Just before landing, the plane drops several hundred feet, Then it takes a sharp U turn and then suddenly touches down at strange angle. Cabin is full of the sound of air and ground brakes as the plane stops. I thank the God and the seat belts, that kept me from smashing into the seats in front. Plane has finally come to a halt and It is all over.
This was not a crash landing. It was just another
For some time, God has been laying on my heart a great burden. There is a city in Honduras called Choluteca. It has around 500,000 people and another 500,000 people in villages around the big city. Most of the churches in this city are in small buildings. God has laid on our heart to build a state of the art worship center. We want to call this the REVIVAL CENTER. This will be a place where
Fotos de Chica HondureñaHola mi nombre es Sara , tengo 25 años, vivo la vida como si fuera el ultimo momento porque disfrutar las cosas maravillosas que te sorprenden y te hacen disfrutar a veces no tiene precio y ese placer hace que nos sintamos emocionados y vivos sobre todo eso vivos disfrutando la vida que es tan maravillosa y que de un momento a otro la podes perder entonces porque no disfr
A rough-skinned frog species thought to have gone extinct more than 20 years ago has been found alive in a Honduran rain forest, experts said. Craugastor milesi—also called the miles' robber frog—was considered "locally abundant" in Honduras until the 1980s, when attempts to find the frog proved unsuccessful.
Con lo que ocurre hoy en Pakistán, cuando estadounidenses y pakistaníes (aliados, supuestamente) se caen a balazos entre ellos en la frontera con Afganistán, se descubre una vez más el engaño y el peligro que hay implícitos en aceptar las relaciones de "apoyo", "ayuda", "alianza" o "solidaridad" de los EEUU, para no hablar de t
After experiencing the communist taking over Nicaragua in 1979 and after seeing them defeated in 1990, I never imagined that socialism would be returning to Central America.Honduras is a country that I love and this is where I have spent most of my life. Honduras as always been a friend to the United States and even when the Iraq war started, Honduras sent troops to help. Now, the liberal part
Una amplia y detallada documentación, con abundantes y desgarradores testimonios presentó La Prensa sobre la desaparición de niños, su venta y esclavitud en bares. La unidad de investigación de este rotativo siguió la ruta e identificó negocios donde son retenidas niñas y utilizadas en la prostitución.Día a día se han ido entregando a los lectores los hallazgos de una labor delicada, pe
Country LocationOfficial Name: Republic of El SalvadorContinent: AmericasRegion: Central AmericaNeighbours: Guatemala (N), Honduras (NE)Capital: San SalvadorCountry InfoPopulation: 6,948,073Area: 21,040 km²Language: CastellanoNational Day: 15th, September (1821)Regime: RepublicCurrency: Dollar USReligion(s): ChristianityShort Info BBC Country Profile: In the 1980s El Salvador was ravaged by a bit
Parque Central, La Ceiba, HondurasIt is human nature that when someone is around something every day, they don't notice the gradual changes so much. When Blogicito reader "LearningaboutHonduras" mentioned all the changes that she's noticed around La Ceiba in the past four years, I asked her to expound. Her answers were interesting to me and I thought they might be to some of you as well, especiall
4.6 tons of cocaine confiscated in Honduras All photos: La Prensa, Honduras"Honduras is at the point of converting into a narco state."Recently Ambassadors from the US and France in Honduras have publicly suggested that Honduras is becoming a major center of narcotrafficking and many others have suggested that high level officials in the government and police are connected. President Manuel Zelaya
Copán Bishop Luís SantosPhoto: La Prensa, HondurasFinal installment of the highlights of the recent La Prensa investigative report of the state of narcotrafficking in Honduras:"He who talks will be killed" Bishop Luís Santos risked his life to tell La Prensa about the terrible reality of those who live in the towns of the corridor of drug trafficking in the departmento (state) of Copán.Bishop
El dia de ayer por fin se dio el tan ansiado estreno del tecnico nacional Sven Goran, y el partido era perfecto pues era contra la seleccion de Honduras en el magnifico estadio Azteca, ademas la seleccion contaba con muy buenos jugadores que militan en el extranjero.El partido cumplio con sus espectativas, pues México derroto a Honduras con un marcador de 2 goles a 1, los dos fueron obra de Pavel
Luxury homes in El EspírituAll photos: La Prensa, HondurasContinuing with highlights of La Prensa's investigative reports of narcotrafficking in Honduras, August 11-16, 2008:********El Espíritu, refuge of drug king El ChapoEl Espíritu, Copán, is a tiny community with a population of about 3,000 where sophisticated security systems are installed in any house and heavily armed men walk the stree
