else's misadventure would benefit me -- or the corollary of such a premise, that someone else's benefit would hurt me -- became a truism, is well beyond my grasp. But look, there's someone cutting into the queue, and he's the suma y alta riata (or his wife, or his nephew, or his brother-in-law, etc., etc.). Therefore, why stand in line when you can cut in, and nobody will protest? Much to the contrary, everyone will praise the inherent skill of such a cabron tan vivo (i.e., the one cutting into the line).

By recognizing an evident cultural inclination for shortcuts, as well as an instinctively low tolerance for adversity, the fuller picture comes into focus. But to blame the Spanish conquistador for our current state of affairs -- and the continuation of such short-sighted practices -- is folly without parallel. Just because the roots are crooked the tree doesn't have to remain so (as long as there is adequate illumination, that is).

I think former U.S. Ambassador Cresencio Arcos said it best during the early 90s (and took a lot of heat for his candor): "There's just as much corruption in the States as there is in Honduras. The only difference is that over there (Stateside), when you get caught you go to jail."

Adversity only adds value to something that lacked it in the fist place. It is a matter of deciding whether or not a shortcut offers a true efficiency. It may just be cheating us out of some real value: the long-term common benefit.

There is no solution to speak of, but if we're conscious of the problem, one might soon occur. Patience is advised. On the bright side, of course, a well-honed aptitude for shortcuts has resulted in some very brilliant homegrown ideas for tackling some of the age-old problems that have plagued our species. For instance, in the beverage transportation area, in Honduras we have pioneered the soda-in-a-plastic-bag-with-a-straw solution; a bold answer to an old dilemma: whether to drink now, or later and on the move (wink)!

This writer is unable to carefully evaluate or characterize the 22 individuals who have been named to the commission. Presumably they are indeed "distinguished" citizens with reputations for honesty, and with a passion for reform. However, the opinion of people more knowledgeable than myself fails to evince any great enthusiasm for the 22 individuals. In general, they are representative of a discredited political and business establishment, which is not to say that their are no honorable people in the group. But are they the kind of people with the commitment to the larger interests of the society which is necessary to put some bite and power into reform?

It is important to ask the question in this fashion because a serious critique of the incumbent system becomes a critique of the dominant culture, and the way things are done and have always been done in Honduras. It is not true, as is sometimes said, that Honduras is a lawless society. There are lots of laws at every level of society. What there is not is law enforcement.

There are numerous reasons for this, but the most important is that the judiciary enjoys little or no independence from the political establishment. To a considerable degree, they are the political class, ensconced in just one more cushioned niche of the spoils system reserved for the elite. They are the uncles, cousins, school chums, and drinking buddies of the political and business high-rollers, a class who have rarely focused historically on the well-being of the total population. They do not arrive in positions of judicial power as a result of long and honorable careers dedicated to transcendent principals of justice, but as a reward for going along and playing the game, for loyalty to the interests of their class. They are most unlikely to turn on the people who have nurtured them and fed them.

Make no mistake, while there are law-breakers of all kinds in Honduras, as in most societies, the biggest and most lethal criminals are people with political and economic power. And those people enjoy virtual impunity as long as they continue to pay their dues. The society has ways of dealing with its small criminals, often in extra-legal ways, but the big guys are another matter altogether. The average honest citizen despairs of finding any way to touch them.

Lawyer Milton Jimenez was quoted by the El Heraldo making an astute analysis of the challenge facing the commission. "It is not enough to propose changes for the future without analyzing the present situation." In other words, without confronting the individuals and groups currently flouting the laws of the country. Jimenez goes on to say that what is fundamental is finding the right individuals to serve, magistrates who are honest. "The human dimension is fundamental."

