Honduras Travel Update - April 1996

Finding the "cheapest" air fare -

Airline ticket prices are always confusing. On any given flight from the same destination passengers will have paid a wide range of prices.

Here are a few ideas on how to keep your air fare as low as possible:

¥ Find a travel agent in whom you can have confidence. If you travel often, use the same agent and maintain a good working relationship. You may need their help and being a regular customer helps.

¥ To find a discount travel fare, check the travel fares in your local newspapers Travel Section (usually published on Sundays). Look for advertisements for Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala) and call and get a quote from several. Ask each if they know of any specials that are upcoming.

¥ Continental and American Airlines are most certainly the best as far as service is concerned. If you are taking excess baggage this might be your best bet, even if the ticket fare is better on the other lines.

TACA and LACSA are the lines that have the most discount fares. However if your flight involves changing planes you may find they often miss connect and you may be delayed or even spending the night somewhere you had not planned. These airlines charge for excess baggage, while quite often Continental and America will either let it slide or charge only a small portion of the actual allowed charges.

Islena Airlines now has a flight out of Miami, I haven't had enough feedback on this to make a judgement.

¥ Buy your airline ticket 21 to 30 days in advance in order to take advantage of any special offers.

¥ Travel during the week rather an the weekend. Consider a Tuesday or Wednesday departure and return.

¥ Have you ever heard a travel agent say "...you must stay a Saturday night". This is to discourage weekend travel. Take advantage of this.

¥ Honduras' tourist season centers around "La Semana de Santa" (Easter Week). Not only will airline fares be higher, but hotel prices often double. The high tourist season for Honduras begins in about February and ends after April, look for off season specials.

¥ Although Christmas is not a high tourist season, many Hondurans return for Christmas. Plan to pay higher air fare if you travel during this time. If possible you should plan to leave at the end of November.

¥ One way tickets to Honduras are often the same or more than a two way ticket. Always check out the round trip fare even if you are not going to use it.

More on maracuya -

From: ab833@freenet.durham.org (Piet Koene)

To: Honduras1@aol.com

Thanks for the Honduras Travel Update. I noticed your question concerning maracuya. In English it is known as "passion fruit" (the local supermarket here sells it as in a frozen concentrate form, imported from Puerto Rico), the name in theory coming from Easter related origins, in that tradition holds that the crown of thorns worn by Jesus prior to his crucifixion was made from the branches of that fruit, and, as you more than likely know, Semana Santa is sometimes referred to in English as Passion Week.

Facts and figures -

The minimum wage in Honduras is 680 lempiras ($64.80) per month... The government budget deficit fell from 12 percent as a portion of the total budget in 1994 to 3.6 percent in 1995... Payments on Honduras' external debt absorb more than 40 percent of the national budget and are equivalent to 101 percent of total exports... Party makeup of the 128-seat National Congress: Liberal Party 71 seats, National Party 55 seats, Social Democratic Innovation and Unity 2 seats...

SPS Museum -

From: quetzal@jax.gulfnet.com (R.K. Wisner)

Here's a tidbit for you: When we visited the SPS Archaeology Museum, we grabbed a cheeseburger at the little bodega in the courtyard. I wish they still made them that way in the US! Handmade, large patty, with a nice touch of seasoning added. Came with fries, condiments, etc. Add in Sodas, and it came to about a dollar per person (downright embarrassing!). Just one of those "nice to know" things. We used the Hotel Ejecutivo as our base camp and were very happy with the room, the meals in the restaurant, and with the folks who worked there.

New lodge near La Ceiba -

NOA NOA LODGE has recently been opened. Located in a National Park and surrounded by the deepest jungle. A tourist can enjoy nature, observe animals, go on a jungle tour and white water rafting. All this at the same time having the comfort of a nice and clean hotel with pool, restaurant and bar. It is run by the Pribyl's a European couple who want their guests to discover the beauty and diversity of the tropical jungle.

Due to their location and environmental concern, it is a small place accommodating only 12 people at the same time. Service is perfect, the atmosphere is very friendly. Evenings are spent with candle light dinners, discussions and relaxing. The rooms are equipped with 2 beds, table, chair, closet and private bathroom.

The lodge also offers tours such as: white water rafting, horse back riding on the beach or jungle and beach trips.

Only 3 miles from the beach it offers the unique opportunity to enjoy the jungle as well. A great place for adventures and relaxing.