La Seleccion de Mexico el dia de ayer le gano 2 a 1 a la Seleccion de Honduras con 2 goles de Pavel Pardo por Mexico y 1 gol de Rambo de Leon para Honduras.“México sacó la casta, fue una victoria sufrida, nos costó mucho meter los goles durante el primer tiempo en donde se fallaron al menos tres. Honduras fue un gran rival que marcó en la única ocasión que tuvo, sin duda que, su futbol es
Estadio Azteca - 20 de Agosto de 2008.Momentos de tensión y sufrimiento vivieron los mexicanos en el Estadio Azteca, tras el enfrentamiento de la Selección de México ante su similar de Honduras, por la eliminatoria del Mundial de Sudáfrica 2010.El partido comenzó con dominio mexicano, que demostraba que México tenía ganas de llevarse el partido.México salió con sus estrellas, incluyendo a
Who win: Mexico vs Honduras? Bet now : live commentary and live online radio broadcast World Cup 2010 qualifier match between Mexico and Honduras at Estadio Azteca might be tougher to predict than what most might think. Mexico are perennial footballing powerhouses in CONCACAF but they have to cope with the rising teams like Honduras in this live online streaming football game. And with their dod
Sven Goran Eriksson dio a conocer su lista de la seleccion mexicana de futbol que encarara al equipo de Honduras el proximo 20 de agosoto.Porteros1 Oswaldo Sánchez Santos2 Guillermo Ochoa América3 José de Jesús Corona UAGDefensas4 Ricardo Osorio Stuttgart5 Rafael Márquez Barcelona6 Aarón Galindo Eintracht Frankfurt7 Fausto Pinto Pachuca8 Jonny Magallón Guadalajara9 Carlos Salcido PSV10 Fran
Bastano tre minuti all'Italia per presentarsi davanti ad Hernandez, ma Acquafresca, che scatta sul filo del fuorigioco con la difesa dell'Honduras posizionata malissimo, sbaglia clamorosamente tutto solo davanti all'estremo difensore avversario. E' l'Olimpica di Casiraghi a tenere il pallino del gioco. Al 10' Montolivo calcia dal limite dell'area: Hernandez si allunga e mette in angolo. Al quarto
Chicas Honduras
Soy Nicolle… tengo 23 años & estudio (MERCADEO) .. SOY UNA PERSONA BASTANTE ALEGRE Y A VECES COQUETA, Soy de Honduras
Visita mi Hi5
Chicas Latinas en su Hi5.
General Francisco Morazan,centerpiece of Parque Central, La Ceiba, HondurasI have been remiss to not have shown you La Ceiba's Central Park before now. It was always on my mind but I just never got around to it. The poor park has seen better days. Hondurans like order and it shows in the design of this park. The park is surrounded by a short wall and the entry walkways are like spokes of a wheel
Orange HibiscusSince my Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post was sparse, I'm posting some photos of my cuñada's (sister-in-law) garden blooms. B has a tiny, tiny garden space but she's really done a lot with it. She keeps a lot of flowers in pots but also has a lemon tree, some palms, a huge orange hibiscus, two or three roses, and a couple of other trees. The orange hibiscus, shown above, is my favor
Banana bloom All of the tropical blooms from my May and June Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts are still blooming (lucky me) so I won't repeat them. If you haven't seen them, you can see the photos at the links above. If you are new here, my garden is in La Ceiba, Honduras. That is in Central America for the geography-challenged. ;-)Orchid - Myrmecophila tibicinisOne of my orchids is in bloom again
Hi, my-blogmedia readers. We are proudly present the top 10 cheapest places in the world for your trip or vacation. Here is the seventh place. Enjoy.Costa Rica-HondurasCosta Rica, which used to be one of the best-kept secrets in budget travel, is now home to luxury developments and thousands of tourists. Farther north, however, Honduras (www.letsgohonduras.com) is still flying under most people's
The following guest blog was provided by Ed, who moved to La Ceiba in 1950 with his parents at the tender age of 14:1915 steam engine Back in the 1950's, the Parque (central park) and the Hotel Paris were the gathering places for all people of La Ceiba. The large shade trees and several benches offered relief from direct sun and an opportunity to greet friends and chat. Across the street, the Hote
Bayamón, Puerto Rico - El equipo nacional de Puerto Rico consiguió lo que indudablemente representa el más glorioso éxito en su laureada historia futbolística internacional, al empatar 2-2 con la poderosa pero extrañamente letárgica escuadra de Honduras en el torneo clasificatorio de la CONCACAF para la Copa Mundial de 2010. Aunque con el empate los boricuas se eliminan de la carrera por la
Coral Etlinger elatiorThis is my June entry in the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day for La Ceiba, Honduras. Luckily I took the photos and wrote most of the article last month, since I'm a little handicapped right now with ulnar tunnel syndrome. Just to keep it legal, I cross my heart and swear that all of these plants are still blooming in June! It's wonderful to have such long-lasting blooming tropical
DISCLAIMER: Tutti i video presenti in Calcioplus appartengono ai loro creatori e sono ubicati su server esterni. Calcioplus non ha alcun video sui propri Server. Calcioplus non è responsabile del contenuto di siti web esterni. Calcioplus.blogspot.com 2008.Iscriviti all'RSS per essere sempre aggiornato! Clicca sull'immagine sottostante per iscriverti!