The great though now neglected poet, Carl Sandburg, wrote in a poem "there are men who can't be bought, the fire born are at home in fire." The greatest challenge for any society lies in its capacity to generate such individuals. And there is not much in modern society with its brutal obsession with vulgar consumption, its disdain for ancient traditions, its ignorance of the internal integrities of great ideas, which encourages the emergence of such people, and Honduras represents only a particularly egregious example of this dynamic.

Nevertheless, there are signs that the nausea factor in the country has become so great that change for the better can and will take place, and that reality will begin to catch up with rhetoric. It is at least encouraging that President Flores has created this commission, and we hope that it will be powerful enough in pursuing its mandate to ensure that the impartial lady of justice will be able to pursue anyone, even if, for example, they should be relatives of Carlos Flores.

There are many Hondurans who profoundly want to be proud of their country, and there are men and women who are not for sale. Are there enough of them? One can be skeptical, but it would be presumptuous and cynical to deny it.

But this is not the work of a few months or a few years. In 10 years or 20 years, we will begin to see whether Honduras can begin to manifest a national intolerance for corruption and dishonesty of all kinds.

By DON PEARLY

Before I tell you the meaning of the Spanish word ladron, what comes to your mind? A tender word for a child maybe? Perhaps a nickname for a 15-year-old boy with no manners, no morals, no ethics, no education and probably a rough way to go for the rest of his life?

Ladron means thief, and all the rest of my hints are factual and true. One bright day when I was off island doing a shopping number in la Ceiba, a couple of our kind hearted staff ran into a lonely lad looking for work. He claimed no parents or family on Guanaja and he had no shoes on his feet to prove it. The staff took up a small collection and bought him shoes and sort of slipped him into an empty slot in the kitchen doing the dishwashing. They decided to jump over the interview process because of his size and condition and because he was filling such an inconsequential position. In doing so, they did not get his I.D. information, something required by law.

Upon my return, it was pretty easy not to notice him wondering about with about 30 new guests and 35 employees. He managed to elude me for about three weeks, as a matter of fact. When I finally noticed him and asked who he was, they told me he had been working in the kitchen for a good long time, so I really had no cause to do anything except wave when we crossed paths. He seemed quiet, nice, clean and dressed well, except he always wore the same sport shirt with number nine on the back. I sent down a few shirts of mine for him and some other new yard workers.

Now, consider we gave the new guy a room to sleep in, sharing a bathroom with only two other workers, three meals a day and snacking in-between (something that comes with all kitchen jobs), 35 new friends who gave him shoes and, on top of all of this, an above minimum wage salary with an extra months paycheck every Christmas and mid-year. One and a half days a week off with pay, health benefits and 10 days vacation after a year.

Was he then counting his lucky stars in-between work shifts? No, actually he was slipping into the other staff rooms and stealing watches and electric razors. Fortunately, our crew went crazy when news of a theft was announced. We have never had this problem and we do not even lock our doors at night. Now, every other employee was a suspect. And none of them liked it.

So, they began a search of the jungle and within a few hours came up with a backpack with all the missing items and a few more. It was identified as belonging to the little dishwasher, so while he washed his little dishes we snuck into town and brought a police officer out to the resort. He looked at the evidence, took statements and then arrested the little guy right where he worked. It was I who had to take his rubber gloves off his cuffed hands.

At first he denied it all with great conviction, but when no one went for the innocent story, he broke down and bowed his head almost in shame. Off he went to the Police Station. I followed in another boat a while later and found him walking the streets, performing errands for the police. He had made "trusty" already. I spoke with the magistrate for Bonaca and with the chief of police at the same time. And putting it all together, I found a large gap in the justice system in Honduras. It seems the law cannot treat him like an adult and put him in the same facilities with "hardened criminals," so they had to keep him somewhere. He was not about to jump a plane off the cay, so why not let him help them out. Hence, the "trusty position."