How to get there: Drive from La Ceiba to COLONIAL PRIMERO DE MAYO (on the main road to Tela right after the airport). Follow the dirt road into the mountain until you arrive in a small village called ARMENIA

BONITO, there you follow the main road until you come to a wall where NOA NOA LODGE is written on. That is the place. It cannot be seen from the road.

The address is:

NOA NOA LODGE

P.O. Box 129

La Ceiba, Atlantida

Honduras, Central America

Fax: (501) 43-0700

Thanks to pribyld@acasun.eckerd.edu (Dasa Pribylova) for telling us about this new lodge.

(Haven't had a chance to check this out yet, but will do so in April - Brad)

Luxury Bus Service Between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula -

>The SAENZ bus company provides "executive" bus service between >Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula (to and from each city). The buses are not >the regular buses you find in most of the country; these buses are much >larger, and more comfortable then usual. The trip is a bit over three >hours - no stops. They show movies, are air-conditioned, the seats are >very soft, and they provide food and drinks, complete with bus >attendants, much the way an airline works. Be sure not to confuse the >executive SAENZ busses with their regular busses. I think the SAENZ bus >company also operates the regular busses as well, so you need to go to >their "executive" bus terminals. The cost was only about 80 lempiras >each way per person, when I left on January 21, 1996, which comes out to >less than 8.00 US Dollars. The regular bus service is around 40 or 45 >lempiras, which comes out to less than 4.00 US Dollars. So you pay >about 4.00 US Dollars more for this service; not very much. I highly >recommend this "executive" bus service.

Thanks to Jeff Rose <jmrose@cca.rockwell.com>

Unleaded gasoline available -

From Warren Post, Pizza Pizza, Santa Rosa de Copan -

"Unleased gasoline is now readily available in Honduras."

The Culture and Nature of Honduras -

Holbrook Travel is offering a natural history tour with Bonnie Lundy, January 18 - February 1, 1997 and March 1-15, 1997 (leader to be announced). $2,198 per person/double occupancy, land only. Call them at 1-800-451-7111, or fax 352-371-3710.

Cafe U.S.A. -

Located in the Old Tannery in El Hatillo, this fine restaurant once again reopened in February 1996. The restaurant is now under the management of Chef Joe Mays. Cuisine is southern U.S. with a Texas flavor. Traditional Honduran cuisine is also available. While you are there visit the Tannery's museum which includes the original tanning equipment. The facilities are open from 5 to 9 P.M. Fridays and 11:30 A.M. to 9 P.M. on Saturdays and Sundays. Just look for the road signs on the newly re-worked road to El Hatillo.

Roatan House For Rent -

It is available for rent weekly or monthly, or for purchase. Situated at Turtle Point in the village of Oak Ridge, the house is in a premier location. Everything you need for an enjoyable vacation is right here!

All three bedrooms as well as the living area have an ocean view. The home is sturdily constructed of concrete, and has been well maintained. You can either swim or fish right from your front door! Cross the patio and go down three steps along the coral-rock seawall to a private swimming/wading area. There is also a small, private cay, Turtle Cay, for your enjoyment.

Coconut palms abound in the side yard, and there are hibiscus and bougainvillea. On the lagoon side, there is a small wharf and dinghy dock. The house is fully furnished, including pots & pans. While we can accommodate up to 9 people in 4 separate sleeping areas, the house is compact, 30' x 30', and perfect for a couple. An inside spiral staircase leads up through the tower to an observation deck, where you can see Jean Cooper hill to the east, Carib Point to the west, and a full, panoramic view of the Caribbean to the south. We have 24-hour-a-day electricity, refrigeration, American cable TV, and telephone.

$595 per week, contact:

http://cyberrentals.com/sa/chuhon.html

102403.3500@compuserve.com

Call Betsy (512) 749-4152

P.O. Box 1040

Port Arkansas, TX 78373

Cool Caves -

"I went to some really cool caves near Ojojona at a place called El Sauce (on the road to San Buena Ventura). There are supposedly 12 in all (we saw about 5 or 6 of them) and they have these amazing petroglyphs carved into the walls of the caves. They have to be several thousand years old ! REally neat sight for people with a car! It's only about 30 minutes outside Tegus!"

Thanks to: Jeff Jackson >jjackson@jeeves.la.utexas.edu<

MayaQuest - The mystery trail

This is a children's social studies software. Become a detective and explore the history, culture and geography of Central America. Along the trip to the Maya ruins, your child can use high-tech tools to solve mysteries, navigate wild bike paths and save priceless Mayan artifacts.