I'm still trying to keep my typing to a minimum, so I'll just offer these photos for your perusal. Not much change on the finger front yet.Still beggingIf you would like to submit a guest blog article, it will be greatly appreciated by me and my two bum fingers. Send it to me at my email address in the "About me" section at the top of the page. Photos are welcomed, too. Don't worry about formatti
The following is a guest blog from Leslie who was a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras during 2000-2002. Besides volunteering in Honduras, Leslie has also worked in Angola and is currently working in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Her blog is Back in One Piece.La Esperanza, Intibuca, HondurasThe day our Peace Corps training group got their assignments was the most anticipated day of the train
A bar on the beachBoy walking down the gravel main streetBuses between El Porvenir and La Ceiba are the major form of transportation. They kick up a lot of dust.Bicycle traffic is very common.An old bodega (shed)One of the several churchesThe new courthouseThe municipal building. I could only get some of these photos from the car. El Jefe didn't want to stop.The social centerBlog contents copyrigh
Empate que dice pocoVenezuela, que acusó falta de ritmo en su juego, tuvo premio a su dominio sobre Honduras y sacó un empate 1-1, anoche en partido amistoso de cara al reinicio de las eliminatorias sudamericanas, efectuado en la localidad de Fort Lauderdale, Estados Unidos.La Vinotinto solventó problemas de entendimiento, además jugó en un campo poco apto como el del Lockhart Stadium, en la
DISCLAIMER: Tutti i video presenti in Calcioplus appartengono ai loro creatori e sono ubicati su server esterni. Calcioplus non ha alcun video sui propri Server. Calcioplus non è responsabile del contenuto di siti web esterni. Calcioplus.blogspot.com 2008.
Iscriviti all'RSS per essere sempre aggiornato! Clicca sull'immagine sottostante per iscriverti!
El primero de tres encuentros amistosos que tendra la VinotintoLa selección de Venezuela se enfrentará este viernes a la de Honduras, en el primero de tres encuentros amistosos que serviran de preparación previa al reinicio de las eliminatorias mundialistas en el mes de junio ante Uruguay y Chile.El seleccionador de Venezuela, César Farías, advirtió hoy que "Honduras será un buen examen" y
We headed north from San Salvador and eventually reached La Ceiba in Honduras which is the jumping off point for the Bay Islands. We had a bit of hassle getting local money (Lempiras) as the first 5 ATM's said "No - No No!" - but finally number 6 said "Ya man!" - Phew!After spending the night in La Ceiba we got the ferry (vomit comet) to the largest island Roatan. The crossing was fairly rough and
El cantante español Enrique Iglesias se presentará por primera vez en Honduras en junio próximo, como parte de su gira "World Tour Insomniac", que también lo llevará a Guatemala, dijeron hoy los promotores del evento.El espectáculo de Iglesias está previsto para el 8 de junio próximo en el Estadio Chochy Sosa de Tegucigalpa, lugar que ha recibido a varios artistas entre ellos a los mexican
Nice readers wrote to me with this information (below) about Honduras' senior citizen discount, called the tercera edad discount (third age). I wrote back to thank them and let them know that it is something I can look forward to in the future, but right now I don't qualify. They wrote back to say how happy they were that La Gringa responded to their email, but PUT IT ON THE BLOG! So, okay, R and G, here ya go:When living in Honduras, you want to take advantage of any privilege the laws will give you. After all you have to put up with all the inconveniences (to put it mildly) of living in poor developing country. For Hondurans or residents of Honduras over 60 years (corrected by LG from 65) there is the law of "tercera edad." It compels businesses to give a wide range of discounts from 10
Guanaja (pronounced gwa-na-ha); doesn’t the name just sound magical? Could it be that this will be your island in the sun for your retirement years? Located in Central America, about forty miles north of the mainland of Honduras in the pristine waters of the Caribbean Sea, it has a lot to offer in [...]
A democratic republic, Honduras is located in Central America, and also referred to by the locals as Spanish Honduras. A place that is very popular amidst tourists across the world is known for the rich culture, colours and vibrant customs and festivals, which take place through the year. The Orchid is their national flower [...]
Poco se ha dado a conocer (dentro de los medios de comunicación) sobre lo que ha ocurrido en Honduras.Algunos indicarán el tema de: "Que me importa!" queremos enterarnos de lo que ocurre dentro del país. Todo eso esta muy bien, sin embargo cuando el petroleo llega a 117 por barril, muchos no saben ni las razones por las que las tienen que pagar mas por el combustible y al mismo tiempo desconocen las noticias. Lo mas importante de las noticias internacionales es como va el Barcelo contra el Madrid, y hasta ahi llega el conocimiento de lo que sucede en el exterior. Siendo Honduras que posee fronteras con El Salvador, no es de sorprender que los medios de comunicación salvadoreños no quieran dar a conocer la respuesta del pueblo
Update to a January 2007 articleI receive many emails from people who are considering moving to/retiring in/investing in/looking for work in Honduras. I'm always a little surprised, thinking to myself, "Well, if you read my blog, do you really think I'm going to recommend it?" Life is hard in Honduras for so many reasons, even when you have the money to live a comfortable lifestyle. On the other hand, I appreciate your confidence in me to give you the 'straight scoop.'While I enjoy hearing from people and I've made some good friends through these correspondences, I'm just going to have to say that I can no longer give that kind of advice.First, I'm not qualified to answer many of the questions. Some need to be asked of an attorney or three, and you will probably receive three different ans
A trip to Honduras, the quintessential banana republic, conjures visions of endless fields of fruit ripening under a tropical sun and sweat browed laborers. An image that until recently was not far from the truth. Although its lacks the comforts of mass tourism destinations, and banana plantation...