As I now understood it, our options as the complainants was to pay the airfare for him and a policeman all the way over to Roatan, where they have a juvenile judge who acts on these matters. We would be expected to also pay for their expenses as well, and then we would have to bring the officer back to Guanaja and the culprit to wherever he was to go -- probably the mainland, where he started out from. There was no estimate of how much or how long this would take, and the opinion of the elders of the island was he would get no more than a mental slap on the wrist and no help whatsoever. It was agreed he may have been scared enough, by getting caught, to give up the life of crime, and should someone else give him a job and a place to eat and sleep, he might appreciate them more and maybe he would not steal from his new family and friends and workmates. We hope so, Don't you?

Our chief of police assured me, he would see to it that the little ladron would leave on the same freight boat he came in on a day before our soft-hearted crew adopted him.

Without a doubt, the trade measures imposed by Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman on Honduras after Congress ratified the Colombian-Honduran maritime delimitation treaty have given fruit to our Central American neighbors, who have taken advantage of the situation to assail the region's age-old integration process in ways that were unforeseen.

This will have an impact on the Honduran business sector, but hopefully, not on the social sector.

Aleman's politics are very similar to those used by the old school socialists of "divide and conquer." He has a way of seeing the world in a very particular way while subtly pretending otherwise. For instance, the Nicaraguan press reported that "Gordoman" had a quarrel with the Cuban ambassador and even threw a lit cigar in his face. Aleman cannot keep on telling fairy tales.

But the fact remains that Aleman's achievements deserve respect in our region, which is so sensitive and vulnerable. We have gone through unjust wars and another bigger crisis. This problem is no more than another rock in our path and another penance we must pay.

The recent alliance or "union" between Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua created by Aleman has clearly demonstrated the utter lack of respect we get among ourselves as Central American brothers, and if this continues, well then, Aleman is right in continuing with his purposes in which there is no sincerity, but instead, insurmountable obstacles.

We must take into account that the Europeans have been the biggest contributors to the Central American union and integration process, have pushed forward our economies, and brought life to the region's development. But we, as recipients of such cooperation, have acted not with our hearts, but with our stomachs, which is mostly the fault of our diplomatic corps.

Somewhere it was mentioned that President Flores said some things that offended the pride of more than one Central American president. But even if this were true, the treaties, the regional strategy and the work done by many other functionaries and citizens goes beyond this poor excuse for diplomatic disintegration.

What is really happening in Central America when there is talk in the world about globalizing economies? Is this the first symptom of a global rupture? Or is it that we Central Americans continue on the path of improvisation, the politics of the smartest, the "Yes, let's unite, but I'm the president?"

At what cost has Nicaragua achieved this "UNION?"

By DON PEARLY

Almost without warning, our own Mrs. Kenya Zapata, the director of finance for the Ministry of Tourism, arrived with the Honorable Ana Abarca Ucles, our new Minister of Tourism. It seems they came to Guanaja for several functions and we, as hoteliers, were invited to attend. This is an excellent start to her term, as we have not been visited very often since that last hurricane -- whose ugly name eludes me -- wrecked havoc on the Island. We were invited to attend an informal meeting on the Caye in a just few short hours from our initial contact. Not much notice, but when such an illustrious visitor knocks, we open all the doors.

There was a nice sampling of the Island's interested parties in attendance, and it was indeed informal. It was also in Spanish, so I really had to concentrate, and with the school kids having a good time outside and all the acoustics of a gymnasium inside, I found myself lost most of the time. What I am going to report is actually secondhand information, even though I was physically right there. This language barrier is, of course, my own personal problem, so if there is anyone out there who would like to trade two beautiful weeks at Bayman Bay Club for a crash course in Spanish, drop on in.

One of the main topics placed on the floor was how to deal with the trash that blows off of the sanitary fill area and finds its way into the canal. Another was how to appropriate the necessary land on which to build a proper terminal at the newly paved airport. Still another was how to put some teeth into the laws protecting our beautiful reefs.