This could be helpful in preparing children for a visit to Copan. Available in both Mac and Windows CD, $45 from most software outlets. Publisher: MECC

Expeditions into the Honduran Mosquitia -

Derek A. Parent, author of "La Mosquitia - A guide to the land of savannas, rainforests and turtle hunters," is offering several author led expeditions to Mosquitia. His goal is to provide the ecologically conscious traveler an understanding of the endangered cultures and fragile tropical environments in which they exist.

Groups are small from 5 to 9 persons. Photographers and videographers would find this an excellent opportunity. These expeditions are eco tourism at its best.

Three expeditions are offered: "The Lost Civilization Expedition," Nov. 15 to 23, 1996 and another Nov. 25 to Dec. 3, 1996. This expedition is through the southern zone of the Rio Platano Biosphere, rafting to Rio Wampu and Rio Patuca, visiting a Sumu Tawahka indigenous village as well as petroglyph sites in the Patuca region.

The second expedition is entitled: "El Camino Real Expedition," Aug. 11 to Aug, 17, 1996 and another August 19 to Aug. 25, 1996. This expedition is through the southern zone of the Rio Platano Biosphere to the Rio Paulaya. From there rafting to Paulaya on was once called the royal highway the Spanish Conquistadors used in the 16 and 17th century to raid English colonies. Miskito villages will be visited while trekking into the jungle.

The third expedition is entitled "La Ruta de Los Miskitus," Jan. 3 to Jan. 10, 1997, This expedition begins on Honduras' Caribbean coast. Garifuna Villages will be visited and then entering jungle waterways to Palacios. Dugout canoe will take us to the Miskito village of Cocobila, the Pech village of Las Marias and experience conservation and ecotourism administered by the Pech indigenous indians.

For more information contact Derek Parent directly at >derekp@vir.com<, or see his web site at http://www.vir.com/~derekp/expeditions.html

Tidbits -

TACA is no longer flying out of New Orleans.

"Coconut Telegraph", the publication about the Bay Islands, has raised their subscription rates to $35/year.

"Honduras This Week" has raised their subscription to $48 per year. It's worth it!

"Carnival in Ceiba" Tour -

Remarkable Journeys is offering a tour from May 11-19, 1996. It is entitled "Cultures and Wildlife: Carnival in Ceiba": two nights at the Marina in the Copan ruins, three nights at the Telamar in Tela and three nights in La Ceiba. Includes the Copan Ruins, Punta Sal National Park, Garifuna Villages, Izopo Wildlife Refuge as well as the festivities in La Ceiba. For more information contact Remarkable Journeys, 1-800-856-1993, by email 74627.1177@compuserve.com or mail P.O. Box 31855, Houston, TX 77231.

Honduran Diving and SOS

Jorge Giraldez-Benard de Granada, Nicaragua Last July, 1995 an SOS Expedition Team landed in the Honduran Miskito Coast to deliver emergency Medical equipment and to provide training. Join our project or support us with with cash and or equipment donations. Be a part of our expedition. We are working on finishing Honduras and start work on the Nicaragua project.

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Paralyzed, stunned and afraid, he had laid aboard the ship off the coast of Mosquitia for five miserable days in August of '93, without medical attention. I asked him, "WHY? with truth in his eyes, Garcia told me how he had stood up to lobster boat captains in the past; rallying the divers to strike, demanding and winning early chamber treatment for divers paralyzed by the "Bends". Cruelly, when he was the victim, he saw that his shipmates feared the captain; so they continue to dive until the ship's quota of lobster was filled. Too late for a recompression chamber to revive his dead legs. He stared past me into empty space, eyes misting over, chin high. I turned my camera from him, out of respect. Here was epic maritime exploitation, unsurpassed through history.

As this weight fell upon me, I realized that if this brutality went on unchallenged, my view of humanity would sink. In early March, 1995. an SOS emergency medical expedition consisting of Miskito Indian divers, 14 yr. old Caleb Windship Izdepski and his dad, Bob Izdepski, (Publisher of Universal Diver Magazine), manually cast overboard, floated , then dragged a 4000 lb. recompression chamber 12 miles to the Moravian Mission Clinic in Kalquira, on the Miskito Coast of Honduras. Motivation came from the news that one third of the 120 divers living there have been paralyzed by the "bends" (we have video).