The Ultimate Honduras TourTegucigalpa, Honduras to San Pedro SulaHonduras Vacations14-Day Honduras Tour: $5,820 - $7,271Promo Code: V-96336Honduras Tour Vacations Info: This tour offers the ultimate in relaxation, as well as trips to majestic Mayan ruins. Visit Copan, the "art gallery" of the Classic Mayas. Then head to beautiful Roatan and spend two days enjoying water sports, volleyball, basketball, scuba diving, and more. Visit a working coffee plantation and explore fantastic rainforests on this private, fully-customizable tour.Click here for reservations or call TravelWizard.com at 1-800-330-8820 to be connected to one of our Honduras Tour Vacation Specialists now!Honduras Tour Vacations Restrictions: Triple occupancy rates are also available. Please note this is a sample itinerary on
Andrea y Betti llevan una semana viajando por Honduras. Llegaron desde Belice y se han pasado la mayor parte del tiempo metidas bajo el agua explorando el fascinante interior de las aguas del Caribe. Además, no solamente les atraían las sorpresas del mar hondureño; por lo visto, Honduras es el país del mundo donde el certificado de submarinismo sale más barato.Estuvieron una noche en la playa local de Tela donde la gente parece no estar muy acostumbrada a los turistas y ambas austriacas resultaron ser las más blanquitas del pueblo entero.Tras descansar en las playas de tela se dirigieron hacia La Ceiba. Se trata de la tercera ciudad más grande de Honduras.Por lo visto, uno tiene que ir con cuidado porque a la mínima los hondureños hacen de las suyas con los turistas. A la vuelta d
In the wake of wins over Paraguay and Colombia, the Catrachos are hoping to carry their fine form into their opening qualifier with Puerto Rico. continue read..
New-look Honduras thinking bigIn the wake of wins over Paraguay and Colombia, the Catrachos are hoping to carry their fine form into their opening qualifier with Puerto Rico.
Honduran carved and painted chestThese are some photos that I was able to take at a quick stop at the Turiplaza center just outside of El Progreso. El Progreso is a medium-sized city, only slightly smaller than La Ceiba, on the highway about 30 minutes east of San Pedro Sula, and about 2 hours west of La Ceiba.Unfortunately, the Moon Handbook describes El Progreso as:"An unattractive, hot agricultural city of 115,000 on the east bank of the Rio Ulua, El Progreso offers little to interest tourists. Most foreigners who find themselves in El Progreso are changing buses on their way between San Pedro Sula and Tela. The only reason to delay your departure might be to check out two souvenir shops in town."Awww! El Progreso is not that bad. It actually looks better and cleaner than it did a few y
So, if the gringos leave us without work, we'll drop in there wet (illegal).Cartoons: Darios Banegas, La Prensa, HondurasI was hoping to have a definitive update on the Honduran melon situation but apparently we won't hear the results of the testing until next week.Dole and Chiquita, who are both customers of Montelibano, have voluntarily recalled all melons sold by their companies in the U.S. and Canada. The Honduran melon ban apparently has been lifted against other Honduran melon exporters but remains in place for Montelibano. FDA inspectors performed 149 tests of melons of the Honduran company Del Sol and has approved those melons for entry into the U.S. FDA Inspectors have arrived in Honduras to evaluate the production process of Montelibano. U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Charles Ford
I ran across an excellent report of the (non-excellent) state of affairs in Honduras. The report was done by the Bertelsmann foundation. If you have a strong interest in Honduras, I highly recommend that you read it. I've included some overly long quotes from the report:Freedom of ExpressionFreedoms of opinion and the press, while enshrined in the law, are not fully reflected in practice. Because the exclusively private press, radio and television market is highly concentrated and dominated by some of the politically and economically most powerful individuals or families, there is little plurality of opinion. Censorship is not exercised openly by the state, but it continues to be informally carried out by other political and economic powers, particularly through bribery and through the dis
Final do Torneio Pré-Olimpico, ambas as equipas já estão apuradas para Bejing. O jogo trata-se apenas de decidir o vencedor do Torneio.
Os Estados Unidos estão num grande momento de forma, ainda não perderam na competição, estão numa série de 3 vitórias e só ainda consentiram um golo na competição. Curiosamente a duas equipas já se [...]
*Click here for video of the post game of the U-23 game against Honduras.*Here is the match report from the game.Sadly, I can't find highlights of the game yet the streaker from the game was up within minutes.