There is a law on the books that allows a US$10 reef protection fee to be levied on each visiting tourist, which is to be used to protect the reef of all things. When divers began laughing at our desk clerk for trying to collect that fee, they explained why. They told her that that very morning they had to dive in and around the lobster fishermen on one of the designated dive locations. There was a mooring above, so the reef was being protected from anchors but not from poachers. Everyone agrees when the reef protection plan is ready, the reef protection fund will be taken care of. Everyone agrees that when the reef protection plan is ready, the reef protection fund will be taken care of.

We at Bayman even tried a separate funding with money of our own to procure a small boat and motor so a ranger could get the intruders to leave. That failed, so Mission Guanaja gave it a try and again contributed a goodly amount of money earmarked to protect the reef. Again, nothing happened. At least it is on the table once more and in very strong hands this time.

Of course, the airline situation was brought up and the it was made clear that this was a primary issue and that not too many other good things could happen until we have competitive air service and with it competitive prices. The burning question was will "open skies" open up the skies? Will it attract other major airlines to compete in Honduras?

Minister Abarca listened intently to each and every speaker and notes were taken all sides. She seemed to me -- and to everyone else in attendance with whom I spoke afterward -- to be a very sincere person who is planning on doing a god job for us. The minister's background includes work in the private tourism sector, and that could be her stronger card.

Now, not having a command of the Spanish language seems to kick-in another of the senses. The sixth sense if you will, the one about being able to judge character. Sitting there watching and listening the new minister, I came up with a few adjectives to describe her. There was charming, believable, sincere, concerned, knowledgeable, graceful, honest, creative and, above all, willing to work hard at her new position.

The next day I was invited to the Earth Day celebration at the Adventist School. In attendance again were the Honorable Minister Abarca, the Honorable Alcalde for Guanaja, Ms. Sheryl Haylock and Mr. Guillermo Flores Rodas, the gentleman administering the $24 million Inter-American Bank project that began on Dec. 14, 1994. Skipping directly to his speech, I was thrilled to note that although only five years and five and a half months have elapsed, we are now scheduled to start an investigation this November into how we can protect the reef's around Guanaja. There was also talk of some special schooling for our municipal employees concerning land grants and all the paperwork involved. He also told us that work on the Bonacca water project would begin next month. Perhaps our time has finally come.

Now, we shall test the system to first: see if the office of the Ministry of Tourism reads Honduras This Week, and two: if they respond to yet another suggestion. There is an old ship aground in Sandy Byte. It is only in the way and decomposing at a rapid pace. Could someone give us permission to float her, move her to a perfect location on the West Side of Guanaja and sink her in an environmentally friendly manner? We have two major dive magazines that want to cover the process and give us worldwide coverage of the event. In 1996, I asked when I first arrived and I have asked every year since. Surprise me and allow us to put the ship to a really good use.

Just read W.E. Gutman's article on Tela [May 1 edition]. It was excellent. I remember Tela from the eighties when I was serving in Honduras. It was a welcome oasis during my time off. The Villas Telamar was my usual hangout. Sorry that the crime is what it is, but it always was. There are places in New York or Washington, D.C. were I would not venture once the sun is down. Tela will always be Tela -- that's the beauty of it. I do hope they manage to clean up the "aguas negras" problem sooner than later.

As an aside Gutman has a marvelous vocabulary, should he ever chose to leave Honduras he could work for any large-city daily.

Juan Pastor
via Internet

I was interested in and amused by John Monti Jr.'s letter "Live free or die" in your April 10 issue. I visited Cuba at the end of 1995, in fact, passing a very happy New Year there. I find it hard to believe from his letter that we were in the same country.

I am not trying to make out Cuba as some kind of socialist heaven but I refute all he says. I wandered at my will where I liked and spoke with whom I pleased. I spoke to scores of Cubans, none of whom showed any fear whatsoever at the idea of communicating with foreigners. Some were for Castro, some were against. Lots grumbled, their grumbling reminded me of the British rather than of revolutionary firebrands or frightened, repressed people whispering their terrors and hopes to me, looking over their shoulders for the secret police.