Recently, as new diving technologies have impacted uneducated coastal indigenous people the world over, tens of thousands of men and boys have been killed or paralyzed in diving fisheries. The social and economic consequences are staggering. In June of '94, Robert Izdepski addressed the international meeting of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and showed the SOS video(courtesy of Jorge Torrez, winner of the World Press International award for photographic arts) to a shocked audience that showed it's support with honors and by a special Society donation.

Sub Ocean safety, has produced simple solutions to these environmental/social problems, solutions not only feasible, but which made economic fishing sense to the Honduran lobster fleet; a fleet that now supports SOS. The Honduran experience has uniquely prepared SOS to bring emergency medical aid, commercial diving education, and sustainable fisheries planning to the rest of the world. To ignore the critical significance of diving fisheries to the world's diving infrastructure, is to be blind to an encroaching threat; human rights and morality aside.

The idea that "They are only Indians without money who don't live near us", deserves no comment. Our world is not compartmentalized and that "Indians" may well be your next dive guide/instructor.

Unsafe diving is a contagious environmental disease, curable only with a holistic and unprejudiced approach.

Join with our expeditions, help us to where we cannot go, contribute to our plans, share the risks and breathe the rewards. SOS can win battles; help us win the war. We value individual support and offer membership for $25, video for $50. Corporate support is needed and we offer publicity in return. You might feel better about life. Help us get this message out to the concerned. Please contact us with your support. and PLEASE POST WHERE APPROPRIATE

Jorge Giraldez-Benard de Granada, Nicaragua

Email: jgb@netpoint.net

Volunteer at AmeriSpan - Guatemala

To meet the summer crunch, AmeriSpan is looking for 2 volunteers to work in the AmeriSpan Travel Resource Center in Antigua, Guatemala. They are looking for individuals with a strong background in Spanish willing to commit for at least 2 to 3 months. AmeriSpan will pay round-trip air fare, travel insurance and a monthly stipend for housing and meals. Volunteers will work in the AmeriSpan office, primarily supporting the many needs of AmeriSpan students. Email info@amerispan.com or AmeriSpan@aol.com

New Honduras newsgroup being formed -

The new newsgroup "soc.culture.honduras" is now in the the voting stage. Your vote is very much appreciated. All on my mailing list have received at least one notice, however if you would like the information on voting sent again, just let me know - Honduras1@aol.com Last day to vote is April 10, 1996.

Import duty reduction March 18 to May 18

Vehicle importation -

>Yesterday, we went to the local customs broker; the fellow we usually >talk to wasn't in but the secretary said the import duties have been >reduced from March 18 to May 18 by about 2/3 after which they will be >raised again to the old rate. A friend of mine is paying about $700 as >opposed to the $2100 which they wanted before. (Dcp@sie.expreso.co.cr)

Cave of the Glowing Skulls

Far Horizons specializes in archaeological and cultural trips. They are planning a visit to the "Cave of the Glowing Skulls" (near Catacamas) from June 20th to 29th. For more information call them at 1-800-552-4575 or fax 1-505-343-8076.

New ambassador to Honduras named -

To: Public-Distribution@clinton.ai.mit.edu

Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 19:12-0500

From: The White House <Publications-Admin@WhiteHouse.Gov>

Subject: 1996-03-22 Creagan Named Ambassador to Honduras

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

__________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release March 22, 1996

PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES AMBASSADOR TO HONDURAS

The President today announced his intention to nominate James Francis Creagan of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras.

Mr. Creagan is Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Italy. He has been a career diplomat with the U.S. Department of State for thirty years. Mr. Creagan's diplomatic career has taken him on assignment to Brazil as Consul General in Sao Paulo and political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia. He was political counselor at the American Embassy, Lisbon and has served as political and labor officer in U.S. Embassies in Lima, Mexico, San Salvador and Rome. He was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy to the Holy See and was Consul in Naples, Italy.

Mr. Creagan was born in Elyria, Ohio in 1940, and grew up on the shores of Lake Erie in nearby Lorain. He is a 1962 graduate of Notre Dame University. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and has taught political science at several universities including

Texas A&M. Mr. Creagan speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. He is married to Gwyn Jonsson Creagan of Texas. They are residents of Vienna, Virginia. They have two sons and a daughter-in-law.

---- End of White House announcement

Closed for one week -

My office will be closed for one week from April 12th through April 21st while I am in La Ceiba attending the "Eco-tourism Conference." Hope to have a lot more to report.

END

Brad Martin author of the guidebook "Honduras Travel Guide"

Honduras1@aol.com

"The people of Honduras are its greatest asset"