I wish I had $10 for every time I was asked that question! It can cost the same, or more, or less than it costs to buy or build a house in the U.S. How much does it cost to buy a house in Ohio? How much does it cost to buy a house in Dallas? It is impossible to answer to those questions either without knowing a whole lot more details. The cost of a house, simply put, will depend upon what kind of house you want, what size of house, and where it is. The price of land varies tremendously. A tiny lot on the beach on the island of Roatan might cost vastly more than several acres in a secluded mainland location which, incidentally, might not have access to water or electricity. If you want a replica of an 'American' style house complete with all the quality amenities, you could pay even more
Toda persona natural o jurídica, pública o privada, que estuviere en posesión de cualquiera de los productos comprendidos en la prohibición, -videojuegos sangrientos- estará obligada a entregarlos al Departamento Municipal de Justicia respectivo, quien dispondrá de los mismos -para su destrucción.Al parecer juegos como Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Vice City, entre otros... ya no podrán ser comercializados en las tiendas de Honduras.Vía: cesarius.netVer también:Counter Strike prohibido en Brasil.
Location: Sandy Bay, RoatanDate: December 20, 2007Somewhere in Anthony's Key ResortWhen traveling alone, the simplest way to explore Roatan’s different attractions is by joining one of the many packages with transportation and admission fees included. I chose one that included Gumbalimba Park and a dolphin encounter at Anthony’s Key Resort. Anthony’s Key Resort is located between Gumbalimba Park and West End. Inside Anthony’s Key Resort, there are Roatan Museum and Roatan Institute for Marine Science. Roatan Museum displays many Native American artifacts. There is a collection of ceramic pot feet. Their name is Yaba Ding Ding.Use of a Yaba Ding DingYaba Ding DingAnthony’s Key Resort’s Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) live in Bailey’s Key which is a minute boat rid
Location: West End, RoatanDate: December 15, 2007Before landing in Roatan, I imagined that I would walk down West End’s row of dive shops and hunt for the best deal. But that never happened.Once the taxi dropped me off at the main entrance of West End, I was right in front of Coconut Tree Divers. My would-be dive instructor showed me one of Coconut Tree Cabins’ rooms, a staff of Coconut Tree Convenience Store told me the rate, and the hunt was over.My room was a little raised house built behind wooden gates and a stone fence. It had huge windows, two beds, a bathroom, an air conditioner, a porch, and a hammock. Between my room and the gates, there was a stone path with exotic flowers like ginger and hibiscus hanging along it. Occasionally, a chicken or cat would walk by there too.
Location: West End, RoatanDate: December 19, 2007Probably the only attraction walking distance from West End is Roatan Butterfly Garden. The garden consists of three major sections: a butterfly house, a toucan house, and a large yard inhabited by different tropical birds and plants.Owl ButterfliesThe largest specie in the butterfly house is a type of Owl Butterflies in the Caligo genus. On average, each of their wings measures up to three inches wide at the widest part. So when they spread their wings, some are six inches wide. Compare to the small three inch Small Postman (Heliconius erato) and Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia), the Owl Butterflies are giants.Zebra LongwingSmall PostmanHowever, to the Keel-Billed Toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus), the Owl Butterflies are just anot
Location: West Bay, RoatanDate: December 22, 2007Before my flight out of Roatan, I fitted in a horseback riding from Keifito’s Plantation Resort. My group rode on hills, roads, and even the beach outside Gumbalimba Park!My HorseThe GuideHorseback Riding on a BeachEagleMango BayKeifito's Plantation ResortFood of the Day
Location: West Bay, RoatanDate: December 20, 2007A great on land attraction of Roatan is Gumbalimba Park. Visitors can choose to walk into the park or land onto it through a series of eighteen zip-lines. I chose the latter, although admittedly I almost regretted my choice when I saw the helmet, safety belt, hooks, and wires.One of Gumbalimba Park's EntrancesMe on a Zip-LineBecause of the combined advantages of traveling alone, low season, and a day on which no cruise ship docked, I had the entire park to myself. Throughout all eighteen zip-lines, two attentive guides helped me on and off the wires, took pictures, and made sure that I would not run into a tree. They even offered to hang me upside down or back side up like Superman. But I refused all their proposals except for bouncing
Location: West End, RoatanDate: December 16, 2007Coconut PalmsEver wonder why coconut trees always grow near the sea?Each coconut is actually a seed of the plant. So when it is ripe and fallen, it will germinate under the right circumstances. Sometimes the sea’s current would even carry a seed to an isolated island and plant it there.A Young PalmA CoconutAlthough I have long known that, it is only until now that I see young palms and coconuts waiting to be carried away.Food of the Day
Location: West End, RoatanDate: December 18, 2007After two rainy days of confined water practices, I was finally going to my first open water dive. It was still raining, but that did not matter. Coconut Tree Divers said rain does not affect diving, it is the wind that does. Strong winds can make the boat move so violently that it is difficult to get back onto the boat.I did not take any pictures until my later dives, so here is a picture of the gear I used throughout the Open Water Course.The Buddle in the Middle is Mine
Location: West End, RoatanDate: December 18, 2007Pets in West End are very lucky. They are allowed to make decisions for themselves, and they are truly part of their owner’s family. Everything, from chicken to dogs, can roam around town freely. I have not seen a single leash or spayed animal there. Coconut Tree Divers has two cats that go and hang out there daily. They are mother and daughter who each gave birth to a litter of kittens recently. But their family did not abandon them. These three generations of cats still live under the same roof.The Mother and DaughterThe MotherThe Daughter