I am sure the police are there, as they are in the U.S., U.K., Honduras or most countries, but you can hardly say their presence was felt. The police I did see were few and far between and less heavily armed than those in the U.S. or Honduras. It is true I met those who were anxious to avoid them, for reasons rather similar to those here in Honduras when entering a dry zone with a bottle of rum or a little bit of weed in the U.S. They were mostly "illicit" taxi-drivers: wary but unafraid and still plying their trade.

By the way, I wonder if Mr. Monti has asked the beggars he seems so happy to accept as part of the scene in other Central American countries, how they feel about it.

Nigel J. Potter
San Jose, Marcala
La Paz

HTW's unjustifiably flattering obit of Gen. Policarpo Paz Garcia is missing one important detail. Gen. Paz, a graduate of the ill-famed U.S. Army School of the Americas, achieved power through military appointment. He replaced Gen. Juan Melgar Castro, also an SOA alumnus and military dictator who ousted his more liberal predecessor.

Gen. Paz's tenure was noted for a high level of corruption and unrelenting military repression. It was under his leadership that the activities of death-squad Battalion 3-16 intensified.

It may be part of the "reconciliation" process to let bygones be bygones. A full, transparent accounting of a tainted "hero's" past is part of the process.

W. E. Gutman
via Internet

Will the group of "honorable men and women" picked by President Flores put the country back on the right track calling those involved in corrupt acts to face the "strong arm of the law" with "quick action" and "efficiency?" They are "capable" and "know all the inner workings of the system."

This editorial [May 8 edition] is a joke. Right? Well, if you are serious, then I would just like to say three things: First, Article 200. Second, Article 200 and finally, Article 200.

What in the Sam Houston is "administrative purity" by the way?

Ralph Nelson
via Internet

By JORGE AGURCIA FASQUELLE

It would seem that Honduras is not an easy place to live. Apparently, folks in private  or non-government  enterprise are constantly seeking to overcome complicated Third World obstacles in pursuit of First World benefits. Ironically, it is a nation steeped in simplicity.

There are countless occasions when one runs into backward attitudes, which can be utterly galling to someone not familiar with the ways of the land: "Es que aqui, asi se hace" or worse, "Fijese que no hay." Frustration can soon lead to tossing in the towel, packing it up and effecting a hasty retreat. It is easy to lose whatever bit of perseverance brought us here in the first place.

A loss of perspective can, thus, result in an even fuller waste of time. Having once read words of wisdom about opportunity often being disguised as a problem, I would have to say that Honduras is full of it... opportunity of course. Although my tongue is in my cheek, I am not being completely cynical, yet. Actually, I would hope that by offering an insight into the roots of the problem, this next series of articles might be of some use. Also, I have run out of Royal Navy traditional toasts to head-off my usual nautical essays!

Trying to understand the situation I often go back to the experts, in this case the very people who have gelled experiences about this country or similar ones. One of them was Guillermo Unamuno, the eminent Chilean writer. He would be qualified not because he was a Latin American, but because he was a wise man.

Unamuno thought about perspective, and observed things very closely. His reasoning was, essentially, that the problem with poverty is not the lack of money or goods, per se. The real problem, he believed, is the tough idiosyncracy that the have-not develops, as a result of having nothing. In other words, it is the belief -- and eventual preaching -- of a deterministic world where the have-nots are victims of the haves. A zero-sum, dog-eat-dog arena of such an all-encompassing scope that even Sartre would run for cover.

It is, in my view, a vicious circle with Maslovian overtones. A have-not has little to lose, and therefore a "little-to-gain" attitude toward many things. Since he can barely cover his most basic needs (i.e., food, clothing and shelter) other things like education and self-actualization fall well beyond his expectations. Sadly, only a serious investment in these "luxuries"  i.e. education -- would allow him to break the circle.