The bridge to El Porvenir, HondurasWhen we very first moved to Honduras in 2001, we stayed with El Jefe's mother for about a month in El Porvenir, a small town outside of La Ceiba with dusty, gravel streets.I don't want to clutter up this article with all the details of our arrival and how I broke down and cried in the airport before I had even set foot on Honduran soil, and how awful government dealings were, how many wasted trips to Tegucigalpa and Puerto Cortés were made, how the Houston Honduran Consulate had given us BAD INFORMATION ABOUT EVERYTHING, and HOW INEPT AND CORRUPT THE ADUANA WAS IN PUERTO CORTÉS, but suffice it to say, I was going through major, triple by-pass culture shock. El Jefe's mother is a super nice lady and her house is nice, but you know how unrelaxed you can feel living in someone else's house, especially someone you've only spent a few hours with a few times before. This was made even worse by not being able to communicate with her and say all those
Just some random photos around La CeibaHonduras is the cleanest country in Central America. Honduras is the dirtiest country in Central America.Hondurans are friendly people. Hondurans are unfriendly and rude people. The rainy season in Honduras is November through May. The rainy season in Honduras is May through November. Hurricane Mitch, one of the worst natural disasters to hit Honduras, occurred in 1994, 1997, or 1998. Deaths numbered 11,000 or 3,000. San Pedro Sula is a quaint little town. San Pedro Sula is the second largest city and the industrial center of Honduras.Most of the people in La Ceiba are black. The population of La Ceiba includes a mix of Latino, black Garífuna, and Anglo Saxon people. Honduran banks are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.Honduran banks are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. Hondurans only eat black beans. Hondurans only eat red beans.Reading the
In a quick switch from corruption buster to ama de casa (housewife), here are few tips I've learned since moving to the tropics:10. Stove extractor - Use it and use it often. Not only does it suction the hot air out of your kitchen, it limits the coating of manteca grease to about one square meter of your kitchen.9. Dust - a) get used to it, b) budget a zillion dollars for air conditioning and seal up your house, or c) hire an empleada (housekeeper) − oh, never mind, just get used to it.8. Laundry - Don't underestimate the value of a pila (concrete wash tub), the bigger the better. In addition to hand washing, they are good for baby and dog baths, washing large household items, storing water during a water outage, thawing turkeys, and a myriad of other things.7. Stocking a pantry - This is a tough one. You have to find a balance between stocking up for potential disasters like hurricanes, bridges going out, or a city-wide shortage of tea bags, and maintaining only what you can use
I took a couple days to get through Honduras, which certainly doesn't do this jaw-dropping-incredible-scenery country justice.There are uncountable miles of sugar cane fields set amid a backdrop of rolling hills and thunderstorms. Something out of "The Earth is Being Born" movie making material.Hurricane Felix went through part of Honduras, wrecking havoc and lives. Life just seems so ironic and unjust sometimes. The areas effected are the hardest to reach in terms of aid and support.I waited out Hurricane Felix in Guatemala. I am chicken of submitting myself to Mother Natures snarky moods on the world. I like peace and calm and blue skies. But to know and understand what makes life good, we need to experience the bad. Maybe not first hand anymore. I think I may be getting too old for the
Rio Ulúa is the large river in the center of mapmarked in blue (in red farther north)Click to enlargeRio Ulúa, one of the major rivers of Honduras, is now flooding its banks. but as in most Central American countries, primarily the poor live on or near the river banks and high risk areas. People are often reluctant to leave their home and belongings but are being removed by force when necessary. A total of 43,000 persons are now located in shelters. No deaths or injuries have been reported in Honduras at this time.Rains have not been near the predicted 10-15 inches (25-38 cm.) as a result of Hurricane Felix, but rains over the mountains in a widespread area drained into rivers and creeks which are now draining into the Rio Ulúa.COPECO has declared a red alert for all low areas along the Ulúa. COPECO teams working with police, firefighters, and military are efficiently effecting the evacuations. In some cases they are using huge trucks to load people and some of their belongings
La Ceiba, Honduras, 3:30 p.m. Here in La Ceiba, the rain has been starting and stopping all afternoon and the sun is trying to peek through. Rain has been mostly light with short periods of heavier rain. No wind, not even a breeze most of the time. The downtown area was flooding earlier as it always does during a rain and will probably flood again if the rain continues. The level of the Cangrejal River has raised quite a bit but is still within bounds.As I type this, the rain has become much heavier, but the people in Honduras that I am hearing from are not feeling that big red swirl we are seeing on television. Apparently the major part of Hurricane Felix is still over Nicaragua. It is expected to dissipate significantly over the mountains of Honduras.Here are some reports from other areas of Honduras which have been received in the past hour or so:Tegucigalpa: is completely covered in thick clouds but in my area in Tegus there has been only slight drizzle that has dried on the paveme