A Venezuelan, Carlos Rangel, coined the phrase tercermundismo, which roughly translates into a "Third World attitude." Jean Francois Revel, a French politologist, defined its object: that of accusing, and if possible, destroying all advanced societies, instead of advancing the lesser developed ones.

Eventually, one of these roughened individuals will come across an odd opportunity. But an absolute lack of vision, combined with that heavy chip on his shoulder, will cause him to look to blame somebody else for his past ills  and now, there's a score to settle. Typically that "someone else" will be an American or European falling into that pejorative category of gringo  or anyone else who speaks English, eats at McDonalds or wears Levis for that matter. He will use that opportunity to get back at his object of blame, wasting valuable energy that could otherwise be invested toward the amelioration of his condition.

There is no solution to speak of, but if we're conscious of the problem, one might soon occur. Patience is advised. Finally, it's always good to look at the positive side of things. In this case, this "tercermundismo" attitude is precisely what has allowed us to displace much internal tension in Honduras and remain a relatively unstressed -- albeit archaic  society.

In the southern mountains of the United States, they call late July and August the "dog days of summer." The people are eloquent about the miseries of this time of the year. It is hot and miserable. It is also dangerous. People go crazy with rage or despair, and kill themselves or others.

The many snakes in the hills become more aggressive. The usually sluggish timber rattlesnake is shedding its skin, which causes it to go temporarily blind, and in its vulnerability it strikes at everything that moves. The black snake, which in happier times is said to dance on the point of its tail, becomes crazed with heat and loneliness and will wrap itself around the necks of interlopers in the forest. And most dire of all, the infamous hoop snake, rarely seen and disbelieved in by stuffy scientists, forms itself into a swirling circular blur, and rolls madly down the mountain in search of prey.

In Honduras, April and May are the dog days of summer, which last until the rains come, usually in the later part of May. During this time, Tegucigalpans forget the illusion that they live in a cool city with a "spring-like" climate as all the tourist manuals say, and admit that it is truly hot and miserable, using any standard to define heat except that of San Pedro Sula or the Gobi desert. In fact, in San Pedro, desperate sinners speculate that even the life to come may be cooler.

The only real relief from the heat, other than bathing in waterfalls, is to take to the high country. Fortunately, in Honduras that is not hard to do, for the mountains are never far away. In general, it is always more or less cool in Honduras at elevations over 4,000 ft. above sea level. Compare that with Belize, for example, also a hot country, which has no elevation that even achieves 4,000 ft.

Strangely, however, Hondurans have an ambiguous feeling about the cool of mountains. Tegucigalpa is about as high as many of them care to go. Holy Week is by common mythology and perhaps in fact the hottest week of the year, but Hondurans use that occasion to take off for the hottest places in the country. Choluteca, for example, becomes something of a Mecca, and blazes with holiday activity, its seedy hotels full. To be fair, however, this may not be because it is considered an oasis so much as that many capitalinos have family living there. Did you ever notice that three out of every four people living in Tegucigalpa comes either from Choluteca or Olancho?

One of my sweet and charming students says to me, "mister, I notice that North Americans like to go to the mountains to the cooler weather. But don't you think it is too cold there?" Another tells me that she would not like to live in Valle de Angeles because the thought of wearing sweaters and covering with blankets at night is unappealing to her, feels that something in her would be repressed.

Even the beautiful and refurbished United Nations Park on the heights of Picacho attracts surprisingly few. One would expect to find half the city there on a hot Sunday afternoon, but one does not. It competes poorly with the new mall, whose popular food court is not even seriously air-conditioned.

Also, in this period of Honduran high summer, the country burns. Hundreds of thousands of acres every year are routinely burned. Campesinos, in defiance of laws and good sense, are following their very old and disastrous agricultural practice of burning off the fields to prepare for new crops. Tegucigalpa, already suffering from the most polluted air in Central America, now chokes on a thick lingering cloud of smoke, which mingles with the heat to create a high sense of anxiety and depression in many people. Thousands of people with respiratory and sinus problems suffer.