We were getting some rain from around 11 a.m. to noon in La Ceiba, Honduras. So far it is just a normal tropical rain with no wind to speak of. At 12:30 p.m., the rain stopped and then started again about 1 p.m.Here is a video of what is happening in La Ceiba. Don't expect anything sensational − thank goodness! Honduran television reports and reports from friends in other areas of Honduras indicate that that there is rain or some heavy rain in most parts of the country but nothing significant at this point. Tegucigalpa experienced a drizzle which has stopped for the moment, according to Angel. David reports rain with a light breeze on Roatán. Many businesses are closed or are closing soon. Classes in much of the country have been cancelled for today and tomorrow.This is from the U.S. National Hurricane Center advisory number 17 at 11:00 a.m. EDT (3 hours ago Honduran time):FELIX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 8 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS NORTHERN NICARAGUA AND EL SALVADOR...WITH 10 TO 15
Usually when a blogger blogs about another blogger it's to help promote a blog, but I really want people to pray for La Gringa in Honduras (La Gringa's Blogicito) because Hurricane Felix is headed her way. At last glance Hurricane Felix has been upgraded to a category 5!La Gringa has posted maps and weather updates on her blog to give everyone an idea of what's going on. Thank God. I left a comment on her blog mentioning that September the 4th is my birthday so maybe I can just wish Hurricane Felix away. I sure hope so because this one may be a bad one.Last Christmas my family and I took a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. One day I went to the local Big K-Mart to get some floaties so the kids could swim at the hotel and I spoke with a really nice guy in the toy department. Somehow our conversation twisted from floaties to hurricanes.When I told him that we lived near Charleston, South Carolina ... he remembered Hurricane Hugo. We learned that when we hear of a hurrican
Tropical Storm Felix has just been named an official hurricane. I'm a little bit more nervous about this one than I was about Hurricane Dean. I'm a hurricane neophyte, but even though Dean seemed larger and had faster winds, Felix is headed more in our direction.We are watching Felix on the National Hurricane Center when we have an internet connection. As of right now (Saturday night), they say it may be a Level 2 or 3 Hurricane as it passes the north coast of Honduras on Tuesday. The GDFL hurricane prediction model shows it going across the upper quarter of Honduras. The GFS model shows it heading directly for Honduras' Bay Islands. As always, predictions change over time, so we'll see what happens in the next three days.In my short history of blogging here in Honduras, it seems that whenever I blog about some weather event, it fizzles out and nothing happens. So to continue our good luck, I had to write about Hurricane Felix.To keep up with the track of Hurricane Felix, check out
Residencial San Gabriel, La Ceiba, HondurasSomeone on our Honduras Living group was asking about a new housing development she had seen on a trip to La Ceiba. She said it was next to the Aguazul water plant. I couldn't find anyone who knew where a Aguazul water plant was, but someone mentioned the place on the highway where they bottle Pepsi, Aguazul, and other drinks. And there happens to be a new development next door.Well, it turns out this is not the place she was interested in, but since I went to the trouble to take a bunch of photos and ask around about prices, etc., I thought I would show it to you.It is called Residencial San Gabriel. "Residencial" used to mean a more upscale development than a colonia, usually with larger lots and custom homes. As you can see from the small cookie cutter houses, the word is being used a little more loosely now.The first thing that I noticed about this development was the bright colors and the attractive entrance and muro (fence). I really li
Aedes aegypti mosquito"The number of cases of dengue reported this year reveal that the country has lost control of this disease if compared to 2006," reported the Honduran newspaper La Prensa.According to the Secretary of Health, Honduras currently has 12,370 reported cases of classic dengue fever. Compared to last year at this time (3,200 cases), this is an increase of almost 300%. The key to these statistics is 'reported.' Many people do not seek medical attention for dengue, since there really isn't any treatment or cure. Additionally, in many parts of the country, hospitals and even doctors are not available. Also, it isn't likely that every doctor reports every case of dengue. And how do they report it? By phoning it in to the government on their minutes? By mailing a report in? (Ha!) The only detailed statistics we've seen in the newspaper are from the public hospitals and health services of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Currently, 699 cases of dengue hemorragico (DH) h
Santa Lucia, HondurasI get a ton of email from people with questions about moving to Honduras. I really do try my best to answer what I can, but remember I'm only one person and there appears to be hundreds of you (who would have thunk it?).In an effort to try to avoid some of those loooong email answers (and a lot of hard work), Don Godo and I started a Yahoo discussion group called Honduras Living. Lots of those questions could be better answered there, by people living in the area you in which you are interested or just to get a broader range of opinions which is always important.Our group really kicked off with a bang! We started the group on January 4, 2007, and by January 9th, we already had 50 members. We currently have almost 300 members and are averaging more than 800 messages per month! (My plan to reduce my email backfired.) We have a really helpful bunch of members. Ángel, Patty, Andrew, David and so many others are just a wealth of information. Everyone is so darned nice
July 25, 2007,La Prensa, HondurasAttack on freedom. That's what the headline said. Marcelo Chimirri, head of Hondutel, the government-owned telephone company, in an act of governmental intimidation and intolerance, filed a L.500 million defamation lawsuit (US $26.5 million) against La Prensa (San Pedro Sula) and El Heraldo (Tegucigalpa) for the newspapers' reports of the scandals and corruption in Hondutel and, in particular, by Chimirri. The newspapers have been accused of defamation and of being publications with ties to corruption.The newspapers have been demanding investigation of Chimirri and Hondutel. They say that this action looks to stop the campaign for transparency and rendition of accounts from government agencies.Photo: Marcelo Chimirri, Director of Hondutel (La Tribuna)The newspapers have reported stories of what they call "the rottenness of Hondutel." Tráfico gris (grey traffic: illegal phone traffic in which international calls are reported as local, reducing the pay
La Mosquitia, Photo: La Prensa, HondurasAt first glance, you might think these Mosquitos (residents of the La Mosquitia area of Honduras) have to come to greet some successful fishermen on their catch of the day. But, no, the harvest in this case is drugs.Those barrels contain cocaine. Some 200 Cauquira villagers are aiding and abetting the drug traffickers. Armed with machetes, they protested against the 15 armed Honduran naval personal who were almost lynched, according to La Prensa. The police, military, and fiscales (district attorney's office) involved in the operation were only able to decommission 24 kilograms (53 lbs.) of the estimated 1,000-2,000 kilos of cocaine (1-2 tons). Nine local residents were detained. The narcotraffickers, suspected to be Colombian, escaped along with the rest of the drugs, hidden among the population .According to police, "one way to survive in this isolated area is to unload drugs that come on boats and planes to be sold to distributors. It is comm
Photos: La Prensa, HondurasLa Prensa reported the results of an interesting public opinion poll regarding the country's Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). A PRS plan is designed to be a long range integrated, sustainable plan developed by a country to reduce poverty with the participation of the stakeholders and the World Bank International Monetary Fund. You can read more about PRS, along with Honduras' 15-year plan, and reviews of its implementation at the IMF website, although the most current reviews have not been posted. Incidentally, Honduras has come under much criticism lately and is facing the possibility of losing aid because they have accomplished little in the six years since the plan was approved in 2001. Before I give you the results of the poll, how would you answer this question?:What do you think is the principal factor that has dragged Honduras into poverty?Lack of education?Lack of jobs?Crime?Birth rate?Corruption?Culture?Something else?...............Ready? Here i
Brazilian and Indian dengue cartoonsLatest reports from the Honduran government state the current official count of classic dengue fever cases is 7,715, an increase of almost 1,700 cases since the previous week. New cases of the classic strains had been averaging about 1,000 per week previously.Confirmed cases of the potential fatal dengue hemorragico increased a staggering 100 to a total of 397, and the death toll increased by one to a total of six fatalities.La Prensa reported: "The reported numbers contradict the version of the authorities, who have said the epidemic "has stabilized." In spite of the statistics, the Secretary of Health has refused to increase the level of alert that was declared weeks ago." In an article in the weekly Ceibeño section of La Prensa, it was noted that the "Asian Tiger" mosquito, Aedes albopictus, was first noted in the La Ceiba area in the first months of 2006. It is considered more aggressive, more epidemic, more tolerant of low temperatures, harder
Aedes aegypti mosquitoDengue fever is a viral disease which affects more than 100 million people each year in tropical and subtropical areas.It is caused by a bite from an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, a day biting mosquito, which prefers to be indoors and is likely to bite the feet or ankles. Dengue is also less commonly caused by the Aedes albopictus mosquito, also known as the Asian tiger. The mosquitoes become infected when they bite an infected person. Dengue cannot be transmitted person to person.Dengue is widespread in much the same areas where malaria is prevalent. The dengue mosquito can be identified by the white stripes on its black legs.La Prensa has been reporting a dengue epidemic in Honduras for several weeks now. In the first 6 months of 2007, more than 6,000 cases of dengue classico have been reported, primarily in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro, and Puerto Cortés. That figure is almost double the number of cases reported in 2006. Keep in mind, though, that many people can
Dina Meza, coordinator of Revistazo.comPhoto: BBC.comI've been reading Revistazo.com (en Español) for several months now ever since one of my readers recommended it (Antonio, I think). I have been impressed that this online newspaper has the guts to tell a lot of the stories that don't make the regular Honduran newspapers or if the story does get reported, it is sugar-coated and doesn't name names.Revistazo also has regular educational articles about some of the laws, particularly worker's rights. I've been curious about who was behind this online newspaper because it's not an exaggeration to say that people who do this kind of reporting in Honduras are risking their lives.Just recently, Dina Meza, coordinator of Revistazo, received the 2007 Amnesty International Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat. Here are some excerpts of Dina's words from a BBC article, Defying silence in Honduras:"In the Middle East, the war is obvious. We can see the physical destructio
Tegucigalpa Honduras seems to be the successor to the legendary "checkerboard approach" at Hong Kong's decomissioned Kai Tak airport.Listen to the audio and you'll hear one of the people tell the camera operator "Don't be afraid". I'd disregard that advice if I was there.Major props to the flight crew for their obvious skill in landing safely. It looks like the final approach is down a hill.Insane Landing In Honduras - Watch more free videosI'm flying this weekend, then next week we are heading east for a couple of days. I'll be a-bringin' the camera.Oh, just to get the gossip juices flowing, we are anticipating some welcome developments in the near future. I'll post more about that stuff after I get permission to make it public.