There is general sense of doom. Apocalyptic religious groups gather new members and talk about "the last days." Day and night dreams and nightmares reveal the great steeds of the Four Horseman stampeding across the earth. At some point, the smoke becomes so heavy that visibility becomes a problem, and airports close, costing the nation hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But soon the rains will come. Every day the humidity and discomfort increases, and then one day, just when it seems the earth and the souls of men can wait no longer, the heavens will open, the thunder clouds will gather, and it will rain. Then the Honduran spirit will once again grow light and happy, and the misery will be forgotten as if it had never been. Hondurans will celebrate the great fiesta of the world, spurn the high places as always, and dream of the warm nurturing sea.

By MARCO CACERES

If I had to give some advice to someone traveling to Honduras, I would first tell them to learn Spanish. Secondly, I would tell them to read the U.S. State Department's travel advisory. Thirdly, I would tell them... "become fluent in Honduran soccer."

In all my years of going to Honduras, probably one of my biggest regrets is not having gained the ability to converse intelligently about the country's national pastime, which of course is soccer. It's the same mistake I've made during my trips to Italy, where arguably the best soccer in the world is played. After all, what good is it if you can speak the local language but lack the prerequisite subject matter? It really is akin to a 13-year old boy at his first party... "Gosh, what in the world do I say to this girl?"

You can go to Honduras (and Italy, for that matter) and be completely ignorant of the country's history, culture, and politics. But if you can talk soccer... baby, you just might be able to get by!

I think there should be course called "Honduras Soccer 101" aimed primarily at soccer illiterate North Americans, who will be traveling to Honduras and need a briefing and tips on "faking it" with regard to Honduran soccer.

The education should commence by committing to memory the following names: David Suazo, Milton "Tyson" Nunez, Carlos Pavon, and Arnold Cruz. These are four of the most talented and popular Honduran players. Suazo is the only Honduran playing in Italy's Serie A League. He plays for the Cagliari Calcio. Nunez plays for Sunderland of England's First Division. Pavon plays for Atletico Celaya of Mexico's First. And Cruz plays for Chacarita Juniors of Argentina.

You should be aware that there are 10 teams in the Honduran National League: Broncos, Federal, Marathon, Motagua, Olimpia, Platense, Real Espana, Universidad, Victoria, and Vida. For a bit of spice, make note that Honduras' best World Cup team was the '82 squad in Spain. It didn't make it past the first round, but it did tie the home Spanish team 1 to 1.

Believe me when I say that this kind of knowledge will come in handy whether you're trying to establish a personal relationship, doing business, or making someone whom you're trying to help feel at ease.

One good bit of advice I must convey, particularly if you are from the United States, is that you no longer need be ashamed of coming from a "soccer inadequate" country. Hondurans may still occasionally jibe you about the relative lack of talented U.S. players and the mediocre quality of U.S. play, but you don't have to take this lying down anymore. All you have to say is... "Excuse me, 3 to 0 was it?" That's the score by which the U.S. U-23 team, consisting of players under 23 years of age, beat their Honduran counterparts on April 21 in qualification play for the Sydney Olympic Games.

In all fairness, the Honduran players were demoralized before the game even started due to a pay dispute with the Honduran soccer federation. The team was also without one of its best players, David Suazo. Anticipate this to be the first line of counter-attack. Fact is, though, 3 to 0 is still a pretty one-sided affair. Consequently, in the end, no matter who lands the most expert blows, no one can reasonably argue that the United States is a soccer lightweight, at least not in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Of course, it will be generations before I can make a similar statement to my friends in Italy.

Note: Honduras beat the U.S. 2 to 1 in a rematch on April 30, thus eliminating gringo bragging rights... for now.